Man with the modern motorcycles making 150+ horsepower, that thing would be fast as hell and get awesome mileage with an engine from one of those in there. Some are shaft drive so you could probably hook it up fairly easy!!! Cheap, light, small, loads of hp, and tons of rpm!!! That would really be different.
well, it beats a Honda. Or EEGAD! A Hybrid. Chop it n Drop it. Flake the roof. Astro's. ONE CherryBomb. Lake Pipes, SHORT Lake Pipes.
If the stock engine isn't repairable for a reasonable cost you can probably find several options for engines to put in it's place that will give it a big boost in power for a reasonable investment in cost and work. I'd just drop it a bit on both ends, put some decent looking wheels and tires on it and do some clean up work on it and call it good and go cruising. Too wild of paint or too many changes might make it look more like a cartoon car than a custom or rod. Plus you want to sneak up on a mini once in a while and give it a run for it's money.
Yeah, those Sprite bits fit straight on it, so I'm told. Change the front drums for discs (so I can at least use it every day without needing new underpants every journey), and a slightly more modern A Series would work a treat. I bought the original 50s workshop manual for it, turns out the gearbox is just as useless as I suspected it was 1st gear: up to 6mph 2nd gear: up to 12mph 3rd gear: up to 18mph 4th gear: everything else No wonder I was revving the nuts off it every time I was in anything but fourth!
Oh yeah: I'm thinking a little bit of a drop (not least to sort out the 'bouncy castle' handling a little), maybe paint those steelie wheels red/green, tidy up some of the crusty bits and cruise it all summer long!
Yup, that would be the easiest way to go, but you definitely need some braking upgrades which might also come off a later Sprite. Would be a fun project.
Braking upgrades are priority #2 after getting it moving again under it's own steam. The way this thing stops, even with rebuilt brakes, makes you think its only wind resistance working in your favour. Good thing its all tall and goofy!
This is the HAMB, would you expect any less. I'm still waiting for the thread about a newly aquired car that will go 10 replies without a "chop the shit out of it" reply. The big problem is that most who say it wouldn't do it themselves or have the talent to know where to start. Frank
I'll be the first to admit I havent got the talent for chopping this, and I dont wanna be the guy who fucked up a nice straight car by being a hack, so definitely no chop for the second. Never say never tho
England, in the fifties. Doubt it was as bitchin as the 50s were over there. You guys had, like, rock n roll and drive-ins - all I can imagine we had was shit like potatos and tablecloths and bicycles
I know where there is one of those, but the guy has no title and acts as if he doesn't want to talk about it at any level.
This is kinda what I'm thinking, to start: I know a Gasser would be bitchin, but I have A) no money, B) no welding experience or fab experience and C) no tools, so I'm going for simple stuff to start..
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