OK,
I've just sold my 511cu.in. Interceptor. And my ultra rare, 4th to last made, one previous owner, 82 TR8 convertible, to a good friend. Who is going to do a nut and bolt restoration on it.
Which is good because I can't.
The temptation to modify it is WAY too great.
So the question is, what to buy to fill the void?
It needs to be British or British-esque.
Must look cool or be ugly enough that it automaticaly becomes cool.
Needs to be able to house at least a V8. Bear in mind that I built a mid engined Jag V12 Mini.
Must be affordable. Nothing made out of unobtainium.
Any ideas?
I've been out of the dog house and off the sofa for a while now so time to dive in.
Cheers
Fred
So many great projects to choose from.
I think someone around here should build "The Ultimate Jenson Healey".
Not sure what engine it should have though...
Hey Fred,
Since you had that TR8, and you know what you would like to modify, you could get a TR7 for cheap, and do about anything to it. Nobody would bust your chops for destroying a Wedge...(well, a few might)
Dan B
Here's one for you Fred, I've been reading up on zero point energy and there's way more out there than just Nikolai Tesla. A fella with your talents could really run with that and just about any car powered that way would become cool automatically. (That's a sort of pun actually since most of these systems get colder as power is drawn from them.) I can supply a link if you like...
JB
How about some Chevy powered Brit iron......sky's the limit for combinations!
100_4538760x570.jpg
100_4559600x450.jpg
Along the lines of Graham's idea, sort of: http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/DaveShoemaker.htm
(http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/DaveShoemaker-Triumph-Mayflower/DaveShoemaker-Triumph-Mayflower-3.jpg)
I like the Jensen idea Curtis. If I could find a GT it would be a go. Could put the lo-ver motor in it when it's done.
Have been looking around for a Hillman Imp. It could take a 6L.v12 that I have with a gm 325 trans axle thats under the bench.
I have found a Herald localy. It would be a good home for a 4.6 with a blower or turbos.
As odd as it sounds I like my cars to look like they came from the factory that way. They gotta stop and handle well. Be comfortable and able to drive anywhere. The wheels and tires need to fit inside the wheelwells and the car needs to sit at stock height or lower. Under the skin almost always a custom chassis and suspension.
But still on the hunt.........
Cheers
Fred
Three words:
Humber
Super
Snipe
Just go buy an all ready modified not so rare TR8. Done, fast, reliable, much easier to work on than a stock one, familiar, fun, no guilt. I just finished doing a platinum vert over for my wife that I'd sell for the right number seeing as how she'd rather have a TVR again. Here's pics from this past summer right after I painted it BMW space grey metallic, and installed the new canvas top.
DSC02294.JPG
DSC02292.JPG
Fred, if you don't subscribe to the BaT (Bring a Trailer) daily email, you should. Lot's of interesting cars come across there -- 2 to 3 a day (www.bringatrailer.com to subscribe). There's a pair of Jowett Jupiter's listed there currently. May not be what you're after but probably fit the "ugly enough they automatically become cool" criteria.
I know next to nothing about Jupiters... but I noted that one of the Jupiters has its original engine and I'm thinking it would probably make economic sense to restore that one. The other one might be more fun. It was reportedly converted to a four cylinder Jeep engine a long time ago. I figure that can't be a good thing... except that it would give you a fine excuse to replace the Jeep engine with something much more powerful. Here's what the original Jowett Jupiter engine looks like:
JowettJupiterEngine.JPG
Is it time to consider boxer engine swaps? Porsche? Corvair? Honda Goldwing? Subaru? (400hp and 4WD in a Jupiter!?!)
Ha. Todd, I'd rather have a TVR, too! :-)
Fred I don't know which part of Canada you reside in, if you are on the west coast you should check out
USED VICTORIA.COM and check out the specialty cars that are for sale. Victoria area is the place to check out for odd, ugly "cute" British cars. I just checked and I found the following available at reasonable prices:
1949 Anglia
1956 Morris Minor
1960 Ford Zodiac ( I would grab this one as it would look real cool lowered with fat tires and nice wheels with an LS engine under the hood)
1967 Austin
1958 Austin A55
One car that would be cool would be a 1960 Vauxhall but I am sure that to find such a car would be difficult. I remember seeing many of these when I was a kid and I hated them because they looked so ugly.
Cheers
Byron
Hi Fred,
What you want is a Standard Vanguard ( the one with the round back, not the saloon ) or a Volvo pv544...
cheers,
Pat.
Thanks for all the great ideas guys.
Ive been laid up from eye surgery for a bit.
Now that I'm back in the game here's what I've found locally so far.
1964 Anglia 105e
1980 TR7 vert with 56,000 miles
1966 Hillman super minx
Wolseley hornet of unknown vintage
I also have some of my own cars for doing up
1975 Lotus Elite
1982 Delorean
1972 Citroen SM
1975 Mercedes 450 SL
1968 Volvo 122S
1975 Volvo P1800ES
After some thought the engine is going to be a rover 4.0L compound charged with an Eaton blower and twin Garret turbos
Megasquirt or SDS injection will be used
Porsche 928 trans axle or Toyota 6 speed depending upon the vehicle.
This is all stuff thats lying around so I'll just drop it in the magic blender and see what comes out.
I'm still working on my TGB so there's no rush, and I guess thats why I can't seem to make a decision.
Any ideas from the crew?
Cheers
Fred
105E - that would be awesome.
Second choice would be an LS3 powered 122S.
I'd covet either.
Such great options!
A spectacular Hornet Mk3 raced at the Watkins Glen Vintage Grand Prix in September. I felt compelled to take 107 photos of it - quite a lot for a dolled-up Mini. So many hot Minis still competing should put trick parts and advice close at hand... but packaging a V8 in a Mini will be tough. Maybe you'd prefer something with bigger tires. Article coming "soon". Preview:
HornetMkIII.jpg
(Can you spot an MGB part that has been cleverly added by the current owner?)
The 105e is, I believe, what Ron Weasley drove. That's fun. The original engine was absolutely brilliant for its day... (and it should have high value to a vintage "monoposto" racer.)
"(Can you spot an MGB part that has been cleverly added by the current owner?)"
Would it be the air intake grill at the base of the windshield?
Yes sir! Cowl induction on a Mini:
cowl.jpg
Yeah I feel the same about the Anglia Alan.
I used to service one back in the seventies when I was an apprentice. It was the sorriest thing I had ever seen. The engine bay was just a mass of undulating black goo.
My ride back then was a 10 second mid engine Datsun PU, so the Anglia seemed kinda silly. Now it would be the coolest thing ever! The 122 would be nice too as I'm an old Volvo tech and the VOX rendering makes me go all squidgy.
Then Curtis put up the Hornet pictures ( I thought he was a nice guy) and now I'm starting all over again.
Yeah I feel the same about the Anglia Alan ............
Cheers
Fred
I'm trying really hard to concentrate on one project at a time but...um.. oh look at the kitty.....
I ran into the Shadow Hawk drawings on the web. Not a big stretch to build. Tube chassis, Citroen hydraulic suspension and brakes, Range rover drivetrain, body by Kelvinator. Kind of an Urban Brawler idea with a British heart. Like my TGB the kids call it my FUV. You figure it out.
Stunned and confused
Fred
I too had a 105E back in the 80s in the UK. Mine came with a Weber carb and went like stink (for an 1100).
90 in one of those things with 5 people crammed in was quite an adrenaline rush.
Well honestly the 90 wasn't - the trying to stop was...
And it is the car in Harry Potter (which drove the prices up).
Mine had more rot than pretty much anything I owned (except the Dolomite).
I sikaflexed two fibreglass front wings on, drove it for a year and can't for the life of me remember what happened to it after that.
I would love another. With a silly engine and the suspension to support it...
I've narrowed it down to the Anglia, the SM or a new entrant my Esprit (I'll put the lemans engine away and not butcher the car).
The Anglia is plain cool.
The SM is a good option because I have three of them.
The Esprit is currently hurt (lent it to my god son for his university grad and it came back with a burnt clutch and a trashed 1/2 shaft) so it needs to come apart anyway. (he works for me now!)
The engine choice is solid.
4.6 Rover V8
Came as a package with this,
IMGP5394.JPG
1995 Rangey SE
The plan is to fix it up for my youngest, Lauren. It's only got 53,000 km or 0 miles on it.
The BECM went mental on it and its been parked for the last 7 years.
IMGP5399.JPG
I have some experience with the Lucas that plagues these things so we should be ok.
We'll tweek the EAS, put some 20's on it and put some sound in.
Should be good to go for a young girl.
So the 4.6 heads are off and at the machine shop having new intake seats put in.
The plan is to use valves from a Toyota 22R engine.
Ferrea supplied an excellent set of performance valves.
Chevy LS beehive springs and retainers fit the Toyota keepers and should work well.
Volvo B230 valve seats fit without moving the valve centers.
I couldn't find an available valve guide so the stock Rover ones were resleeved for the 8 mm valve stems.
LS roller rockers are going to be used with an adapter plate.
Massive porting will ensue.
Picures are coming as soon as the heads get back.
Hey all. Never spent much time here but I joined a year or two ago.
If you're looking for some thought provoking ideas, how about these?
(Both photos taken by me at an annual local street rod meet).
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b261/highmileage/055.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b261/highmileage/100_0508.jpg)
I know, the Nash is only sorta Brittish...
Yes sir, the Nash fits the general plan, and I have a customers 63 Consul in the shop right now.
Sadly he would never sell me the Consul because he knows what would happen to it. He's one of those restoration guys that gets all wierd when you talk "Modified".
Any way I'm kinda settling into the SM idea. It would give the car the power that they should have had.
But until the engine is done the plan is open to change...........
Cheers
Fred
Not British but how about a Crosley if you want something different?
How about a Reliant Kitten ??????
This should provoke some head scratching, or are you all better than that.......