Over the past two years I had plenty of car project to keep me busy. I was building a NASA GTS-4 E30 of Doom to compete with next season. That is coming to its conclusion very soon. All that remains is to sort the suspension for radial slicks and get the MS-II to run properly. It has turned class competitive lap times and been pretty reliable in 20+ track days. Everything else is optional and... not really a challenge. Mostly bolt on from here out.
Now I have a problem. I have AAAD but not its typical "Acquiring" manifestation. I only need one car project. I am looking but I am like a hungry food shopper - everything looks great to me.
Motorcycle builds, Locosts, tube frame classics... all of it. My top picks are:
- I flirted with completely re-engineering a control arm, inboard damper rear suspension for the E30 of Doom.
- Tube chassis re-bodied classic type car of TBD origin but Opel Manta, Alfa GTV, E21, or other oddity. No mainstream or expensive muscle cars.
- Miata based Locost with indep. rear
- Mid-engined partial tube chassis interpretation of a classic FWD car like a Morris Mini, or old Fiat.
- Some old bike tarted up to carve corners and look good (this one is low effort and could be combined with other projects I guess)
- Your suggestions go here
GPS said:
Mid-engined partial tube chassis interpretation of a classic FWD car like a Morris Mini, or old Fiat
With a motorcycle engine.
I have a hot rod Supercharged V-6 (340hp) from a T-Bird supercoupe, I always thought that would be nice in a Locost.
I do have a penchant for Bobbers.
Not my cup o' tea, but there's a '23 T-Bucket for sale locally for $1950. No engine.
Dan
Hal
Dork
9/14/10 9:28 a.m.
914Driver wrote:
I have a hot rod Supercharged V-6 (340hp) from a T-Bird supercoupe, I always thought that would be nice in a Locost.
Not my cup o' tea, but there's a '23 T-Bucket for sale locally for $1950. No engine.
That looks like the makings of a good project.
I am seeing more and more of those type of hot rods in this area all the time.
Clarification post:
Everything I build will go to a road course and be beaten unmercifully - the hot rod stuff looks cool but its not really my cup o tea. I require functional goals - I never do the aesthetic part of any project no matter how well intentioned I am at the beginning. A "looker" would lose my attention after a very short romance.
Tarting up a bike is the exception here. I've never customized my 2 wheelers beyond bolt-ons - and they are much smaller projects so I think I could actually spend time wet sanding.
How about a modern interpretation of a formula vee? I'm picturing a mid-engine Subie boxer drivetrain, fabricated front a-arm suspension w/ inboard shocks, and 1960s era formula ford bodywork.
Picture this w/ a modern drivetrain:
How about a locost using an old Ford/ Chevy or whatever body? Like tube chassis with an independent suspension front and rear and a modern engine.
Raze
Dork
9/14/10 10:15 a.m.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
- Mid-engined partial tube chassis interpretation of a classic FWD car like a Morris Mini, or old Fiat.
I scratched the exact same itch after getting the Merkur 90% there with a Fiat Spider, but I'm not planning on anything like a tube frame. Now an 850 Spider w/a motorcycle engine or boxer engine would be nasty, just sayin 
96DXCivic wrote:
How about a locost using an old Ford/ Chevy or whatever body? Like tube chassis with an independent suspension front and rear and a modern engine.
I like it... a locost version of Factory Five's roadster:
