Oh jeez, the thread police have arrived. It's a good inspiration for anyone wanting to build a boxer engined special.
Arrived? I’ve posted on this thread since 2020. You’ve only been on the H.A.M.B. for about 10 months. 90% of your posts are pretty cut-and-paste pics from other sites with no information or context. Is this a history site or a pretty pictures site? The presence of a hood emblem should have been a clue that it wasn’t a special. Your comment about inspiration makes me think that you knew it was OT but posted it anyway. There have been several threads ruined by OT posts made by people who knew their pics were OT but didn’t care. I hope this one doesn’t go the same way.
Well, it seems that great Ned Ludd, our host here (started this magnificent sub-forum), had a little wider spirit: "... Indeed a lot of the early pontoon-bodied specials freely traversed the boundaries between pure specials, kit cars, and small-volume production cars. Like Lotus, Ginetta developed out of these sorts of exercises; the point where a definitive design crystallised being sometimes hard to ascertain … " As we are not qualified historians (at least most of us are not), we could be relaxed a little more and enjoy! Souls SPECIAL be constructed by a person (amateur or professional) or could be built by small company? Should it be one-off or made in a series of 2-3 example's, for special purpose often (Mille Miglia, Le Mans, Montlhéry, Brooklands, English trials, continental bergrennen...)? What to do with early Cannon trial specials, Lotus specials based on Austin-7 components, Formula 500 racers, (and many other), started as one-offs and later produced as clones... Then, Czechoslovakian Jawa, Wikow and Aero specials, or Italian specials based on FIAT 500 Topolino and 1100 Ballila? I would prefer wider picture (loosely "rules"), but that is just me... (I like them all) Regards, Ciao, Zoran
I'm just curious......I would like to build a "Special" but don't know if my thoughts for a build would be using too new of components to be considered a "Special" or get laughed off the HAMB. I have a 153 Chevy 4-cylinder and 5-speed that I freshened up for a project car, but sold the car and now the engine has no home. I also have a decent pair of Model A frame rails, a '28-'29 Grill shell, a couple different front axles (one tube for Chevy spindles, and a couple Ford I-Beams) and a 2WD S-10 rearend and a couple 8" Fords. Would those components perhaps be a reasonable basis for a 2-seat "Special", or are they too new to fit the character of the term? It would have a full hood and a minimal body, perhaps even with a boat-tailed back. Lynn
I think it sounds great, and "newness" isn't/shouldn't be an issue. Don't forget to photo-document your build here!
jerks? I† was a joke. I doubt if the site will collapse under the weight of a little humor. If it does then it should.
Loved following along on this guy's project: building an early fifties style aluminum bodied racing special. Fantastic job, with real attention to detail. I want to be this guy when I grow up! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBa0TfRAOYHnN-cSLIN9uqLGG-i_Evv10&si=gGRabCVWPXkk82pZ
My suggestion is that you should build a special, extend your lounge by about 15 feet by 8 feet, and put the car on display in your lounge. Put in some large glass door so your neighbours can appreciate the car, as will folk driving passed. Well, thats what I would do if it were me
crosleykook : PLEASE KEEP AT IT!! Not enough on this site about them!!! Seems they show up, pull a tease, then VANISH!!! I refer especially to "Project - Scratch built Crosley special" from almost 4 YEARS AGO! Nothing for all that time except those of us who wonder : "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE PROJECT??" It was a straight 8 made of 2 Crosley blocks on a common crankcase, & some WILD Aluminum bodywork...
I've been HAMB AWOL for a few years so i missed that thread.... guessing it was the guy who worked for fabricator Wray Schelin - built a Crosley based straight eight he called The Zanzara Special. (Zanzara is mosquito in Italian). I think he finished it and was off to another project. He was in his 70s when he started it. Assuming it's the same car?
Saw one of my favorite Specials at the Monterey Historics today: the 1955 Crosley-powered Shannon Special. Fiberglass bodied tube-frame car ... very 'slippery' sportscar body... really sleek! This was restored by Lee Osborn about 20-25 years ago, and he's been racing the heck out of it ever since. Lee is an incredible craftsman, so everything on this car has been dialed... and Lee has been much more successful than the original builder was. Part of that is Lee's driving, too. The Shannon Special had the smallest displacement of any car on the track today (about 750cc) but he actually lapped cars with nearly double the engine size!
Thank you, Crosleykook!! I assume it's an "H" modified, or close thereto?? Sure would be nice if he were to do a story when he does his post-season maintenance... HINT, HINT!!
That's it, after a few months of restoration, Bunce is back! Everything had to be repaired, modified or changed: chassis, bodywork, suspension, brakes, electrical circuit, steering, engine, etc. After a first burn-in test at the Mornay Festival (France) at the end of August, Bunce was present at the Circuit des Remparts in Angoulême (France) with around twenty other small sports cars with 4CV/Dauphine Renault engines. The engine is not yet the final one but the car is starting to run well and that's cool!
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