Customising / modifying old cars..

[fizzwheel]

Followed by Sunday nights Top Gear where they had Morris Marina fitted with a set of Ice Tyres on rally rims which I thought looked ok and this comment in another thread by Viney

Originally Posted by Viney

Dont knock it. Id love and old viva, whack a set of modern rims, drop in a Corsa VXR lump and you have a sleeper

Which also sounds like it would be a laugh, what other old cars would work with suitable treatment...

Mk1 / Mk2 Escort

Obvious and very unimaginative choice. They look ace though.

[Viney]

I have many ideas, something that i would persue if i had the cash and a garage. I have always liked the idea of a sleeper (For the ones who dont know what that is, its car that looks normal from the outside but underneath all is not what it seems)

Anyone can stick a V8 in somehing, but i like the subtle ideas, like my VXR Viva or similar.

Originally Posted by Scoobs

Mk1 / Mk2 Escort

Obvious and very unimaginative choice. They look ace though.

Too many Cosworth 'scorts out there.

A cosworth Mk1 though, now that would be special. (the new engined version) and a S3 powered Lupo (there are 2 in existance i believe) Or that blokes Konisegg Granada that was posted on here a while ago!

[fizzwheel]

I've seen a couple of VR6 powered Lupo's that looked pretty standard from the outside, I always thought that was pretty bonkers in such a small car though.

Theres somewhere on youtube some footage of a Ex GPO Red Ford Escort MKIV van with a Cosworth 2 litre turbo lump in it with the 4 x 4 running gear, looks completely standard even down to the faded red paint showing where the stickers were.

My brother had a MkI Astra 1300s that had GTE engine and brakes. That was also quite a good sleeper as well, especially as we passed a guy in a MGF one day who was really really p*ssed off that he couldnt keep up with a manky old Astra

How about a nice Rover Princes.

[Viney]

Originally Posted by Grinch

How about a nice Rover Princes.

Austin dear fellow, Austin! Yupone of them with something tasty...however i dodnt think that Austin ever put anything tasty in thier cars. Maybe a Honda CRX lump. The problem with some of these conversions is the fact that most old cars are Rear Wheel Drive, and the new ones FWD. Soooo, mating it to a RWD box would be tricky. Probably easier if you stick to the same make i would imagine.

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I've seen a couple of VR6 powered Lupo's that looked pretty standard from the outside, I always thought that was pretty bonkers in such a small car though.

Agreed, i have seen one in the flesh, however the engine is sooo heavy it sort of defeats to object. The S3 lump (The old 1.8T) is a 4 pot and usues the same bottom end casing at the 1600 so, only slight modification to the engine mounts to get it in. Its slighlty taller so the engine has to sit a bit lower in the chassis. Im trying to convince Verna to let me do it to peanut, and shes keen, just need the Engine and the cash, then the money for tuning as 223bhp per tonne just sisnt enough

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Viney

Im trying to convince Verna to let me do it to peanut, and shes keen, just need the Engine and the cash, then the money for tuning as 223bhp per tonne just sisnt enough

Have you seen that MkIV Golf that was doing the rounds ages ago, with 2 VR6 Lumps in it, one in the back and one in the front. Mental, but it was styled very subtley so it doesnt meet the sleeper requirements...

When I killed the engine in my rover 200 ('99) I was tempted to stick a turbocharged T series engine in. Would be 200bhp in a small car...nice!

...sadly though reality kicked in and I realised that the insurance would kill me so went a got another 1.6 K series (engine made from cheese)!

have seen a v6 mini. that was a touch quick.

morris minor

i used to work with a guy who tried to get a 2 litre pinto in one of those blue disabled/old person vehicles!! he showed my so many pics of the vailiant but alas in vain attempts him and his brother made !

i think the phrase he used was square peg and round holes.....