. . .and other "Wild and Crazy" stuff.
I just got an E-mail from Mike Argetsinger about one of our favorite sneaky cars: the Renault R8 Gordini. Looked like a standard R8, but with French Blue paint and (most of the time) double white racing stripes. Insidem it had a Hemi head (!!!!!), twin Solex 2bbl side drafts, tuned headers, oversized brakes and a HUMUNGOUS sway bar. Oh, yeah. It was a 4 - door sedan. Ran like a scalded cat, could break the rear tires loose in third gear on occasion! I remember getting into a LOT of trouble (Fun?!?!) with mine. It was a real sleeper, a pocket rocket, a true 4 wheeled Q- Ship. I suckered more than a few 283 Novas with it back in 1968 or so!!
Any one else have memories of similar sleepers? Especially ones with 4 doors??
Bobbo
4 - wheel Q - Ships . . .
Started by
bobbo
, Sep 30 2001 01:08
19 replies to this topic
Advertisement
#2
dbw
-
- 993 posts
- Joined: October 00
Member
Posted 30 September 2001 - 06:06
my ultimate sleeper.....mid 60's fiat abarth 1600 OT..externally stock fiat 850 SEDAN!!4 wheel discs,huge campy mags,and best of all a 180 hp twincam carlo handgrenade motor[with 58 mm webers-a pair!!!!] and a 6 speed colotti box...it had the coolest roller shade in front of the oil cooler that was controlled from the cockpit...oh yeah..it was really really fast.....[and as sleepers require, fairly dumpy];)
#3
David McKinney
-
- 14,156 posts
- Joined: November 00
Member
Posted 30 September 2001 - 08:53
Loads of weird hybrid saloons raced in New Zealand in the 1960s (before the rules were changed) - a Mk2 Zephyr with V8 Corvette engine, a Hillman Minx with a full-race Zephyr engine, Anglias with overbored twincams, others with Corvettes. Extremes were a Fiat Topolino with a Ford V8 and a Renault Dauphine with a Corvette stuffed in the back. Oh, and the Morris Minor which was really an old GP Ferrari with a Corvette engine.
All these looked like race cars, but my ulitimate Q-car of the time - simply because it looked just like a tame road car - was a plain black Mk1 Ford Consul with a 3.4-litre Jaguar engine. I used to covet that for the traffic-lights on Aotea Quay!
More recently, a friend of mine in England has taken to fitting Reliant Kittens (the four-wheeled version of the Robin) with 1000cc Kawasaki engines, disc brakes etc. Just the thing for getting around London
All these looked like race cars, but my ulitimate Q-car of the time - simply because it looked just like a tame road car - was a plain black Mk1 Ford Consul with a 3.4-litre Jaguar engine. I used to covet that for the traffic-lights on Aotea Quay!
More recently, a friend of mine in England has taken to fitting Reliant Kittens (the four-wheeled version of the Robin) with 1000cc Kawasaki engines, disc brakes etc. Just the thing for getting around London
#4
Darren Galpin
-
- 2,322 posts
- Joined: April 00
Member
Posted 01 October 2001 - 08:28
I did see once a Citroen 2CV with a Rover V8 engine shoehorned into it. Not a wonderful car for going fast in, but it proved excellent in caravan manouevrability contests.
#5
bobbo
-
- 841 posts
- Joined: March 01
Member
Posted 01 October 2001 - 11:20
DBW, David, (and others):
Have any pictures of those beasties? I would especially like to see your Abarth, David!
Sounds like a PERFECT sleeper!!
Darren:
Where did the engine go? Did it actually fit??
Bobbo
Have any pictures of those beasties? I would especially like to see your Abarth, David!
Sounds like a PERFECT sleeper!!Darren:
Where did the engine go? Did it actually fit??
Bobbo
#6
Stefan Ornerdal
-
- 578 posts
- Joined: January 01
Member
Posted 01 October 2001 - 11:55
My big brother drove rallies in a R8 Gordini. Over a crest the chassis kinda bend itself, and the fan blade made a big hole in the radiator!
My first car was a R8 Major, not as fast as the Gordini, but over 140 km/h the backdoors sprung open!
Stefan
My first car was a R8 Major, not as fast as the Gordini, but over 140 km/h the backdoors sprung open!
Stefan
#7
Darren Galpin
-
- 2,322 posts
- Joined: April 00
Member
Posted 01 October 2001 - 11:56
The engine did go in the front somehow, but I never did see pictures of how. It was featured in the Caravan Club magazine some eight or so years ago.
As an aside, there was a Robin Reliant which had a Rover V8 fitted in the back. It was taken drag racing, but quickly found that no-one would race against it when it started winning. After all, who wants to be beaten by a Robin Reliant?
As an aside, there was a Robin Reliant which had a Rover V8 fitted in the back. It was taken drag racing, but quickly found that no-one would race against it when it started winning. After all, who wants to be beaten by a Robin Reliant?
#8
Stefan Ornerdal
-
- 578 posts
- Joined: January 01
Member
Posted 01 October 2001 - 17:23
Talk about small cars, I've got this in my mailbox today:
Five Germans in an Audi Quattro arrive at the Italian border.
The Italian Customs agent stops them and tells them: "It's illegal to
put 5 people in a Quattro."
"Vot do you mean it's illegal?" asks the German driver.
"Quattro meansa four" replies the Italian official.
"Qvattro is just ze name of ze automobile", the Germans retort
unbelievingly.
"Look at ze papers: zis car is designt to kerry 5 persons."
"You can'ta pulla thata one on me!", replies the Italian customs agent.
"Quattro meansa four. You have fivea people ina your car and you are
thereforea breaking the law."
The German driver replies angrily, "You idiot! Call your zupervisor
over, I vant to speak to somevone viz more intelligence!"
"Sorry", responds the Italian official, "he can'ta come. He'sa busy
with 2 guys in a Fiat Uno.
Five Germans in an Audi Quattro arrive at the Italian border.
The Italian Customs agent stops them and tells them: "It's illegal to
put 5 people in a Quattro."
"Vot do you mean it's illegal?" asks the German driver.
"Quattro meansa four" replies the Italian official.
"Qvattro is just ze name of ze automobile", the Germans retort
unbelievingly.
"Look at ze papers: zis car is designt to kerry 5 persons."
"You can'ta pulla thata one on me!", replies the Italian customs agent.
"Quattro meansa four. You have fivea people ina your car and you are
thereforea breaking the law."
The German driver replies angrily, "You idiot! Call your zupervisor
over, I vant to speak to somevone viz more intelligence!"
"Sorry", responds the Italian official, "he can'ta come. He'sa busy
with 2 guys in a Fiat Uno.
#9
Vitesse2
-
- 41,863 posts
- Joined: April 01
Administrator
Posted 01 October 2001 - 17:28
So how come I can only get five people in my Renault 19?
#10
bobbo
-
- 841 posts
- Joined: March 01
Member
Posted 01 October 2001 - 21:05
Stefan:
Bad Joke.
BAD JOKE!
BAD JOKE!!
I like it.
Bobbo
Bad Joke.
BAD JOKE!
BAD JOKE!!
I like it.
Bobbo
#11
dmj
-
- 2,251 posts
- Joined: August 01
Member
Posted 03 October 2001 - 16:58
Bobbo,
most R8 Gordinis indeed were blue with white stripe, but it shouldn't be nice from Renault if they didn't offer broader choice of colours.
So you could also buy a yellow one.
Also, a Reliant with Rover V8 is offered for sale in last issue of Classic and Sportscar.
Speaking of Q-cars, a Fiat 600 with Porsche Carrera engine was built in Croatia some time ago.
But nothing can mach ultimate Q-vehicle (I have a picture somewhere) - a lawn mower with Chevrolet 5,7 l, V8 engine from a Camaro...
most R8 Gordinis indeed were blue with white stripe, but it shouldn't be nice from Renault if they didn't offer broader choice of colours.
So you could also buy a yellow one.
Also, a Reliant with Rover V8 is offered for sale in last issue of Classic and Sportscar.
Speaking of Q-cars, a Fiat 600 with Porsche Carrera engine was built in Croatia some time ago.
But nothing can mach ultimate Q-vehicle (I have a picture somewhere) - a lawn mower with Chevrolet 5,7 l, V8 engine from a Camaro...
#12
bobbo
-
- 841 posts
- Joined: March 01
Member
Posted 18 October 2001 - 19:39
I just talked with one of the local motorheads: He is into restoring 1960's English Motorcycles and - Get this - installing Rover (ex-Buick aluminum block) V8s into MGBs!! I looked at the MGB roadster and the MGBGT he has done and the worksmanship is outstanding. And they go like bloody blazes!! COOL!
Bobbo
Bobbo
#13
David McKinney
-
- 14,156 posts
- Joined: November 00
Member
Posted 18 October 2001 - 21:16
Lots of people have done that over the years, Bobbo, starting with the MG factory...
#14
bobbo
-
- 841 posts
- Joined: March 01
Member
Posted 18 October 2001 - 21:34
OOPS! Forgot about that one!! Still, his conversions are as professional as I have seen. Still, ANOTHER BrainFart . . . Bobbo
P. S.
Ain't it fun to be able to laugh at ourselves!!
Bobbo
#15
David McKinney
-
- 14,156 posts
- Joined: November 00
Member
Posted 19 October 2001 - 05:51
Originally posted by bobbo
Ain't it fun to be able to laugh at ourselves!!
Imagine how small this forum would be if we couldn't:)
#16
bobbo
-
- 841 posts
- Joined: March 01
Member
Posted 19 October 2001 - 11:22
I forgot another well - known "Q - ship" we all remember . . .
It seems that there was this rather pretty British car called the A. C. Bristol which had fair performance. But apparently, accoreing to the story I read, the Bristol engine became unavailable and this guy from Texas named Carroll Shelby, you know, he teamed with Roy Salvadori in the Aston Martin F1 project, decided to stuff a small block Ford V8 into it and called it the Cobra.
The rest,as they say, is HISTORY.
Bobbo
It seems that there was this rather pretty British car called the A. C. Bristol which had fair performance. But apparently, accoreing to the story I read, the Bristol engine became unavailable and this guy from Texas named Carroll Shelby, you know, he teamed with Roy Salvadori in the Aston Martin F1 project, decided to stuff a small block Ford V8 into it and called it the Cobra.
The rest,as they say, is HISTORY.
Bobbo
#17
fines
-
- 9,647 posts
- Joined: September 00
Member
Posted 19 October 2001 - 15:13
Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a Q-ship?
#18
Racer.Demon
-
- 1,722 posts
- Joined: November 99
Member
Posted 19 October 2001 - 16:00
I remember this VW Polo that a German friend of a friend used to bring over to Holland. Outwardly completely insuspicious, it had a Porsche turbo engine with a engine management console in the dashboard - to change engine mapping on the fly - and hydraulic suspension to lower it for its Autobahn blasts. It could turn the average BMW or Mercedes (or for that matter, Porsche) driver to visit a psychiatrist the very next morning. Or its passengers looking for the next available toilet, by the way our friend was driving it.
Needless to say, this complete maniac - who was lovingly called Marco Polo - was swiftly employed by Wolfsburg within the year to put his mind-blowing skills to productive use. He agreed under the proviso that he could test-drive his developments himself...
Great job! Don't know if he's still mentally stable, though. Or alive.
Needless to say, this complete maniac - who was lovingly called Marco Polo - was swiftly employed by Wolfsburg within the year to put his mind-blowing skills to productive use. He agreed under the proviso that he could test-drive his developments himself...
Great job! Don't know if he's still mentally stable, though. Or alive.
#19
desmo
-
- 29,537 posts
- Joined: January 00
Tech Forum Host
Posted 19 October 2001 - 18:57
If I remember my history correctly- and I often don't- the Q-Ships were British anti-submarine craft in WWII disguised as ordinary merchant vessels.
And my favorite Q Ships- wheeled that is- are the ones that outwardly look like a family sedan such as the MB 300SEL 6.3 or various Detroit creations with big HP engines in outwardly innocuous bodywork.
And my favorite Q Ships- wheeled that is- are the ones that outwardly look like a family sedan such as the MB 300SEL 6.3 or various Detroit creations with big HP engines in outwardly innocuous bodywork.
