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Jon Seal
(@jonnyboy)
New Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 1
Topic starter  

Hi

I have spotted a radical. A first foray into this type of car for me:

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/95666/radical-sr3-supersport-with-brian-james-rs3-t

It's a bit of an oddball in that its an 07 car but has been relatively unused. IT will need some refresh work which is not a problem but it's the smaller engine and prices are a bit all over for Radicals I guess depending on their hours/recent refresh work. What do people think on this one? 


   
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CharleyH
(@charleyhradicalsportscarregistry-com)
Famed Member Admin
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1822
 

I always recommend that people buy the newest car with the lowest chassis and engine hours they can afford.  Also it is worth paying a premium for a car with a documented maintenance history.

I would recommend doing a bit of research on the car because used race cars are often not exactly what they are advertised as.  For starters I would get the chassis number to confirm that it is a 2007.  Then look it up in the Registry to see if there is any information on the car. If it is a 2007 the chassis number plate will say that it is a "Special Edition Sportscar" and will say 1997 - 2007.  

347

Another thing to ask about is how the seller knows the car only has 12 hours on the chassis and engine.  Does it have a Hobbs (hour) meter? Can the owner send you receipts to show what maintenance has been done. 

From what can be seen in the pictures it appears to be a well spec'ed car and if the car actually has only 12 ours on it that would be very low hours.  I would be extremely skeptical that the car actually has only 12 hours, but it is possible. It has the high downforce body and it appears to be in good shape. More detailed pictures would be helpful to confirm the condition.  I would ask the seller what paddle shifting system is in the car and who installed it.  Some of the early paddle shifting systems were not a consistent as the newer systems.  The car is also Fuel Injected which is good.

On the negative side, this is a high price for a Gen 1 car.  I don't know how much the trailer adds to the price and if you need / want that trailer.  The Gen 2 cars (SR3 RS from 2009 to 2014) can often be purchased for similar prices (or slightly more) and they are more capable cars.  They have stiffer chassis, better safety features, data logging dashes, a later generation Hayabusa engine with a bit more power, better downforce, and best of all they have Life Racing ECU's that record engine data that is very helpful for trouble shooting.

So to summarize, If you can swing a bit more money (or if this seller wont come down in price) it would be worth getting a good SR3RS.  If you can get a good deal on this car and you can confirm that it is a 2007 with 12 hours on the engine and the chassis, you will have a great time with this car also.

Charley


   
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