New Ray Vs New VD

mattray · 14 Dec 2006, 22:27 (Ref:1790935)

Which is better and why?

whaddya think?

Matt

JNWRF01 · 15 Dec 2006, 08:21 (Ref:1791151)

Aren't they much of a muchness - and it really depends on your relationship (and there support) with the relevant factory.

If you have no relationship - then surely its Ray - as you are more valued as a customer?

They all produce the same lap time!

mattray · 15 Dec 2006, 08:56 (Ref:1791193)

but the effort to get the lap time, seems like the Ray is fast "out of the box" whereas the guys fast in VD's have spent thousands developing them to get them fast.

JNWRF01 · 15 Dec 2006, 10:53 (Ref:1791272)

Haven't driven a Ray - but certinaly the Mygale is miles easier to drive than a VD and I am told it is quicker out of the box. But - the Van Diemen is in essence the same car since 2002 (and arguably the same since 2000) - so I think its pretty well know what the short cuts are by now - certainly initially money spent with a Jamun, JLR, Medina etc etc is the short cut to find sweet spot.

The bottom line is service... if you buy a car from Ray and you have probs, I am told Gavin will come out and help you sort it.... Can you say the same about Van Diemen or Mygale?

mattray · 15 Dec 2006, 11:05 (Ref:1791279)

Sorry I meant specifically Kent Engined.

Triple J Motorsport · 15 Dec 2006, 11:10 (Ref:1791287)

Jeremy you're obviously talking about Zetecs and I would guess matt is talking about Kents.

What you out in next year? Jon running your Kent VD?

Beer soon...

Triple J Motorsport · 15 Dec 2006, 11:11 (Ref:1791290)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattray

Sorry I meant specifically Kent Engined.

Ahh posted while I typed....

How could you raise such a question Matt......;-)

youngoldy · 15 Dec 2006, 11:29 (Ref:1791305)

We run 04 VD's, and we got our first race win at the 04 Moose (and I believe the 1st people to get an 04K to win a race. I wasn't with our team then, but we were in our first year, so I would guess we couldn't have had spent too much time and testing with it, just playing with setup. But we also won at the 04 WHT, so we managed two wins in our first season, so if you know what you are doing, with new cars, you can make them go quick in a short time.

JustinDawkins · 15 Dec 2006, 12:43 (Ref:1791379)

Very little in it imo.

Rays are quick out of the box, but it’s rare to see a midfielder in a new one. They seem to attract front runners (even when hired out). There are more VDs and they tend to be a much wider range. So it’s not representative. Also some newer VDs don’t tend to have the same spec shock wise makes all the difference (Northstar don’t run Ohlins for example or a brand spanking new VD which took a while to sort).

As Jez says its boils down to support - Ray are small and so the service is personal and you can talk directly. Equally this can have it disadvantages with part lead times etc. Van Diemen may not have the service but they do have huge stores and the parts are easier to get at circuits due to so many people running them.

I think they are pretty similar and it depends who you are and what you like. A Ray probably suits a clubman better due to the advice and support whereas a VD suits a team with the quick parts turnaround and safety in numbers.

Performance wise theres clearly not much in it.

Triple J Motorsport · 15 Dec 2006, 13:47 (Ref:1791432)

Are you saying I am a front runner or rare???

Don't answer....I think I know....

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinDawkins

Very little in it imo.

Rays are quick out of the box, but it’s rare to see a midfielder in a new one. They seem to attract front runners (even when hired out). There are more VDs and they tend to be a much wider range. So it’s not representative. Also some newer VDs don’t tend to have the same spec shock wise makes all the difference (Northstar don’t run Ohlins for example or a brand spanking new VD which took a while to sort).

As Jez says its boils down to support - Ray are small and so the service is personal and you can talk directly. Equally this can have it disadvantages with part lead times etc. Van Diemen may not have the service but they do have huge stores and the parts are easier to get at circuits due to so many people running them.

I think they are pretty similar and it depends who you are and what you like. A Ray probably suits a clubman better due to the advice and support whereas a VD suits a team with the quick parts turnaround and safety in numbers.

Performance wise theres clearly not much in it.

Triple J Motorsport · 15 Dec 2006, 13:58 (Ref:1791438)

Lend me a VD (note not give me a VD

) and I'll let you know.

Surely Ed would let you do a couple of laps Matt so you could see the difference

Seriously I bought one and still would today.

JNWRF01 · 15 Dec 2006, 15:30 (Ref:1791493)

the main reason you would buy another one is the serive you got from Gavin when you smashed it up at the festival....

The main thing is support support support.... None of us have the money to develop the cars ourselves.....

mattray · 15 Dec 2006, 16:04 (Ref:1791511)

Not sure I could handle the power John

JohnMiller · 15 Dec 2006, 16:06 (Ref:1791512)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattray

Which is better and why?

whaddya think?

Matt

Are you looking at getting a new car then?

mattray · 15 Dec 2006, 16:09 (Ref:1791514)

No plans John.

Biggun · 15 Dec 2006, 16:13 (Ref:1791519)

Hasn't Ed Moore got a VD for sale? I'm sure he'd give you a good price (on a roller, naturally

).

Triple J Motorsport · 15 Dec 2006, 17:35 (Ref:1791579)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNWRF01

the main reason you would buy another one is the serive you got from Gavin when you smashed it up at the festival....

The main thing is support support support.... None of us have the money to develop the cars ourselves.....

No it's the second line mate support and development. It's full latest 06/07 spec now and 1kg under weight dry.

Just need to drive it fast now....just into the 51s now wether that's just weight can't say.

Alan Hamilton · 15 Dec 2006, 20:17 (Ref:1791700)

I suppose we now need to start considering the attributes of the new Swift. The times in testing at Silverstone and BH where apparently quite impressive.

Athgoe Racing · 15 Dec 2006, 22:59 (Ref:1791820)

Can't say how good the VD is coz i never drove one but racing a Ray against the VD, the VD seems to bog down out of the slow corners but is very stable through the high speed corners but we have our car as good or better now in the fast stuf. The support is the big difference both Gavin and Bert are fantastic they always have time for there customers. In the WHT there was only 4 Rays against maybe as many as 20 new shape VD's and it was a Ray one two.
The Duratec Ray was definitely the best chassis in its class, with four different drivers winning races and only one win for a VD all season and the cars handle very like the Kent car.
Over the years the GB guys seem to be brain washed into VD even in there bad years in 83/84 it would be nice to see that change and have a ballance of manufactures in ff. It might happen now that Ralf is gone out of VD.

Barry Pomfret · 16 Dec 2006, 23:39 (Ref:1792397)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustinDawkins

whereas a VD suits a team with the quick parts turnaround and safety in numbers.

They're not that quick, I've been waiting over a month for some body panels for my zetec and they've still not appeared!!

greenboy · 17 Dec 2006, 07:30 (Ref:1792518)

In future if you need VD parts John Lobell is now there supplier for all Kent parts and will be physical at all main events.

mattray · 17 Dec 2006, 15:49 (Ref:1792879)

It still seems to me that the new VD requires a lot of work to make it as fast as a Ray is. Also I have heard a lot of people say the Vd is a bit of a boat to drive due to it's lorry like length, (see a zetec wiring loom for one and you will see how long it is!) so it take s a while to learn how to be fast in one. The Ray on the other hand seems a lot more of a natural car to drive, ie it doesnt punish you if you hustle it.

Athgoe Racing · 17 Dec 2006, 20:18 (Ref:1793032)

The VD was a great car with that big heavy Zetec engine in it because of its lenth and width, It's not designed for a light engine like the Kent or the Duratec.

Stocky · 18 Dec 2006, 00:02 (Ref:1793175)

If you want something even better go see Alan Docking , he's still got John Martin's Spectrum

JustinDawkins · 18 Dec 2006, 09:09 (Ref:1793330)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Pomfret

They're not that quick, I've been waiting over a month for some body panels for my zetec and they've still not appeared!!

Is that for your 97/98 though?

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