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Opinions neededbazza2541
@GUEST
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Oct 12, 2004 22:45:33 GMT
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My dream car is sitting outside my house. Its a 1982 Sunbeam Talbot Lotus. With 12000 miles. My dilema: Do I restore it lovingly to its original condition, as its got so low a milage and theres only 400 or so left? OR Do I mod the $hit out of it, because I want to and its MY dream car ? OR Do I sell it to someone that will cherish it and polish it and clean it and drive it on a Sunday if its dry and buy a 1000cc GL and mod the $hit out of that?
Please help Please
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Last Edit: Oct 12, 2004 22:48:15 GMT by bazza2541
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Oct 12, 2004 23:02:52 GMT
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My opinion: Get the bodywork really up to scratch, you know minter style. Then let the fun begin. these are sweet handling rear-wheel drivers anyway, so a subtle (35mm) drop and some nice wide 14's will help but not look out of place. Then tweak the go-go area to make it as fast as possible. This will keep all corners happy (us and the buffers) and above all will give you a dog's nuts car that will make you smile every time you drive it. You can still buff and polish it, but also rag the ass off it scaring yourself silly..... I'm sooo jelous> I'd sell my family into the white slave trade for an opportunity like this!!
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Keep the body standard and make all mods reversible...it would be a crime not to play with it at all though. Should the owner of this left it alone?
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Really you should do what you feel comfortable doing with it. So mod the curse word out of it if you want,.. its your car.
Most mods you do are reversible anyway,..
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Higgim
Part of things
Posts: 269
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I think that pic that rmad used is a great example of how to mod such a rare and classic car. Period mods which are still fresh and eyecatching. Those are Compomotive TH (could be more recent Schmidt remakes) but they look great and were out in the early 80s but have also made a come back more recently. I would go wit the original colour scheme (becasue it looks great and is synonymous (sp?) with the Lotus Sunbeam. You are a lucky man, I really like Sunbeams.
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Vorsprung Dub Technik
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They look like Ronal Turbo wheels,.. they would be another good choice
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Higgim
Part of things
Posts: 269
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Yeah they would look good but its rude not to have a dish of some description on a retro wheel, Ronals aren't dished enough for my liking. I like to have a deep enough dish to rest a can of Stella on when I'm cleaning it. ;D I'm a bit obsessed with deep dish I think Sunbeams look great on Superlights, gotta be wide though.
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Vorsprung Dub Technik
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restore it
then lightly mod it
minilites lowered seats
stuff you can put back
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2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
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Oct 13, 2004 11:41:34 GMT
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don't mod it! Buy the poxy 1000cc one and mod that!!
Especially, don't put any bonnet pins on like the one pictured, i hate them.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Oct 13, 2004 12:16:11 GMT
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curse word to it,.. chop it, drop it, channel it and stick in a V8
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Oct 13, 2004 12:20:48 GMT
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Don't mod that car, an original minter is always going to be worth more than a modded one, Sell it and buy one you won't feel guilty about modding
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Opinions neededbazza2541
@GUEST
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Oct 13, 2004 12:28:17 GMT
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Ok .Heres the plan. 1. Ditch the standard engine and box, Replace with a 2.0 Duratec and Type 9 box. Running engine management a-la megasquirt. 2. Chop up the wings and quarter panels to allow fitting of Group 4 arches. 3. Fit 10x13 Revolutions on the back and 8x13 revolutions on the front. 4 Gut the boot area to house relocated battery, fuel tank and (perhaps dry-sump tank) 5. Fit princess 4-pots to the front and relocate the front brakes to the rear. 6. Fit brake bias system. 7. Pull out and burn the original front seats, replace with a set of reclining recarros, trim rear bench to match. 8.Fit drivers seat with an electric harness. 9.Fit aluminium rollcage (still has some old scruitny stickers on it) 10. Put in some goodies such as cd player, electric windows and central locking. 11. Rewire to hide as much of engine wiring as possible. 12. Paint the whole thing blinding white.
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Higgim
Part of things
Posts: 269
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Oct 13, 2004 12:31:30 GMT
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Hmmm, well in that case buy a GL and mod it in the way you want, then you'll never wonder "what if I had kept it as a Lotus". If you can, keep the Lotus aswell but put that back to standard (or near standard )
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Vorsprung Dub Technik
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Oct 13, 2004 12:32:53 GMT
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Hmmm, maybe that might be a little extreme to do to a quite sought after Lotus.... How about you do both, restore the Lotus and create a nutter-mobile out of a 1000 model. Then you can have your cake and eat it! Lotus for show........Modded 1.0 for a Pro..... ;D (Edit: clearly great minds think alike, eh Higgim!)
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Last Edit: Oct 13, 2004 12:34:01 GMT by bazza2541
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Oct 13, 2004 12:34:23 GMT
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I say restore to original spec and to a good standard, sell it buy a GL then mod the fook out of that with the money you got from the Lotus.
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Oct 13, 2004 12:52:41 GMT
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TBH I don't see the point of modding the Lotus any further than wheels and lowering etc as once you start swapping motors, it's no longer a Lotus any more. I which case there wasn't much point in starting with one, you might as well have just gone and got a clean non-Lotus version.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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Oct 13, 2004 12:58:54 GMT
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What Ratdat said,... but still,.. modded rare cars have such a perverse appeal :
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Shortcut
Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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Oct 13, 2004 13:05:45 GMT
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My advice...Keep the Lotus as it's the car you want. Then mod it to turn it into the car you really want. As you even asked this question I assume you have some sympathy to the classic car cause so any mods should end up improving the car. If you buy and mod the 1.0L all you will have is a fast Sunbeam and every time you see a Lotus you will go green.
A good technique is to try to imaginr tyhat you have actually DONE each of the options in turn. Ask yourself how you feel now you have done it. Then choose the one that makes you feel happiest. Sod eveyone else...it's just a car.
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This space available to rent. Reach literally dozens of people. Cheap rates!
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Oct 13, 2004 13:40:07 GMT
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RatDat's right...but I would say that playing with the engine would be OK too. Turbo?
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Oct 13, 2004 13:44:25 GMT
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What Ratdat said,... but still,.. modded rare cars have such a perverse appeal : Not really comparible IMO. There is no "ordinary" version of that VW unlike the Lotus. What makes that VW what it is, is the body style and trim, which remains distinct even after modification. It is no less rare now than it was before. What makes the lotus what it is is the drivetrain, some stripes and badges etc. If you mod it by swapping out the drivetrain then it's no more special than an ordinary one striped and badged to look like a Lotus. If there were some really special about the body style that made it different from a non-Lotus version then yes, it would remain special but as there isn't it's no longer anything exiting once the special Lotus parts are gone. The point is I wouldn't mod it on the basis of it being a Lotus version and therefor cool and rare because once modded that is lost. I will remain a cool car in it's own right but the fact that it is/was a Lotus is no longer relevant. If it's your car and you love it and are never going to part with it then fair enough...it's yours to do with as you please. Modifying a car should be done for yourself not others. If it were mine and I treasured it, I would certainly do exactly as I pleased with it. Much as I have done with my 510.
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1962 Datsun Bluebird Estate - 1971 Datsun 510 SSS - 1976 Datsun 710 SSS - 1981 Dodge van - 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi - 1988 Nissan Prairie - 1990 Hyundai Pony Pickup - 1992 Mazda MX5
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