Fantasy Time: What Restomod Would You Do?

  • Thread starter Pete05
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As a road car though, I like your idea but I'd have to run something like Watanabe rims.
Black Wats on vintage Japanese cars are like Cragar SS mags on American muscle cars. THEY ALWAYS WORK. But I was thinking I wanted something a little more left field while still having a bit of a vintage vibe.
 
Almost.

Still, the C130 is a fair bit larger than a Bambina, and while the VK45 is probably a tad wider than a Chevy small block due to the DOHC heads, I'd wager it's a bit shorter in length (not that that's a major concern, with the C130 having been fitted with an L26 at one point) and can probably sit pretty tidy in the engine bay.

You do you, obviously, but if it was me, I think I'd want to pay homage to a special Laurel sedan, the C130-EV, and fit an electric powerpack between the rear wheels. It's a unique opportunity given that EVs are pretty rare in that period. It'd obviously be based on a gas car.
Well, I thought of the Leaf RC unit, but felt it a bit too predictable.
 
Here's another one of my terrible ideas.

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Take a MkIV Supra. Strip it down to the bare metal, weld everything up, and get some nice paint on there.

Redo the whole suspension with lightweight adjustable control arms and uprights. Any bushings in the subframe and chassis will be replaced with harder rubber equivalents. Custom valved dampers and new springs take care of the coilovers. Titanium and carbon fiber is used to stiffen up certain areas of the chassis. Brakes are the largest, most expensive Brembos I can fit under 18 inch wheels.

The stock Getrag transmission will be rebuilt with stronger gears and the driveshaft will be replaced with a single-piece carbon fiber unit. A TRD differential sits in the back.

The 600lb iron paperweight sitting in the front of the car will be ditched and replaced with an all aluminum 5.0L V8 from one of Lexus's more recent offerings. The engine will be blueprinted and balanced, converted to dry sump oiling, and have a custom intake plenum with individual throttle bodies. The exhaust will be fabricated out of titanium and a standalone ECU will run everything. 500hp seems like it'd be more than adequate.

For the exterior, a TRD body kit and spoiler will be installed, and 18 inch Rays wheels (not pictured) will be installed. Recaro bucket seats will replace the stock units and the rear seats will be deleted entirely.
 

Chrysler Crossfire with a 392 Hemi. I call it the Old Man and the C.


Mazda MX-5 with the three-rotor engine out of the mid-'90s Cosmo. I call it the Old Man and the 3.


Ford Contour SVT with the Yamaha-built 60° V8 from the SHO. I call it the Old Man and the V.
 
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Sprint To The Finish--1971 Mini 1275 GT "Sprint"

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A non-Sprint 1275 GT

In the mid-'60s, some clever individuals had the idea to reduce the frontal area of the classic Mini saloon by removing approximately 10cm of its height from the greenhouse as well as another 10cm from the bottom and around the wheel openings, effectively lowering the car's overall height without making it sit any closer to the ground before suspension modifications.

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Unfortunately such extensive work moved the cars into a class they'd never be able to truly compete in, but they ended up finding purpose in the hands of owners such as Sir Stirling Moss regardless.

Starting with the Clubman-based 1275 GT, the Cooper S' replacement, the metal removal is consistent with the original Sprint, with the car bisected beneath the grill, around the front wheel openings, through the bottom part of the doors, over the rear wheel openings and through the bottom of the boot. The work on the upper section of the car is a bit more straightforward, with all pillar angles retained and the roof lengthened and widened accordingly. The body is then strengthened and an unobtrusive cage is installed for additional reinforcement. No arch extensions are employed but stainless trim graces the bottom of the car and wheel openings. The original hood is replicated in fiberglass with a subtle bulge to clear the engine, which is now quite a bit closer to the underside of the original panel.

The chassis stays true to the spirit of the original Mini, with rubber cones carrying the car's weight. Drum brakes remain in the rear, but discs are employed up front for better stopping power.

Power for the little monster comes from the original configuration A-series four-pot, still displacing 1271cc, but a balanced crank and lightweight rods and pistons are utilized inside and a crossflow cylinder head is fitted up top with a pair of Weber 45 DCOE carbs on the front side and a 3-into-1 header in the back. The whole package sits on top of a Quaife 5-speed H-pattern dog box fitted with special helical gears for reduced whine and a Quaife limited-slip differential delivers power to the front axles.

The interior is all Mini with a woodgrain dash panel and black vinyl covers low back buckets, rear bench and inside door and quarter panels.

The ouside is coated in a very light green with satin black side stripes and since all that work calls for something special in the way of rolling stock, one-off (okay so there would be five of them) 10" diameter Wobbly Web-style alloys are shod in 165/70 rubber.
 
I'd never really thought of this one before, but this very car is currently for sale on eBay and it would absolutely be a consideration for a resto-mod: a Lexus V8-powered second-gen Supra.

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And pretty much as this one is. Second-gens look great in black so that would stay. I can't immediately think of how I'd change the wheels or what I'd do to the interior, so I guess this is pretty much it.
 
'65-'66 Mustang fastback. While I generally prefer the look of almost any other Mustang from '67 on up, seeing the original in vintage race guise makes me go completely weak. I'd give it the Voodoo engine out of the new GT350, go Pro Touring on the handling (hopefully without losing too much of that classic meaty sidewall... I know, brakes...), and keep the exterior look as period as possible. It almost pains me to say that some full-size modern buckets would make their way inside and ruin that non-headrest look, but I wouldn't much enjoy snapping my spine in an accident.

 
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'65-'66 Mustang fastback. While I generally prefer the look of almost any other Mustang from '67 on up, seeing the original in vintage race guise makes me go completely weak. I'd give it the Voodoo engine out of the new GT350, go Pro Touring on the handling (hopefully without losing too much of that classic meaty sidewall... I know, brakes...), and keep the exterior look as period as possible. It almost pains me to say that some full-size modern buckets would make their way inside and ruin that non-headrest look, but I wouldn't much enjoy snapping my spine in an accident.

As a road car, other than that very car in the classic White with the blue stripes, I don't believe a Mustang could get any better than a GT350. Just look at it :drool:

Can you give an auto porn warning next time ;)
 
As a road car, other than that very car in the classic White with the blue stripes, I don't believe a Mustang could get any better than a GT350. Just look at it :drool:

Can you give an auto porn warning next time ;)

I wondered if it was real when I saw it, but I don't know enough about the cars to have been able to look for the cues.
 
I wondered if it was real when I saw it, but I don't know enough about the cars to have been able to look for the cues.
Oh the one pictured could quite easily be a replica GT350. It'd certainly be less stress to track day or race a replica than the much rarer & much more expensive genuine example.

Just in case you didn't know, the GT350 was the road car. The GT350R is the race track homologation special.

In the case of your proposed Resto-mod, I couldn't bastardize a genuine car & would have to use a standard Mustang as the starting point.
To do otherwise would be financially irresponsible once you find out what they're worth :scared:
 
I agree with you there. Special models of a lot of cars need to be left alone. Even Honda Type Rs, as relatively common as they are, should be left stock in my opinion. If you want to modify, get a base model.
 
Late 70's Triumph Dolomite Sprint - Rimmer Bros fast road 16V on twin DCOEs or ITBs, good for 170-175 bhp. TR7 5-speed box plus Ford or MGB rear end. Caged and upgraded everything would make it a wonderful weekend/track day car.

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Thing is, since I recently had a go in a stock version, I've kinda fallen in love a bit - but I would want more from it. Plus, my research has led me to believe it's possible, especially price wise. I'd absolutely love to do to the Dolly what Magnus Walker has done for water cooled 911s.
 
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The Silver Lining--1988 Quicksilver by Zimmer

Zimmer_Quicksilver_front.jpg


Intended to be a sporty, midengined alternative to the company's Golden Spirit, perhaps the car's biggest flaw was that it was based on a stretched (ahead of the doors) Pontiac Fiero and lacked mechanical specification and interior trimming to match its ostentatious exterior design.

Upping performance capabilities over that of the Pontiac V6 is accomplished with a freshened Cadillac Northstar V8 and 4-speed automatic, fitted with a twin-screw supercharger in place of the stock intake manifold. Underpinnings are improved as well, with air suspension for a more supple ride and an upgraded brake package.

While upgraded over the original Fiero's, the Quicksilver's interior leaves a great deal to be desired. A new dash is crafted, resembling (obviously adjusted to suit the different dimensions) that of the BMW 3-series (E90) and wrapped in black leather with ebonized wood massaged to a dlass-smooth finish and polished stainless hardware. A custom console that flows from the dash more smoothly than the BMW's is built to cover the Fiero's fuel tank and covered with more black leather and ebonized wood, flanked by custom seats as well as custom door panels inspired by those of the Lincoln MKC with, you guessed it, more black leather, ebonized wood and polished stainless hardware.

The fiberglass body is unchanged visually but reworked heavily to tighten up panel gaps before being sprayed in miles-deep black paint with a silver leaf coachline under the clearcoat...and every bit of the chrome remains. Seventh generation Lincoln Continental 15" semi-simulated 60-spoke wire wheels are plated and polished, fitted with a custom hubcap with the Zimmer "flying Z" logo and wrapped in 215/65 (front) and 235/60 (rear) blackwall rubber.
 
Porsche 904

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Make it look a little bit more modern, change the interior to make it more comfortable and nicer to be in. And adapt the mechanics to a more modern standard.
Don't change too much to the exterior though.
 
Make it look a little bit more modern, change the interior to make it more comfortable and nicer to be in. And adapt the mechanics to a more modern standard. Don't change too much to the exterior though.
Try not to think of the $500k in value you've just lost. ;)
 
I love keeping things in the family if possible.. Or atleast some connection.

Restomods I'd like to build
- Volvo 240 with Yamaha V8 from the XC90/S80.
- E36 M3 with an S65 V8
- Put the leftover S50 in a six shooter E30 shell
- Corolla E20 with a 4AGE
- Old Nissan March with Leaf Mk2 drive train
- Trabant with a three or four cylinder turbo engine, possibly the B38 1.5T
- V8 T-Bucket

And the list goes on.. Too many cool cars out there. Too many V8s looking for good homes.. Too little time..
 
This looks like a perfect restomoded Lamborghini Miura.

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I have a déja vu feeling with this photo.
:eek: That looks modified enough to hopefully not be a butchered original Muira :bowdown:

When you consider how much original Muiras are going for, if someone was to leave the keys to this under my doormat with a note asking me to look after it for a while, I wouldn't be disappointed.

@kikie do you have any information or a link to this car?
 
:eek: That looks modified enough to hopefully not be a butchered original Muira :bowdown:

When you consider how much original Muiras are going for, if someone was to leave the keys to this under my doormat with a note asking me to look after it for a while, I wouldn't be disappointed.

@kikie do you have any information or a link to this car?
This is all I've got:

https://bmw.carsgui.com/bmw/lamborghini-miura/

 
How about something that is actually done?

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/...m_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral#sf211707830

Each Mil-Spec H1 starts with an existing H1 donor vehicle, either sourced by Mil-Spec or provided by the owner in exchange for a trade-in credit. The vehicle is completely disassembled down to the frame, with most of the suspension bits replaced or modified and then powder-coated. The original engine (GM’s comprehensively awful 6.2- and 6.5-liter turbo-diesels or the hopelessly overtaxed 5.7 gasser) is binned, replaced by a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8 that is balanced, blueprinted, and assembled at Mil-Spec’s shop.

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So far I'd do what many others would do and work off any of the following:

Early 70's Nissan Fairlady S30
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Early 70's Nissan Skyline
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And do roughly the following (aside from cleaning up body/paint):

1) Put in a much newer engine for longer life / reliability.
2) Install a Chin spoiler.
3) Install bolt-on fenders.
4) Aftermarket wheels.
5) Lower.

That's it really. Most of the body is already fantastic, but having those added fenders is enough of a game-changer for me.
 
Fat Cat--1968 Jaguar 420G

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Exterior modifications to this luxo barge are extensive, starting with an inch of height being removed along the entire length of the body--between the top of the wheel arches and the side trim--to better match the rather squat greenhouse. Front wheel arches are rounded to a more graceful curve and rears are enlarged to complement the fronts and hug the rear door cutouts.
Front and rear fascias lose no height in the process of sectioning the shell, rather their bottom edges sit that same inch lower, bringing them closer to the height of the rocker panels.

Returning to the front, sheetmetal flanking the grill is pulled back and shaped so that the grill and lights emerge from it more gracefully. Bumpers are thinned and brought closer to the bodywork with contouring to match the sheetmetal and grill shell, and overriders are eliminated. With all bodywork accounted for, brightwork is restored and the body is coated in Jaguar Mistral Blue.


The existing unit chassis is buttoned up and reinforced before custom subframes are fitted with XKR (X100)--circa 2005--chassis components. A 4.2-liter supercharged AJ33S V8 from the same XKR is utilized and massaged to coax out a little more power over standard, but a ZF 6HP32 6-speed automatic is hung off of the back to cope with the increased torque and the car's considerable weight. The parts of the motor visible under the hood are treated to aesthetic improvements with stainless and braided lines with AN fittings replacing hoses, castings are smoothed and nickel plated and other surfaces such as valve covers are painted Jaguar Titanium Pearl.

Jaguar XJ220 wheels are replicated in 18" diameter with a 5-lug configuration in lieu of the originals' center-lock, and are offered up in a highly polished state wrapped with 245/45 front and 275/40 rear rubber. The tops of the tires sit no higher in the wheelwells than the originals, however the smaller diameter tires and body sectioning effectively lower the car slightly.

More of the XKR is used inside, such as the dash and an abbreviated console, and its door panels are modified extensively to fit the old doors. Custom bench seats are fitted front and rear. The softscape is then wrapped in leather dyed a dark blue, and hardscape is treated to white ash veneer with a clear finish and polished nickel hardware.
 
Fat Cat--1968 Jaguar 420G

image-thumb


Exterior modifications to this luxo barge are extensive, starting with an inch of height being removed along the entire length of the body--between the top of the wheel arches and the side trim--to better match the rather squat greenhouse. Front wheel arches are rounded to a more graceful curve and rears are enlarged to complement the fronts and hug the rear door cutouts.
Front and rear fascias lose no height in the process of sectioning the shell, rather their bottom edges sit that same inch lower, bringing them closer to the height of the rocker panels.

Returning to the front, sheetmetal flanking the grill is pulled back and shaped so that the grill and lights emerge from it more gracefully. Bumpers are thinned and brought closer to the bodywork with contouring to match the sheetmetal and grill shell, and overriders are eliminated. With all bodywork accounted for, brightwork is restored and the body is coated in Jaguar Mistral Blue.


The existing unit chassis is buttoned up and reinforced before custom subframes are fitted with XKR (X100)--circa 2005--chassis components. A 4.2-liter supercharged AJ33S V8 from the same XKR is utilized and massaged to coax out a little more power over standard, but a ZF 6HP32 6-speed automatic is hung off of the back to cope with the increased torque and the car's considerable weight. The parts of the motor visible under the hood are treated to aesthetic improvements with stainless and braided lines with AN fittings replacing hoses, castings are smoothed and nickel plated and other surfaces such as valve covers are painted Jaguar Titanium Pearl.

Jaguar XJ220 wheels are replicated in 18" diameter with a 5-lug configuration in lieu of the originals' center-lock, and are offered up in a highly polished state wrapped with 245/45 front and 275/40 rear rubber. The tops of the tires sit no higher in the wheelwells than the originals, however the smaller diameter tires and body sectioning effectively lower the car slightly.

More of the XKR is used inside, such as the dash and an abbreviated console, and its door panels are modified extensively to fit the old doors. Custom bench seats are fitted front and rear. The softscape is then wrapped in leather dyed a dark blue, and hardscape is treated to white ash veneer with a clear finish and polished nickel hardware.
There's quite a lot of thought gone into this. The coachwork styling mods sound a bit like loading a 420G & a series 1 XJ6 into a giant blender. I wonder how close the Jaguar designers of the time came to what you've described in the concept stage for the XJ6?

One of my Uncles is a retired Jag specialist so I've always had a soft spot for classic cats, especially 3.8 MK lls & the Series 1 E-type.
 
There's quite a lot of thought gone into this. The coachwork styling mods sound a bit like loading a 420G & a series 1 XJ6 into a giant blender. I wonder how close the Jaguar designers of the time came to what you've described in the concept stage for the XJ6?
That is such a trip. I don't think I had the XJ in my mind, but I...I must have. Subconsciously anyway.

The main thing I wanted to address with the sectioning of the shell was the height of the sides in relation to the height of the greenhouse. The smaller 420 had a taller greenhouse but it suited the body sides better and I wanted to bring that into the 420G (and Mark X). I have such an issue with the current trend of squat greenhouses and high body sides.

Of course the XJ also had more rounded front wheel openings and a body-length crease right above them, plus the rear wheel openings were larger and pushed right into the door shut line.
 
Lets get a restomod deep cut, shall we?

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/...tw_social_AMAG_191205_sf225382702#sf225382702

The 1997-model-year SLX had its antiquated engine and all-wheel-drive system yanked out in favor of a 350-hp, "race-tuned," turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with VTEC paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Its output is now shunted to the ground by the brand's proprietary Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), and an independent rear suspension is fitted in place of the original live rear axle. The components were borrowed from a 2020 Acura RDX, which in stock form produces 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. The build was completed by Acura engineers in Ohio on nights and weekends.
 
Fun thread. I'd do a '68 Wildcat convertible, but keep it as stock as possible. Updated suspension and brakes, maybe a T56, (Hey, I'm a 3-pedal guy...) build the motor a bit, but keep the Tri-Shield heritage. (Heads, fuel injection, mild tune?) Exhaust note needs to be authoritative, not in your face. Silver with a black top and interior, modern A/C and audio, repro Buick mags in 17". I'm thinking as much bruiser as cruiser...
 

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