For years I've held on to a desire for a really compact little speedster that goes like stink and handles superbly. In my personal stable I had the "goes like stink" for a while with this: Shortbus photo ...and, at an earlier time, the "handles superbly" was covered with this: But now I'm an old man, and I'd prefer my vehicular mischief delivered in cozy comfort -- like with a top, and nice seats, and moderate control inputs. What could I have that would serve this purpose? I'm not interested in a motorcycle. An Ariel Atom is too spartan and too expensive. The old Fords that I've owned have been a little light on comfort and handling, even when they were fast. Maybe an MGBV8? A Corvette with the ends sawed off? I've wanted one of these with a modern drive train for years, but they're scarce and expensive: Look, I can't be alone in this desire. What else have you had, or imagined, that fits these criteria? Fast, preferably V8, compact, agile, comfortable, good looking. How hard could that be? Before the "off topic" cry goes up, let me point out that each of the cars above is a Ford or Ford-powered, and all are pre-'64. C'mon, whatcha got?
I was out at the local vintage road-racing meet a couple years back, there was a very nicely done and fairly subtle dark grey MGB-GT in the spectator lot, with a healthy aluminum headed 383 and a Camaro 6-speed. Had a bigger crowd around it than most of the race cars. Think that would fill the bill?
Oh hey, here another one I have been thinking about lately. Theres a Volvo 123S 2 dr sedan at my dads house in the lower garage with no motor. I was looking at it and thinking dk. green, 200S wheels, LS-1 with the stand-alone MSD, Victor, big cam, and a DNE 5-speed...
I started with a '63 Austin-Healey: and am just about finished with swapping a Ford 5.0L and T5 tranny. The motor is dressed like a 289 HiPo and the tranny uses a top-loader shift lever with reverse trigger so it appears more in keeping with a swap done in the 60s. Although past the HAMB friendly date, I think an MGB-GT with a V8 kind of fits your specs. Plenty of good ideas here: www.britishv8.org
Yeah, the B sounds like just the ticket. Probably doesn't even need that much Chebby to qualify as "lively". If you see it up for sale, speak up!
I'd figure somewhere between "lively" and "scary" depending on how you feel about throttle induced oversteer...
Hmmm. you know, theres also a TR4-A at my dads house. Been sitting a long time, wonder if he'd notice...
I've liked V8 Healeys since a classmate built one at Art Center circa 1960. Here's a neat one I saw at the Throttlers' Picnic a couple of years ago: ...but I'd still prefer a coupe. Thanks for the britishV8 lead, by the way; lotsa cool toys there. French, V8-60 powered, early '50s; I believe fewer than 1000 were built. Rustbuckets which sell ~$50K in nice shape. Pretty, isn't it? Sounds great to me, Ed!
My '64 Lotus Elan was my idea of lightweight and quick, 1500 lbs and 105 hp. It did have a Ford based 4 in it and was comfortable even on longer journeys. Of course, I was 23 at the time - might not feel the same these days at 70. Perhaps it would take an aluminum frame and body work to get a proper hot rod into the under 2000 lb stage, while still keeping enough comfort for road trips. Fun to think about.
Funny. When I had my '63 Super 7, my best friend had a '64 Elan. If you drove those two cars back-to-back, you would NEVER guess that they had been designed and built by the same guy/company. I never got used to the rubber U-joints in the Elan drivetrain. Tigers are sweet, and certainly have the right genes. I drove a friend's new one circa 1965, and found it disappointing -- not much low-end punch, and lots of axle tramp. And, of course, they're not coupes. Too bad the V8 LeMans coupe -- this: ...was never developed as a road car!
Fraud, What about a ChevyII nova or a Falcon? You can add new suspension kits and make these things HANDLE! You can add an LS engine to either of keep the ford a ford either way. You can get a killer wilwood brake set in 12" to fit under more HAMB friendly wheels. With a LS engine you can make great power and still get good MPGs with a 5 or 6spd manual. It's also fun to take a 60's econo box and blast past newer vettes and other OTs in the the twisties. If you would like more info, I can PM some OT links to make them handle, stop,and just be a joy to drive. You can even have A/C and still get 400 plus rear wheel hp and 25 mpg. Good luck!
How about building something from parts like doors, fenders and a roof or slicing and dicing a donor into something unique? That's what I'm going to try to accomplish.
I was thinking maybe a Falcon, they did rather well in road racing and the aussies got them to handle quite well. The difference is, "handles superbly" is somewhat vague. If you mean by Lotus 7 standards, then I'm not sure that without tremendous work ANY American car and VERY few imports that are HAMB-friendly will fit the bill. I hate to say it but my Avatar car, if you can find one for sale, won the original Bathurst 500 race in Australia and many were rallied quite successfully. Also 63-64 Galaxies were raced in Europe quite successfully back in the day, but again, by modern standards they won't handle superbly. If I wanted to do what you're after I'd get something like a Model A or a 32 or something, and get an old XJ6 or XJ-S and use that suspension setup. Tires are crucial, but there are some rather grippyish bias plies and 60s radials that exist that handle rather well, they cost a LOT tho. Get the weight balance right, use the right shocks and springs and I'd think a traditional hot rod running Jaguar suspension might do the trick.
My thoughts exactly! I have a '63 1/2 Sprint set aside that if I don't sell before I get around to it, will be in this vein. Roomy yet overall compact, can be outfitted with good HVAC, lots of engine compartment room. Same goes for Nova/Chevy II as noted above. Also, just to a little different, the Buick and Olds compacts from '61 to '63 also fit this description. Two door post and hardtop models look pretty good (to my eyes anyway). Ray
Hey Tony, I've been hankering after a V8 powered mk1 cortina or Escort for track use lately or better yet an Anglia 105e with a hot four banger in it..... Done right those things will out handle most anything of the same era and go like the preverbal off a shovel....they didn't get the tag giant killers for nothing..... I've also seen a couple of AC aceca's for sale at reasonable prices lately......you can't argue with a fastback Cobra........ Hope to see you soon man Felix
Tony, This would do it: it's a '53 Edwards. Rare, but just the right size and would be ultra-cool ! JK www.legends.thewwbc.net
Theres another one that hasnt been mentioned. Its not even REMOTELY HAMB friendly, but its very capable of meeting or even exceeding your performance requirements. Small block in a Fiero. They leave the factory with considerable understeer, but that can be rectified by messing with the sway bars and spring rates. Theres a local guy who is an accomplished race car builder/fabricator, he built one with a turboed gen III small-block that is insanely fast.
I have also talked about another friends super seven on other threads on here, bored & stroked twin cam toyota with mikuni side-drafts and big cams, ported head, just under 2300CC's, big hoosiers all around, it was the terror of the local autocross scene. VERY fast car.
I like both Falcon V8s and Novas, but they're a bit larger than the point-and-squirt kinda car I'm thinking about. I had an opportunity to drive a '64 Falcon that a buddy had built for road racing, and it was a hoot! Pretty uncivilized, but huge fun. I do think a well-done '63 would be pretty neat, like that black racer that has been on here from time to time. This one: I had a Nova years ago -- a stock '69 350SS, and it was an excellent family car. Admittedly it wasn't developed for improved speed at all, but very very nice to drive. My shoebox is kind of a tribute to that Nova; it has all the same running gear.
My current '40 project has some of this thinking in it, but it'll be more of a cruiser than the subject of this thread.
I had a 62 Corvair 4 door that i was planning on V8 conversion (front or rear) and suicide rear doors. ended up selling it, but I often think of getting another.
Yeah, a Griffith is certainly in the right vein, but it misses pretty far on the "good looking" criterion. Felix, this is a brilliant idea (can't believe that there never was a factory 289 Aceca from Shelby). Seems like any old AC is going for six figures now, though, never mind an Aceca. I thought those were handsome cars when they were new. Certainly rarities now; somehow I don't imagine it as a really fast car, though.
I'm sure that one of these could be a complete riot, but it's pretty far from my style. Doesn't take much to make a Seven scary fast. Jim Gallagher used to run an autocross Seven with a hot Mazda rotary in it, and it was a rocket ship. License plate was ROTUS.
Welp...I'm only a little over 5'9" so I'm going to try a 301, 5 speed SBC in my trusty ol' 57 Lloyd tudor. It's really small with a 76" wheelbase which I'll probably stretch 3 inches or so. Haven't decided on suspension yet. None of this is gonna happen 'till I get my five window on the street but I've been collecting parts for years. My brother used a early 70s Opel GT front suspension under his 61 Morris Minor. I fab'd up the chassis for it and the front rails sit on the opel's crossmember...kinda like a 40-54 chevy car but came with disc brakes and rack&pinion steering. ...handles pretty good
That would certainly handle the "point and squirt" -- probably me shitting myself! I'm trying to cook up something comfortable and quick for an old man; I think a Cheetah would be WAAAY uncivilized for me.
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