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I am thinking about moving from tin tops to single seaters, but am a little confused with the differences between them. I am specifically looking at the 1100 or 1600 classes. What are the primary differences between Empires, Forces, Jedis, the DJ Firehawk, and probably some others that I have missed? Is there a make/model of car that I should prioritise over others?

There seems to be a big variation in price for cars with the same engine as well, so I guess chassis is very important. Are there particular things I should look for regards spec or condition when buying one? Is it difficult to get parts etc?

Thank you for any help.

You need to have a budget in mind really as there is a world of difference between a 1990's space frame car with a standard 999cc bike engine of the same era vs a modern carbon tub with a fully built stroked and cranked Busa engine taken out to 1585cc (or bigger).

Equally or though arguably how far you located to from the car builder in case of repairs and so forth makes is worth considering too if you live on the south coast a trip up to see Graeme now and again could be quite time consuming.

Rich

There are some great chassis out there and it really depends on what you want from the car and your budget. If you want to be trying to fight it out at the top of the class then you will probably looking more towards newer force, empire, dj and Oms cars. If you’re out for fun then some of the older cars can be great and on rare occasions punch above their weight for a lower cost. I’ve driven several Jedi’s now and a couple of the older OMS cars and found them really friendly to drive. Will say experiences with Jedi, Oms and Empire for parts have all been really helpful and positive. The Jedi chassis isn’t really a bad starter if you want to just try it and see but it is a little dated still retaining a lot of the design from Jedi 1 in 1984, which is also very similar to a Jw4 from even earlier. A well sorted Jedi can still surprise but it is a significant step away from modern machines, then again if you can find an Oms 2000m or a PR that’s in good condition they are great fun for the value.
Safe bet engine wise would probably be Suzuki as there is a lot of them out there to be honest. I’ve driven GSXR 2001-2008, r1, zx10r and fireblade, the easiest to get on with was the Suzuki.
I’ve never driven a chassis newer than 2000 so I can’t really comment on the newer stuff, I’m happy running about in the Jedi and making up the numbers

Come and join the Empire family, its more than just a car you are buying into !

It really does come down to your budget…..
I’ve had two Jedis and in my opinion you can’t go faster for the money, but as Ben says they just won’t be as quick as the newer carbon Forces, OMS and the DJs are another step up…
In price as well as performance.
Decide on your budget and go from there.

Will.Loughridge wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2026 4:40 pm Come and join the Empire family, its more than just a car you are buying into !

I’ll second that

Back up, cost and availability of spares and general support are key. Empire race cars is like a big family. I blew up an engine at shelsley on a Sunday. Picked up a spare off another empire driver Monday, dropped off the car Tuesday, Bill and Ron had it back going again by Thursday!!
I jumped straight from a bog standard clio into a space frame empire evo and found it easy to drive for such a jump In performance.

New to this forum, so delayed opinion.

My first priority would be budget, and then check you will actually fit the car chosen, esp getting out.
Take your time on both counts!

If you want class wins then what is winning the class now, and go for that make with the above points in mind.

If the car is not comfortable to drive you will be at a disadvantage.

As a Libre Class G driver I think the Empires are quite a car and nicely engineered. Easy repairs are most important in the middle of a season at least.

Good luck.

All my single seater experience is with Jedi, having share driven the original Mk1 from 1985 with John Corbyn, my current car was built in 1997 and with upgrades over the years remains great fun and easy to maintain, most important at my age??? Fairly recently it has been driven by Ben Bonfield and Garry Warren, who immediately had good results with the car, even though they were not familiar with it, it is now quicker than the geriatric driver owner is all I can say, bang for buck can't be beaten.
John

I would also consider buying a Formul Ford 1600. It is a competitive class and the cars do nor depreciate as they get older.

As for the bike engined classes I would suggest a Force PC if you can find one. Equally at home in 1100, 1600 and the 2 litre forced induction class.