tinyurl.com/y6kujtnp
Although the supercharged cars have come to represent Bentley's racing heritage AFAIK WO Bentley dind't like them much, believing their engines to be much more fragile as a result of bolting on the Villiers blower.
Which car from the last century would you reverse engineer?
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" .. Which car from the last century would you reverse engineer? .."
Nothing so exotic as a Bentley, but i owned for a while (1970's) a Peugeot 504 Ex-works (lhd) rally car.
Retired from competition, so refitted with standard interior, roll cage taken out, along with all the other "rally" equipment removed. Loads of holes in the trim ! Standard 2.0 ltr engine re-fitted, standard size wheels and (crossply) tyres fitted, - but - the rally suspension was left intact, then sold on - eventually to me.
Apparently, it had done three African rallies, including the "Safari", the "Moroccan", and one other,
Top finish was a third on one of those, - can't remember which one.
Oops - it broke up on it's last one, but it's driver (who i bought it from) loved it so much that he persuaded the factory to rebuild it, and then made them an offer they didn't refuse and sold it to him.
*If "they" made a new (rhd) one today, (and with the same Rally suspension) i would be signing a cheque yesterday.
Next two for me - in no particular order - and for different reasons -
Renault 4
Hillman Imp
This is dreamland of course !!
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I’ve seen quite a lot of R4s out here in the sticks....and I know someone back in the uk with a Hillman Imp.
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Renault 4s are not an unusual sight around here. Kind of fun in an old-time French sort of way.
But Hillman Imp? You must have had a *very* special time in it to actually want one on purpose when you already know what they're like.
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I know a garage owner who's an Imp fan. He must have around 20 of them, including an Imp van with the garage logo on it. Does a fair bit of competition in them.
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" .. Hillman Imp? You must have had a *very* special time in it to actually want one on purpose .."
Erm, well in the motoring sense, rear engine,rear wheel drive, same as a Porsche! it taught me all about oversteer, albeit at slow speed on crossply tyres.
Snickety gearbox and sharp steering both good, and i never felt the need to dump a bag of sand in the "boot"
" .. you already know what they're like. "
of course, but i'm assuming what PeterS says -
".. recreating cars that end up ....... better than they were new .."
In three years mine never actually let me down, perhaps because i was constantly taking it apart and putting it back together, just because.
It was the dreaded tinworm that scuppered it, which applies to any car of that era of course.
If i could have afforded to, i would have transplanted the mechanicals into a Davrian or probably favourite - Ginetta, but ......
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>>it taught me all about oversteer,
Mine could just about steer. Causing oversteer was way beyond it's capabilities except perhaps on snow. But then it was cold and damp and wouldn't start anyway.
Mine was done for by repeated blown head gaskets and a warped head. I could just about afford a new head gasket every month or two, I could not afford to have the head significantly skimmed or at worst replaced.
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" .. Mine was done for by repeated blown head gaskets and a warped head. "
Yes, i was lucky enough to avoid that particular well known and common problem,
i just wanted something different to all my Mini owning friends.
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If reverse engineering means recreating cars that end up as good as or as or better than they were new then I’d like to experience a Mercedes SL from the ‘50s, a 911 from the 60s, a Citroen Ds (which was still being made in the ‘70s and a 205 GTi from the 80s. The only one I’ve owned is the 205, but mine was past it’s prime by the time I got my hands on it!
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Ooo yes. A Citroen Safari.
The father of a friend of mine owned one several decades ago, and my only trip in it was a lift home to Bradford from Robin Hoods Bay after completing the Lyke Wake Walk. I was far too cream crackered to appreciate the car.
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NSU Ro80. Change almost nothing other than make the engine more reliable and swap out the semi-automatic gearbox for something more convenient. A nine-speed auto makes sense.
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Jenson Interceptor.
It was a car with style and presence in a particularly British way. Don't ask me to explain why either was particularly British because I can't, but it was.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Tue 15 Dec 20 at 14:10
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Bentley - Reverse engineered Blower Bentley - stan10
