legacycentral bbs

beatersubi wrote:+1! That'd be as bad as putting a small block ford into an AC roadster.

I lawled

That Buick 215 was in the Triumph TR8 too right?

Anyway... a ridiculous number of European sports cars have American engines:

A couple Bizzarrinis used small-block Chevy V8s.
The Monteverdi 375 had a Chrysler V8.
I think all DeTomasos used Ford V8s (I know the Pantera and Mangusta did).
The Jensen Interceptor had a Chrysler V8.
The TVR 280i used a Ford V6.
Saab Sonetts (II and III) used Ford V4s.
The Noble M12 has a built Ford Duratec engine.
The Koenigsegg had a Ford engine at first as well.
I'm sure I could find more.

Anyway, to blindly write off every American car as junk is very shallow-minded. I mostly prefer imports, but Americans have made some sweet cars.

I think a good part of the Ameri-bashing comes from the fact that the chassis those American engines were fitted into weren't very different from pickup trucks, and weren't much fun for people who enjoyed the balance and response of a 4 wheel independent suspension combined with light weight.

I don't see why the engines get a bad rap though, since back in the day they were among the most powerful in the world.

Wait, how does nick know my name?!

anyway, is it just me, or do english car companies like to use parts from a bunch of different makes/models to make a carl. Like this TVR for example, the whole drivetrain is from Triumph, and the front windshield is the back windshield of some english made truck. lol crazy brits.

I always here ppl talk down about the cobra, or corvette as just "point and shoot" cars. But really i think thats a bullshit comment. They are sports cars, every car has to deal with the same trade-offs between styling, performance, and cost. I feel like the more I am immersed in racing the more appreciation I've gained for various types of racing and vehicles. For example, NASCAR mildly interests me now.

Anywho, I prodded at my boss a little today and it might be more difficult than i thought to get the car from him. never-the-less I shall try.

206er wrote:i thought tvr's were fiberglass?
personally I would stay away from a car like that. where are you going to find a new windshield? when you do will it be more than $500? stuff like that. there are plenty of cool old obscure cars that arent as obscure as a tvr. something like a 240Z or a triumph TR whatever.

They are fiberglass, with a tubular steel frame, which apparently they didn't even bother to paint, from the horror show pictures I've seen of the rust problems... fairly easy to fix, however, just weld in new sections.
TR-6 engine & drivetrain, everything else was hand-built, they were a cottage industry manufacturer back then.

I've heard the fiber glass body is built around the frame, so i dont think its that easy to cut and weld

DerFahrer wrote:
Anyway, to blindly write off every American car as junk is very shallow-minded.

I never said that...there are a number of American cars that I dig (Buick GN for example)


I just hate it when everybody's idea of making power in anything is "throw a 350 in it"

There are a LOT of far BETTER alternatives

grand nationals are legit

The most appealing thing about dropping a z06 engine in something like a RX-7 is the fact that it makes a shitload of horsepower on pump gas, without even adding a substantial amount of weight. You simply have to swap it.

I agree, there are more original ways of getting power, and some may be more apt to your cause. But you cannot argue that "dropping a 350 in it" isn't a good idea for some applications.

I'd much rather have a properly running STOCK FD3S, than a mutant LS1 FD3S. A rotary is unique in its own way, as is a big fat v8, as is a subaru engine, or a legit ferrari engine etc... It all depends on what you're after.