Anyone can cherry pick data and conclude anything they want. In the 1980's, I remember pick up truck guys saying that fast Hondas would suck at off-road. Um, okay.
My brother and I both had our fill of autocross (three minutes of "track time" for spending the whole day out there, no thanks.) My brother placed second fastest at the Virginia City Hillclimb in his V8-powered Stalker, bested only by a semi-pro driving a $330K Porsche GT2. He's very happy with his car as he uses it, but, I'll be sure to tell him that his car sucks at off-road, just to set him straight
IMHO, I’ve yet to hear anybody is this topic completely without merit. I find a debate on what a person should covet is hilarious. How bad will it get in this race to the bottom? I’m going to make some pop corn.
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup) Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742 Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815 LxWxHt 360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15 Lotus7:115x39x7.25 Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6 Champion/Book:114x42x11 Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14 VoDou:113x44x14 McSorley 442:122x46x14 Collins 241:127x46x12
kreb wrote:Kurt: How did your mid-engined creations stack up against the Super Stalker in autocross and at the track?
My brother is a better driver than I so I honestly don't know. Driver skill is a huge part of the overall performance of any car. FWIW, he converted his car to V8 power himself, as it left the factory set up for the V6. Also, in comparison drives, the huge and heavy straight axle in his car is brutal on the street, feeding every bump up through the chassis. If the OP plans to drive his car on the street, I strongly recommend the IRS version.
Last edited by KB58 on January 2, 2022, 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I have no intent on saying how one should build their car. Nor tell them their way is less of a car than another. I will say that Big power is not my style,
I did run across a recent article comparing different engine builds all built by the same mfgr with different drivetrain choices. 1.8L turbo Miata, an NA LS3 V8 and a Supercharged LSA V8. All were tested side by side with the same driver on the same track on the same outing. Granted, they are not Lotus inspired cars but similar enough IMO, Exocets. Same basic layout if not the same styling. Read it if you will.
The original poster (OP) said, "I've been looking to buy a factory build Stalker with an LS motor."
Our motto here has always been like the old Burger King tag, "You get it your way." I'm all for that, myself.
Now, that said, I'd like to suggest to the OP that if he does find a candidate Stalker with some other engine that's nearby, that he go check it out and take a test drive. Who knows, he might find it more satisfying that expected. As KB58's brother showed, you can convert to a V8 if you want to, so you're not locked in forever.
That's just a suggestion, of course.
Cheers,
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.
Not that there is anything wrong with factory builds, but some homebuilders take it to the extreme in terms of detailing. If the builder has a top-notch build log that looked good on examination, I'd be comfortable with that. Although ANY such car should have things looked over by a pro. When I sold mine the new owner sent it to someone who found a hairline crack in the front suspension.
I did a couple of Lotus club events at NJMP, two Stalker V8 have attended when I was there. A Green one owner by Shane a pilot from TX and I think it was Carlo in a Stars and Stripes painted car. Shane's car was probably the highest detailed built car I have ever seen, just perfectly built. Both cars were amazingly fast. Driving along you would look in your mirror and think, were they hell did he come from. You would going them a point by and before you get your hand back on the steering wheel they were already pulling away. I personally think they are wrong, but you cannot deny there pure performance. I used to do AutoX events in Chicago are, one would turn up there are normally set FTD. But like I said I think there wrong missing the entire point of a 7, people call them LoBra's as in Locost Cobra:) But people can spend there money however they want.
Right or wrong is a whole 'nother topic, as it's a purely personal determination. My friends 2.3 Duratech is Sandra Bullock and a LS3 Stalker is a young Dolly Parton, or not. Personally I feel that most of the "point of the 7" is bygone, as the early cars were all about making unremarkable engines perform well by giving them as little inertia as possible to overcome. Now we live in an age of seemingly limitless horsepower and 5000 lb cars dance like ballerinas. Now personally, despite being able to teach a pig to dance, I'll still take the real ballerina over the graceful pig.
I hope you guys aren't getting too annoyed with me, but in terms of sheer excess, sometimes even us yanks get outdone. Hows about a 1200 HP twin-turbo Westfield? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEioYy1AlFk
@MV8 Apparently, even the Peel won't be small enough for you to own in the UK in future. At least, that's the current opinion of the UK Minister for Transport.
I don't own a gun, but someone coming for my wheels might get me to reconsider that choice [WINK].
Cheers,
Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.
