FAO Penski and other mod-heads

moss · 24 Sep 2006 at 11:58

squiffy said:
Exactly, it's like comparing Escort to Escort Cosworth, the Cossie is a better car, but it's still a Escort. Same for upgraded BMWs with a casual glance it looks like a common as muck BMW. It's like M5 is unique body shell.

The Escort Cosworth is more of a Sierra than an Escort IIRC? Im sure someone will correct me if im wrong though.
Even looks wise its pretty obvious it isnt a standard Escort.

squiffy · 24 Sep 2006 at 12:02

moss said:
The Escort Cosworth is more of a Sierra than an Escort IIRC? Im sure someone will correct me if im wrong though.
Even looks wise its pretty obvious it isnt a standard Escort.

Still a Escort though. A Suburu rally car would most likely outperform a supercar, but it still looks poo.

v0n · 24 Sep 2006 at 12:09

moss said:
Even looks wise its pretty obvious it isnt a standard Escort.

Why? Because of the Halfords stick on lookalike vents or whale spoiler? You couldn't mistake it for a Sierra, could you?

Escort Cosworth is probably one of the least glamorous classics to own. As fine car as it might be - it just always looks so cheap and ebay tat...

moss · 24 Sep 2006 at 12:11

squiffy said:
Still a Escort though...

In name only, im sure it uses a Sierra floorpan and a modified Escort body to fit the floorpan. The engine was based on the old Sierra unit 4wd unit and transmission from the Sierra 4wd.

edit: Ok, to me I can the differences straight away, but I suppose to most the Cosworth would just look like a modified Escort. Its far less subtle than the M5 though.

Lopéz · 24 Sep 2006 at 13:17

The Escort Cosworth (whilst it looks just like a beefed up Escort) is indeed a Sierra. I think only the doors are actually the same?

IainB · 24 Sep 2006 at 13:18

volospian said:
OK, I'm still in two minds whether to spend my cash on a nice modern powerful saloon, like an S-Type R, M5, E55AMG or whatever, but I really do like the thought of a highly modded scimitar. With some work (pas, electric heated seats, central locking and so on) it still ticks all the boxes for luxury, but has that lovely classic look.

So.....you want a Hot Rod 'Classic' with all the mod cons :eek:

Personally - I would have a normal daily, then something special for hooning around in evenings and weekends. I think the luxury classic will be a lot of time and effort, probably with little re-sale value....but what do I know!!

squiffy · 24 Sep 2006 at 13:20

IainB said:
So.....you want a Hot Rod 'Classic' with all the mod cons
Personally - I would have a normal daily, then something special for hooning around in evenings and weekends. I think the luxury classic will be a lot of time and effort, probably with little re-sale value....but what do I know!!

Yeah buy comfy "family" saloon car ie BMW 5 series then a "fun" car, Lotus Exige, Arial Atom.

Jack of all trades, master of none. As they say.

Scania · 24 Sep 2006 at 14:56

My point was simply there is no such thing as a common M5 of any variant, from the first e28's through to the current e60.

. e60, e39, e34, & e28 M5.
Car shows apart, your chances of seeing all 4 variants are limited.

volospian · 24 Sep 2006 at 17:20

IainB said:
So.....you want a Hot Rod 'Classic' with all the mod cons
Personally - I would have a normal daily, then something special for hooning around in evenings and weekends. I think the luxury classic will be a lot of time and effort, probably with little re-sale value....but what do I know!!

Meh, the toys was just a thought, but as they came with leather, pas and electric windows as options on earlier models, and standard on later ones I thought it would be nice to have a car that was madly powerful, but still had the options of a standard car, if you know what I mean. I'd probably fit better seats in the front mind, but electric heated is maybe going a bit far

I'm not really after a "hot rod" per se, the 600hp blown figure is me getting a little carried away with the possibilities, 400 is probably more realistic. Oh, and as I'm sure you know, resale value is not a consideration on a custom project

While I prefer the mechanics of the later SE6 cars (galvanised chassis from the factory and a newer chassis design than the SE5) the SE5 can be made to look fantastic, if you ask me.

Maybe I should drop the huge power option, go for a sensible 350hp or so and put it all in a sorted SE5 like this:

volospian · 24 Sep 2006 at 17:25

[TW]Fox said:
You seem somewhat suprised you've got this sort of reaction. I don't really understand why - surely you know the main demographic of this forum is 18-30 year old males - most of whom won't have been into cars since after the Reliant Scimiter had faded from the spotlight and thus, won't have amazingly brilliant technical opinions of their capability of a daily driver.

You should either be prepared to put up with the various opinions you'll inevitably get with a thread like this in a general discussion forum and then sort the wheat from the chaff, or simply post the question on a more specific enthusiast based site, although you do risk bias if you do that.

True, which is why I titled the thread "Penski and other mod-heads" as those people will have read various perfomance publications, will be into modded cars and will probably have visited places like Santa Pod and other race sites where cars are made out of all sorts of donors and so may have experienced such a mdified car. After all, it was Penski who gave me the idea in the first place.

My suprise comes more because I didn't title the thread "shall I buy an old pos or an M5?". If I had, then I could have expected some of the replies I have received.

Posting in threads on this forum is not compulsory. If you don't know anything about the question posed, then you don't need to post a response.

I was expecting a handful of responses along the lines of those by IainB, Jonny69, Lopez and Penski, all of which have been useful. I didn't particularly want "Shall I buy a Reliant Scimitar or M5? Worst. Thread. Ever." repsonse as that was not what was asked

volospian · 24 Sep 2006 at 17:38

Lopéz said:
Volospian, I'm not up to speed on American engines - would this be a crate engine direct from the States (rather than a s/h one already here in the UK)
What sort of cost are you looking at for the engine & ancillaries?

I'm not sure exactly as I haven't really got as far as deciding upon the actual source for the engine, but I'm basing preliminary costings on a turn key engine from here

I do like the service offered by these chaps, they encourage you to pop down, meet them, discuss your requirements, visit during the build stages and so on. They even give you a video of the first run up of the engine, for posterity

I think, as far as the potential project is concerned, if it turns out to be worth the effort, I'd probably buy a brand new turn key, rather than a cut out as I'd be pee'd off if I went to all the bother and a s/h engine siezed a week after it's first outing.

Morba · 24 Sep 2006 at 19:21

Jonny69 said:
To be honest though to most people it's just any other BMW.

and to most a scim is just an old car that should be retired and forgotten about ;]]

Morba · 24 Sep 2006 at 19:26

volospian said:
True, which is why I titled the thread "Penski and other mod-heads" as those people will have read various perfomance publications, will be into modded cars and will probably have visited places like Santa Pod and other race sites where cars are made out of all sorts of donors and so may have experienced such a mdified car. After all, it was Penski who gave me the idea in the first place.

My suprise comes more because I didn't title the thread "shall I buy an old pos or an M5?". If I had, then I could have expected some of the replies I have received.

Posting in threads on this forum is not compulsory. If you don't know anything about the question posed, then you don't need to post a response.

I was expecting a handful of responses along the lines of those by IainB, Jonny69, Lopez and Penski, all of which have been useful. I didn't particularly want "Shall I buy a Reliant Scimitar or M5? Worst. Thread. Ever." repsonse as that was not what was asked

ive read plenty of motoring magazines and been to many shows and tracks. does that make my post invalid?
if you wanted a more specialist reply then why not post somewhere more specific? Or, maybe, contact penski outside of the forums?

IainB · 24 Sep 2006 at 19:55

volospian said:
Maybe I should drop the huge power option, go for a sensible 350hp or so and put it all in a sorted SE5 like this:

http://www.scimitar.demon.nl/scimitar/gte/hughes_grijze.jpg

Now that......that I like

Could really see that working as a daily, classic shape with updrated drive train and sensible bhp as well

I know all to well how easy it is chasing power, only too find a) you go down a dead end on driveability and reliabilty and b) the costs go through the roof (says he on his 4th engine and its still not on the road!)
Heard good things about BAR as engine suppliers as well. Have you thought about contacting John Sleath at all?

PardonTheWait · 24 Sep 2006 at 22:14

My mum owned her Scimitar 14 years, and it broke down twice.

penski · 24 Sep 2006 at 22:37

IainB said:
Now that......that I like Could really see that working as a daily, classic shape with updrated drive train and sensible bhp as well I know all to well how easy it is chasing power, only too find a) you go down a dead end on driveability and reliabilty and b) the costs go through the roof (says he on his 4th engine and its still not on the road!)
Heard good things about BAR as engine suppliers as well. Have you thought about contacting John Sleath at all?

I already mentioned Mr. Sleath

The guy's a genius!

Chris Isaacs too.

*n