Cars which look rubbish, but are giant killers
Cars which look rubbish, but are giant killers
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Discussion

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

20,568 posts

302 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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I've been looking through the classifieds today, as you do, and looking at stuff like Nova's with 2.0 redtops, turbo Novas and even 3.0 V6 Novas... I'm amazed you can get that much engine into a car that small (although I can't imagine it doing great things for the handling!), but its an itch I really feel like I should scratch one of these days to get a completely bonkers car like that just to see the look of surprise on other peoples face when you effortlessly fly past in a crappy old shed! rofl

Any PHers got some examples of cars like that they've got?

QuackHandle

3,100 posts

217 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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I would offer lots of money to buy it if I could...


S1_RS

782 posts

229 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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My Mk3 Fiesta. 2.1 Zetec turbo running about 280-300bhp. 0-60 4.9 seconds, 0-100 9.52 seconds. The first time I drove it I had a young lad in a Lotus Elise goad me, he was a tad surprised when I sailed past him.

TameRacingDriver

Original Poster:

20,568 posts

302 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
quotequote all
That van is epic!

S1_RS said:
My Mk3 Fiesta. 2.1 Zetec turbo running about 280-300bhp. 0-60 4.9 seconds, 0-100 9.52 seconds. The first time I drove it I had a young lad in a Lotus Elise goad me, he was a tad surprised when I sailed past him.
rofl I'd love to see the look on his face!

Any pics?

VR6 Turbo

2,716 posts

184 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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I guess my golf fits the description. I love the attention to detail on that van all the mag's on the dash.

McSam

6,753 posts

205 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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VR6 Turbo said:
I guess my golf fits the description. I love the attention to detail on that van all the mag's on the dash.
Definitely, and the ladder rack still on it. The only thing to give it away is the XJ220 wheels, but even they look almost like they belong there!

Tonberry

2,296 posts

222 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
More fool the person who dismisses them as 'steel-wheels with a crappy hub-cap'.

How thick do you have to be to miss 345 section rear tyres.

Old Gregg

4,485 posts

205 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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Tonberry said:
How thick do you have to be to miss 345 section rear tyres.
Non car-nerds don't notice this type of thing.

Spanna

3,737 posts

206 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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I once had a passenger ride in a tuned Redtop Nova. It was quick and pretty scary, but it felt like it was falling apart.

Also had a passenger ride in a 1.8 VVC Metro. Done properly with suspension and big brakes, it handled and accelerated amazingly. Big thumbs up on that one.

Zad

13,008 posts

266 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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The Transit's little brother , the Royal Nail van.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQVJOBDIIBc

ejenner

4,653 posts

211 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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Nearly all my Saabs are built to this recipe. "You don't know what I got!"

The 9000 2.3 Aero was epic fast. It had the automatic gearbox with long ratios, mapped ecu making a mountain of torque. That combination of long-ratio automatic (no drop in power for gear changes) with huge turbocharged torque used to make the earth spin backwards. Inside you could hear nothing. Outside you could hear nothing. The only clue was the speedo flying around. It didn't even feel that fast. It just was. Just looked like a fairly plain family saloon.


The 99 I have is pretty quick as well. Its a 1972 shell with a 90s 16v 2.0 turbo lump mapped and tuned.




Only slight snag is it's not disguised. It looks like it might be worth racing.



Rob81

148 posts

183 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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Not quite in the same league but I like the few Citroen Dyanes with GS/GSA engines I have seen. It turns them from something very, very slow to just plain slow. I'd imagine it surprises a few people. 30ish bhp to 60ish bhp probably makes quite a difference.

I loved the old TG test if the Saab 9-5 Turbo a few years ago.

TVR Sagaris

1,432 posts

262 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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ejenner said:
Nearly all my Saabs are built to this recipe. "You don't know what I got!"

The 9000 2.3 Aero was epic fast. It had the automatic gearbox with long ratios, mapped ecu making a mountain of torque. That combination of long-ratio automatic (no drop in power for gear changes) with huge turbocharged torque used to make the earth spin backwards. Inside you could hear nothing. Outside you could hear nothing. The only clue was the speedo flying around. It didn't even feel that fast. It just was. Just looked like a fairly plain family saloon.


The 99 I have is pretty quick as well. Its a 1972 shell with a 90s 16v 2.0 turbo lump mapped and tuned.


Only slight snag is it's not disguised. It looks like it might be worth racing.

Want.

PeteSBC

284 posts

203 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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As long as its a small car and has a bike engine in it you will really surprise most people.

telecat

8,528 posts

271 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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I do know of a Nova with red Top 2.0 litre Mod Mounted. Two guys built it for drag racing. One of them is now "converting" it to road spec... That should be interesting.

bikealarmblair

1,085 posts

238 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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325ci.....



5.7 LS1 engine
http://www.dynotorque.co.uk/?p=53

s m

24,472 posts

233 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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Zad said:
The Transit's little brother , the Royal Nail van.

His current Mk 3 is even better smile

ejenner

4,653 posts

211 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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You might be a bit suspicious of this due to the fact that you don't see many of them about these days. But even for what it is... it is still going to be surprisingly fast!



Saab engine supercharged and turbocharged (like the new VW TSI engines)






And its got a TV


bikealarmblair

1,085 posts

238 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
quotequote all
ejenner said:
You might be a bit suspicious of this due to the fact that you don't see many of them about these days. But even for what it is... it is still going to be surprisingly fast!



Saab engine supercharged and turbocharged (like the new VW TSI engines)

how ace is that smile

ejenner

4,653 posts

211 months

Saturday 30th July 2011
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10 points to the first person who knows what it is? (was)