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[Paul M]

Thought about an E34 M5? Very nice to drive, plenty of practicality, slides the rear end easily enough and it comes with a slipper as standard. Not amazingly quick (later ones are 3.8 inline 6 with 340 BHP) but they handle very well for such a big car. You'd get a good one for £5-6k.

For a fun car that you want to spend a lot of time going sideways you want enough power to break traction easily in the dry without having to dip the clutch, and of course RWD mated to a manual box with an LSD. The latter of those is the hardest to find fitted as standard, there are a lot of fun cars out there that are somewhat spoiled by the open diff IMO.

[theolodian]

Thought about an E34 M5? Very nice to drive, plenty of practicality, slides the rear end easily enough and it comes with a slipper as standard. Not amazingly quick (later ones are 3.8 inline 6 with 340 BHP) but they handle very well for such a big car. You'd get a good one for £5-6k.

I'm not looking to replace the Omega, this would be a 2nd car.  I would also prefer something to do some mods to so adding a slipper is not a big deal.  More worried about a decent chasis to start with.

[theolodian]

Still really like the Esprit V8 idea, but don't have a garage or the time to do an engine swap this year.  Also really prefer rear seats.

There are some Cerbera 4.2's for about 9K . . . that could be really interesting!  Has rear seats, should be exciting enough, and as long as the engine makes it until next year then I can do a swap to a more reliable engine.

[kris9128]

what about lancia delta. can b picked up for reasonable ££ and very good fun.   . just a thought

[Kevin Wood]

Still really like the Esprit V8 idea, but don't have a garage or the time to do an engine swap this year.  Also really prefer rear seats.

There are some Cerbera 4.2's for about 9K . . . that could be really interesting!  Has rear seats, should be exciting enough, and as long as the engine makes it until next year then I can do a swap to a more reliable engine.

Mate of mine has just sold a Cerbera. It's an ideal enthusiasts car. Always something to tinker with repair but went like absolute stink. 145MPH before the end of the motorway slip private road. Don't think he had any major mechanical issues, just electrical niggles.

Have you seen PPC Yet?

Making me think about Esprits... And 27 litre V12s. Not necessarily in the same vehicle.  

Kevin

[theolodian]

what about lancia delta. can b picked up for reasonable ££ and very good fun.   . just a thought

Only LHD and stop for electricity/bits even more often than for petrol I hear.  Otherwise, yeah I love the rally beasts!

My ur-Quattro had bad enough electricals.  Got recovered because it died in heavy rain in heavy traffic.  Turned out the fuse box overheated with the lights and wipers on and dropped voltage to the ECU.  By the time it was recovered home it had cooled down and ran fine!  

[theolodian]

Still really like the Esprit V8 idea, but don't have a garage or the time to do an engine swap this year.  Also really prefer rear seats.

There are some Cerbera 4.2's for about 9K . . . that could be really interesting!  Has rear seats, should be exciting enough, and as long as the engine makes it until next year then I can do a swap to a more reliable engine.

Mate of mine has just sold a Cerbera. It's an ideal enthusiasts car. Always something to tinker with repair but went like absolute stink. 145MPH before the end of the motorway slip private road. Don't think he had any major mechanical issues, just electrical niggles.

Have you seen PPC Yet?

Making me think about Esprits... And 27 litre V12s. Not necessarily in the same vehicle.  

Kevin

Yeah, the missus got it for me.  I can't get home before WH Smiths closes and there isn't one in the town I work in.    Now I need to get issue 43 with the article on Cerbera's . . .  

I would love to do an Esprit, but just can't see a way to have the time and the place to do an engine swap this year.  Already know everything that I would want to do, but I'm as likely to get a Veyron at this rate.  

If the Cerbera runs well then I could get that, rewire it bit by bit, and do a nice engine swap next winter/spring.  Won't handle quite like the Esprit I suppose, but should be more usable.

[Kevin Wood]

Still really like the Esprit V8 idea, but don't have a garage or the time to do an engine swap this year.  Also really prefer rear seats.

There are some Cerbera 4.2's for about 9K . . . that could be really interesting!  Has rear seats, should be exciting enough, and as long as the engine makes it until next year then I can do a swap to a more reliable engine.

Mate of mine has just sold a Cerbera. It's an ideal enthusiasts car. Always something to tinker with repair but went like absolute stink. 145MPH before the end of the motorway slip private road. Don't think he had any major mechanical issues, just electrical niggles.

Have you seen PPC Yet?

Making me think about Esprits... And 27 litre V12s. Not necessarily in the same vehicle.  

Kevin

Yeah, the missus got it for me.  I can't get home before WH Smiths closes and there isn't one in the town I work in.    Now I need to get issue 43 with the article on Cerbera's . . .  

I would love to do an Esprit, but just can't see a way to have the time and the place to do an engine swap this year.  Already know everything that I would want to do, but I'm as likely to get a Veyron at this rate.  

If the Cerbera runs well then I could get that, rewire it bit by bit, and do a nice engine swap next winter/spring.  Won't handle quite like the Esprit I suppose, but should be more usable.

Yeah, the V8 TVR engine is supposed to be OK. It's the inline 6 that generated all the horror stories. They are also plummeting in value at the moment, which is why my mate bailed.

Kevin

[ians]

Still really like the Esprit V8 idea, but don't have a garage or the time to do an engine swap this year.  Also really prefer rear seats.

There are some Cerbera 4.2's for about 9K . . . that could be really interesting!  Has rear seats, should be exciting enough, and as long as the engine makes it until next year then I can do a swap to a more reliable engine.

Mate of mine has just sold a Cerbera. It's an ideal enthusiasts car. Always something to tinker with repair but went like absolute stink. 145MPH before the end of the motorway slip private road. Don't think he had any major mechanical issues, just electrical niggles.

Have you seen PPC Yet?

Making me think about Esprits... And 27 litre V12s. Not necessarily in the same vehicle.  

Kevin

Yeah, the missus got it for me.  I can't get home before WH Smiths closes and there isn't one in the town I work in.    Now I need to get issue 43 with the article on Cerbera's . . .  

I would love to do an Esprit, but just can't see a way to have the time and the place to do an engine swap this year.  Already know everything that I would want to do, but I'm as likely to get a Veyron at this rate.  

If the Cerbera runs well then I could get that, rewire it bit by bit, and do a nice engine swap next winter/spring.  Won't handle quite like the Esprit I suppose, but should be more usable.

Yeah, the V8 TVR engine is supposed to be OK. It's the inline 6 that generated all the horror stories. They are also plummeting in value at the moment, which is why my mate bailed.

Kevin

What is parts availability like for the TVR engine (not the Rover one) now they don't make it any more?

[Kevin Wood]

What is parts availability like for the TVR engine (not the Rover one) now they don't make it any more?

Good question. I would imagine there'll always be some demand, so someone will make them, perhaps at a price. Wonder what happened to the engine design? Did it just get buried or did someone take it over?

Kevin

[theolodian]

What is parts availability like for the TVR engine (not the Rover one) now they don't make it any more?

Good question. I would imagine there'll always be some demand, so someone will make them, perhaps at a price. Wonder what happened to the engine design? Did it just get buried or did someone take it over?

Kevin

They're certainly around as some of the ones for sale advertise recent rebuilds.  Not cheap at 5K+.  Not sure any of the V8's make it past 30-40K, I think it's worse on the 6's.

Not really bothered myself, I would put something more reliable in when it went if not before.

[Kevin Wood]

I never understood why a company with such limited resources would start designing their own engines. I guess it was probably an interesting project but the heart ruling the head is not a good business model.

Plenty of off-the-shelf engines would have done the job more reliably, and they could have concentrated their resources on other things, like making the headlights work.

Kevin

[smoothomega]

V12 HE XJS , maybe even a drop top, they are out there for relativly little money, just a thought  

[amigov6]

i had an avenger years ago,did some mods to suspension and engine and it made it a good car to drive,i thought they were under rated at the time,very overshadowed by the escort.sadly in the end it rusted so badly that there wasnt much of it left to drive it,was 7 years old then,rust froofing has moved on somewhat since then !

7? Good on ya, iwas 18 when i had mine!!!!!!!!!

[Minispud]

Hey Theolodian,

 Why not got for a MR2, mid engine RWD lots of bolt on goodies or the MX5, front engine/rear wheel drive, again lots of bolt on goodies and you can lower a V8 under the bonnet, if you are brave enough to do so  , it has been done on the other side of the pond with a 350 GM unit