With so many out-there projects and engine swaps being featured lately, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to feature a good old fashioned restoration. Jon emailed me his very thorough re-build of a classic 1977 Mini pickup. What I love about this build is that Jon built the car to be driven, and when I say “driven” I don’t mean to a few shows and back home again, he took his freshly completed Mini on a 3000mile road-trip around Europe.
Click here for more Mini builds.
It wasn’t that long ago that I featured another Porsche with a Subaru engine swap, but while the titles may seem similar at first glance, they are two completely different cars. Here we have a Porsche 914 with a Subuaru WRX engine swap, and while that might seem interesting enough on it’s own, this car is about much more than the motor that powers it. Dana, the very talented man behind the build, has had is paws on every part of the car, creating removable tube frame front and rear sections that can be quickly detached from the tub via a trick coupler system, enabling the car to be split into 3 pieces at will. Be sure to check it out in detail.
So, the last RX7 I posted was devoid of a rotary engine, so here’s another one that keeps it’s Wankel roots, but with a twist. If you love engineering, machining, welding, lathes, heat treatments, stress analysis, and 3D renders, then you’re going to love this completely custom made 4-rotor powerplant. Definitely one for the tech-heads amongst us.
Thanks to Oliver for submitting
There’s a couple of reasons why I love this build. First of all, coming from Australia I’ve never seen a Mustang of this year, let-alone a modified one. I’ve seen plenty of mid/late 60s, early 70s, and a few current models, but never one like this. I guess I’d have to go to a Mustang-specific show to see one in the flesh. Secondly, how freaking cool are retro pace car graphics!? This retired race marshal receives a new millennium freshen-up, with air ride, some big billet wheels, a carbon/suede combo interior, and a DOHC supercharged donk set to be fitted in the not too distant future.
Submitted by Dan, a friend of Tom who built the car. What a guy!
One of my favourite websites, MotoIQ, has just finished up one of their staff builds, Project V8 RX7. As it’s title suggests, it’s a Mazda RX7 receiving a V8 engine transplant, an California Smog-Legal E-Rod LS3 to be precise. The build is documented in trademark MotoIQ style (more signal, less noise) so head below to check out the build.
Click here for more V8 builds.
A few days ago marked exactly 1 year since I posted an update about the Official Porsche Restoration. The factory rebuild of a 1973 911T has now been completed by the Porsche Classic workshop and raffled off to one lucky winner, so check out the finishing touches or re-live the whole build if you so choose.
Click here for more Porsche builds.
When someone emails me and tells me they learnt their skills working at NASA as a machinist and composite fabrication tech, you can bet your torque wrench that I’m gonna sit up and take notice. Not only has Chris used aerospace grade aluminium and carbon fiber on this highly customised CBR, but he also puts his talents to good use making non motor-powered parts, namely knives.
Click here for more bike builds.
I’ve noticed a little bit of backlash whenever I feature a Golf on the site. Not much, but enough to make me second-guess posting the next candidate I come across. I like Golfs, I own one, and if you think they’re too common, modded in the wrong way or even if you don’t like the owners for some reason, I don’t really care. So, here’s another one, but it’s modified in a very different fashion, so it should shake things up a bit, consider it the ‘anti-stance’.
Thanks to Nicolas for submitting.
Just when I thought I’d seen every kind of build combination make it’s way into my inbox, along comes Ben and his one-off creation. I can confidently say “one-off” because I don’t think anyone else out there would be crazy enough to turn a Hayabusa into a reverse-trike, then mount a Suzuki Carry body on the front end, and set it off with 3 Porsche twists.
Click here for another trike build.
Click here for more Hayabusa powered builds.
Those of you who follow the progress on my Datsun would have most likely noticed the absence of a rear bumper in the photos I’ve posted over the past couple of years. This has been a long-running saga for me, which I’ve finally sat down and taken the time to explain. Ready for a long story? Read on…
