The second generation MR2 W20 was put to pasture after the 1999 model year and the replacement 3rd gen wasn’t styled like a short-wheelbase Ferrari or boosted by turbos or a hardtop. In fact, the 3rd gen MR2 W30 was quite a step down in performance compared to the prior generation and had googley eyeballs […]
The second generation Volkswagen Golf was a significant upgrade to the original Mk 1 Golf in the safety, comfort, and refinement categories, but it is still slow compared to anything built in the last 20 years. However, today’s Mk 2 Golf has been given an injection of speed with a 2.7 V6 BiTurbo swap from […]
The Triumph TR7 was born at the wrong time. It was born in a time when car designs were saddled with huge front/rear bumpers and silly ride height, not to mention complicated Rube Goldberg inspired carburmafactor and all sorts if ill thought out ideas. At least today’s TR7 should survive for a few years because […]
I’ve driven a few Porsche 914s in my life, and most were underpowered compared to modern cars on the road. The 1.7 liter version is particularly gutless, but it brings a certain amount of pre-planning to your driving style and I found it fun. However, I don’t doubt that a 914 with an upgraded engine […]
A wise man said to me the other day: “When I’m driving my car around, I never think that I need more power or handling…but I always think, I need more space or I need better fuel economy.” Wait, did I say “wise”? Because I meant old. That is such an old guy thing to […]
This next car comes as a tip from Cory who writes: Swapped out one turd of a motor for another. The later 3800’s were warp years better than the 1981 231 carb engine. Find this 1975 Triumph TR7 offered for $3900 in Middletown, RI via craigslist. From the seller: 1975 Triumph TR-7condition: goodcylinders: 6 cylindersdrive: […]
This next car came in as a tip from Hugh who writes; Oh my! Plus for seemingly having four donut spares installed. I didn’t fixate on the donuts, but I had strange sense of déjà v6 swap, because I swear I’ve seen this car before. And we’ve featured a strangely high number of V6 swapped TR7s over the years, but this one appears to be new to us. Find this 1976 Triumph TR7 V6 offered for $2,750 in Jefferson City, MT via craigslist.
This next car is an interesting thing — it is a Triumph TR7 that has had its original engine removed and replaced with a Buick V6, which should make it a rare thing — but this isn’t the first, second, or even the third Buick V6 powered TR7 that we’ve featured here…so I guess that Buick V6s in TR7s is a real movement within the automotive customization world. I think that is a good thing….right? Find this 1979 Triumph TR7 offered for $5,100 in Des Moines, IA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
I get it. You’ve got to find room for the big Ford V6 that you’ve found to power your small British roadster…and that means a bigger hood. Never mind that Carroll Shelby was able to shove a 260-V8 (and later a 289) under the hood of a Sunbeam without resorting to proboscis monkey styled hood, but you’ve got the fiberglass skills and the time to kill. Find this 1967 Sunbeam Alpine offered for $13,500 in Stockton, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
It seems that a car auction site is popping up every time I turn my head or cough…sometimes when I turn my head AND cough, but that is a discussion for another time. This next car comes from Doug DeMuro’s carsandbids.com, which combines Doug’s infectious optimism with nifty late model cars. What we are talking about today is this bearded Spock universe Mazda MX-5 that has a Jaguar S-Type AJ30 V6 (which is actually a specialized version of the Ford Duratec V6) that puts 220 horsepower into the stock Miata 5-speed manual gearbox. The company that sells conversion kits (Rocketworks in Eugene, OR) claims twice the power and torque of the stock MX-5 and twice the fun. Find this 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata V6 Swap bidding for $4,567 with less than a day to go, located in Broomfield, CO via carsandbids.com