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Just read this thread right through with a great deal of interest. Frankly, the OP is showing exactly how a car like the Atom should be used and enjoyed! Basically a four-wheel shits’n’giggles machine. There’s no way I could ever afford one, but should I ever find myself in that position, I don’t think it would be an Atom, the one that gives my heart a little flutter whenever I see a photo is this:
I just love everything about it’s styling, and the fact it’s a road-legal single-seat racing car just makes me grin at the thought. If I could afford one, then I’ve got Castle Combe circuit four miles away, to properly get a feel for it, and lots of fairly decent A-and B-roads around. A British built motor as well.
What's that, new Batmobile?! 🤣
What’s that, new Batmobile?! 🤣
It's a £170k posing pouch with a Ford Galaxy engine. I'd still have one though!
total STW fail that car! No room for a bike rack or a wood burner
What is it? I think we've ruled out the new Batmobile
A lot of money to have to keep explaining to people that you don't have mono, you have a mono...
Been listening to a podcast on Radicals recently. Wonder how a Radical would fare against a BAC mono
Thanks for sharing your experiences on the Atom, they look like great fun
I'm planning to build a Caterham from kit form over this winter and have it on the road in about a year. Threads like this make me happy!
I'd get a nomad R. Crazy thing!
One for sale here, £100k, one of 5 ever built.
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13101051
I’m planning to build a Caterham from kit form over this winter and have it on the road in about a year.
Good luck on that. Sounds like fun.
You don't save a lot of money doing that though do you? More for the cathartic enjoyment of doing the build I guess?
Been listening to a podcast on Radicals recently. Wonder how a Radical would fare against a BAC mono
I had a go in a radical sr3 a good few years back at croft race track ( i think), it was bonkers fast, completely amazing.
I’m planning to build a Caterham from kit form over this winter and have it on the road in about a year.
You have ordered already haven’t you ? Current waiting lists are about 1 year?
What model have you gone for ?
That BAC Mono is a posh man’s toy, beautiful thing, just makes the OP’s thread title even more true!
I would be interested to see how the fun levels compare between a £15k Caterham, £40k Atom, £150k BAC, I bet there’s not much between them?
A rather good cyclist who likes fast cars and Ariel
Is there anything cheaper than a Caterham kit that doesn't look like it was designed as a GCSE project! 🙂
Caterham kit that doesn’t look like it was designed as a GCSE project!
That the beauty of them though, incredibly simple things, that drive in a way that few cars can. I’ve recently joined a few Caterham forums and you can literally change your car as you go along as a DIY’er, everything is possible at home.
I’m guessing the Ariel is a bit less practical in that way ?
I was meaning like a Caterham, but not a Caterham. 🙂
Or something in a similar vein that can be done for under 10k
That doesn't look shit!
Westfield? Are they still around?
Second hand kit car. Mines got a Fireblade engine, and I doubt if I'd get more than a few £1000 for it (it's not for sale).
You may have to look at a few to find a good one.
I don’t know if you could ever call no roof, no windscreen, no bodywork and no heater civilised!
But yeah I guess the difference is that the Atom is built from the ground up to handle the power plant that’s installed whereas I understand Caterhams have just had increasing amounts of power shoehorned into a design that wasn’t intended for it. I’ve only driven lower power variants though so I have no experience to speak from.
caterhams etc. do handle the power very well, they are so simple that its easy to alter things to deal with the power upgrades very well.
the civilised comment i was more meaning my car was set upto get the absolute best out of it on the track, those geomertry and suspension settings didn't make it an easy car to drive on roads unless they where very good sufaces. i guess a track setup atom would be the same.
Westfield? Are they still around?
A Westfield in probably the least GCSE project looking car but still doesn't look as nice as a Caterham due to fibre glass "roundness" of panels and they also tend to weigh slightly more.
I had a factory built 2L Zetec Westfield SE for 3 years as my only car (drove around 8,000 miles a year in it) and it was great - comfortable, waterproof etc,. but it took it's toll on the fibre glass panels with hood fixings coming loose, panels showing stress lines and so on.
All the time I had it I still wanted a Caterham and will get one in future. I would go for a 170 as don't need anymore power than that on the road and lightness is more important to me.
MEV Exocet is another option. Used an MX5 as a donor.
Been eyeing up one for quite a while, love the early mx5 1.6s, hugely underrated for fun factor.
Brilliant throad OP, and lovely car!
GBS Zero is another alternative. 2nd hand they are way cheaper than a Caterham, but I’ve heard build quality isn’t great and handling isn’t as good but still leagues ahead of most cars
I’m some ways they look good but in other ways do look like a GCSE project
the civilised comment i was more meaning my car was set upto get the absolute best out of it on the track, those geomertry and suspension settings didn’t make it an easy car to drive on roads unless they where very good sufaces. i guess a track setup atom would be the same
Yeah - I know what you were on about. I was just having a laugh.
The geometry & suspension on mine is set up purely for the road and I find it surprisingly civilised. However, I'm comparing it to a superbike rather than other cars.
I had a Westy for a bit, It was a in-house build show model that was 3rd hand to me. It was nicely put together but was a tired around the edges (cheap though, which is why I could afford it) It had a lowly 1.6 X-flow on twin webbers with a mild cam tune which was good for about 115bhp. Coming from from a Spitty that weighed near enough twice as much with half the engine power, it was a rocket ship. Went to Le Mans in it one year which was Type 2 fun if I'm honest.
Did quite a bit of work on it, (brakes and replaced some of the tattier panels like the nose, replaced the wings with wrap around mudguards etc but money was tight and moved it on.
the civilised comment i was more meaning my car was set upto get the absolute best out of it on the track, those geomertry and suspension settings didn’t make it an easy car to drive on roads unless they where very good sufaces. i guess a track setup atom would be the same.
yep, my caterham has a full on track setup designed for running full slicks, and its pretty terrible on the road as a result - brilliant on a race track through!
I'm doing a few laps of Goodwood in an Atom on Monday. Won't be able to give it the beans but still looking forward to a go in one!
There was a comment above about comparing a £!5k caterham with a £40k atom. Presumably you mean finding second hand ones? You won't find any new ones at that price. I was geuinely surprised at how pricey the Caterhams are but the residuals are strong and they're pretty cool! I like the fact that only petrolheads own them, no posers or instagrammers etc. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a supercar! Can't find one in my garage with all the other stuff I have in there though
Caterham order was initially placed last September, build date is this September! And that's just to get a kit, I actually have to put it together then over winter. It's no cheaper to build it yourself by the time you've factored in the costs to trailer it to the build check and IVA, but I'm doing it for the fun of the build. Planning to build it with my 10 year old son too, he'll be going to secondary school then so hoping he might want to spend time with me 🙂
My car will be a 420R with loads of options. But most cars are optioned and fairly individual
My car will be a 420R with loads of options. But most cars are optioned and fairly individual
Very nice ! That will be £45k of car then. I was looking forward to building one with my 12 yr old son. But then when I started looking at prices, everything is north of £35k which is bonkers. I will be looking in the £15-£25k mark probably.
Re the car costs. You can buy a 2nd Caterham for £15k, an Atom for £40k or a BAC Mono £100k. I wonder if between all the price points there are massive differences in thrills per mile. I doubt it but would love to know.
The Mono is beautiful, but you can never scare a passenger/take someone along for the ride. Definitely more of a track car than the Caterham/Atom with all the aero stuff which is just pointless on the road
Ps - please do a build thread on here when you get your 420r !
The Mono is beautiful, but you can never scare a passenger/take someone along for the ride.
Very true.
Whilst I usually drive the Atom on my own it's great fun taking people out for a blast. It's a different experience demonstrating the car to someone else rather than trying out things for yourself.
Passengers always seem to insist on paying for lunch\coffee as well.
I was meaning like a Caterham, but not a Caterham. 🙂
Or something in a similar vein that can be done for under 10k
That doesn’t look shit!
Ahh scratch that! Didn't see how old the advert was 🙂
There are (or were) quite a few Caterham /lotus 7 style kit cars about though.