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Hunting UnicornsDeleted
@Deleted
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I see a problem here. You actually knew what you wanted and what I want depends on what I have seen, watched, heard about lately. I love the look and sound of Early Ford hot-rods and Flatheads. But I love a decent lead sled. And the noise of an MG Metro 6R4. And Mk1 Ford Escorts, if lowered. And rear mounted, bike engined, Mini's. And big wheeled Land-Rovers. And Project Binky. And fast, early, Cal look, Vw Beetles esp Supercharged ones. And the Lotus Carlton. And the Alfa Romeo Monte Carlo. Yet I've never driven or owned any of them. Weird really.
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Lots of great stuff here! Oh, and Seth - also looking forward to your plans coming to fruition! How many years left is it for the original deadline for Miss Seth to learn to drive in it?
Whenever I get a new student in my class, I always ask them what their favourite car is. It gives me an idea what they're into and what sort of person they see themselves as - when a 15 year old wants a black Range Rover with black windows, you know they'll be trouble... Genius - I might have to try that with some of my classes As for me, well it is very much an unobtainable one, but it's this: Riley MPH - the one pictured is the actual prototype, based on the chassis of a factory TT racer. As they only made about 15, and the last one that I saw at auction went for over £500K, I think I'm out of luck. Even a fake (replica using all the correct parts from a saloon model, as opposed to a GRP kit car) is still well out of budget. Oh, and there is also the small problem that at 6' 2", I am too tall to fit in a geniuine one anyway (many of the replicas have had adjustments to increase the cockpit space). I think I'll just have to settle for liberating the wrecked one of these from the barn at my father's. He has owned it for over twenty years and done nothing with it so I hope he won't notice: It's too far gone to rebuild as a saloon (not just a case of rot, but the entire roof is missing), so I have drawn up various designs for period correct tourer bodies.
Having driven a 1930 version, I know what I am letting myself in for in terms of the driving experience, but that pace of motoring is fine with me given the roads I normally drive on - a significant amount of my daily commute is via a single carriageway road with passing places. As for performance, a racing version with the same 1100cc engine came 4th overall at Le Mans in '33 (behind three straight eight Alfa Romeos), and also 5th & 6th in '34 (2nd & 3rd were the versions with the same 1500cc six as the MPH above). I reckon that's not bad for an engine only ever concieved as a road car unit, so there is still plenty of tuning potential.
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Oct 10, 2020 17:18:16 GMT
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It’s how to make it 4wd though? If I was sticking with rwd then it would have to be a v6 in the back to at least get the noise! Come on, guys! Surely the answer to 4wd and noise on a budget is clear!? MGTF VVC in the back and MGTF VVC up front as well!!! Gearshift, throttle and clutch will be interesting, but not impossible. Not sure what two VVCs would sound like? Lotus rocker covers for a bit of motorsport kudos? mounting a V6 backwards with an AWD gearbox in a diablo VT style layout could work, otherwise an Audi R8 box would do it but I've not seen one cheap 3k just for the gearbox...
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Oct 10, 2020 20:53:14 GMT
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I have a plan like this using this or the similar Audi V8 and transaxle, but transplanting it into an 80s Skoda Rapid. It's been on the "one day maybe" back burner for years, having been formulated when you could buy a solid Rapid for a couple of hundred quid. I fear i've missed the boat now with a base car costing in the thousands! Steve
A few years ago I was annoyed at myself for all these old cars (mainly Skodas) sitting around I was never going to get round to, and oodles of spares I'd never need. Now that spares are unobtanium and so are decent bodies, I'm really glad I didn't have the time to "clear out" some of the "junk" I had which is now premium sought after junk! Got a useable Rapid rolling shell for sensible money? Don't mind SOME welding! Must be a Rapid not an Estelle. I'd still love to do it! And now, it's kinda all VAG bits!
Steve
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Oct 10, 2020 21:39:28 GMT
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Come on, guys! Surely the answer to 4wd and noise on a budget is clear!? MGTF VVC in the back and MGTF VVC up front as well!!! Gearshift, throttle and clutch will be interesting, but not impossible. Not sure what two VVCs would sound like? Lotus rocker covers for a bit of motorsport kudos? mounting a V6 backwards with an AWD gearbox in a diablo VT style layout could work, otherwise an Audi R8 box would do it but I've not seen one cheap 3k just for the gearbox...Take a look at some comp safari cars. Usual way is engine in the back, gearbox pointing forwards between the seats, transfer box to front and rear diffs. Quite easy really and not as expensive as you might think.
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Oct 10, 2020 21:42:35 GMT
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A few years ago I was annoyed at myself for all these old cars (mainly Skodas) sitting around I was never going to get round to, and oodles of spares I'd never need. Now that spares are unobtanium and so are decent bodies, I'm really glad I didn't have the time to "clear out" some of the "junk" I had which is now premium sought after junk! Got a useable Rapid rolling shell for sensible money? Don't mind SOME welding! Must be a Rapid not an Estelle. I'd still love to do it! And now, it's kinda all VAG bits!
Steve
Might could help with any engine / trans stuff. A 3.7 Audi v8 with auto trans in the back of an a3. Stock everything inc ECUs etc.
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Oct 10, 2020 22:01:01 GMT
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It’s how to make it 4wd though? If I was sticking with rwd then it would have to be a v6 in the back to at least get the noise! Come on, guys! Surely the answer to 4wd and noise on a budget is clear!? MGTF VVC in the back and MGTF VVC up front as well!!! Gearshift, throttle and clutch will be interesting, but not impossible. Not sure what two VVCs would sound like? Lotus rocker covers for a bit of motorsport kudos? Could be done. A guy on the 16vMini forum had a van with 2 C20xe in. Was about 330bhp in total.
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Come on, guys! Surely the answer to 4wd and noise on a budget is clear!? MGTF VVC in the back and MGTF VVC up front as well!!! Gearshift, throttle and clutch will be interesting, but not impossible. Not sure what two VVCs would sound like? Lotus rocker covers for a bit of motorsport kudos? Could be done. A guy on the 16vMini forum had a van with 2 C20xe in. Was about 330bhp in total. There's been a few twin-Vr6 Golfs as well, back in the Max Power days
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Oct 11, 2020 17:30:37 GMT
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mounting a V6 backwards with an AWD gearbox in a diablo VT style layout could work, otherwise an Audi R8 box would do it but I've not seen one cheap 3k just for the gearbox...Take a look at some comp safari cars. Usual way is engine in the back, gearbox pointing forwards between the seats, transfer box to front and rear diffs. Quite easy really and not as expensive as you might think. Agreed, The Glickenhaus Baja Boot, is the same as many off roaders, so reverse rotation transfer boxes must be available
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wodge
Part of things
Posts: 455
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Oct 13, 2020 18:02:30 GMT
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Great thread! I might be missing something with the MGF awd problem but Freelander gearbox and then a boat v drive to send the output from ird forward?
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,886
Club RR Member Number: 71
Member is Online
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Hunting Unicornsbstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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There are a lot of unicorns out there and they are all different it seems This is mine Not this actual car but one like it I spent years accumulating a full imrscher kit for a Senator piece by piece - and then found my perfect colour Senator 24V (Rioja - deep purpley red) Rebuilt it completely and then found it had been in a hard rear shunt and badly repaired - I was so frustrated I sold everything off and I haven't owned another Senator since. It's still my unicorn
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ToolsnTrack
Posted a lot
Homebrew Raconteur
Posts: 4,117
Club RR Member Number: 134
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Hunting UnicornsToolsnTrack
@overdrive
Club Retro Rides Member 134
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There are a lot of unicorns out there and they are all different it seems This is mine Not this actual car but one like it I spent years accumulating a full imrscher kit for a Senator piece by piece - and then found my perfect colour Senator 24V (Rioja - deep purpley red) Rebuilt it completely and then found it had been in a hard rear shunt and badly repaired - I was so frustrated I sold everything off and I haven't owned another Senator since. It's still my unicorn Funny, you used to see Senators everywhere but rarely wheels that look like that. Now the wheels are on every bloody Fiesta going, but the Senators are gone.
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drdick
Part of things
Posts: 359
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I read this when you first posted it but came back here after seeing the build thread go up because it reminded me that I also have inspirational magazines stashed away. So this is my version of that magazine of yours (which I had too), a relatively simple Model T.... I just went and dug it out for the first time in years and, honestly, I'm not as love with it as I was in 1998. I'm also not so in love with the fact that this magazine is something I've had for nearly 25 years and I still don't have a traditional rod. I have too many projects (well, two) that progress at too glacial a pace but that I'm too stubborn to move on. My cars are stored 40 miles from my flat and my job doesn't really allow me the time. The real irony is that job means I'm in a position where I could afford to build a traditional rod. Maybe 2021 is the year I finally decide to give in and buy something finished or just pay Dez to build me one.......
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Last Edit: Feb 8, 2021 22:25:25 GMT by drdick
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