Simon C Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Hi All, Were do I start.....I had put up my SLR for sale on PH's yesterday as I have been offered the last factory built R500 by a friend of mine which I quite fanced. advert here Took the car for a run today and it put a conrod through the block - 4 holes on cylinder number 4! So it now needs a new bottom end, conrod, pistons etc. I am not proficient mechanically myself so I am trying to consider the options:- 1. I guess I could simply take it to a specialist to fix - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 2. I could sell it as a project for someone - have you any idea what it is worth in this current state? Is there anyone hear who would fancy buying it? 3. I could look at doing a V-tec conversion - I know there is a place in the midlands that did a yellow one a while back but can't remember what they're called - does anyone own one or have contact details, views and opinions etc? Really need some help and useful advice with this one, so please let me know your thoughts - if you are interested in buying what is a really lovely car which requires an engine/re-build then please call me on 07919 015276. Also interested in hearing from anyone who has a 200bhp K-series for sale. Finally, there are a lot of goodies on the car, do you think it might be worth splitting the car? Cheers all, Simon Simon Clark Superlight R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Oh no! I had noticed that car on PH - it looks the dogs! and has all the expensive bits on it. I wouldn't be surprised if Jason at Hellier Performance has - or can easily build you an engine... Problem is people don't seem to pay much for a car without engine. /regin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLR69 Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Simon, Sorry ☹️ to hear of your misfortune -I think they call it "Sod's Law" ! Having an SLR myself, if I was in your shoes I would have the engine rebuilt and then sell it rather than trying to sell it as is. I suspect that although SLR's don't appear for sale that often that anyone looking for one isn't really going to give you a favourable price on the basis that as soon as they have bought it that they have then got to pay for an engine rebuild but you never know. Just my thoughts for what they are worth. Out of interest did it "let go" at high revs ? Regards Stuart Kawasaki Green SLR No 69 Guernsey AO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSL Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 [edit] we don't do naming and shaming, we let the positives speak for themselves[/edit] Give Dave Andrews a call at DVA, he will give you a more than fair appraisal of your situation regarding rebuild costs Edited by - Site Manager on 28 Jul 2007 19:24:11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMorris Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Simon, I'll second what Regin says about peple not wanting a car without an engine. Significantly reduces their value, Dave. X-flow(er) power now resting. Trying Vx for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CageyH Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Speak to Dave Andrews aka OilyHands of fame Only dead fish go with the flow....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian Thompson Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 This isn't a disaster - you were looking to buy that R500, right? Well, you just got your chance to get DVA to build your engine to 250hp spec! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Get a V-tec motor fitted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Looked good at Snetterton, but maybe racing against a tru DVA 250 did for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david nelson Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 If it was mine i would get the engine built by ?DVA at the spec you what. If your looking for 250 bhp i am sure he can do this. by the time you pay for a new block ect its going to cost (i am sure someone will give you a idea of cost) your SLR will only be worth the same as you would have got for it yesterday. It all comes daown to money. If your heart is set on the R500 and money is no object just do it. If you what a 7 that will be as fast as an R500 then get a DVA 250bhp engine. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 or sell the remaining K series parts to partly fund and fit a Duratec engine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Howe Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 YHM JH Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 230bhp Sausage delivery machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinwhitcher Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Terrible news, seeing that it seemed to be going so well at snetterton the other week……. Speak to Oily (DVA) Best of luck Martin MW 51 CAT Superlight No.171 now known as:Superlight DVA 250 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Vernon Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Simon Sorry to hear your news. This is a great spec car and I may be interested in buying it. Perhaps you could email me at keith.vernon@hotmail.co.uk to discuss further. Thanks Keith Ex Superlight 1800 #185 Now thinking what to get next....... 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon C Posted July 30, 2007 Author Share Posted July 30, 2007 Many thanks to all for your advice/comments. Still weighing up the options but figure that to put the car back as was is going to be £3k - £4k. I am of a mind to trade out of it and put the whole thing behind me at the right price and I have had a few members contact re purchasing as a project so to let you know that I would be looking for £14k to tow it away as is, or I could discuss stripping some of the things off and adjusting the price accordingly. If at this level I don't get any interest then I will be paying the money to put it back on the road. So if anyone is interested at the price I have suggested, then please let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BYKer Will Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Simon Hi. We spoke at Snet (Blackbird with a gear missing and a puncture). I thought I had had an expensive day so sorry to hear your news as well. Having been in the market myself for a year and having seen your car I definately would have been interested with or without an engine so I would say it is worth exploring a sale sans lump especially if you dont need the hassle. I looked at a couple of slrs and always had that nagging doubt about how long it might all last(not a critisism of slrs just wary of secondhand engine/ cars generally) and therefore the chance to buy a nice specced car like yours and DVA engine of my choice, at my cost, would definately have interested me. Best of luck and maybe think BYK ! Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Piper Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I think that of all the tuned Ks, anyone who's ever owned an SLR has always "had that nagging doubt about how long it might all last"...and yet....they seem to put up with all sorts of abuse. Track day mate of mine, Jeremy Copp (not a club member) mercilessly thrahses his dry-sumped SLR at track days up and down the country and that car must have covered many thousands of track day miles. Ironically, perhaps, what put me off buying a BEC in the end was their propensity to eat gearboxes, diffs etc....something that BYker Will seems to have experienced hmself recently! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 What bad luck :( Out of interest what number is the last R500? R5 no 65 😬 Edited by - Petrolhead on 7 Aug 2007 23:21:01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BYKer Will Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Thanks for reminding me Mark . I have been avoiding the garage as it all looks a bit sad and I cant remember what all the wires do. The good news is that all is now fixed and I am collecting the lump in the morning and looking forward to trying to get it all back in. When I read your post I thought it was Simon replying as ironically you said exactly what he and I said at snetterton ie we like the bec idea but have that nagging worry about reliability. (This was before I stuffed 4th and Simon had his probs sadly) From my initial bec experince I feel the blackbird is quite a nicely engineered bit of kit and with a some mechanical simpathy on my part I think all would be well today.With the wonder of hindsight I realise I was being much more brutal with the sequential change than I would have been with any car box which was just stupid of me but boy was it fun zapping down the gears while it lasted. I've learn't the lesson the hard way and wont be so brutal in future and whilst no one likes spending money needlessly I now have the comfort of having had the engine and box stripped fixed and rebuilt for a tidy sum but less than the service on my last jag and less than a quarter of simons bill. When I had problems at snet I looked at Simons slr and thought perhaps I should have stuck to my plan A which was to get a slr ( i sampled one at cat mids and one at south). For me though the whole point of a caterham was to have something completely mental and slightly exotic in the garage for those days when a normal sportscar isn't quite radical enough. A bec completely fits that bill for me and I would recomend one to anyone as long as they don't mind dirty hands or can afford a man to look after it. I am no mechanical genius and it all seems a bit daunting but once you start it all seems to come together or apart OK. This side of Danny LT's 300 bhp plus duratech a bec gives me the all the thrills I need (for now) until perhaps a turbo busa hoves into view on the cheap. If I remember correctly Mark you are near stansted. Might see you at the essex meeting if get it all together in time. Best wishes all Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Piper Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Be good to meet you Will. Indeed I am near Stansted. I won't be at the next meeting though - on holiday, but we'll have a ride in each other's cars when we meet up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon C Posted August 4, 2007 Author Share Posted August 4, 2007 Hi All, Best offers before I buy another engine? perfect for Duratec conversion....... Cheers Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricky dicky Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 Simon, I've emailed you via PH link. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon C Posted August 10, 2007 Author Share Posted August 10, 2007 Getting a bit of interest but no viewings! Come on guys, this is a really well specced car and a great project for someone with the know-how Now prepared to accept offers close to £13,000, otherwise I will be committing to a DVA 1900 for installation later in the year as I will miss out on my friends R500.... Please give me a call on 07919 015276 if you wish to discuss. Cheers, Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 bad luck saw you that day go past my shop in Tonbridge (kent lighting) just minutes after looking at the pics of it on ph lovely looking car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now