RE: De Tomaso Longchamp: You Know You Want To

[JREwing]

I have always liked these. Scarface should have had one rather than a Porsche 928...

[don logan]

I think I`ve been a passenger in this car! (1991-ish)

[Transmitter Man]

Krikkit said:

Unspeakably cool. Possible to retrofit a box more becoming of it? Presumably there's something with a few more speeds and a bit more zest that can be mated to the engine...

I did just that and fitted a 'built' T5 which requires a 302ci V8 Mustang bellhousing + fitted a Steeda quick shift.

The The car is a completely different animal with a stick shift



Phil

[Bill]

Cruise-O-Matic baby!

Want.

[Finlandese]

This used to mine...

http://youtu.be/oiE3F236ZLo

A fun, unique Gran Turismo. When passing other cars it certainly didn´t hang about, and the passed driver definately heard the car!

[don logan]

Transmitter Man said:

I did just that and fitted a 'built' T5 which requires a 302ci V8 Mustang bellhousing + fitted a Steeda quick shift.

The The car is a completely different animal with a stick shift



Phil

I think you and I know who owned this in the early 90s don`t we?

[MonkeySpanker]

J4CKO said:

I can only imagine the original owners of these, this chap came to mind,

Kirk St. Moritz WANTED to drive one but probably drove a 1.3 Capri.

[pSyCoSiS]

That is a very cool looking car, with a fantastic stance about it.

I love the rear of the car, and it looks purposeful from the front

[mikeg15]

Not nice. If you want that american V8 thing, a Gordon Keeble is the car my money would go on.

And for the price of the deTomaso it would be mint too.

[cirks]

British Beef said:

Wow... this Range Rover is incredible and actually remarkable value considering restoration cost, I want this RR much more than the De Tomaso!!!

http://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2013-03...

In the write up about that, "'John Eagles' engine upgrade at a cost of over £8,000" - some how, I think that's meant to be John Eales. That is unless John Eagle built my engine.....


sorry if there is an engine builder called 'Eagle'

[Twincam16]

mikeg15 said:

Not nice. If you want that american V8 thing, a Gordon Keeble is the car my money would go on.

And for the price of the deTomaso it would be mint too.

Lovely, but an ergonomic disaster inside if you've got long legs and like your kneecaps.

[soad]

Dakkon said:

That car has been up for sale for a long time.

Probably asking too much for it...

[Transmitter Man]

J4CKO said:

You just know if you buy one it will overheat in traffic, rust, cut out, whiff of fuel/oil/clutch/exahust gasses, generate challenging invoices, get pissed on by modern diesels, do 12 MPG and generally cause you much agro.

But still want.

Was the Deauville based on a Jag, it looks so similar.

Mark,

Unlike De Tomaso's Maserati based on the Longchamp (QP3 I believe) the former runs Jag/Mustang mechanical s so invoices only challenging if unemployed.

Without a rad flush every 10 years your 35 year old car would probably overheat in traffic as well:-)

Italian rustproofing was non-existent back in the day (Alfa Sud, fortunately my bus lived it's life in Palermo, Sicily then via Belgium (private collection) then here to London and only the past couple of years has my 79 vintage model started to rust so that is on the list when I can afford a complete strip down and rebuild.

No smells in my car other than leather feed.

The 5.8L Ford Cleveland is arguably Ford USA's best V8 being that is was originally designed for Nascar racing. The 4V (4-barrel carb) engine, as fitted to these cars, same as the Pantera, has cylinder head ports the size of your house.

My aftermarket CHI alloys heads (two houses) allow even better breathing.

The car is no lightweight (3,800lbs) but I feel it can be considered a 70's/80's GT car up there with the best rather than a sports car and would get you to the south of France in comfort, unlike a Pantera over the same distance.




Phil
1979 Longchamp GTS

[amancalledrob]

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but this beholder's eye finds that an unpleasant, badly proportioned and half-designed box that looks like a Ford Granada after an encounter with the ugly stick.

Reading that back it sounds a bit trolltastic but it's just this man's opinion

[ES335]

The Deauville is an entirely different kettle of fish to this, styling wise. I think I'd prefer to save up another Twenty K for a Pantera.

[irocfan]

So much want... IMO that is truly great. As previously mentioned a 3 speed with that is fine with the amount of torque available, maybe a later 4 to give a little better mpgs on a run

[J4CKO]

Transmitter Man said:

J4CKO said:

You just know if you buy one it will overheat in traffic, rust, cut out, whiff of fuel/oil/clutch/exahust gasses, generate challenging invoices, get pissed on by modern diesels, do 12 MPG and generally cause you much agro.

But still want.

Was the Deauville based on a Jag, it looks so similar.

Mark,

Unlike De Tomaso's Maserati based on the Longchamp (QP3 I believe) the former runs Jag/Mustang mechanical s so invoices only challenging if unemployed.

Without a rad flush every 10 years your 35 year old car would probably overheat in traffic as well:-)

Italian rustproofing was non-existent back in the day (Alfa Sud, fortunately my bus lived it's life in Palermo, Sicily then via Belgium (private collection) then here to London and only the past couple of years has my 79 vintage model started to rust so that is on the list when I can afford a complete strip down and rebuild.

No smells in my car other than leather feed.

The 5.8L Ford Cleveland is arguably Ford USA's best V8 being that is was originally designed for Nascar racing. The 4V (4-barrel carb) engine, as fitted to these cars, same as the Pantera, has cylinder head ports the size of your house.

My aftermarket CHI alloys heads (two houses) allow even better breathing.

The car is no lightweight (3,800lbs) but I feel it can be considered a 70's/80's GT car up there with the best rather than a sports car and would get you to the south of France in comfort, unlike a Pantera over the same distance.




Phil
1979 Longchamp GTS

Phil, that is very very nice,

But that is your car, a nice one, if I bought one I can guarantee it would do all of the above and a few wildcard failures just to keep it interesting but I get your point about the mechanicals being more prosaic and robust than the metalwork.

Wonder how many are left ?

[vsonix]

I love the chunky rear end, deep dish wheels and quad tailpipes. It also reminds me a bit of a beefed-up Lancia Beta in some ways, with a hint of E36 and some angular '80s Mustang thrown in for good measure. Definitely looks cool although the design isn't fully resolved.

[P4ROT]

People from Birmingham must love that interior (according to Clarkson at least...)

[B10]

Twincam16 said:

B10 said:

Your comment that the Deauville influenced the XJ40 is a little misplaced. The Deauville was very much influenced by the 1968 Jaguar.

It wasn't. The Ghia styling of the Deauville was actually finalised before the XJ6 S1 was released in 1968, and was itself an evolution of Giugiaro's De Tomaso Mangusta and Tom Tjaarda's 1966 Lancia Marica concept.

I can also assure any detractors that the gearbox in that car is perfectly suited to it and doesn't need ripping out and changing. The torque of the engine (which is a Ford Motorsport Australia-tuned unit) is so instant it pulls hard whenever you put your foot down. You don't even notice the changes, it acts like one massive variable ratio. Putting a ZF or a Tremec in would turn it into a jerky, awkward jack-of-all-trades when it is already one of the best GTs of its era - far superior to the contemporary Aston Martin V8, in fact.

Interesting. Not doubting your knowledge. Just the C pilar / hump and tapering tail is very similar to the XJ6, which in itself is an evolution of the MK10 / S type rear. Great minds etc....