Potential owner

[KrisC2]

Hi all,

Been lurking for a while and finally joined up today so thought it best to say hi ......... hi!

I like my performance cars and have an itch that needs scratching which is called an Atom I'd be looking for an Atom 3 up to about 33K. I'm open to either but leaning toward 245bhp NA as I'm not sure if the supercharged would be too much of a handful ? Forgot to say, car would be used mainly for track days.

I'd gratefully receive an do's, don'ts, tips and what to look for feedback.

Finally, a couple of questions re servicing.
1) Am I right to say that the Atom needs servicing every year or 4500 miles?  So say a 2010 Atom should have 
    around 4 services in the book dependant on when it was registered regardless or how low the mileage is ??
2) I understand the factory is the preferred servicer but assuming everyone doesn't travel down south then who
    else is recognised as suitable/competent?

I'm UK, Midlands based. Willing to travel for the right car and also willing to wait for the right car

Thanks
Chris

[DanSki]

Chris - like your good self, I too had a very similar itch! I've recently scratched it and the result is a supercharged 3 sat in my garage that puts a smile on my face without even having to turn a key (not that it has a key to turn!)

I'm in Notts, you're welcome to pop round and have a ride in it if it helps you decide if the supercharged version is too much to handle. I certainly don't think it is, but it's definitely commanding my respect!

Haven't had to do any servicing on mine yet (it was freshly serviced by the factory when I bought it), but am in 2 minds whether to find somewhere local or do an annual trip down to Somerset. I guess it may depend on how I use it during the year.

You're right that the recommended service interval is 4,500 miles or every year, but each track mile should be counted as approx 5 road miles, so if only doing track days, you might want to get it serviced every 1,000 track miles.

[KrisC2]

You have PM Dan 

[gavstoke]

I have had mine serviced at the factory, and just mot'd etc, in my mind it's worth the hassle of traveling from Stoke to be sure that everything is as it should be, and also for the reassurance that a prospective new owner will glean from the factory knowledge of the car. - personal choice of course!

Gav

[Welshman]

I have a 245 NA 3.5. I think much depends on what you want the car for. I like taking mine to the continent and I understand that the tank range I get with an NA car - c.200 miles - is way better than you get with a SC car albeit you don't have the performance that a SC car gives you.

An NA car will enable you to cut through traffic probably just as quick as a SC car. But it comes down to what you want.

[Bungle009]

I would definitely use the factory for servicing to maintain the "provenance" of the car.  You will find it easier to sell when the time comes, and have the peace of mind in the interim.  From the midlands, Somerset is not that far.  You could use a local garage for oil & fluid changes, although many owners choose to do this themselves. 

[Bruce Fielding]

Mine have always been factory serviced.

It usually ends up a little more expensive - despite the club discount - but you are totally reassured that they won't let your car go unless it comes up to their extraordinarily high standards.

I do a mix of road and track (and tours) and on average have it serviced every couple of years. There are easy bits you can do yourself (like oil changes), and bitches (like spark plugs), so I just do what I can and get everything else done by Rookie's crew.

I live in central London, so probably further from the factory than you with a lot of honda dealers and race specialists between here and Crewkerne. But after hearing some stories of poor servicing, I wouldn't go anywhere else.

[Steve Gibson]

Two things that put me off using a local garage – some of the mechanical horror stories I've heard and the 'test drive' that some mechanics want to give your car.

[DanSki]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Mine have always been factory serviced.

It usually ends up a little more expensive - despite the club discount - but you are totally reassured that they won't let your car go unless it comes up to their extraordinarily high standards.

I do a mix of road and track (and tours) and on average have it serviced every couple of years. There are easy bits you can do yourself (like oil changes), and bitches (like spark plugs), so I just do what I can and get everything else done by Rookie's crew.

I live in central London, so probably further from the factory than you with a lot of honda dealers and race specialists between here and Crewkerne. But after hearing some stories of poor servicing, I wouldn't go anywhere else.
[/quote]

Bruce - every couple of years sounds like a long period if you're doing a mixture of road, track & tours. Do you do fluid/filter changes in between? I'll probably take mine down to the factory for comprehensive checks every 18 months or so, but plan on fluid & filter changes locally given their easily done.

[KrisC2]

Thanks to everyone for feedback, I'm a sponge for knowledge at the mo

Big thanks to Dan for being so kind as to take me out for a spin ............... wow!

NA? > Supercharged? > NA? > Supercharged? ....... decisions decision

[Bruce Fielding]

[quote="DanSki"]
Bruce - every couple of years sounds like a long period if you're doing a mixture of road, track & tours. Do you do fluid/filter changes in between? I'll probably take mine down to the factory for comprehensive checks every 18 months or so, but plan on fluid & filter changes locally given their easily done.
[/quote]

It's a Honda Civic.

It's doing about 5000 miles a year or less... only about 4 or 5 track days

Oil's always been clean as a whistle. Everything else just works.

Chacun a son gout, but I can't really see the need for annual servicing.

It's not like it'll invalidate the warranty if you don't...

Oh, and what Steve says. Taking it to a local garage is historically VERY dangerous.You're better off getting your hands a bit oily.

[DanSki]

Chris - have you managed to find yourself an Atom yet? Summers here and the weathers good!

[phil4]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
It's not like it'll invalidate the warranty if you don't...
[/quote]

I understand it doesn't come with a warranty.  Is there a reason why?  I'd guess Sale of Goods act covers horrific initial failures, but that's a bit loose.

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Oh, and what Steve says. Taking it to a local garage is historically VERY dangerous.
[/quote]

What's the problem there?

Sorry if strange questions, but as a soon to be new owner, would be good to know.

Thanks

[Northnoble]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Oh, and what Steve says. Taking it to a local garage is historically VERY dangerous.
[/quote]

What's the problem there?

Sorry if strange questions, but as a soon to be new owner, would be good to know.

Thanks

I live in Scotland and to be honest the trip to the factory is too long (or too expensive to send it by trailer). My mate runs a TVR specialist garage and he has done all my servicing and modifications....he loves working on it as he says it's an engineering dream (especially from an access point of view)....but if he can fix TVR's he can fix anything 

I think the risks of using the likes of a Honda main dealer are the 18 year old apprentice being let loose.....and of course the "test drive". Use an independant specialist and it will be fine....assuming the factory is too far away to be a realistic option.

[DanSki]

[quote="Bruce Fielding"]
Oh, and what Steve says. Taking it to a local garage is historically VERY dangerous.
[/quote]

What's the problem there?

Sorry if strange questions, but as a soon to be new owner, would be good to know.

Thanks
[/quote]

There's been a number of cases where people have had their car serviced by a local mechanic/Honda dealer and as Hamish has said, someone has taken the car on the "test drive" to make sure everything is fine & the car's come back from the test drive anything but fine. This hasn't been down to shoddy workmanship, instead more down to people driving very powerful cars and not necessarily being used to them/a good enough driver to do so.

A quick spurt of the throttle + inexperienced driver = damaged car

There was even been a case where the car was wrapped around a tree, completely written off and the passenger (mechanic's nephew from memory) was very unfortunately killed in the accident.

I guess the temptation to drive such a different, powerful and rare car can be a little too strong for some people.

Having said the above, if you have a good relationship with a local garage and enough confidence with the owner, then you should be able to mitigate this risk if taking it to the factory is too far to drive/too much cost to trailer.