Either you run a 'Q' car and understate it, or you go to the other extreme. My favourite is the MGA where they cut the body in half lengthways and widened it by 4" before popping in the V8. An extra 4" in my car might have helped (I seem to have grown slightly wider over the last 10 years), but it is too late now.
Years ago, when Jack Brabham popped Coventry Climax race engines into Triumph Heralds, there were a fair few Q cars around. Totally understated, but V8s weren't that common in the UK at the time, either local or imported. In the 1970's Super 'Loons took off with my favourite there being the John Pope Special - Vauxhall Magnum, with Twin Turbo Aston Martin power - road registered too. (Offered for sale last year I believe.)
My own car tends towards the understated, with subtle differences from standard at a first glance, but on a closer examination, it will show that only the main bodyshell, front door glass and screens and the doors are in fact original - and at the moment, the front wings (I ran out of time to do the wings in glass to a semi Bristol type design.)
trogedon,
Jan 7, 3:25am
Agreed. Beautifully done.
richardmayes,
Jan 7, 8:11pm
The yellow Austin-Healey 100 with supercharged Jaguar V12 is nice too. no doubt a much larger chequebook was required for that car!
Call me bogan if you wish, but I think that looks better than the original Triumph Spitfire.
And it would go a lot better too
richardmayes,
Jan 14, 10:29pm
Well it definitely looks a lot more like every other attempt to make a budget AC Cobra look-alike that's ever been welded together in a shed. massive wheel arches held on with rivets? Check. Massive air intake scoop? Check. Massive exhaust? Check. SURELY now people will look at me and give me attention? Check.
As to "going better". I notice this thing is basically a C4 Corvette with custom central chassis section, there's not much Spitfire left in there.
IIRC the Spitfire chassis couldn't even really cope with the 95hp GT6 engine without modifications, but then, it was never meant to be a high-powered V8, it was a cheap and cheerful sports car for normal people, built on a modified Herald chassis!
trogedon,
Jan 15, 12:47am
Non mellow yellow.
timmo1,
Jan 15, 3:02am
It's already got a 4 year old sized steering wheel!
smac,
Jan 15, 3:05am
Ha yeah saw that. Tempted to go for a look. but when I go look at stuff I tend to get this pain in my wallet.
If you are going to boast about it the least you could do is put up a "Project So Far" pic.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.