800 mile 2009 Atom 3-300 on PH

[wasp]

[quote="Trigger"]
I am not sure how messed up you can make it with the conversion. Clearly things might be routed badly - but get a heft discount to cover any potential costs, get it to Tom and let the factory sort any issues - and you have a decent priced car surely ?
[/quote]

Agreed,

Buy it on the basis of a full factory service and the Factory giving it a full bill of health and you're in good shape.. If he doesn't want to play on that level, just walk away.
I can't see many people taking a £35k leap of faith.

Cheers,

Stu

[Steve]

[quote="John Scherrer"]
Check this out !- Has every conceivable extra apart from carbon bits
Black chassis, Alcons, wings, side panels, windscreen, datalogger, sidepods (!), roll bar .... FIA cutoff, Fire Extinguisher ....

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3602356.htm
[/quote]
No Dymags, handbrake or uprated rear uprights, so not every conceivable extra. Quite a few though.

[John Scherrer]

Guilty as charged Steve!

Too much poetic licence .. but it does have a lot of extras 

[wattie]

If I was in the Atom market....and let's face it, it's a luxury.....I would be looking to get on the ladder with a clean well looked after car with a reasonable spec for the purpose I intended to use it for.

The Atom lends itself to development so bitsnbobs can be added later as required...it's such a culture shock from normal vehicles and a leap in performance and skill that many are unprepared for. how many of us who own one can actually say we're skilled enough to drive one competently at the limit...or anywhere near it. I'm convinced that peer pressure forces people to buy a car they're not prepared for.

Maybe that's why so many low mileage or hardly used Atom cars appear for sale.....people love the idea but can't stomach the reality...let's face it, you've gotta be a full on petrol head to go out in 4 degrees and enjoy a drive in the cold and rain....with no aids to get you out of trouble when the skill falls short.

The 245 is nuts fast for your average saloon driver, the 300 mental for your experienced 245 driver....yet Mr Ford Mondeo can go out and buy a 300 car that he is Ill prepared for......and the problems with insurance probably demonstrate this....through unfortunate claims experience.

There are some awesome cars out there for sale, and because of spec ability, they'll appeal to each of us in a different
way.....personally I think it's good to walk before you run....find a value car, enjoy the experience, develop the skill and see if it's for you....if it is bolt on tune bits that are missing, if not, move on...Safely.

Cheers Wattie

[Sir Nick]

I'll go wiv what Wattie said!...

[Rocket Man]

Here here Wattie, i have started with a 2-160 and a super car it is. I do think even a 245 is quite a jump for a mear mortal. I have come from Caterham 150 ownership before so the 2-160 is a nice step. If you come from the standard car to a 300 then there is a sure way into a hedge somewere. With a front engine car like a carerham you will feel it go quite early. I have not pushed the atom yet as the weather has not been good enough since i got it. I do think i have got a good one that has good history and well looked after and after all that is what we all want. If you buy a bodged up car some day you will come to sell it, do you realy want to risk your hard earned

[lampstax]

Its the same reason why new riders buy 600CC supersport bikes instead of 250CC ninjas that's got as much of a hp / weight ratio as a modern corvette.

Atom 300 Supercharged sounds sooo much better at Starbucks than an Atom 245 ..

Driving / riding skills .. and common sense .. got nothing to do with it.   

[wattie]

[quote="lampstax"]


Atom 300 Supercharged sounds sooo much better at Starbucks than an Atom 245 ..

[/quote]
really, it makes that much difference.....Do people think 245's are the poor mans toy......lacking that oomph??.

I've really gotta try this 300 thingy. I've honestly no idea what to expect given I bought a 245 without even seeing one. The 300 guys seem committed to the cause , 245 guys like myself are as passionate about the roar etc. Am i really missing out on that X factor thing.... ???is a 245 less of an experience......why does Tom drive a 245????? Not sure....passion, soul,.....essence of Atom etc

Cheers Wattie

[l33haw]

It's interesting reading peoples thoughts on "progressing" up the power ladder. I kind of agree as my resent car history leading up to my 300 has been a big torquey 350Z and a flyweight supercharged Exige. However even that had "just" 260bhp per ton compared to the 550+bhp per ton of my 300.

At the end of the day tho the throttle is analogue, and you can use as much or as little as you want. It took me over 3 months to get up to using full throttle in any gear (I did buy the car in Nov though) and by May I was having regular sport massage on my right shoulder. I broke my scapula 7yrs ago but it had been fine for ages but all of a sudden the extra strain I was putting on it from holding the wheel too tight when accelerating and changing gear was giving me grief. All because the hit was so huge it's difficult to take in and inevitably my body was over reacting.

However a couple of summer months on and (I never thought I'd say this) I had got used to it! It still surprises me if iv not been out for a few weeks, and in no way does it ever feel slow, but ur brain adapts. Like an F1 driver can fire through swimming pool at Monaco at 120mph with walls inches away and all they are thinking about is their line and not how scared they are, us mere mortals brains can also 'catch up' over time. At the end of last summer I was accelerating flat out of a roundabout and found myself glancing at my satnav for the next turn whilst changing gear. Driving the car had become more natural and extra brain capacity had been freed up. Iv not had a shoulder complaint since.

So I guess my point is don't bother chasing power purely for a strait line hit, cos u will get used to it, however the one thing that is possibly a reason to get supercharged is the torque. On the rd it makes a hit to the kidneys accessible at any speed in any gear (plus the charger sounds mental) and although iv only been on track once so far it allows you to rely on the torque more. Great for a beginner as that means less gear changes.

[Hedge]

I'm glad I haven't been travelling your neck of the woods if you reason that you've found the whole performance envelope of the 300 with only ever have visited a track just once....

Cheers,
Hedge

[l33haw]

[quote="Hedge"]
you reason that you've found the whole performance envelope of the 300
[/quote]

Hmmm, I don't recal saying that at all. From what I posted I really don't see how you feel you can judge my driving. My post was a simple story of how you get used to a cars performance over time.

Some people don't half know how to look for a criticism that isn't based on anything.

[Hedge]

"Accelerating flat out of a roundabout"?
Still don't know how you can have adjusted to its power having only been on a track once.
Ain't a criticism, merely an observation. Chill out.
Cheers,
Hedge

[l33haw]

I think it's more worrying you feel by having plenty of track experience, you CAN visit the performance envelope on the rd.

No chilling out required. I'm merely responding to an unfair and unessessary suggestion made against me.

[Hedge]

I'm saying exactly the opposite, as is perfectly clear.
Anyway, snow time.
Cheers,
Hedge

[kaygee]

Hedge

I think you have been to the same diplomacy school as Bruce and John H

Words could be expressed a bit more friendly.

Anyway, all decent drivers know the supercharged is much better than the na - FACT!!!

Cheers

Karl