wmc or caterham?

[tarheelturbo]

i know i brought this up in the forsale section. but i thought i would start a little topic to talk out what i'm thinking about as far as buying a super 7

 

right now i'm looking at the different cars..

most seriously at a wmc ultralite s2k.. i like the bang for your buck factor and the high level of performance that the car has right out of the box.

its not my fav looking seven. but it does seem like an awesome machine. what are your thoughts on the car compared with a caterham superlight? or a westfield sport aero?

its tough to know what the right decision is.. haha

the other consideration is going to birkin route? how do these cars stack up ? from the body they seem most similar to the caterhams? but i don't know alot about them.

if anyone has any input let me know. or personal experience. thanks!!

[slngsht]

fortunately all of the cars you mention can go from mild to wild. The basic concept is the same - very light spaceframe, drivetrain, suspension, 2 seats and a steering wheel. With comparable drivetrains and wheel / tire packages, they all probably weigh within a hundred pounds of each other. They're all as aerodynamic as a forklift.

 

It all comes down to:

1- which one looks best to you

2- do you fit in the one you choose

3- can you find one for sale that's nicely done and gives you the least registration hassle in the price range you want.

 

Adding power and grip is the easiest part of this. I can have the engine out of mine in 2 hours max. want wider wheels? bolt on a different fender... no tubbing needed. etc...

[Winston]

Each car has its own virtues and vices. What do you want your car to be? Classic 7 cruiser, something more modern, a track demon, a street car, a jack-of-all-trades, or ???... and finally, how much are you willing to spend to get what you want? First decide on how you plan to use the car, then determine your budget. That will narrow your field considerably. Also, your size (shoe, waist, etc.) may dictate which car you fit in.

 

 

[WestTexasS2K]

Car size varies alot between makes. A Birkin is a very nice car but its passenger compartment is very small in comparison to Stalker or an Ultralite. I would be sure to see and sit in as many different varities as possible. This may influence your decision more than looks performance. All of these cars from 100 hp- 400hp are a blast to drive. So take a serious look at what your intended use for the car is and go from there.

[tarheelturbo]

well i'm going to see a westfield tomm.. sit in .. and hopefully drive..

next weekend i'm supposed to see a superlight R

 

and if anyone has an ultralite near NC i would love to come see it.. and atleast see how it fits for me..

 

i would like to spend under 40.. and i want the most insane performance i can get! !! i want it to tear anything to shreds at the track but be able to throw street tires on it and tear up the mountain roads.. or just cruise alil.. so it needs to have a motor fit for the road but with enough power to take my breath away everytime i get on the throttle !

[Mondo]

That's funny... I really checked out the WMC because I thought it was the best looking and most reliable drivetrain, then found out about it's performance and parts availability.

 

Like it was said.... there's definitely a 7 out there that will meet your needs. Two things to consider are registration (don't know about NC)and how well sorted it is. There have been some really nicely done cars come up for sale lately.

[slngsht]

well i'm going to see a westfield tomm.. sit in .. and hopefully drive..

next weekend i'm supposed to see a superlight R

 

and if anyone has an ultralite near NC i would love to come see it.. and atleast see how it fits for me..

 

i would like to spend under 40.. and i want the most insane performance i can get! !! i want it to tear anything to shreds at the track but be able to throw street tires on it and tear up the mountain roads.. or just cruise alil.. so it needs to have a motor fit for the road but with enough power to take my breath away everytime i get on the throttle !

 

Since you are coming from a 600+ hp vette, you will not find any of the above choices satisfactory in terms of performance out of the box. Obviously sevens handle very well, but so do vettes. Sevens do better in tighter tracks, but a 600hp vette will walk away from any seven this side of 400hp as soon as there is a straight section in the track. And with the right tires, both cars will probably pull 1.2g's around the corner.

 

Not trying to talk you out of a seven, but I came from a C5 with no power mods to a seven with about 160 hp, and did not get the kick in the pants I thought i would. I added another 250 hp, and the seven feels just fine now

 

 

[oilteq]

I have had two Birkins. Keep in mind I have never driven a Caterham, Westfield, Stalker, WCM, Superformance (no longer manufacture Se7ens), or locost, but I have seen them all up close. I think the Birkin and Caterham are of similar quality (excellent), but the Birkin costs a lot less.

 

At 5’10” and 170 lb, I prefer the smaller size of the traditional 7. The Stalker and WCM are larger (http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/birkinowners/photos/view/207c?b=1). The Stalker has a lot of potential for power. You can even fit a V-8 in a couple of 7 type-cars, but in my distorted view of the world that kind of misses the point.

 

Birkin’s importer is Dick Brink at http://www.texasmotorworks7.com. There is an excellent support group called birkinowners at Yahoogroups.com. I think there is a guy in your area with one. I am not affiliated with Birkin in any way—just my 2 cents.

[powderbrake]

Your intended purposes can be met by many marques. I suggest you get rides in as many of your potential choices as you can.

One thing you didn't mention, and that is weather gear. Do you plan to criuse in all weather?, or is it not a considerstion?

 

I personally don't expect to take long multiday cruises where we might experience a lot of rain, as I have no weather gear on my car. I have been caught in the rain ( Cheohola Skyway with rain at 5000 ft elevation at TOTD) and rain suits help, but it's not a lot of fun.

[WestTexasS2K]

Kevin is in GA he has a supercharged WCM Ultralite. I know it is a bit far to travel but could answer alot of questions. Certainly worth a look if going to spend that much. He is going to be at Road Atlanta next weekend for NASA DE event.

[slngsht]

Kevin is in GA he has a supercharged WCM Ultralite. I know it is a bit far to travel but could answer alot of questions. Certainly worth a look if going to spend that much. He is going to be at Road Atlanta next weekend for NASA DE event.

 

If you can see and hitch a ride in this car, that'll give you a good indication of how far a seven can push the performance envelope.

[Mondo]

Amen to that:willy:

 

I have ridden in Kevin's car:thumbs:

 

 

 

 

[tarheelturbo]

thank you so much you guys for all the response.. its not making my decision any easier!

well i think that with the right power car i will get what i'm looking for in a car.. the power weight on a super seven

can exceed what i have in the vette with the right power!! hahaha.. plus top end runs on the hwy are over rated if you ask me..

heres a video of my vette though.. just thought you guys might be interested

 

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/my-630whp-procharged_65431.htm

 

and today i had the opportunity to go an see doug with auto pro in durham and take a look at and drive the westfield miata sport that he has forsale..

and it is a very fine car!! not quite the powerhouse that i'm looking for. but definatly a really high quality machine, and would make a great car for anyone interested in a westfield.

 

i would love to go to GA and see the sc ultralite, but i don't think i will be able to make it that far away anytime in the near future. i have my plate full. and it would be tough for me to go anywhere thats more than an afternoon trip. well hopefully i will be able to check out that superlight this coming weekend. and find an opportunity to see a birkin and a wcm s2k sometime soon.. guess i'l have to make a drive and make that happen.. i'm ancy to get out and do some driving. i don't know how i'll have the patience to see all these cars..

 

but thank you again.. and keep the information coming. and anyone else in the NC area.. keep in touch.. thanks guys !

 

 

brad

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Was that an unmarked cop car you blew past?

[tarheelturbo]

nah... just some mercury.. haha.. if had been a cop.. that video would have a different title.. and i don't think i would have a license .. ahahaha

[WestTexasS2K]

thank you so much you guys for all the response.. its not making my decision any easier!

well i think that with the right power car i will get what i'm looking for in a car.. the power weight on a super seven

can exceed what i have in the vette with the right power!! hahaha.. plus top end runs on the hwy are over rated if you ask me..

heres a video of my vette though.. just thought you guys might be interested

 

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/my-630whp-procharged_65431.htm

 

and today i had the opportunity to go an see doug with auto pro in durham and take a look at and drive the westfield miata sport that he has forsale..

and it is a very fine car!! not quite the powerhouse that i'm looking for. but definatly a really high quality machine, and would make a great car for anyone interested in a westfield.

 

i would love to go to GA and see the sc ultralite, but i don't think i will be able to make it that far away anytime in the near future. i have my plate full. and it would be tough for me to go anywhere thats more than an afternoon trip. well hopefully i will be able to check out that superlight this coming weekend. and find an opportunity to see a birkin and a wcm s2k sometime soon.. guess i'l have to make a drive and make that happen.. i'm ancy to get out and do some driving. i don't know how i'll have the patience to see all these cars..

 

but thank you again.. and keep the information coming. and anyone else in the NC area.. keep in touch.. thanks guys !

 

 

brad

Kevins car is 381 rwhp on ethanol. It is a fairly quick ride. There are a few others with similiar power to weight ratios but probably only hand full.

 

We are going to be attending the Texas Mile in Oct and see how it does in the standing mile. We will be increasing the boost and putting the hammer down and see what the top end will be I am betting 170-180 mph range but we will see if that isnt too lofty a goal.

[tarheelturbo]

sounds like an impressive machine!!

381whp on a 1250lb car.. what does that equal.. something like 850bhp per tonne? wow!!

that brings up a question i have.. how much power can you actually put to these cars and sitll be able to benefit from it on the track?

can you guys put that much power down.. or is it a little out of control??

also what other sick sevens are there out there? i assume theres some 300+hp turbo bike engined cars, and of course the rst-v8.. but is that even something you can have in america? haha .. i just love to read about rediculous cars!

i also have another question.. does anyone really drive something like a westfield xtr on the street? i just can't see that as reasonable..

ok well i htink thats it for now...

 

brad

[slngsht]

This car was for sale a while back - 550 hp Busa based engine... ran the quarter in the 9's http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=2123

 

Bob's car is powered by a turbo Nissan power plant. Still tuning. Expected to have 500+ hp.

 

My car is heavier than those at about 1800 lbs. powered by LS1 with mild head/cam. Last year dynoed at 385 rwhp with stock manifolds. Have long tubes now. 402 LS2 coming in a couple of years

 

I can't speak for the rest, but the mega power is not usable at low speeds, BUT, at least in my case it is very controllable, and where it comes to play is as you accelerate past 70 MPH. I decided to stay away from peaky engines. The LS1 power curve is very predictable, and I have no problem controlling it in autocrosses, etc. I hooked up a data logger to mine at an autox a couple of years back - never went over 50% throttle, and stayed at about 25% throttle most of the time - so if autox is your thing, 200-250hp is all you need. At 70, if I punch it, I still get wheel spin, but I can keep my foot burried - this is with fairly worn out R compound 315 tires.

[WestTexasS2K]

Kevins car is very managable on the track. It can step out if you roll on it to fast but it is very easy to control just let out a bit and the butt snaps into position like a good little soldier. It is very managable on the street you can cruise all day long an it is very mild manared until 4500 rpm or so. After 4500 things tend to pick up at a very rapid pace until 9000. Switch gears and hold on because you are in sweet spot of the power band and it just keeps pulling all the way to 6th.

 

I am sure there are some 450-500hp cars out there but they are few and far between. I think if you get to 450 rwhp it is going to be a bit of a handful to drive. I still would love to give it a try.

[powderbrake]

i would love to go to GA and see the sc ultralite, but i don't think i will be able to make it that far away anytime in the near future. i have my plate full. and it would be tough for me to go anywhere thats more than an afternoon trip.

brad

 

I believe you will kick yourself in the butt if you buy a car without examining the alternatives. I made a 650 mile trip to WCM to see the car, drive it, and place an order. If you are willing to spend up to $40,000 you should see the cars. There are some nice cars in Georgia, including hot Caterhams, Superstalkers, and Kevin's SC S2K.