Hot Rods Hot Rod Sports Cars

Pat might recognize this first car.

 

Whatever it is, it needs to go onto the Specials thread.

 

One I'd like to do is a Rover V8 in a Triumph Herald. The Herald concept is underrated, probably because it was underdeveloped and underelaborated in typical post-war British style. I love the way a thinking-outside-the-box design exercise led to body-on-frame construction at a time when everyone who could afford the capitalization was going to unitary. It just needed another layer or two of outside-the-boxness.

The American V8 into little European car thing has a lot of appeal, but that relies on a few conditions. Replacing a little cast-iron pushrod engine with a big cast-iron pushrod engine is a no-brainer, especially if the latter behaves in a surprisingly non-cast-iron pushrod way, as many of the best American V8s do. Replacing a tiny, lightweight wonder of clockwork-like intricacy which requires seven overhead cams to produce 29bhp at 16000rpm with a big cast-iron pushrod V8 likewise makes sense, in light of the much more than 29bhp which results. But replacing a big, elegant engine with a big, crude engine because you can buy a gasket set for it with your groceries at the supermarket just feels lazy to me. It might be practical but it feels wrong.

It contributes to the number of spare Jaguar XK sixes, for instance, lying around, though. I wouldn't say no to one in something like a '49-'52 Chevy.

 

There is a lot of good candidates for a lotus or ac style swap, ligth weight shell and powerful engine.

But a Rover v8 can do wonders for a small car. And with the rigth mixing and matching between Rove, Buick and olds, you can get a potent solution.

In my volvo with a Rover in it, the weight ratio front to back got better then stock! Because a Rover all alloy engine is lighter then a Volvo B20 push rod banger. But a well build banger ate capable of 200-250 hp in the best of setups and can make a little more with a turbo.
But most Rovers delivers from 150 in stock trim (except Land Rovers).

So they can make a good small car better!

There is a couple on here running them, so it would be cool se them in something small!!

 

Great thread. Don't forget the Kurtis-Kraft 500S! Arguably the first production hot rod sports car.
I happen to own the frame fixture, patterns, and body mold & bucks for these cars. Anyone need one?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/788669467822168/

 

And lets not forget the Allied Blackhawk bodied (Cisitalia), Kurtis-Kraft 500KK chassis, Lincoln-motored coupe started by Mickey Thompson for the '55 Carrera Panamericana (cancelled) that was finally finished in 1991.

Allied only built five of these bigger bodies (the Swallow was a smaller version for British Chassis), and only two ended up on Kurtis 500KK chassis. The second, Chrysler hemi-powered car is unaccounted for. Anyone?

I happen to have the Kurtis 500KK chassis jig and access to the body mold if anyone wants one.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/788669467822168/

 

WOW. Many thanx for all those images!!!!!!!!!!! Not to get the cart before the horse, but what came first the Allards or the Kurtis cars? I always thought it was the Allard. You need to get the word out more, I would have been really interested in the roadster a few years ago, but I got myself into a road racing Model A instead. Best of luck on the chassis and body sales. Gary

 

You're welcome! I guess I consider the Allard a British car, even though many are American V8 powered. I think the first Allard was '50, the 500S came out in '52. The Kurtis replica venture is relatively new, although I have been putting the pieces of the deal together for a couple of years. Although I've always been a fan of Frank Kurtis since my youth in Indy, the passion for the 500S was really ignited when I picked up my own 500S a few years ago. Pictured here with my dad, it's getting a 100% correct period 331 hemi drivetrain and will be painted to clone one of the three original 500S built for the Carrera Panamericana.

 

Allard JX2 and a Kurtis-Kraft 500S

 

specials

 

MoparMontana, how about a few chassis photos of your reproduction frame and details of what you have available. My TR3 is needing company in the shed. PM me if you want.
Greg

 

Banjeaux Bob, that****emblage of cars looks like it would produce an heroic cacklefest!

 

[Jack] Griffith 200/TVR.. Ford 289/271hp 4 spd some where around 1964..Maybe 1800#'s..Fiberglass body set on a four tube frame and glassed to it..Frame tubes, suspension mounts, et all were brazed together..Used to be a half dozen around center of CT. Any more than a size nine shoe and three pedals was a******..

 

Anything Kurtis built was cool but this one I saw at Amelia Island in 2009 just blew me away...

 

That is plenty slick !!!

 

Devin project that looks to have been 110 Offy powered

 

Yes, the Sutton roadster... Ahhhhhh

 

Baron I certainly do recognize that car, and Brother Mike in the drivers seat. I was not going to miss the 1st NHRA Hot Rod Reunion no matter what. There is only one moment in time and then it's gone, that weekend was very special and the car ran the best it ever did. In fact we broke out by a bunch and where still happy as can be because we raced there. Happy Thanksgiving to you Baron and everyone else on HAMB.

Pat

 

Pat. It was great to see the car and watch it run. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving !

 

here are a couple I took pics of in Burbank at a friends , the Devin had a fuelly Corvette drivetrain in 58, the red Roadster ran the Pan America

 

http://www.americansportscars.com/bosley.html

 

More, More, MORE!

 

WONDERFUL car. To me, this type of "modified" is a sports rod / special not a hot-rodded sports car. Anyone else see the difference? Some day... my 29 Coupe will also be a sports rod. Gary

 

I really like the unusual rear fenders. I'd sketched that sort of combination of a late-Vintage idiom with a '50s rear clip as early as the late '80s. Mine tended to resemble something like an MG K3 with the back of a Jaguar E-type grafted on via a bit of AC Cobra around the haunches.

 

my entry.

 

Sam Parriot, the mayor of The City of Industry