This A is for sale around here and I´m really interested in this project. That would be my first Hot Rod and that´s why I ´d like to ask you guys some questions. The engine is a 200cui? Buick / Rover which doesn´t run. Are they worth a rebuild or would I rather drop it and get a nailhead? The tranny is some Borg Warner Automatic which came out of a donor car along with the V8. The Rover V8 is a copy of a small buick, so would a Nailhead bolt right up to that tranny? It´s a glass body, he´s asking 6900 Euros, about US$ 8400. What would you do?
It looks pretty neat. I would chop the grille shell so that the hood wasn't going uphill and stand it up so the grille is vertical. Drop a motor and tranny in it and drive the wheels off of it. Also I am not one for fenders, but it's probably the law over there. Price is a little high, but I don't know what the market is like over there.
Those motors have an Aluminum block. Lots of go fast parts available for them in England. If the motor doesn't run,that makes the transmission suspect too. Probably easier to find another Rover V8 than a Nailhead. The price sounds high,if it was on this side of the Ocean. But it's not. I know American iron goes for a premium overseas.
The Rover was bought from Buick but does not share the Nailhead bellhousing pattern. I would say over there that you would be better off replacing it with another Rover. They're good engines and a lot is available for them. And I'm a big Nailhead fan. They've recently made it all the way to 5 liters with them as well...
Baumi, I'd pass on this one. Check out the body a bit closer. It is a cut down sedan body, NOT an original 28-29 pickup cab. For the asking price I know there are better deals out there.
the law over here says you have to run fenders.My buddy´s 32 5w was confiscated by the police for not running fenders. Chopping the grill shell !! Thanks!That´s it! I´ve wondered if the grill shell had been mounted too high. Most of the guys around here put sbcs in anything, so nailheads, rockets , etc. are not that expensive. Mostly , they are for free. Of course $8400 are definitely not a gift but I probably won´t find a cheaper one in Europe.Maybe I should start searching in the States or in Canada
That engine is the old Buick 215 aluminum V-8 from the early 60's, which grew to the 300 (cast iron though) in mid 60's. It is not a nailhead, although it has visual similarities, sometimes referred to as a pinhead. It has the distributor in the front, a real nailhead is in the rear. I believe the bellhousing is the same as the traditional B-O-P pattern. So you could use any turbo 350 trans. In fact you could use the 231 V-6 as well, I think it has the same engine mount locations. In case you can't find one of the V-8's. I agree that body is a cut down sedan, not a pick-up. The round back corners give it away. I have no idea on value, but over here that would seem high for what you are getting. I agree the grille shell needs to be chopped down so the hood does not run uphill in relation to the cowl and rest of the car. What kind of front wheels are those? Does it have some strange brakes as well?
I've had both the buick and olds version of the 215.The buick motor looks pretty much like a nailhead to me.I can't recall for sure but i had manual tranny bellhousings and i believe ther have a unique bolt pattern.The bell housing would take a standard bolt patterm gm trans though.The motors had quite a bit of torque for the cubes.They are popular to put in mgb's.That was why i had the parts as i used to have 4 mgb's and was always planning to v8 one of them.I sold all the stuff to a local guy so might be able to get more info if you can't find it easier on the net.........
that's not a cut down sedan, it's the pick-up body from Dooster. I like the Rover V8, dress it up and tell everyone it's a Bucik but baumi, honestly I don't think you would be happy with this car...it's not your style at all!
[ QUOTE ] that's not a cut down sedan, it's the pick-up body from Dooster. [/ QUOTE ] Ok, But he has mated a 28-29 cowl to a 30-31 cab.
Here's a link to the Dooster photo gallery. I think there might be some construction pics of this one there. If not, some very close. Dan http://www.dooster.co.uk/htmlfiles/gallery.html
Baumi,guess u could easily mock up something like that yerself,for under half of that prize or something. If you still have to make everything work before you can drive,that is.. If its not alot of it in germany,glassbodys are sometimes sold dirt cheap in sweden.. And the chicks are nice there too.
It has a lot of possibilities but $8400 US would be very expensive for that car. I like it though. That could possibly be my old engine and transmission. I sold my light blue 1962 Buick special in 1969. A fellow G.I. bought it in Furth, Germany...right outside of Nueremburg. Said he was gonna pull the 215 [had leaky head gaskets] and replace it with a 401 he had. If you have a workshop and tools, you could build that same car for less than $8400, I'd think.
My advice... wait him out. At that price, (and I cant speak on market conditions down there...) a non-runner may not be very attractive to many. Politely give him a lowball offer!
IMO, $8400 for that car is way too much. But the fact of the matter is that you know better what is really available in your part of the world. Maybe that price isn't so unreasonable. $8400 for a non-running vehicle just doesn't seem right to me. And I think you could probably build your own for less than that.
[ QUOTE ] the law over here says you have to run fenders.My buddy´s 32 5w was confiscated by the police for not running fenders. Chopping the grill shell !! Thanks!That´s it! I´ve wondered if the grill shell had been mounted too high. Most of the guys around here put sbcs in anything, so nailheads, rockets , etc. are not that expensive. Mostly , they are for free. Of course $8400 are definitely not a gift but I probably won´t find a cheaper one in Europe.Maybe I should start searching in the States or in Canada [/ QUOTE ] Baumi.....give up on your thought on finding one like that in Canada for that price. Something like that--at that price-- is as scarce as hen's teeth.
Is it registered? Has it passed your inspections? If the engine doesn't run you must assume the transmission is no good, the rear end is bad and it as no wear brakes. It may be the camera angle but the left front wheel camper apears way off. I think it's a grand pile of parts someone piled together, realized it would never work and is now trying to bail out of it. Offer him $1000 (USD) if you really want it. That's more than it's worth considering you'll have to take it all apart and start over. (I love cars but I've never been in love with any one particular car. They cost too much money to "divorce"!)
baumi -- I don't know if that car is worth that money (too much work) - if you like to put a stronger engine in it you've to change a lot of parts (like rear end (volvo I think)and maybe the frame should be redone) --- if you like to put a nailhead in it - be carful about the front springs (for sure you'll need a other spring rate on those coils) ... blablablabla - if you like to know more about the car give me a call
Thanks a lot guys!! You ´re such a great help for me! Unbelievable! I´ve seen the car on a show last year, the owner managed to get it to the show but didn´t make it home as far as I ´ve heard. DrJ, you´re certainly right !!!He told me about real bad bumpsteer and that the front wheel alignment was bad.Of course I´d have to take it all apart and build it right. And yes, it does have some registration but I don´t think it is " bulletproof".The guy has put it on ebay now for 6499 Euros($7800). No bid until now. Maybe I´ll offer him $1000 when the auction has ended. Rocky, you might be right about the engine! It could really be "your " old Rover V8 since the car is from Wolnzach which is right between Munich and Nuremberg, about 50 miles each way. If the A was a real " Ex- Rocky -Car" I´d go for it!!! Would be worth more than $8400 then I don´t think the engine is worth a rebuild, he drove it about 100 miles with hardly any oil pressure... 36 Couper! Cool you´re from Ontario! My uncle lives in Kingston, Ont. I´ve called him on Sunday and asked him some questions about the A and if he could find me a project . He told me pretty much the same.In his words: You´ll rather find a pregnant virgin than a good project! Rainer!I´ll call you in a couple of minutes! Baumi
Baumi....if your uncle finds a project for you, ask him to find one for me too! I am on the hunt! I hear there are some projects lurking in the woods north of Kingston though.
That´s exactly where he lives!About 35 km north of Kingston,Ont., near Hartington.The next town heading north is Verona. I´ll tell him to keep his eyes open and let you know if I hear something! Where are you from?
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