What car would you build?

mika · Sep 13, 2008

We have been playing car games of late. Money and reality are not requirements. What car would you build out of existing parts? Street and hot rod builders do it all the time. Carroll Shelby did it when he built the first Cobra. Tesla took an existing Lotus and electrified it making an electric powered sports car.

What car would you build?

What body would you choose?
How are you going to power it?
Suspension, any changes there?

Why ÔÇô what is your goal in building it?

unigobill · Sep 13, 2008

Mika said:
We have been playing car games of late. Money and reality are not requirements. What car would you build out of existing parts? Street and hot rod builders do it all the time. Carroll Shelby did it when he built the first Cobra. Tesla took an existing Lotus and electrified it making an electric powered sports car.

What car would you build?

Why ÔÇô what is your goal in building it?

Here is a description of my first car, at the age of 16 Dad purchased a old track roadster and we converted it to the streetÔÇª

What body would you choose?
How are you going to power it?
Suspension, any changes there?

Frame 1933 Plymouth
Suspension/Brakes 1935 Ford
Body 1927 T with a 1949 Ford deluxe hood in the rear (kinda like boat tail)
Windshield from my 1952 Indian Brave.
Powered by a 1941 Ford V8 flat head aluminum heads and two StrombergÔÇÖs.
Two medal seats no upholstery or floor.
Man was I the talk of the town.

We later roll and pleated the interior and put floor boards in her, then a 1959 Olds Rocket 88 with hydro. WOW if I only had her today I still be the talk of the town.

My goal FUN!! :usa

Bill Jennings

GILLY · Sep 14, 2008

"Smart" car. 3.8 Buick V6.
I don't think a 454 would fit.

Gilly

scqtt · Sep 14, 2008

Chassis 2008 BMW M3 (I'm not certain anything works better)

Engine 2008 BMW S54 out of a Z4 M Coupe (because pistons are suppose to come in multiples of 6, I think turbos are cheating, and the 3.2L BMW I6 is one of the sweetest engines ever made)

Body 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL (If I have to explain it you wouldn't understand)

bob1100rtc · Sep 14, 2008

1970 Hemi Challenger

Visian · Sep 15, 2008

67 VW beetle

GHUHN136119 · Sep 15, 2008

Kit Buiild AC Cobra

I used to be in packaging a long time ago. One of my customers manufactured kit cars, including Cobras, Ford GT40s, the Cheetah (GM car, remember that?). I always wanted to build the AC Shelby Cobra, with a balanced and blueprinted 302. I know it came w/ a 429 (I think) and there were some 460 models. But the smaller V8 is more appealing and plenty strong.
That car is beautiful and has a nice pedigree. The originals go for over half a mil.
Cheers

PAULBACH · Sep 15, 2008

Visian said:
67 VW beetle

Great choice! That was the first car I ever owned and it was wonderful. It had to be perfect if you lived in the South. But in the North that heating system was anemic in the winter.

hlothery · Sep 15, 2008

kahuhna said:
I used to be in packaging a long time ago. One of my customers manufactured kit cars, including Cobras, Ford GT40s, the Cheetah (GM car, remember that?). I always wanted to build the AC Shelby Cobra, with a balanced and blueprinted 302. I know it came w/ a 429 (I think) and there were some 460 models. But the smaller V8 is more appealing and plenty strong.
That car is beautiful and has a nice pedigree. The originals go for over half a mil.
Cheers

Had the pleasure (I think!) of driving a kit Cobra last month, with a 427. It was surprizingly difficult to drive. It was very loud, very hot. It was also VERY fast. No power anything, very firm (almost difficult) shifting, foot controls offset to the left due to the engine size.......very interesting, but I was sure glad to get back in my little Porsche and turn on the air conditioning.

Now to the original question, a Dune Buggy based on an old Volkswagen.

monkeywork · Sep 15, 2008

I'm in the mood for a rat rod.

2beers · Sep 15, 2008

'66 Chevelle body and frame with a Gearte small block, injected of course, and Jericho trans. Quartermaster clutch, Franklin quick change rear (I like the whiny sound it makes), Poly bushings all around. 2" drop fron spindles, Bilstien shocks, Recaro seats and a very dark blue paint job.

I gotta have the fastest car at work. Dang kids and their supercharged Mustangs.......

:banghead

scqtt · Sep 15, 2008

Mika said:
What I have been toying with is building a shop/camping car around a small sixties station wagon with a modern turbo diesel. Saw a two door Falcon station wagon behind a building while ÔÇÿwonderingÔÇÖ around these parts. Just prior to the ride I had been reading about BMW diesel engines for the Morning Reads.

The goal would be an unusual parts runner or car camping vehicle.
I want some head room, but I donÔÇÖt want a full sized wagon or a van either.
I am considering diesel because of a couple of reasons
- operating costs.
- different than all the 302/351/big blocks that get stuffed into these.

The car would be a parts runner daily driver sort of car. The secondary purpose would be car camping with family, hauling canoes, kayaks etc.

Good luck finding one of their diesels over here. Try to find a wrecked Powerstroke with the twin turbos, that would be fun. Sort of like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbHEPbS9ZeU

bob_m · Sep 15, 2008

Horsche or Ponda?

I have thought of dropping a Goldwing or Valkrie engine into a Porsche 914. Tune the engine to spin like a dervish and that small light car could be a lot of fun.

535IS · Sep 15, 2008

Mika said:

Great minds thinking - kind of - alike. My first thought on reading the first post was, a 1965 Falcon 2-door hardtop. Only it would have the modern suspension that bolts in ... and the disk brakes that bolt in ... and a modern 4.6 V8 with a 5-speed that virtually bolts in. A competent IRS would be nice but not a requisite. Serious rubber on some period-correct-looking alloys. In the end, it would be a late-model Mustang under the skin and it would pull down ~30 mpg in spite of being Damn Fast?®. It would have to have some modern a/c and a kickin' sound system. Good seats - like BMW sport seats - since we aren't too concerned with originality.

Red & white would be just fine ...

2beers · Sep 16, 2008

Tribute to the Rat Fink

I am suprised no one has thought about installing a Blown and Injected Hemi in a PT Cruiser. Ok, maybe just use the body and build the thing on a Reher and Morrisson chassis. But a 7.00 second PT Cruiser........

scqtt · Sep 16, 2008

2beers said:
I am suprised no one has thought about installing a Blown and Injected Hemi in a PT Cruiser. Ok, maybe just use the body and build the thing on a Reher and Morrisson chassis. But a 7.00 second PT Cruiser........

The only thing I would turn a PT Cruiser into is an artificial reef.

Mudbug · Sep 16, 2008

VW fiberglass short body dune buggy with the 1200cc, pre EPA, VW engine.

xp8103 · Sep 17, 2008

1967 Olds Toronado

Haul out the big block 425 (385hp), bore it and stroke it, throw on a dual quad intake, headers. Remove and reman the trans using modern technology (don't know if the old chain drive would hold!), modern brakes and suspension beefs here and there.

A school mate of mine drove one his first couple years in college (his dad owned it). There was nothing like tire smoke POURING over the hood as we took off. There was also nothing like the looks on primer-car kid's faces as we blew by them....

scqtt · Sep 17, 2008

xp8103 said:
Haul out the big block 425 (385hp), bore it and stroke it, throw on a dual quad intake, headers. Remove and reman the trans using modern technology (don't know if the old chain drive would hold!), modern brakes and suspension beefs here and there.

A school mate of mine drove one his first couple years in college (his dad owned it). There was nothing like tire smoke POURING over the hood as we took off. There was also nothing like the looks on primer-car kid's faces as we blew by them....

Didn't Jay Leno make a modern version of one of these with twin turbos and 1000HP?

535IS · Sep 19, 2008

SCQTT said:
Didn't Jay Leno make a modern version of one of these with twin turbos and 1000HP?

This one?

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