JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax
Brings to mind a series from the '50s, mid to late, my memory says, in Hot Rod, Car Craft or ? about building your own hot rod for a buck a pound. I haven't been able to find anything on it on-line (but I haven't looked very hard). As I recall, the car weighed in at maybe
1,200 pounds, and used a flathead Ford V8. Motorcycle style fenders, etc.Or maybe my brain is slipping more than its usual two or three clutch plates.
Have you run up on that one? Has anyone?
Haven't run on that one, but if you google "Locost" (note--the spelling is not a typo and there is no space or hyphen) the first page of hits will all get you information on variants of the car that Ron Champion described in "Build your own sports car for as little as UKP250". It's very much like a Lotus Seven but it's not the same design.
Sun, Oct 28, 2007, 7:43pm (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (Charlie=A0Self) doth recall: Brings to mind a series from the '50s, mid to late, my memory says, in Hot Rod, Car Craft or ? about building your own hot rod for a buck a pound. I haven't been able to find anything on it on-line (but I haven't looked very hard). As I recall, the car weighed in at maybe 1,200 pounds, and used a flathead Ford V8. Motorcycle style fenders, etc. Or maybe my brain is slipping more than its usual two or three clutch plates. Have you run up on that one? Has anyone?
I remember MI with an article showing how to make a two seater "sports car" from a Ford. Cut the frame in half, keep the front, with flathead engine, then make a tube rear, and cover with sheet mets. Told how to shorten the drive train and all. Don't recall any mention of per pound. Came out looking looking something like Ak Miller's El Caballo..
The only one I recall touted as being a dollar a pound tho is one by Tex Smith. Seems to me he used a Mopar slant six i his tho. A buck went a lot further in thos days too. I don't recall the final price.
Seems like the guys building really cheap now are some of those guy with "rat rods". Apparently the goal is to make something that looks like absolute crap, but runs. Some of them are bqsically decent looking, or at least could be, if they'd at least cover up some of the rust, and patch a few holes. Read about one and the owner/builder claimed he actually had mechanical brakes. Stupid. Even read about some that hire someone, at larg bucks, to make one for them, and to purposely make it look out like crap.
JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax
Sun, Oct 28, 2007, 5:07pm snipped-for-privacy@cox.net (J.=A0Clarke) doth sayeth: Haven't run on that one, but if you google "Locost" (note--the spelling is not a typo and there is no space or hyphen) the first page of hits will all get you information on variants of the car that Ron Champion described in "Build your own sports car for as little as UKP250". It's very much like a Lotus Seven but it's not the same design.
I've got a copy of Chapman's book. Excellent read, and loads of inspiration. I'd love to have one with a V-8, like the one in the pictures sction. Be very neat to make one and stick in a turbo 2.3L Ford engine, then crank it up tto about 400 HP (very doable). You'd probably have massive trations problems tho, with the light weight. Fun tho.
I also got a copy of "How To Build A Cheap Sports Car". Wast of money. You can read better, and more informative, on-line, for nothing. The guy was influenced by Chpman's book, but instead of making a frame, bought one. Then he goes on to tell how he bought this, bought that, and put them all together. Sucks. I would highly recommend the Chapman book tho, great inspiration, lots of how-to stuff (or maybe just how he did it0, and a great dream book.
JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax
Let's face it; what else can you expect with today's styles in clothing and music?
I had totally forgotten Ak Miller and Tex Smith. Hell, I won't even swear to the dates: I was rolling around the idea I was 15-16-17, which pops us in the world of late '53, '54 and well into '56. By July of '57, I had managed to get enough hours out of school and working to buy my first new car...I'd hurt someone for that now, a '57 Chev convertible, 283, dual 4s, Duntov cam, close ratio 3 speed (on the column), dual fishpole antennas (just the thing for a rising 19 year old), and silver and red vinyl upholstery. The 16 gallon gas tank was a BIG mistake on Chevy's part. That thing had a range of under 100 miles, but with high test (and with a 10.5 to 1 compression ratio it needed high test) selling for $.32.9, who cared?
I probably should go over some of my Lotus 7 shots and post them. Local race course, Virginia International Raceway, is a great venue for vintage sports car races...to keep wood in this, they're framing condos for sale along the esses and back straight.
I stuck a few up and even slipped in a Lotus Eleven (1957).
Mon, Oct 29, 2007, 12:22am (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (Charlie=A0Self) doth sayeth: '57 Chev convertible, The 16 gallon gas tank was a BIG mistake on Chevy's part. That thing had a range of under 100 miles,
My El Camino will get 20+ on the highway. But as most of my driving is around town, and I like to hear the pipes, I'm averaging somewhere above 10 MPG, on regular. But who cares?
My first car was a '55 Ford. That I latter put a rod thru the block. Unhooked that plug wire, and was surprised at how well a V-7 runs. LOL
JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax
Oh, lord! My first car was a '50 Studebaker, black 4 door, hill holder, flathead six, three on the column. That six was one of the absolute worst engines ever foisted on the public: my old man was a mechanic at Mt. Vernon (NY) Studebaker back then (about '55), and I bought the car from him (50 bucks: he ripped me off), and he kept me supplied with rod bearings, because the two main bearing crank whipped so much it would would produce a rod knock in the center two bearings in about 400-500 miles. POS is the best phrase that comes to mind, but at 17, I had wheels and very few others did back then. We also had a '49 (IIRC) Crosley convertible I'd love to have today. That came to use via a trade-in at the Stude place. Either car would drive all week on a two buck's worth of gas (at 28 cents per gallon). Five bucks overflowed the tanks.
Wed, Oct 31, 2007, 12:03pm (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (Charlie=A0Self) doth sayeh: Oh, lord! My first car was a '50 Studebaker, rod knock in the center two bearings in about 400-500 miles. POS is the best phrase that comes to mind, but at 17, I had wheels and very few others did back then. We also had a '49 (IIRC) Crosley convertible I'd love to have today.
Buddy of mine got a (I believe) '50 Stude convertable, for $35. Now this guy would run the crap out of a car. His daddy bought him a beautiful '55 Chevy 2dr hardtop, candy paint, 4 speet, et al, and he basically ran it into the ground. Somethow he got hold of a show car, '40 Ford coupe, with Modal A pickup bed in place of a trunk lid, along with two disassembled 3/4 race flathead engines, for $250. Last time I saw that one, it was definitely not running, and literally rotting into the ground. Shame, I've got pictures of it from the big Detroit car show, before he got it. Anyway, his Stude gave im no problems engine-wise while he had it.
A guy I went to school with bought a '48 'Ford convertable. This thing looked almost like it'd just came off a showroom floor. New top, new back paint job, new shitewalls, rebuilt engine - that you could bareley hear run with the hood up and your head under it, new seat covers. For the grand price of $150. Within six month it was totally worthless. I could have cried.
First vehicle I had real access to wass a '49 Plymouth 2-door sedan. Pukey green, holes in the floorboards - lost a tire wrench that way, three on the tree, and a flathead six. Dearly wish I had that thing now. With a 440 stuck in it. Ah well. Now I'm sure I couldn't afford to buy it, even if it was in the same condition. Then it was just a junky old car, now it would be a "classic", with a price to prove it.
JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.
- Granny Weatherwax
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