mad car...mad resto

thanks...id like it painted and driving by june,how realistic that is im not sure,years gone by id have the paint on a car at that stage within a fortnight,but im in no rush at the mo as im paying cash for everything as i go,so costs dictate a bit especially as it had sucked up my reserve funds before xmas!,hahaha,i use the camera on my iphone cos it means i can post and save straight away without having to upload anything

first side grill finished,dosent look brilliant in the pic but looks a lot better in the flesh,i may have another play with it in the future but its perfectly useable and totally made from steel,and when original ferrari ones are gonna cost 1k for the pair 2nd hand,i think ive made the wise choice,lol

It's coming on really well Nick.

A note (no pun intended) on the Ferrari V8 engine note. As they have a flat plane crank, they don't have the usual V8 "burble", and the Alfa V6 crackle from a short exhaust system actually sounds pretty similar to the Ferrari V8.

Certainly an Alfa V6 would give you the "manic" sound of a race bred Italian engine that this car needs!

yes,but then theres all the complications of getting it running,i remember well,not 6 mths ago,spending 300 ish on the turbo engine replaceing all the electrics and sensors just to get the thing running!!,an alfa v6 would be even worse!...thing is about a rover v8 engine is that they are simple,the ignition and injection can be hot wired useing just one earth and one positive,all the parts are readily available and inexpensive,i can source everything i need without much effort or expense,but over and above all that,i love the sound of a v8,nothing beats it,plus with a 4.6 there would be plenty of power....but in truth,speed and power are not an issue to me,id rather a car that sounded like a muscle car but performed like a shopping car than the other way round,if it were performance i was after then id just leave as it is.....which i may well yet do tbh!

Can't blame the Fiat engine for that expense, it's a Bosch injection system!

I quite understand what you say about that big V8 sound, as you know I own a V8 myself! Question is, which way are you going to mount it, east-west or north-south like the 288 GTO?

ive no idea,until i make the decision on whether its something im definately doing,and ive got the engine and box sat in front of me,ive no idea of the best way to go about it,ive a few ideas,and i know the set up id be looking for,but at the mo thats all they are...ideas

i think that before i even think about it il be seeing what sound i can get out of the excisting turbo engine and its exhaust

Here's an Alfa V6 being fitted in a Karma like mine. Might give you a few ideas.

z7.invisionfree.com/Karma_Dino_II/index.php?showtopic=244

Hey Nick, just seen this thread - thanks for taking the time to share all this with us - looks a fascinating project and please keep us all updated on how it goes and I hope to see the finished article sometime!

Knowing him he'll take it banger racing as soon as it's mobile!!!

ive binned that grill,the more i looked at it the more unsatisfied i was with it,i tried another way of doing the passenger one,and it came out mint,looks just like original including the functional petrol filler and flap,so the first one has now been cut back down to its frame ready to start again...2 days work down the drain!,haha

I guess that's the fun of fashioning your own car! Good on you.

Hi Nick

All I can say is wow,you really have done good work so far.Awesome man

my new style grill,ive binned the drivers side one and am now halfway through making another to match this one on the passenger side,if you look youll notice the passenger one also has the fuel filler flap incorporated as per original 308.
looks mint in the flesh,far better than my first attempt

i bought a set of new tyres today....i started with 195/50/15....to small....then tried 195/60/15..a lot better but still fealt the arche wanted filling a bit more,after trying 195/65/16...i then went back to 195/60/15 on the front and 215/60/15 on the rear......obviously its sitting far to high at the moment,theres 5.5 inches between tyre and arch at the rear and 5 inches at the front,i can drop the rear by 2.5 inches max at the rear and 2 inches at the front,hopefully it will then sit level and look correct,if not then i can still drop it by one more inch all round,but i have to be mindfull of floor clearance as if i drop it that low then the cars going to look a bit "led sled" like....but for the moment im happy with how high its sitting as it makes it easier to do the bodywork thats down low

Great Thread Nick, please keep us posted...love it!!!