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Your other toys

15K views 110 replies 51 participants last post by  SIXFOOTDAN 
#1 ·
Now obviously we all love bikes - namely Triumph bikes - but I'm sure there are more people on this site who love other motorized things as well. So just kind of curious does your choice in bike reflect in your choice of car?
So here's mine - I drive a Mazda RX8 - which I absolutely love. Not the fastest car in the world but it hugs the corners quite nicely.


Then of course the bike - '09 D675


I think they match quite nicely. Though I haven't gotten recent pictures of either of them, the Mazda now has tinted windows and the D675 now has fender eliminator kit. Now as far as my dad goes, I think he's got a matching combo as well. He's got an HD something-or-rather (who really knows what they're called when they all look the same) and a Shelby GT500. But don't hate my dad, he also has a Triumph :)
 
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#41 ·
The current project is a 1966 Dodge Coronet. It was a factory A-Block 273 cid car, but I ripped that out, stripped the paint off the engine compartment and front suspension, painted everything, and built up from there. I'm still finishing a few things in there, but it's drivable.

I built a 383 cid B-Block for it with flattop pistons, high volume/pressure oil pump, late 1960's hi-performance closed chamber stainless steel valve heads, roller rocker arms, a very hot Mopar Purple cam, Edelbrock Torquer manifold, 750cfm Holley carburetor, Mallory duel point mechanical advance distributor, Hedman headers, and Flowmaster 40 series mufflers.

It's backed by a 727 TorqueFlite 3 speed transmission with a 2,500 rpm stall torque converter and 4.10:1 Sure-Grip gears out back. It rides on 1968 police wheels. I added power brakes and a 4-row aluminum radiator, and I'm slowly going through everything else. It is one hell of a ride so far.





 
#48 ·
The current project is a 1966 Dodge Coronet. It was a factory A-Block 273 cid car, but I ripped that out, stripped the paint off the engine compartment and front suspension, painted everything, and built up from there. I'm still finishing a few things in there, but it's drivable.

I built a 383 cid B-Block for it with flattop pistons, high volume/pressure oil pump, late 1960's hi-performance closed chamber stainless steel valve heads, roller rocker arms, a very hot Mopar Purple cam, Edelbrock Torquer manifold, 750cfm Holley carburetor, Mallory duel point mechanical advance distributor, Hedman headers, and Flowmaster 40 series mufflers.

It's backed by a 727 TorqueFlite 3 speed transmission with a 2,500 rpm stall torque converter and 4.10:1 Sure-Grip gears out back. It rides on 1968 police wheels. I added power brakes and a 4-row aluminum radiator, and I'm slowly going through everything else. It is one hell of a ride so far.





Wow! Nice project car/motor.
 
#42 ·
Just wondering why you went with the Torquer intake. Haven't seen one of those in quite a while. Seems like everybody (well, last I checked) was running stuff like the air-gap Performer RPM for the street or the Victor jr. for track.

Cool ride. I like the anti-bling factor, especially the wheels. On the list of 'if I had the time/money' would be a replica Hemi Dart. I'd probalby skip the hemi since they get crazy money for them, but a 440 would do just as well.
 
#44 ·
Just wondering why you went with the Torquer intake.
Thanks. I don't care for the performance aspects of the later manifolds. The Torquer (this one is an actual 60's casting) is a proven design used throughout the heydays of the 60's and 70's, and most other designs are based off it. With the engine and converter setup I'm running, the Torquer seems to be the best match through experiment. I prefer the 383's shorter stroke and lighter weight to the 440's longer stroke and bulky mass. The 440 is a great boat engine that doubles as an anchor :D, but you have to throw a lot more money at them than a 383 to get them to safely perform up in the revs, and adding 50 more pounds to the front doesn't help things.

Good luck on the Dart project. One of these days I intend to build an altered wheelbase '64 Dart 340 car, although the '66 body style is great.
 
#49 ·
Ah thank ya. If I can only stop getting harassed by the local yokel for having a car that, to them, sounds like it wants to explode and looks like it wants to roll over at stoplights.:mad: I really do need to get out of the Bay Area.:)
 
#52 ·
My Orbea with SRAM Red. Here we are at the Stage Coach INN - Salado Texas.
I like twisty roads on two wheels, engine optional.

I don't know jack-all about bicycles, but that looks like a serious piece of kit there!
 
#53 ·
I call my Mazda MX5 my 4 wheeled motorbike. & you'll need to be a very good rider on a really hot bike to get away from me on my favourite range road. I've timed it against my Ducati & it was less than 30 seconds slower, over 19 klms & 280 corners. What a car!
 
#56 ·
I call my Mazda MX5 my 4 wheeled motorbike. & you'll need to be a very good rider on a really hot bike to get away from me on my favourite range road. I've timed it against my Ducati & it was less than 30 seconds slower, over 19 klms & 280 corners. What a car!
I've had a chance to run an MX5 at Gingerman and Gratten (a couple tracks in Michigan) and found them to be very easy and fun cars to drive. Had they ever come out with a coupe version (there was prototype once?) I might well have bought one. Hard to beat for the money, though I could wish for more torque. Nice car to play with.

In the states, there's also a VERY competitive NASA one-make series for the MX5s. If banging fenders bothers you, best not apply.
 
#81 ·
1968 Chryler Newport 4 door hard top. 383 2bbl V8 with a 727 torqueflite and shift which I did last month.

It is my daily driver this summer.
So with the 2bbl carb, you should be seeing an economical 9.5 mpg this summer?:D

GrandPaulZ, that is a beautiful boat. I have a friend who lives on a 1950's sailboat (cannot remember the manufacturer or other specifics) that has the same wood pattern/configuration and color as your boat, although he lacks the Y-Block Ford.
 
#59 ·
Good stuff Dave, but it looked like almost everybody had hp on you! You could close in the corners but didn't seem to have the power to seal the deal on the straights.

Loved the classic over/under between the Mustang and the sports racer going into 6 on the first lap... :D
 
#61 · (Edited)
Glad you are on the mend, Don. Not so much horsepower, as wrong gearing. Winters quick change and I brought the wrong gears for RdAtl. My first time there in this car, so had no idea. I could run with them, but was at redline several times. 4th and 5th place were way behind (we lapped them) so no need to blow up anything. We WILL have correct gears this fall! Jim in the Mazda powered car and I are real close on the shorter courses. Rob in the Mustang turns similar laps too. 3 wide into 11 and I decided to let them go on. You've been there. It wasn't a good idea 10-15 years ago and still isn't now. ;^)
Mike, Nice sports racer. I always wanted a sports 2000, but no one drives them anymore around here. We still run a hillclimb from time to time, but mostly road racing now.
 
#62 ·
Mike, Nice sports racer. I always wanted a sports 2000, but no one drives them anymore around here. We still run a hillclimb from time to time, but mostly road racing now.
Dave
Modern Sports 2000s are wonderful cars, with the new Duratech engines which can go to over 300 bhp (not within class rules of course!)
Mine's actually a much cheaper old VanDiemen Multisport from the early '90s (1.6 engine) very slow. I'm currently working on the install to put in a 2 litre engine - Zetec SVT I think you call them in the US, ST170 in the UK. Should go better then and let me keep up with all the bike engined Westfields that race here.
The poor performance is not unconnected to the fact that I am 290 lbs which is why I have a Tiger!
 
#63 ·
got to admit, you guys have got some realy cool toys, I usually design stuff for cars, I do get the chance now and again to drive what comes into work, like Caterham 7, I did drive once a caterham 21 (not many people remember this one) Morgan's, Noble M12 etc but they are not mine so they don't count

here is a picture of my non-exciting toy, I have got 3 different makes

http://www.everythingairbrush.com/acatalog/info_4.html

plus my other bike is a Saracen Vice MTB, 'y'frame, dual suspension.
red version of this one http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B0556.html?specs=1&id=AQGXj8Gq
 
#64 · (Edited)
1.6 Kent was (is) a fine motor. I raced a Merlyn FF several years.
I have a 2.5 Duratech in the race car. T-5, Winters quick change.
I had a Caldwell D-13 and Bobsy FV before it. I noticed the tires around the post, hillclimb or really gnarly road course?
This is one coming up locally.
http://www.crowmountainhillclimb.org/
(see compiled times)
Rich was long time friend and racer (We joined SCCA about the same time mid '80's). Owned Cool Shirt (they make one for bikes and sports racer, BTW. ;^) ) He died from injuries at the Crow Mountain Hillclimb last year. I drove around him in the paddock. I made it up, he never did.
I'll do it again this year for Rich, but it may be my last. Rich and I are the only 2 to have records there in 2 classes. Great guy and friend.
Lotus/Catherham 7 is the other car I've lusted over for years.
Every time I get ready to pull the trigger, they've gone up another $5,000 or so. DOH!
Getting back on topic, if you ever get to Alabama, Barber Museum in Birmingham (yes, we have one, too) has hundreds of bikes, but also one of every Lotus from 7 to F-1. Very Cool and they ALL get driven/ ridden. More very cool! We have a race there Labor Day weekend in a couple of weeks.
 
#65 ·
Caterham is one of 'those' cars. I've wanted one for as long as I've known how to turn left and right. (my early days in the midwest involved fraction of a mile straights only)

A couple years ago I convinced the girlfriend to stop by the Caterham disty at Sears Pt during a break at a track day. Her response? 'seems like not much car for a lot of money, why don't you just get an Elise or Exige if you want a Lotus?'

Smart girl...I think I'll keep her around :D
 
#67 ·
'69 Triumph Bonneville T120R 650, bone stock except electronic ignition and .020 over pistons, runs in AHRMA Novice Historic Production Heavyweight class-



Most of my other toys have 2 wheels (47 bikes in the shed these days), one has a keel (1960 Century Resorter 16' with Ford 292 V8)-



Although it's not mine, I got to hang on for dear life to this GSXR1000 Formula 1 sidecar at the Willow Springs AHRMA race back in May-



What a hoot!

Not many other toys besides a couple of compound bows to keep the deer & javalina population under control in our back yard...
 
#71 ·
#69 ·
Yes, Westfields are available over here. I had a buddy that was building Lotus XI replicas in Chattanooga. Used a Spriget motor.
Looked really good, but I don't think he ever produced more than 2 or 3. Another car I've lusted over. I lost track of him many years ago.
 
#72 ·
I agree that boat is the business
Q. I notice the steering wheel is on the right/starboard. Are all boats right-hookers in the US? & do you pass opposite traffic to starboard?
 
#73 ·
Nope. No rule that boats need a helm on one side or the other. Starboard is more common, but not mandated. I've sold boats with helms port, starboard, and center.

Basic 'rules of the road' say that a standard passing situation would be the same as on road. i.e. in a head to head meeting you would each leave the other boat on your port side; when overtaking, you would leave him on your starboard side. Of course, there are plenty of exceptions and there are sound signals to indicate passing on either side. That said, the average recreational boater in the US is possibly even more poorly trained than the average auto driver in the US (and that's saying something!) and probably not only doesn't know there are rules, but doesn't know port from starboard. :rolleyes:
 
#76 ·
Around here, the rules of the waves are:

The bigger boat has the right-of-way, no matter which side he chooses.

The smaller boat better get out of the way.
The rule of tonnage. Always a good one to keep in mind!
 
#80 ·
Dax Rush. Currently 510kg wet. I could knock another 50kg off with a bit of time and money (alloy calipers and lightweight disks, cast alloy uprights, ditch the reversing box), but it's quite quick enough at the moment. If it gets boring I'll probably go forced induction.

Currently getting to the end of a slight rebuild following an incident involving cold tyres, a greasy roundabout and a traffic island :(
 
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