rv-4mike Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 I'm on the verge of ordering a WCM Ultralight, to be assembled purely as a street driver. So how are these cars on the street? Not just the Ultralight, but 7s in general. I've spent a lot of time reviewing archives to learn as much as I can about these cars and there are an awful lot of threads related to racing (especially on the Ultralight forum). Makes me wonder if most folks use these cars as track tools and dont drive much on the street. I realize the car wont be terribly practical, but no less so than a motorcycle. Only thing I can think of that limits streetability is the small size making them invisible in traffic. I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake and buying the wrong tool for the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxologist Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 depends on ur level of mental illness. for the most part, my Caterham gets used as a daily driver in niece weather. but i have a sealed lot at work, and it was bought with the intentions of driving it for pleasure not staring at it. but its a 4cylinder, which is great for it weight. if i was using a Seight with the rediculous torque from the tap of throttle, i would be afraid of driving it. and driving a BEC would not please me as well keeping the rpms around 5000rpm (same applies to the caterham 6 speed). i really believe u need actual seat time before u make this decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 I have a 27 year old replica. I don't have doors or a top for mine. As long as it's in the high 50s or warmer, I drive her. I put about 6 or 7 thousand miles on the car last year. some travelling, but also commuting about once a week to work on the DC beltway. I need some type of ear protection with mine. My springs are pretty stiff now, but before I changed them, the ride was actually pretty comfy. In my opinion, it can't be your main car, although I know of at least a couple of seveners who used theirs as their main transportation. It's a great toy to keep in the garage, and drive on the street whenever it's nice out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 if i was using a Seight with the rediculous torque from the tap of throttle, i would be afraid of driving it. I find my rotus to be very predictable when I overpower the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxologist Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 if i was using a Seight with the rediculous torque from the tap of throttle, i would be afraid of driving it. I find my caterham(sic) to be very predictable when I overpower the rear. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/rofl.gifhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gifBoxologist2006-12-29 14:55:11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestTexasS2K Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Mike I use my Ultrlite on the street all the time and it is a blast. Hope you have alot of self control with any of these cars or keep you license where it is easily accesable. LOL. But honestly the ride is comfortable even as heavily sprung as my car is because it gets tracked alot. If you were going to striclty street the car put some softer springs on and it will ride better than most compact cars. You have to drive very defensively just like on a motorcycle because these cars are so low they can easily hide in blind spots. Eighteen wheelers are giant in comparison and could run over you and not even know it. Just be aware there is going to be wind buffeting, exh. noise, some engine heat depending on your level of insulation. If you expect to drive down the road listening to the radio and talking on the cell phone you might want to look else where. If you just want to get out for a weekend drive and releive some stress and unwind you came to the right place. Good luck with the difficult decision process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solder_guy Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Gotta have a loud horn! Plus I really like my >motorcycle signal mirrors with >custom control circuit! Gotta be seen and heard! Rob Mitchell, Atlanta solder_guy2006-12-30 01:24:47 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 There seem to be people who fall in love with the car and hang in and others who try it out, find it not to their expectation and sell off after a few months. Sometimes they buy a Lotus Elise instead and are happy. The first group likes the second group because of a supply of price-reduced cars in good condition http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/yesnod.gif You got to face it...it is a toy. Depending on your taste you can use it for: - weekend and occasional evening outbursts of senseless driving (also called "blats") - serious racing - less serious trackday events - an autocrossing tool - touring (keeping in mind the limitations of space and weather protection) - satisfying your auto mechanical desires - meeting and communicating with other people having similarly strange taste (all of them very nice btw.) - attracting attention of kids (but not so much chicks) all over the place Gertslomove2006-12-30 02:13:09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xflow7 Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 A tough question to answer definitively because it depends very much on spec of the car as well as personal sensibilities about what is a fun driving experience. Pretty much no matter what type of Seven you get, driving it will be windy and noisy. If those traits are positives you'll love it. If they are negatives then try a few before you buy. Depending on the car it may also be bumpy on lousy road surfaces. If you are of larger stature, make sure you fit in your intended car. I've found my crossflow-powered Caterham to be very streetable. I drive it to work now and then (but not often due to the terms of my insurance coverage), but mostly it's blats of 1/2 - 2 hours. In addition I do the odd road-trip; usually for a weekend trip down to Mid-Ohio or to Indy for USGP. My car's very well behaved around town. Once warm it idles fine and has never tended to overheat. Sitting in traffic sucks because you're in a small space to begin with and being surrounded by other people's exhaust and with no radio to distract you can be maddening. The visibility is always a concern esp. around larger vehicles, but one you are always conscious of and sensible defensive driving alleviates much of the risk. Longer trips for 2 people are possible provided you can be economical about what to bring and are creative with in- (or on-) car storage. Acknowledged experts on 7 road tripping are Angus and Tessa from BlatChat. See >here for what's possible. It's possible to rig up intercoms with audio/cellphone in for a more civilized touring experience, but it's still a far shout from driving along top down in a Miata with Starbucks in the cupholder. If that's your ideal, a Seven probably isn't quite the right thing. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 It's possible to rig up intercoms with audio/cellphone in for a more civilized touring experience, but it's still a far shout from driving along top down in a Miata with Starbucks in the cupholder. If that's your ideal, a Seven probably isn't quite the right thing. Dave Based on first hand experience, I can tell you that if you hit a pothole, and the foam from your starbucks latte flies out of the cup, the turbulance in the cabin will actually carry the foam forward and land it on the inside of your windshield http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxologist Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 i was considering a cb setup in the 7 for the trip down to the Dragon if there was a caravan. have to figure out about a headset with a single earpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rv-4mike Posted December 30, 2006 Author Share Posted December 30, 2006 I've been riding motorcycles on the street for 30+ years, averaging 10K miles per year. So noise, wind, visibility, etc... are not a huge concern. My back cant take the sport bike posture anymore, and carpal tunnel in the left wrist make clutch operation painful. The Ultralight will be my motorcycle replacement. I havent seen anything here to discourage me yet. Thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deman USA Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 In the Deman SR27, there will be an option for two speakers located inbetween both seats that will have a transmitter that will allow you to plug-in your i-Pod so you can enjoy some music. There will also be a wind-screeen option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al N. Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 Mike- I use my car exclusively on the street (much to the dismay of some of my fellow Se7eners!). In terms of seat time helping with your purchase decision, I can only report that my first drive/ride in a Se7en haunted me for about 3 years...and that feeling only went away after I bought one. Do so at your own peril. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/wink5.gif I've put in as much as 9 hours of seat time in a day (with some of that in the POURING RAIN!)on the interstates and still love the car. -Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xflow7 Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 Based on first hand experience, I can tell you that if you hit a pothole, and the foam from your starbucks latte flies out of the cup, the turbulance in the cabin will actually carry the foam forward and land it on the inside of your windshield http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/rofl.gifxflow72006-12-31 09:53:19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaLoco Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 RE: Based on first hand experience, I can tell you that if you hit a pothole, and the foam from your starbucks latte flies out of the cup, the turbulance in the cabin will actually carry the foam forward and land it on the inside of your windshield ... I didn't know that Caterham's now offer the optional extra of a "Cup Holder" ... I gots to gets me one o these http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif ... or were you not driving with 2 hands?BusaLoco2006-12-31 10:01:11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 one hand driving... i was going to be on an empty highway for an hour. Although, I could easily make a cup holder. All I need is the right size hole saw http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gifslngsht2006-12-31 10:32:52 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xflow7 Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 one hand driving... i was going to be on an empty highway for an hour. Although, I could easily make a cup holder. All I need is the right size hole saw http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif And if you punch the hole in the right place the tranny heat could keep it warm. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusaLoco Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 So that brings up an interesting question. .... So what "optional" extras are appropriate for a seven? ... I know my car is quite (very) spartan. I have even told my kids if you want tunes buy and ipod (as if you could hear the music anyway). BusaLoco2006-12-31 15:24:51 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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