RE: Pic of the Week: South African Specials

[Tim16V]

Oddball RS said:

More of this please and less about the ring and which version of the GTI/GTR/GTS has been round it today.

+1

Note to PH: there must be a gold mine of great - offbeat - but very refreshing stuff like this out there for you to go for!

[Pothole]

there is, it's called (as they mention) C&SC Magazine!

[Tim16V]

Pothole said:

there is, it's called (as they mention) C&SC Magazine!

Agree, but it would be great to see it on PH more...

[SimonV8ster]

aeropilot said:

mustard tab said:

Bobdenero said:

Love that Firenza

+1

Absolutely

+1

Had a Droopsnoot Firenza for a while a few years ago.

[Mirage]

Both the Capri and Firenza are fantastic retro rockets
I remember seeing the Firenza at a Rally-Supercar day, Castle Combe, a few years ago

I'm sure that most people on here know, but for anyone that doesn't...
the 'Perana' range was developed by Basil Green Motors in Johannesburg
including the: Ford Capri v6 & v8 (5.0 litre), Cortina mk3 v6, Escort mk1 2-litre(pinto), Granada v8, Escort xr3, Sapphire(3.0 / 3.4 litre)

The developments were often years ahead of Ford and anyone else.
For example, their Capri v6 was based on the v4 and pre-dated Ford's own version.
The v8 version was the only conversion that was officially sactioned by Ford, being built at the Ford plant in Port Elizabeth and available through the dealer network

Would love to own either, although perhaps the Capri more-so

Edited by Mirage on Sunday 25th October 08:13

[dinkel]

Mirage said:

Both the Capri and Firenza are fantastic retro rockets.

Would love to own either, although perhaps the Capri more-so

Peter Mallett down La Source at Spa last month.

[anonymous-user]

Perana's new car, based around the Corvette, is also worth a look,

[Forthright MC]

A couple of snaps of the Firenza Can Am from the VBOA International earlier in the year,





It looks amazing in the metal!

Rest of the event covered here - http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc19/Forthright...

[minimatt1967]

What a great pair, they are positively dribble worthy! Certainly give a some of their modern counterparts a bloody good run for their money. Ultimate sleepers?

Edited by minimatt1967 on Sunday 25th October 20:47

[Rum Runner]

They also used to do a Ford Sierra V8 like this http://www.ftgautosalvage.com.au/default.asp?url=3...

[Traveller]

The Sierra XR8, was not a Basil Green edition but a FORD factory product in SA. Remember seeing one at a street race meet many years ago, had a great sound to it as I remember. The Basil Green Sapphire V8 was pretty cool, as it was very much a Q car.

http://www.africanmusclecars.com/SierraXR8.html

Edited by Traveller on Sunday 25th October 21:41

[bobthemonkey]

Lawrence5 said:

Heard the Ford Capri Perana v8 was made becuase they couldn't get the cologne v6 in SA due to sanctions - true ?

I always understood that SA went for the bent 8 as it was needed to make up for the losses the 6 suffered. This was due to a combination of altitude and lower quality fuels.

Edited by bobthemonkey on Monday 26th October 11:27

[Alfanatic]

Traveller said:

The Sierra XR8, was not a Basil Green edition but a FORD factory product in SA. Remember seeing one at a street race meet many years ago, had a great sound to it as I remember. The Basil Green Sapphire V8 was pretty cool, as it was very much a Q car.

http://www.africanmusclecars.com/SierraXR8.html

Edited by Traveller on Sunday 25th October 21:41

Ah, the Animal. Willie Hepburn raced one I think in some local series, or at least intended to.

[Dr G]

POTW bang back on form! I'm off out for a C+SC too

[pmaurice]

Great to read about these cars - I grew up in SA and remember the saloon car races at Kyalami - involving all sorts of local specials. BMW created the 333i, an E34 model with a 3.2 straight six; Ford produced a Sierra XR8 as already mentioned in this thread - and an XR6 Interceptor based on the Mk5 Cortina; Alfa produced a lovely GTV6 3.0 (bonnet bulge was the giveaway); and we brought back to the UK another local car - a Mk1 Golf GTI 5 door which I subsequently came across at a GTI International event. Pick up trucks were also popular with big engines - the Golf Caddy came as a GTI version, and Ford's Cortina-based pick up also had the 3.0 V6 at one point. All good fun...

[Alfanatic]

pmaurice said:

Great to read about these cars - I grew up in SA and remember the saloon car races at Kyalami - involving all sorts of local specials. BMW created the 333i, an E34 model with a 3.2 straight six; Ford produced a Sierra XR8 as already mentioned in this thread - and an XR6 Interceptor based on the Mk5 Cortina; Alfa produced a lovely GTV6 3.0 (bonnet bulge was the giveaway); and we brought back to the UK another local car - a Mk1 Golf GTI 5 door which I subsequently came across at a GTI International event. Pick up trucks were also popular with big engines - the Golf Caddy came as a GTI version, and Ford's Cortina-based pick up also had the 3.0 V6 at one point. All good fun...

Yep, and don't forget about the E12 M535i, the E23 745i (had the M5 engine in SA rather than the turbo, and was raced), the Opel Kadett GSi 16V "Superboss" and turbocharged 200tS...

[LS6wetdream]

Chipchap said:

I very nearly bought a Chevvy Can-Am in 1975/6 for 3000 SA Rand ! [about £1200 then] but instead I bought a newer Mazda RX-2 Capella Rs Coupe' another homologation special. It was only 1700 Rand taken as a px against a new Mini 1275 GTS as fuel had just gone mad over there.

What a misssed opportunity.

Made up for it later though with:

Ford Mustang Mach 1 351 Cleveland
Lotus Europa
Ford Fairmont Gt 351 Cleveland. I think it was a Falcon GT in Aus.

Among many others, then I found bikes with a Kawasaki Z1000 A2 in 1977/8


I'd have any of em, what a pity i haven't seen any RX2's in this country, saw an RX3 in a breakers yard minus its rotary power, and it had a 4 pot in it :S

your right about the fairmont i own a later 74 model GT hardtop, you've had some nice cars


CC

[Morningside]

pozi said:

I never thought I would see the day that a Firenza would grace Pistonheads !!

The 1.3 Viva E Coupe was my first car and I followed it up with a 1.8 Firenza then a 2.3 Magnum Coupe, all the same shape but alas I never did work up to the V8 !!

Lucky bugger. My first car was a Firenza. I always wanted the Magnum but they all vanished by the time I got round to one.

Did drive a Blackwatch. Well, borrowed it from a nice lady at work That was quite fun.


Back in the 1990's our local doctor used a Sierra XR8 as the emergency response vehicle - Could hear the thing from miles away.

Edited by Morningside on Sunday 1st November 15:02