My Sylva Fury XE was originally my only road car from 1996 when it was built until about 2004 when we cut the windscreen off and turned it into a racecar.
It has been to France and back for the Laon Historique with the Sylva Register, commuted from the suburbs to central London, done the weekly shopping run, been a TV star in the 0-60 challenge on Men & Motors, came 3rd in 4cyl class of UK Street Racers drag racing series in 2003 (& always driven to and from the track), circuit raced in JCC Centurion Challenge, and shocked many a superbike rider on the street! Hope to get it out in the BARC series this year, funds allowing of course...
The thing I like about the Fury apart from the gorgeous original design, are the clever touches like the slightly offset engine, so when a driver is on board the weight distribution is right, and inboard rocker arm front suspension, reducing unsprung mass.
I also designed my own car once upon a time, simply to fulfil a personal ambition and to give myself a tinkering project.
Called the Veeteor LSR, the idea was to build a 7-esque chassis with integral roll cage that was strong enough to handle a proper engine - an aluminium Chevy LSx.
I didn't think it would be right to drop an LSx motor in the Sylva as it would have required too much chassis cutting and would have ruined a perfectly good car.
John Webster of Webster Race Engineering (Top Fuel / Pro Mod cars) did the draughtsman work and tube bending based on my sketches, and Clive Denham of Aryliam Motorsport built the body buck from my styling models and drawings while Fibreglass Unique in Leeds made the moulds (which I still have). The car also has a completely flat floor built by a chap in a shed in Devon!
The Veeteor currently runs a lightly tuned LS1, with FAST 90mm intake, and headers hand built by an ex-BAR F1 exhaust builder. Otherwise stock, it makes about 400bhp and 410 lb/ft.
One day I will swap that for a 454 LSx, aiming for at least 650bhp, though in testing at Santa Pod with the LS1 it ran a mid 11 at 137mph first time out with the body on, and a simple fire up tune in the ECU. Gearbox is a TCI Streetfighter based on the GM 4L60E, with a Gear Vendors overdrive unit that gives me 8 forward ratios, and currently a push button control mounted on the steering wheel, though I'll swap them out for flappy paddles at some point.
Brakes are AP 4 pots from a TVR Cerbera 4.5 up front, with Porsche 944 rears, the rear end is a Hydratrak diff from John Websters MG SVR Street Eliminator car, with lovely wishbones and magnesium uprights that are extremely light. Steering is a Caterham Ultra Quick rack, and there is Stack instrumentation unit, dual long range fuel tanks, Radical drivers seat.
Oh yeah, and it still needs some paint!!!
"Three Ninety-Six?"
"No, Four Fifty-Four."
"No Shit!"
