Am I mad…considering buying a Dutton Phaeton….

Always fancied a 7 type toy, but could never justify financially.

However, local free-ads has a Toyota twin-cam powered and drive-trained Phaeton for sale for not a lot of cash. Fresh MOT and the fact it runs standard Toyota injection makes me think reliable. New timing belt.

Anyone owned one?

I know they are old and mongrel-like, but for a bit of odd sunny day fun, surely I could not go wrong for just into 4 figures?

4-AGE engine?

Yep, 4-AGE red-top.

Ultra reliable engine, good design too (basically Toyota copied the Cosworth BDA twin cam and refined it).

Don't know much about the Phaeton itself, but you'd have a pretty strong drivetrain by the sounds of things… I'm assuming a Ford type 9 (or similar) gearbox?

As said above its a reliable and also tunable engine. Lots of the Irish Tarmac rally boys still use them.

Realisically, if its fairly standard with Toyota drivetrain then it has plenty poke for a Dutton.

Wiring does spring to mind. Always a prime area for problems.

Go on….us it for a year then trade up to a Westie.

Gearbox from one of the rwd AE86 Corolla's apparently.

Supposedly a rwd Starlet back end, but not convinced about that.

Two mates have them and I have been close.
Uber basic, pretty crude design compared to a Westfield or Caterham, may as well bin the soft top as it will leak – but if you can get it for under a grand with T&T it will be a hoot.

Dodgy first builds…

Dutton – brings back memories (and the smell of leaking petrol). As long as it's not a Burgundy one (my first build) you should be ok. The wet weather gear is pointless (nearly killed myself getting blinded and soaked by lorry spray on the M25). Good cheap fund. Didn't loose much when I sold it on. Bought a Westfield at twice the price, but not much more fun.

Good luck.

Hi benz, I owned one back in the early 80's. What you have to remember is that it was a kit car and as such didn't have to comply with many (if any) safety standards.

The metal chassis will be 20 years old and not great quality. If you fancy traveling fast and putting your life on the line based on the above, then you're a braver man than most!

Sorry to rain on your parade but it just takes one major failure and you could be in BIG trouble.

In their day they were great fun but those days have passed.

I mates just bought a Westfield sound awesome and goes like stink, bright yellow too!

Had one 20 years ago.
It had a basic Ford X-flow 1600cc engine.
Rattles. Noisey. Bone jarring ride. Lethal in the wet (front engine rwd).
The tonneau cover leaked. Cold in winter. Incredibly hard to get in and out of.

But it was fun whilst the novelty lasted.

I wouldnt, but hey if you fancy it why not. It would be a Honda S2000 if I was going down the 2 seater road, Dutton is ugly as sin.

There ar ea lot of cheap kits going at the moment; seen a couple of basic but usable strikers for £2-3k. Although thats more than the dutton, the striker is a prettier car which (probably) handles better, with spares available from Raw. Guess it must be the economic climate forcing people to sell toys on cheaply? Not really any merit in building your own when you factor in the IVA cost and hassle.

Heh, half of this month's PPC magazine is dedicated to taking the piss out of Phaetons.

Well, viewed but did not buy.

Bit of a shed and some of the chassis welds looked dodgy.

Exhaust was interesting – home-made manifold which had a right angle into a carbon bike silencer. Sounded like the horsemen of the apocalypse coming to visit when they were a bit angry…..

Wet road – wheelspin on demand.

I'm 5ft 7" and struggled to get in.

Search continues….

Had a go in a Sylva Leader running a Fiat twin cam 2 litre motor. Great fun but very frantic, it seemed as if you were for ever using opposite lock to handle slides and it tram lined like a b a s t a r d. Loud doesnt cover it.

Lots of fun but the guy who owned it was always tinkering.

My old man runs a Stuart Taylor Pheonix. Hayabusa 1300 powered, space frame, roll cage, slicks.

It's mental!