What would you build?

[Dave_Q]

Most of us have to live in the real world, and our projects are severely hampered by lack of time, money, skillz, tools, garage space, etc, etc.

 

However I still like to think of what I would make if I had plenty of these things.

 

Recently I've been thinking about the P38 Range Rover.

 

A high quality gentleman's vehicle if ever I saw one, let down by poor engines and electronics.

 

So I would buy one with a dead engine for cheap (<£1000) and replace the engine with a 5.9L Cummins 6BT.

 

Decent availability as fitted to the DAF 45 lorry over the years.

 

Mechanical Bosch pump for veg use, and easily tuned.

 

Obviously the suspension and transmission would need upgrading accordingly to cope with a 500kg engine with around 600Nm of torque.

 

I would aim to keep the air suspension, and bin off the BECM replacing it with some sort of home made computer, Got to be more reliable.

 

So Autoshite, what would you build?

 

Remember, you have unlimited time, money, talent, tools, and garage space, but to keep in the spirit of things you're still a skinflint looking to do things on the cheap.

[Shep Shepherd]

If I had an unlimited amount of time and money, I'd fit The Wentworth's engine, running gear and interior trim to The Volvo and equip it with a manual turbo boost controller. No doubt, the results would give the local Bavaritards quite a shock 

[tooSavvy]

Put a Cossie into a Reliant Kitten.... FCUK, someone beat me to it.... seen the Vid???

 

 

TS

[Parky]

Fiat Uno with the 875cc Twinair engine they use in the 500

 

Or maybe shove it in a mark 1 Renault 5' slightly lowered in pleasant shade of French blue. Fergat wheels and decent rustproofing and I don't think I will ever need any other car

[cort16]

Did anyone see the chasing classic cars that had the Volvo 960 converted by Paul Newman (of acting and salad dressing). It had a 5.0 ford v 8 with a super charger . Something like that would do it.

[beko1987]

I'd get a tatty series 3, nuch like my old one, but fit a brand new range rovers running gear, gearbox and 4.whatever it is engine!

 

Then go chav baiting like my colleague did with his s40 t5

[eddyramrod]

So many!

Triumph Toledo 4 door.... estate!  Preferably with a Stag V8 and auto, obviously.

Citroen DS with a Mazda RX8 rotary (about as developed as that engine is likely to get, surely?) and a modern CVT box.

PA Cresta with Senator running gear.

There'd be loads more too if I had the time/facilities/talent.

[cort16]

Soft top Bedford rascal

[Cavcraft]

Chrysler Cruiser with an American eagle muriel lovingly airbrushed down the side, loads of stick on tat and a weekend in Rhyl

[Rocket88]

I sold a terminally rotten PA Cresta to a lunatic who two doored it, and stuck in on top of a Jag V8 monocoque.............

[Shep Shepherd]

Chrysler Cruiser with an American eagle muriel lovingly airbrushed down the side, loads of stick on tat and a weekend in Rhyl

 

Don't forget the Confederate flag sticker on the tailgate

[garethj]

Reliant Rebel with Suzuki Cappuccino running gear.

[derskine]

Volvo 240 with 2.1 renault J8S diesel engine

[eddyramrod]

7683010612_b499926834_z.jpg

I sold a terminally rotten PA Cresta to a lunatic who two doored it, and stuck in on top of a Jag V8 monocoque.............

Sounds good in theory, but in the metal, no.  Just no.  Also, those wheels are so wrong!

[Rocket88]

Sounds good in theory, but in the metal, no.  Just no.  Also, those wheels are so wrong!

 

 

I agree, heaps of work, very well done, with less than pleasing aesthetic results.........................

[vulgalour]

Money no object, I'd make my Princess electric and fit airbags(suspension type, not crash protection)/hydraulics, then I'd paint it purple and bolt my Lotus alloys on.

 

I might also get another Princess and put it on a Lotus Elite chassis because lol.

[Inspector Morose]

Series one P6 with xud turbo lump and five speeder. One day...

[Justin Case]

Saab 96V4 with RX8 engine; can it be done ? (in theory of course) Power of 900 turbo with handling of 2-stroke.

[dave21478]

With money no object, I would have the new Tesla running gear under a Traction Avant bodyshell. The performance of that thing is quite frankly stunning. Fastest accelerating road saloon car on the market or something like that?

[rml2345]

Current slightly battered Volvo 940 eatate, Corvette LS1 V8, ZF auto and steel wheels.

Or Rover P6 series one, late 3.9 EFI Rover V8 with auto box.

[seth]

LOTUS FARINA

[forddeliveryboy]

Oof, so many. Here's one.

 

I like the idea of cars strewn of their heavy, spacious body and replaced with something lightweight, elegant and slippery. A Cit CX would lend itself well to that, since the body can be removed from the 'chassis' and something else welded and riveted in. Acceleration from 50-110 would be strong and the machine could be hugely economical too, with light weight, marginally longer gearing (195x15 van tyres with rims from a 164) and better aerodynamics. Comfy cruising at around 130. Possibly a diesel for free fuel as well as the ability to run on a wide range of fuels beyond Europe but with the wick turned up to perhaps 180-200hp/300lbft, or a tuned petrol turbo with 250.

 

And another.

 

A Lotus Seven with its original wheel/tyre size and suspension settings, ish. Caterhams and Westfields are so bloody stiff, they're crap on real roads at speed. The original grips so hard, it's amazing on the skinny wheels. Engine and box from something 90s, so longevity, refinement and simplicity all rolled into one.

 

And another.

 

A three wheeler, two at the front. Anyone who has driven a well-setup 2cv/Ami based spesh knows how totally ace three wheels are. I bought one years ago which was a one-off built by a WW2 pilot. It's bloody ace, even ignoring the crazily low cost.

 

And another.

 

Saab 93 in rally-ready state, but with Saxomat clutch for ease in town. Not sure how many horses were coaxed from the 2 stroke, but I'd make good use of them all.

 

For shit winter weather/man flu,

 

Possibly factory standard and modernish, galv shell, bit tatty, but with the Kinetic hydraulic anti-roll suspension (WRC winners with Loeb had it until banned, McLaren uses it) tuned to suit. Thinking old A6 estate quattro (more for the weight distribution and double wishbone layout at the back more than the extra driven wheels) with a mildly tuned 5-pot TDi. Could be deeply satisfying.

 

For the inner nerd.

 

Early 60s DS or ID with a Subaru flat six would be sort of interesting. Ideally in the planned layout, engine-in-nose, but this would require mahooooosive amounts of time to get right, using the existing skin.

 

For the 19 year old bit of the brain.

 

Daf Daffodil with 130mph capability, suspension and brakes to match. Engine and belts would have to remain, just be tuned/beefed. Fading paint, trilby worn at all times.

 

 

I'd also love to build a steam car, mate with the Merc coupe dizzler can build the engine for me on his lathes and other machinery, I'd love to explain to an electric car enthusiast (preferably one with green leanings) that whereas his silent machine runs mainly on nuclear and coal power, mine could run on old orange peel or other waste with far less pollution than Ferrybridge on a good day.

[Fabergé Greggs]

A few people over in the states have shoehorned civic type r engines running circa 240bhp into x1/9's. It's cheating I suppose, but you can get a kit to do it for about a million dollars.

 

Definitely would though.

[AlabamaShrimp]

None of this engine change stuff as if money and room were no object I'd be spending loads on just stopping the rot and getting the things running.

[xtriple]

Not sure what I'd do, I've built a few kitcars and stuck a RV8 and box in another, all on the mega cheap. I love doing stuff without spending 'real' money. I think, all things considered, I'd put a rotary engine out of a RX7/8 in a 2CV.... I'm sure it could be made to fit?

[forddeliveryboy]

I too love doing stuff without spending 'real' money. It's amazing how much more fun you have, not spending it - and the end product is often as good/better.

[Matt]

Most of my dream projects are actually pretty down to earth. My most recent one would be a Mini Moke or Mini Scamp with a tuned 1275cc cooper engine with high spec suspension and a hydraulic handbrake for use in auto testing. I even know of a Scamp that sitting on the land of an agricultural machine engineer, I wrote to them offering to buy it but didn't hear anything back 

 

 

I'm also still looking for a good silver 3 door Daihatsu Cuore too, I've got a document full of planned modifications for one.

[Noel Tidybeard]

a T-series'd maestro or montego estate

honda engined-----"---------"-----------"----

[cort1977]

I would like to build a Ford 302 small block and then put it in a Sierra 2000E or an old 3 door shell (if there are any left that haven't been turned in to cosworth replicas).   Improve running gear to suit.  Not that difficult or unusual but it would please me immensely.

 

Only other one would be a rotary in an early CX with the DIRAVI steering etc.   Those cars definitely needs a more exciting engine than what they fitted at the factory in the end, after all the amazing design and prototype work.

[garethj]

Austin Cambridge with Riley 4/72 running gear