Hot Rod Projects you'll never do

[eddyramrod]

Many an MX5 swap in Spitfires/Dollies running standard rear ends too 

These are the words of Ginger Nuttz over in Captain70s' Dolomite thread.  Now it doesn't take much to start me off on this kind of trail, I mean, I was reading Custom Car aged 12, in 1971!

So, since we all like messing with cars to various degrees, I thought we must almost all have some ideas that we know realistically will never come to fruition.  Take mine, for a late Citroen DS...

Bin the ancient engine and box, and slip in a Mazda rotary, attached to a decent CVT box (there must be such a thing).  And that's all I'd do, apart from maybe upgrade the brakes, but I understand DS brakes were pretty damn good in their day.  I'd choose a late example purely to get the faired-in headlights.  Smooth shape, smooth running gear.

Or, a bit more radical, a barn-find Anglia?  Now I love an Anglia, almost as much as I don't love an Escort, and a lot of that appeal is the stylish prettiness that the Escort totally didn't have.  But... suppose you found one in a barn, that was in danger of falling to bits as you dragged it out (and let's say it survived being moved to your state-of-the-art workshop)?  MX5 running gear, anyone?  Plenty about that can be stripped; various specs, even automatic for lazy old codgers like me.  Now let's assume the extremities are rotten.  Can you see it with 2006 Nissan Micra headlights, and 2009 Note rears?  Sure it'll mean remodelling the wings, but you need to cut back to good metal anyway, right?  The MX5 might even supply seats; they've got to be better than what Ford gave us, and can probably be made to fit.

Note that none of this is based on detailed measurements or any other concrete research.  It's just ideas that pop into my head occasionally, and this seems like a receptive place to air them.  So let's see yours!

[Jikovron]

I've got loads of ideas bubbling up all the time which can be somewhat distracting, one idea that isnt actually mine, but came courtesy of Out run was to fit a spare 5.7 hemi to a rover p6 and beef the diff up by way of a 4HU out of a jaguar xjs, then obviously go round dealing with the conversion details like a strong enough manual gearbox etc , a car like that would do everything I want, except fuel economy.

Another idea was a jaguar 420G installed with the 4.0 supercharged aj6 engine , austin 3litre powered by a bmw 330d engine, 1400hdi powered peugeot 205, subaru ej20 on a beetle gearbox in a semi trailing suspension equipped skoda 130, imp powered reliant kitten,,the lost just goes on ad infinitum.

All my ideas are usually a stock looking classic with a different engine so no flair there.

Ones I have actually completed was a mk1 fabia 1400 ohv into an estelle 2, the engine is largely the same but there are minor machining requirements, then I went down the 1600 rover k series route latterly 

My triumph 1500 was probably the closest to the mark with a rover v8 however it always gave this air of could be faster for the capacity even with 200bhp 

I've binned off the rover and have a plan regarding possibly the least expected engine going!

 

[Asimo]

I like this game too, although I didn't discover Custom Car until 1972.  

So apart from buying that Standard 9 I put in the eBay thread on Thursday,  There's a few Hot Rod projects that have been a persistant day dream over the years.  Like Eddy's DS birotor, most involve improbable engine swaps. 

I learned to drive in a Riley 4/72 which, with the fitting of a 4.5 Daimler engine could neatly become a Riley 8/200.  Automatic of course.  Probably** the hardest part of that swap would be making the new boot badge. BMC  Farina's look great on Rostyle wheels, but I would leave it at that.  

I got to be a Wankel engine fan during a brief Ro80 fling and have always liked Beetles, so an NSU powered Beetle (semi-auto of course) was another cunning plan.  The Ro80 needed more engine as well, 911 power would be good.

And what about the 2 door Triumph Toledo with a Dolomite's long boot and an early 1300's front panels. Powered by the 2.4 litre/3cylinder Triumph (motorcycle) engine?

[Skut]

An Austin 7 Ratrod saloon that looks exactly like this but with two conjoined Austin 7 engines to make a straight 8 and I'll drive it from the back seat.   Then I'd like to to see it run on a efi setup. I'm always curious as to whether you could get a prewar sidevalve engine  to run as smoothly as a moderns on efi.

Mk1 Landcrab in pillar box red or Princess in Blaze Orange with Trapezoids, both bone stock looking with drivetrain substituted for one of those mega powerful FWD American monsters like a Taurus SHO.  Saw an Austin 1800 online converted in the US for 24hrs of Lemons using the FWD V6 drivetrain so it's reasonably possible.  I'd want to keep the hydrolastic/hydragas and lets face it the standard 4 pot Princess brakes will probably up to it.  

 

 

[Matty]

always wanted a nice marina van in white, standard looking just banded steels and the areshole of doom on the sides. Used to plan a twin cam for it put i reckon a k series vvc would be the family way forward

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, Asimo said:

.....  I got to be a Wankel engine fan during a brief Ro80 fling and have always liked Beetles, so an NSU powered Beetle (semi-auto of course) was another cunning plan.  The Ro80 needed more engine as well, 911 power would be good.

I think there is just enough room for a triple-rotor 20B in the Ro80, but there would be consequent problems getting the radiator and fans to fit.

Better to try a twin-turbo 13B, but the gearbox bearings would need significant strengthening to handle the output; it's a big jump from 115hp to 255hp. The 3-speed clutchless manual was only designed to handle up to 150hp without trouble. Anything above that, and you're on your own.

Alternatively, how about electric motors in a Ro80, now that Tesla bits are available?

[Fabergé Greggs]

It’s a fairly well documented swap now, but I would love to drop a Honda K20 into my stock looking Fiat X1/9

[eddyramrod]

YES!

These are just the kind of ideas I'm looking for, keep 'em coming folks :)

[rickvw72]

Not so Hotrod, and it has been done, but a Datsun 240z body with Nissan Skyline bits would make a beautiful and brutal toy.

 

[Bradders59]

I would love to put 3.0 V6 Omega running gear into a Chevette hatchback shell. It has been done once before, so I know its doable. It wouldn't cost that much in parts once I had a suitable shell.

That's the problem though, I suppose. A good Shovitt hatchback shell aint gonna be cheap these days.

Got to have a dream though. 

[skoda_fan]

At last a thread for dreamers!! Pretty predictable I'm afraid, but I've always fancied a V8 Pop. Or a 70s style small van (Escort/Marina/HA) complete with sidepipes and Wolfies. My favourite custom of all time is the well-known Wolseley 1500, 620 LPH (plate now on a Porsche according to Doovla). I think this is because it was owned by a guy round the corner from me as a kid so I saw it change identity several times over the years from stock to a massive V8. The nearest I've got to owning anything vaguely like this was a Standard Ten I bought back in the 80s which had a Marina 1800 engine transplant. It was a right laugh but I eventually got rid as I didn't trust the engineering. The dearth of car shows this year is making me really miss seeing all this kind of stuff.

[500tops]

French Farmer spec C15 with Mi16 running gear.

[Amishtat]

I like these ideas!  My daydreams used to be a Westminster with a built Healey engine in it, a 420G or Mk. X with the 6.0 V12, Wolseley 1500 with the Daimler 2.5, Triumph 2000 with the BMW six cylinder diesel. Fortunately I'm perpetually low on money and ability so never got round to any of them

[MrBiscuits]

BMW M50 into Rover SD1, with the 5 speed ZF Auto is one I've often pondered.

Also how about one of those new tiny turbo'd 3 pots like the ford EcoBoost in a Mini? I'm sure it would be an engineering challenge but no more so than the Vtec or K series conversions....

[Tadhg Tiogar]

54 minutes ago, 500tops said:

French Farmer spec C15 with Mi16 running gear.

Someone has stuffed a V6 into a Berlingo, so the C15 idea might not be far-fetched.

[jonny69]

Mk1 Insight hybrid with CVT in an old square body Honda would be pretty epic. Smooth, lazy, near silent running with piles of torque and 70mpg. 

[chaseracer]

1 hour ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Someone has stuffed a V6 into a Berlingo...

Recently, while turning the air blue trying to start mine, I was idly speculating whether a Golf VR6 + DSG would fit...

[GingerNuttz]

Twin turbo Mitsubishi GTO engine into a MK1 Zodiac 

[anonymous user]

Austin Atlantic drop head with Austin Healey running gear. 

[anonymous user]

Or a Bristol 403 with a Chrysler hemi (pretty sure this has been done)

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I’d like to create some British muscle cars , but not as hot rods but in the way the factories would have made them - in some cases they did experiment and built prototypes ; This Humber for example

A few were made and used by Rootes management before Chrysler decided to send Valiants from down under.  But imagine a 180 with a 440 six pack badged as a Humber Dominator.

Vauxhall came very close to producing a Mk2 Viscount, it would have been an FE Ventora with a V8, the motor show car was produced and on the way to EarlsCourt when the Oil Crisis killed it.

The crazy Toronado engined FWD PC Cresta showed they’d give anything a go. There must have been more sensible V8 PC proposals, I’d make a Viscount with a 327 and 2 speed Powerglide, outwardly it would have slightly wider 15” steels with normal chrome hubcaps and slightly bigger diameter twin exhaust system. I’d call it the Royale.

VdP 4.0 R ? Pah! How about a VdP 6.75R .

Zodiac 289, running on Mustang Wheels

Austin 3 Litre with a 4.4 Leyland P76  engine.

A 4.5 Hemi Sovereign Major only available as a manual alongside the DoubleSix Auto.

Then of course the V8 Capris, Rapiers Firenzas etc that have been done to death, especially in S.A and Aus.

[cort16]

I always fancied putting the 620ti engine in an SD1. It's totally doable without chopping up the car as well.. When I bought my SD1 the guy had all the parts.

I think you need the ti turbo engine, the t-series bolts right in with the o-series engine mounts and a sherpa gearbox. You need a custom prop and I guess there's some work in getting the gearbox mount working but

Anyway in the grand scheme of engine swaps it all seemed reasonably straight forward to get 220bhp or so . That was when there was loads of ti's around and SD1's cost 1000 quid mind you.

[PhilA]

4 hours ago, Skut said:

...two conjoined Austin 7 engines to make a straight 8 and I'll drive it from the back seat.   Then I'd like to to see it run on a efi setup. I'm always curious as to whether you could get a prewar sidevalve engine  to run as smoothly as a moderns on efi.

Uh. Come here and I'll let you drive my Chieftain. If anything it's more smooth than a lot of modern cars. The engine design is pre-WW2.

Only where the design was cheaped out on, sacrifices made to please the accountants do you find rough running engines. Ford's early engines are a marvelous example of cost-cutting and the way they run is testament to that fact, Austin's too. Metallurgy changed a little in mine (better bearings, better rings, better block characteristics) after the war and a slightly improved squish space improved light throttle running, but it's a refined, smooth driving experience with points and a carburetor.

The only reason I would add fuel injection and electronic ignition would be to improve steady speed cruise economy.

I've gone through my hotrod phase, modifying for fun; small car big engine. Making something fast that really shouldn't be, wide wheels, bright paint etc. Not saying I don't care for it- just bought a muscle car so evidently inside I'm still a teenager...

 

But, ones from back in the day that I had wanted to do:

1.3 16V Micra engine in a Metro

1.6 Kettle into a Healey Sprite

RV8 into a Hillman Super Minx

Turbocharged Cinquecento

 

So yeah, the appeal of a Q-car was always high on my list. These days I appear to have found eveything I want, which is a strange notion.

 

 

Phil

[chodweaver]

You're all quite, quite mad.




Keep up the good work.

Sent from my BV6000 using Tapatalk

[chaseracer]

35 minutes ago, PhilA said:

RV8 into a Hillman Super Minx...

Ooh, yes.  However...

The Sunbeam Tiger is essentially an open-top Hillman Husky with a very large engine.

Just saying, like.

?

[chaseracer]

38 minutes ago, PhilA said:

Come here and I'll let you drive my Chieftain...

I'm on my way!

[Jikovron]

37 minutes ago, cort16 said:

 

I think you need the ti turbo engine, the t-series bolts right in with the o-series engine mounts and a sherpa gearbox. 

The K2 sherpa uses an lt77 gearbox, and the sd1 was available with a 2.0 Oseries  so the bellhousing from either of those would allow a t16 to fit any sd1 manual gearbox without the need to change props or box mounts!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

43 minutes ago, cort16 said:

I always fancied putting the 620ti engine in an SD1. It's totally doable without chopping up the car as well.. When I bought my SD1 the guy had all the parts.

I think you need the ti turbo engine, the t-series bolts right in with the o-series engine mounts and a sherpa gearbox. You need a custom prop and I guess there's some work in getting the gearbox mount working but

Anyway in the grand scheme of engine swaps it all seemed reasonably straight forward to get 220bhp or so . That was when there was loads of ti's around and SD1's cost 1000 quid mind you.

And when you’d finished with your fucked up weirdness I’d buy the bits off you and make a V8 Rover 600.

[PhilA]

4 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

I'm on my way!

Once it's in the road and all this death plague nonsense is over with, the offer to stop in and go for a putz is open to anyone who carries a valid driver's license and possesses a modicum of mechanical sympathy, for hot rod it is not...

[New POD]

4 hours ago, Bradders59 said:

I would love to put 3.0 V6 Omega running gear into a Chevette hatchback shell. It has been done once before, so I know its doable. It wouldn't cost that much in parts once I had a suitable shell.

That's the problem though, I suppose. A good Shovitt hatchback shell aint gonna be cheap these days.

Got to have a dream though. 

And once the omega shell is available, some sort of GM V8 power can go in that.