This has followed me home - Ginetta G15 content

[wheelspinner]

So me and the missus have been looking for another car to mess about with ( we already have Will Carters ex MX5 on ITB's and RMads ex E30 cabby). We started looking at Boxsters and TVR's but on our budget,after my daughters wedding,the much drooled over Cerbera was just out of reach. So we thought we would bet a project car,and in Mike Brewer style do it up and flip it.

This thought coincided with someone, i used to work with in Historic Motorsport 20 years ago,getting in touch on Facebook,a month or so later he posts this picture inviting offers.



Rang him up,went for a look at their amazing workshop in deepest Oxfordshire.

It has some competition history, it has a cage,Koni's and an extinguisher,but has no box or engine (originally had a big power bike engine in it).The rear screen and clamshell were damaged,but for the price i couldn't resist.

Whilst purchasing a new rear shell from a guy in Scotland i mentioned the lack of engine, he showed me some pics of a BMW K1200Rs bike engine mated to an imp gearbox.....120-130 reliable bhp for the cost of a milld imp engine. It's never going to be a concours original, so "yep that's for me" i thought.

Though its in excellent nick I will pull the body off the chassis and do a bit of gussetting,a small crossmember repair and give it a coat of POR 15.

Plans after that are probably have a bit of fun in it and then pass it on.

Thanks for looking, pics will be uploaded when i get a few minutes.

If anyone else wants a project he has 2 very early cars on newly made chassis and a truckload of spares.

[gazzab1978]

that looks lovely, the only thing that ever follows me home is stray dogs lol.
good luck with the build

[wheelspinner]

Gazza it may well turn into a stray dog so fingers crossed.

Are you the same guy that had that metallic green mk1 5?

[gazzab1978]

yeah thats me, bought a gear knob from you for it, loved that car but with a daughter and only two seats it wasnt getting used enough so changed it for the bmw

[MiataMark]

That looks fun, when I was at Poly' (that dates me) a friend had a yellow G15 that he raced always looked fun.

[wheelspinner]

Mark I have no chance of getting in it, but I am thinking of getting the daughter off her horses and into this, while i am cocking about in the Mx5.

Doesnt date you that much, my college went to a Poly' and is now a Uni' ?

[deadlikeme]

Oops just seen your message then this post so know you have found my facebook page already and that its been of use to you.

good luck with the g15!

[wheelspinner]

Thanks for the PM Chris.

[discostew]

I really like the look of this, good luck with the project.

[luckygti]

Looks cool, I think I may be bookmarking this! (So I know when you sell it )

[wheelspinner]

Ok so here are a few more shots of the little fella















Some go faster safety bits







Polycarb window planned for the big hole.



Horrible frame for the previous bike engine



Out with the angle grinder now there some space for the K Series 1200 bike engine.



Mangled mirror got replaced

[luckygti]

Looking good, they are about as basic as you can get though aren't they? Seems pretty solid though?

[wheelspinner]

Glass fibre on a box section,very simple but effective,with the engine and box it should be just over half a tonne with 140 bhp should be fun.

Will put some gussetting on the frame and suspension arms when i pull the body off.

I had a bit of a nose around it today it has braided brake hoses,coilovers on the front,konis on the rear,found all the plumbing for an extuinguisher,safety devices Msa cage.

[bstardchild]

Nice little project - bit fugly looks wise but I'm interested so I'm In

[wheelspinner]

Fugly?......have you ever seen a Clan... Now thats ugly

[jasperclan]

Having owned and raced both a G15 and a Clan I can only say I've kept and continued to own and race 2 Clans with a third being built with BMW power. G15 is prettier but unfortunately the chassis totally lacks any rigidity which affects the handling a great deal as does having front and rear suspension types from different cars. You'll also need to get U/J's fitted to your ankles so you can use the pedals! Seriously best of luck with the G15 I'm sure you will enjoy it but you could have more fun with an ugly Clan.

[bstardchild]

Nov 1, 2015 21:31:43 GMT wheelspinner said:

Fugly?......have you ever seen a Clan... Now thats ugly

Uglier - maybe

Don't take my comment too seriously - People like the Mini Marcos but that's another one to me where they really didn't get the proportions right. However if there was a thread on here restoring/modifying one I'd bookmark that too because most times that I've let my views on a cars "looks" decide what I do or don't bookmark or follow I've subsequently found out I've missed an interesting thread.

So my reasons for bookmarking should have been

- left field choice - Tick
- GRP body/steel chassis - Tick
- Unusual power plant selection - Tick
- Project goals "fun" - Tick

But it's still a bit challenged looks wise

[wheelspinner]

Sobs silently into his Cider........

There are some people that think this is one of the prettiest little cars around.....but then there are some people who think the ginger one from Girls Aloud was the prettiest.

I like your reasons for liking the thread and to be honest I had similar reasons for buying it

Left field choice.....only because i had a moment of madness,it was cheap and best of all supported by my supposedly sensible wife.

Grp body and Steel chassis......i am a TVR man at heart so my arm didnt have to be twisted much,eventually this should as least perform as well as an equivalent year TVR at a fraction of the cost.....and without the BL parts bin bits falling off.

Unusual power plant....maybe....but its a question of economics. Getting an imp engine (without a s/c or turbo before Chris chips in ) over 100bhp and reliable is a very expensive business. 16v KSeries bike engines give between 100 and 130 bhp out the box,they are easy to "chip" for another 20hp,simple to wire and all for £500 to £700.Also the engines have been proven in the Bmw formulae series which uses a lightly modified K Series 1200 Rs engine with a Schnitzer ECU all in a lightweight chassis......starting to sound familiar? Cant really turn up the wick too much as it will eat the Imp transaxle but 120 horses should push it along nicely.

Fun......yep cant argue with that.

[lufbramatt]

Nov 1, 2015 20:59:20 GMT bstardchild said:

Nice little project - bit fugly looks wise but I'm interested so I'm In

Don't forget the boot/engine cover is missing from the pics above so it looks really stumpy, proportions wise they're not far off a Lotus Elan when "all there"

[luckygti]

Nov 2, 2015 21:38:49 GMT wheelspinner said:

Sobs silently into his Cider........

There are some people that think this is one of the prettiest little cars around.....but then there are some people who think the ginger one from Girls Aloud was the prettiest.

I agree with both of these statements ;D I love the look of this car, it does certainly look a bit odd with the back end off, but I love the sound of your plans. Like I said at the beginning, I have a big wants for a car like this