The Porsche 928 used a V8 up front mated to a transaxle in a comprehensibly modern design that was decidedly non-911 and very much a luxury grand tourer. From the very beginning the 928 was designed to slaughter the 911. It had a bigger engine, better weight distribution, wider wheel/tires, better driving position, and technology […]
This next car needs a few things. It needs to be fixed up from a small accident that bent an A-arm and damaged the rims. It also needs the headlights wired up. It also needs some bumpers and de-stickerfication. It also needs a 6-speed manual swap. And then its to be driven and enjoyed because it would be sublime. Find this 1974 Mercedes-Benz 230C offered for $25k in Belmont, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
This next car is a strange mix of stuff to have in one vehicle, but before we get into the specifics, I learned something from this vehicle. The seller stated that it started life as a turbo-4 powered Mustang…and I thought, but the SVO didn’t come out until 1984 and it wasn’t a notchback, but I learned that Ford introduced a turbo-4 version of the Fox body in 1979 (or 1980) that made 132 horsepower. This might seem like a paltry amount of power to push around a Mustang, but the 255 cubic inch V8 from the same year made only 120 horsepower in stock trim…so nobody was going anywhere fast. But somewhere along the way this next car had all of that junk removed and it is powered by a tri-power (like what’d you find on an old Pontiac) carb fed small block Chevrolet V8. Find this 1980 Ford Mustang offered for $11,000 in North Jersey via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
This next pickup truck doesn’t look like much from near or far. In fact, it looks just like any other 90s era pickup, but to quote tipper Rock On; This thing can blow your doors off and then carry them away in the back of the bed! That’s not a Spacecab, that’s a sleeper cab!! Find this 1989 Isuzu Pickup LS1 offered for $16,500 in San Jose, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The Lotus Elite had the distinct honor of being the world’s most expensive 4-cylinder powered vehicle when it was launched in 1974. The fiberglass body mounted on a steel backbone chassis was an evolution of the Europa…but it took a turn in the other direction by being front-engine. The end result is a car that isn’t quite as mid-engine tight as the Europa, but with engine bay room that makes it way easier to convert into a V8 powered beast. Find this 1978 Lotus Elite offered for $6,500 in Lexington, SC via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Over the years, various people have answered the question; what happens when you shove a big V8 into a small car? But today’s custom answers the question; what happens you put a lot of Chevy into a little bit of Triumph and the answer is something special. I love the wood dash, the minilite wheels, and the small roll hoop, and I just hope the exhaust is subtle enough that most people won’t notice the burbling 6.6 liter menace under the hood. Find this 1973 Triumph TR6 offered for $24,000 in Long Island, NY via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
A Series III Jaguar XJ (1979-1992) is a seriously wicked automobile and it deserves the respect of the automotive community. This includes respect for the splendid inline-6 (or V12) engine that was originally installed in the stately saloon chassis. But there comes a time when maintaining that cantankerous DOHC beast becomes prohibitively expensive and yearly maintenance starts to cost more than the value of the vehicle. This is the time when you pull out the measuring tape and realize that a small block from the General will fit inside…and since you’ve got a GM 3-speed auto as factory transmission…well…it is just a matter of time before your overhead cams are exchanged for pushrod actuated valves inside of a Chevrolet LT1 V8. I figure it this way — until Britain has paid off the debt of two World Wars were we saved their bacon, they’ll have to put up with American hillbillies shoving V8s into their fancy Jags. Sounds fair to me, but I’m not sure if Jeremy Clarkson would agree. Find this 1986 Jaguar XJ6 offered for $5,500 in Irvine, CA via craigslist.
This next car comes as a tip from JB1025 who calls it Dat-Vette Custom V8 and says; Not everybody’s cup of tea but looks well done could not build for this…but hang on just one minute…we’ve seen this car before. Find this 1978 Datsun 280Z V8 Custom offered for $8,500 in Tukwila (funny…those wheels could use some […]
Porsche fans around the world cry copious (and salty sweet) tears whenever someone takes an aircooled 911/912/914 and shoehorns a Chevy V8 under the hood, but what about the unloved Porsches from the era of the front-engine watercooled P-car? Yeah, nobody sheds a tear when those go under the knife…whatever, I love stupid engine swaps […]
Welcome to the new and improved Daily Turismo, where we don’t feature cars with lazy-bones Chevy V8 swaps. In 2015, you’ll need a 3-rotor Wankel and reverse rotating V12 to make the cut…wait…whats that Mr FuelTruck? You’ve found a Ferrari 400 with a small block Chevy V8 for cheap? Forget what was previously said. Find […]