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  • Almost my car

    For a year I have been obsessed with the Vanwall GPR V12, a recreation of the 1948 F1 single seater race car, and I still had an empty space in my garage. So, I asked my friend Tom and my brother Hans to come with me to England to go to the Factory to order one. I've had already several email exchanges with the owner about coming over and drive the contraption and I was eager and ready to give it a go.

    Boy, did that turn out to be a disappointment. It turned out that there was only built example and that it was not there, but at some airport and could not be visited, let alone driven. An ugly 2 seater was at the factory, but was from a costumer and could not be driven. Tom, a brilliant mechanic and specialist on anything vintage British, asked many questions about how the car was put together and the owner had no good answers. We discussed how to import the car as a kit car into the US and he promised to send us a adjusted price.

    Tom said that I should not remind the owner that he was supposed to send us something, because that would be an indication how this whole process would work. And he never reacted....... What a sales person.

    We did get a CD which showed the car on Donnington track and even the car never went over 85MPH, after 4 laps the car was totally overheated. If I would have gone ahead with this project Tom would have to completely re-engineer the car. So, I'm probably lucky not to have this car and, the empty spot in my garage is now filled with the Spyker and I could not be happier.
    Attached Files
    Rijk

  • #2
    A picture of the car they did have (2 seater).
    Attached Files
    Rijk

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    • #3
      A lucky miss by the sounds of things

      Comment


      • #4
        F Spider, very good you got Tom with you to evaluate the situation and the factory. And even better you skipped this "deal" and got yourself the #107
        ______

        Mel

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        • #5
          F Spider

          If you want something 'traditional' and British you could always consider a Morgan

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          • #6
            That 2 seat looks like a frog.
            Hugo Sá aka Throttleman

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            • #7
              Found another photo of the single seater.
              Attached Files
              Rijk

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              • #8
                After the huge disappointment and letdown after the factory visit in June, I looked around for something else special. I've looked into a Morgan, but the real nice ones were quite old.

                Now I have some experience what that means. I loved my Daytona to death, but could never get over the 30 year old brake technology. The mountain roads around our weekend place are beautiful, but you need a good set of brakes. I scared myself once too often.

                So, I looked into many other British cars: Morgan, Noble, Exige S, Caterham SV and ended up with the conclusion that the Ariel Atom was it. I did speck it all out, but then came their trouble with the registration as street legal cars. They cut some corners and are now selling the Atom as strickt track cars.

                So, that was not it either. I then "settled" on the Caterham, since they came out with the new CRS, which had seats wide enough for my butt. Just before I finalized the order, Victor Muller told me that their US Press car, with 15,000 hard miles, would come up for sale and he made me an offer I could not refuse.

                Best thing I ever did.........
                Rijk

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                • #9
                  The single seater looks much better, but not a beauty tho... Thanks for the pics, Rijk.
                  Hugo Sá aka Throttleman

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by F Spider View Post
                    After the huge disappointment and letdown after the factory visit in June, I looked around for something else special. I've looked into a Morgan, but the real nice ones were quite old.

                    Now I have some experience what that means. I loved my Daytona to death, but could never get over the 30 year old brake technology. The mountain roads around our weekend place are beautiful, but you need a good set of brakes. I scared myself once too often.

                    So, I looked into many other British cars: Morgan, Noble, Exige S, Caterham SV and ended up with the conclusion that the Ariel Atom was it. I did speck it all out, but then came their trouble with the registration as street legal cars. They cut some corners and are now selling the Atom as strickt track cars.

                    So, that was not it either. I then "settled" on the Caterham, since they came out with the new CRS, which had seats wide enough for my butt. Just before I finalized the order, Victor Muller told me that their US Press car, with 15,000 hard miles, would come up for sale and he made me an offer I could not refuse.

                    Best thing I ever did.........
                    Caterham's are brilliant; but I think you did the right thing going for the Spyker

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                    • #11
                      I had a long drive with a Caterham SV. I really liked how you can see what the front wheels are doing. But it is strictly a three season car. The buffeting was relentless. I think you freeze at temperatures below 10C. The 360 Spider I can drive with the top down until MINUS 5C (23F). The Spyker somewhere in between. I drove the Spyker at Zero C, without the sun I could feel that that was about the limit.
                      Rijk

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by F Spider View Post
                        I had a long drive with a Caterham SV. I really liked how you can see what the front wheels are doing. But it is strictly a three season car. The buffeting was relentless. I think you freeze at temperatures below 10C. The 360 Spider I can drive with the top down until MINUS 5C (23F). The Spyker somewhere in between. I drove the Spyker at Zero C, without the sun I could feel that that was about the limit.
                        You'll have to buy yourself a WWII flying helmet

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                        • #13
                          I have the special period glasses already, but no leather helmet (yet).
                          Rijk

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by F Spider View Post
                            After the huge disappointment and letdown after the factory visit in June, I looked around for something else special. I've looked into a Morgan, but the real nice ones were quite old.

                            Now I have some experience what that means. I loved my Daytona to death, but could never get over the 30 year old brake technology. The mountain roads around our weekend place are beautiful, but you need a good set of brakes. I scared myself once too often.

                            So, I looked into many other British cars: Morgan, Noble, Exige S, Caterham SV and ended up with the conclusion that the Ariel Atom was it. I did speck it all out, but then came their trouble with the registration as street legal cars. They cut some corners and are now selling the Atom as strickt track cars.

                            So, that was not it either. I then "settled" on the Caterham, since they came out with the new CRS, which had seats wide enough for my butt. Just before I finalized the order, Victor Muller told me that their US Press car, with 15,000 hard miles, would come up for sale and he made me an offer I could not refuse.

                            Best thing I ever did.........
                            I'm officially jealous. That is awesome! I am a fan of the Atom. There are few around that are street legal but you look like a complete buffoon driving it. It is not sexy... purpose built though. You and I seem to have similar tastes. I thought I read that you had an elise too? I loved that car... until I smashed it! :lol:

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                            • #15
                              As for the pure driving enjoyment, the Elise is closer to the Spyker than the Spyker is to the Ferrari
                              Rijk

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