RCR vs. CAV

[J. Salmon]

I think you hit on the main difference:
CAV is a roller only, correct?
RCR is a kit.
I chose the RCR primarily because I wanted to build it the way I wanted to build it (and I have sorta ... ah .... "deviated" from the usual package). You can do pretty much whatever you want with the car.
I looked at a CAV and it was very nice, but I think as soon as I am rowing that wonderful Ricardo I will be quite please. Sooooon.....

 

[Julian]

CAV is a roller only, correct?

I believe CAV have recently started offering a kit version too.

 

[Jimmy P]

I own a pre 100 CAV and have been impressed with the the overall build quality of the car. As others have said on this thread the doors sound solid when closed and the interior is plush in comparative terms. The 100+ numbered cars are even better in way of able to handle taller drivers and other upgrades. Julian is correct too in that they do now offer a "kit". They also have a website for more information. Johann in NC is a great source of info and the US factory rep. He can answer all your questions. Ian Clarke in Canada is another option. Both very able to assist. Good Luck.

 

[Will Parker]

CAV is indeed offered in kit form

http://www.cav-america.com/CAV_GT_Kit.pdf

 

[John]

I've heard that before about the CAVs, that the doors sound really solid when you close them. What are they like in RCRs? I'm thinking about a turn key minus car, which CAV produces and I understand RCR is starting to, too. Does the solidity of the doors have anything to do with build differences in RCRs?

 

[J. Salmon]

I can't get too specific on door feel, since I have not spent time in a CAV. But a solid feeling door just has to do with the latch, the hinges, and how well the doors fit. I can tell you the doors on mine as it rolled in the house delivery day from RCR were absolutely perfect.

Again, I only have experience with RCR (you are in the RCR section, so I think a little horn tooting is allowed). The chassis on my car is so stiff, that even with engine and tranny and everything mounted, if you pick up one corner 1/4 inch off 4 jack stands, the car will totter on the opposite corners like a chair with a short leg. It's that stiff. The alignment was spot on, and the corners balance to within a few pounds. The chassis and suspension are what make a car like this (OK, any car). This is where the RCR is unmatched, in my opinion, and on par with just about any car maker at any price. How the doors swing, what interior you choose, even what driveline, that is up to you and the time and patience and money you want to devote to it.

To put it another way, you can get the doors on a Factory Five GTM to close with authority. But you'll be at it a while. And at the end of the day, well you'll have a car with solid doors.

 

[Pat Buckley]

You raise a good point - it is kind of hard to "defend" a manufacturer when the (actually kind of dumb) question is asked "which manufacturer is better" and the question is asked on one of the manufacturers sites.......perhaps the question should have been asked in a general forum?

Also, the reason I say this is a dumb question is because there are so many different things that each of us find to be important - some people like to fit in a car, some people want a thinly disguised race car, some people want a free form kit that they can turn into whatever they want it to be, some people want a virtual copy of an original, some people want a show car, etc.......

For what its worth, I own a CAV, I love it. I did not want to build another car after having done an ERA Cobra and a Kirkham Cobra, I wanted a car that was of good quality and that looked like a GT40. If I wanted to build a car I probably would have bought an RCR SLC -

 

[Jimmy P]

Spot on Pat....Each to his own regardng what they want. Personally I'd love #1075! Who wouldn't but I'll bet its rough and loud and in some ways crude but what a machine.

 

[John]

Actually, I'm not asking which car is better. I'm asking about differences. In a similar thread I started last year, for instance, I learned SPFs are generally more raw than CAVs.

I intend to use the car for spirited highway driving on deserted roads, day trips, and occasional time at a small track. Authenticity isn't very important to me but comfort is. The CAV has the SPF beat in that regard according to what I learned in the other thread. I was pretty set on a CAV until late in the thread when someone brought up RCR. Now that Fran is doing turnkey minus cars, I'm interested and want to learn more.