The oddest car body, engine combination you've ever done,seen,been in?

I don't know about weird, but cool...back in 1968 we went to Ramchargers to pick up a new hemi for our super stocker. We walked back in the shop and there was a maroon Jaguar XKE in th eback of the shop. I'm looking at it thinking "somethings not right here" and finally went back and looked at it. When I looked inside I saw a B&M 60 series shifter. I glanced forward through the windshield and it had a 426 street hemi in it! I've wanted one ever since!

 

Though it was the same displacement, the MGC did not use the same engine as a Healey. It used the Austin 3 Liter C Series engine. Completely different mill. It did not weigh 600 lbs. That lump of iron weighed closer to 700 lbs!!!

 

Here's one like that. 4-53T Detroit in a 69 GMC.



Here's a non-turbo model in a 60s Ford PU. No muffler, made a godawful noise.



I also saw a Deutz air cooled 6 cyl tractor diesel in a Ford dually towing a horse trailer. No radiator, so the engine touched the grille, and needed the firewall hammered in too.

Saw an F350 with a 3208 Cat at Indy in '86. He decided to show off leaving the pits at the end of eliminations, pulled out of the gate and dumped the clutch with 5 people in the cab and the trailer on back. The gooseneck ball disconnected, the neck ripped the tailgate off the bed, and the trailer dropped on the ground completely blocking both lanes of traffic and the pit entrance. We all got to sit and watch while the whole crew worked to get the trailer jacked up and beat the hitch and truck together so it all could be moved. Too jammed up to even get a tow truck to the scene. Took 1/2 hr or so.

The tractor and dozer guys do it too. Saw photos of a 3208 Cat in a 59 John Deere 830. Custom ring and pinion to turn the power from the lengthwise engine to the crosswise transmission. Saw a 3208 in a 1925 Cat 60. And photos of a V8 Cummins in a Cat D10 - was used for pulling a root plow in Australia.

 

a 63 splitwindow corvette with the tri-power 389. 4-speed and solid axle from a 65 GTO and a MG TD with a 283+powerglide.

 

HAHAHAHA I don't know if any other guys from town have said anything yet, but I see that Olds around town in the summertime a fair bit... Hell of a combo... I gotta get pics of that thing sometime. Its really clean, looks like its on a half ton chassis or somethin tho, its pretty tall and has some pretty big rubber on it. I think he pulls or used to pull a big camper with it.

 

I know a guy with a 48' anglia panel he's pitting a Mercedes 4banger turbo diesel in it.

 

Cletrac tractor with a loader running a 289 ford.
One wild miniture track tractor.







o

 

Pretty creepy, but pretty neat.

 

the guy that owns the local salvage yard here locally as legend has it threw together a 66 chevelle frame, 427 motor out of a vetter and then a 65 mustang body on the back. he just wanted to race the muscle cars in the area. as far as i know everyone even the cops couldnt catch him. i never saw it but i sure wish i could.

 

i have built a few strange ones -- i took a 85 fiero and put a 455 with a th425 out of an 70 olds toronado in the back with very little cutting - done cool wheelies. took a 69 vw fastback and put a 69 olds toronado engine and transaxel in that one also - i like wheelies. built 4 different sandrails with rear engine toro setups. and a bunch of the small block average stuff.

 

car is a little o/t but a suzuki mightyboy (tinyiest ute ever, just enough room for an esky and a pack of condoms in the load area) with a hyabusa super bike engine in it. word is it leaves V8's for dead. I have not seen this car, it may be an urban myth, but its a good story.

here is a pic of a mighty boy so you know what i'm talkin about!

 

wierdest flathead Ive ever heard of!

http://www.autohistory.org/feature_1.html

 

What a grest read, thanks 39 cent.

 

Datsun 1200 with Blown injected 392 Hemi.

 

Interesting car, MoonDog.
They don't sell that one here in America, but it does remind me of an old Subaru BRAT, except this one probably isn't 4WD.
....speaking of which...
Your post also reminded me that back in the early 70's, Suzuki first tried to market their 4WD car here in America.
Back then, they called the "Brute" and it was, infact, powered by their 360cc two-cylinder, two-stroke motocycle engine.
Unfortunately, the car was a bust. Mainly (I think) because with a top speed of about 40-45 mph, it just wasn't practical enough to use on American roads.
Later in that decade, I read an article (anyone rememver "PV4" magazine?) on a further development of that car, which was being sold in Canada. Suzi had changed the name by that time, simply calling the "SJ410".
By then, it was powered with a "proper" car engine, being a water cooled inline four....of about 440cc's.
A few years later, that same car was finally reintroduced to the American market as the "Samurai", powered by an even larger 1300cc four.
This time it was a big hit and was sold here for a number of years.
GM's "Geo" division even marketed a newer version, which they called "Amigo" (IIRC).
In the late 80's a friend had a Sammy and I got to drive it a couple of times.
Thanks for reminding me what a fun car that was.



6narow

 

Reminds me of a Suzuki X-90... a Geo Metro 4x4:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_X-90



~Jason

 

About '67-'68, a friend took a bunch of freebie parts and a Taunus wagon (German Ford). He set it up in a jacked up gasser-style with a early Ford straight front axle. Power was a 312 Y-block with a 3 speed. It felt like it was ready to fall on it's side when you went around even slow turns! It sure was a contrast to his lowered '39 merc coupe w/hopped-up flathead daily driver.

 

Back in high school we stuffed a tri-power 371ci Olds with a 4 spd automatic in a 68 Ford F-100.

Woohoo, what a ride

Bobby

 

Mid-sixties TVR Griffiths (powered by 289 Fords):



If I remember correctly, the car weighed around 1,800 lbs.

-Lee
Atomic Radio
www.atomicpinup.com

 

Abomination,

Good call. I'd forgotten about the X-90.


6narow

 

EVERYBODY forgets about 'em... they're too cute to be a 4x4.

~Jason

 

Renault 5 le car with a v8!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THElYZgcbpo

 

He should shift, every once in a while...

 

1976 Vega with a 1970 455 Olds Toronado engine and transaxle in the back.Welded up steering so it tracked straight.Burnouts were no problem.

 

Worked for the John Deere dealer in the little town where I grew up. We had a customer who put a 3208 Cat V8 in his Deere 4020 tractor, and put the 6 from the tractor in his mid 70's Chevy 4WD pickup. Engine was too long, so he cut the center out of the radiator support & mounted the radiator on angle iron brackets about even with the front of the bumper. Wasn't fast, but you could tie it to a stake in the ground & it'd move the earth.

Helped a buddy of mine change the tranny in his father's farm truck once. Early 70's Dodge with a 350 Buick & th350. They'd cut the front off the Dodge drive shaft, shoved the front of the Buick drive shaft inside, & welded it solid. Must not have vibrated too bad, 'cause they drove it that way for years.

 

at the turlock swap meet this year i saw a 56 chevy truck with a lexus V-8 in it , not only odd but disturbing!
FINK

 

I just now remembered seeing a 57 Chevy with a Ford 289 in it, in front of the parts store one day. Guess I blocked it out of my mind until now.

 

Hmm, perhaps I should rethink my plan for the '47 Diamond T pickup in the garage...

 

Sweeeeet, a ford in a chev, that makes a change. at least it's a better quality product

 

We have V8 Datto's too....

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