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Re: GT-6 engine in Spitfire

To: Reed Mideke <rmideke@interbase.com>
Subject: Re: GT-6 engine in Spitfire
From: jak0pab@jak10.med.navy.mil (Bowen, Patrick A. RP2)
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 16:07:17
Actually Reed, the Plymouth Prowler retails at exactly $40,000.  However
there are so few of them the dealerships are auctioning them off for 5 or 6
times that.  I'v heard of people paying over $200,000, why.  When $10,000
would get them the nicest Spitfire (read - real sports car) out there.  ha!

At 12:16 PM 10/16/98 -0700, Reed Mideke wrote:
>Bowen, Patrick A. RP2 wrote:
>> 
>> Reed, what kind of engine did you swap in yours.  As for the emission laws,
>> my '79 doesn't comply now, why would I worry to much about later.  :^)  I
>> have a loop hole working right now, wonder if I can keep it going.
>> 
>       It's currently a Datsun A14 (from a B210). A friend of mine
>did the conversion, and knowing what I do now, I'm not sure I'd
>do it agian. I'd start with a newer, more powerful motor.
>       The A14 is your basic pushrod 4 banger, 1400 CC,
>They're pretty strong and reliable, and are available with
>a 5spd. In stock form it revs up to 6500 without complaining
>(not in fifth gear though :-( ).
>Unlike the L series used in the 510, there are not
>too many hotrod parts available for the A series. The '78 and earlier
>put out more power, and I have heard that the A12 heads had
>bigger ports.
>       The whole reason I ended up with this car was my friend had a
>motorless spit body and I could pick up a mostly bolt in motor+tranny
>for about $100 at half price day at Pick'n pull. So I ended up with 
>a cheap, fun, daily drivable car that will beat a Geo metro off the
>line, but not by much ;-).
>        IMHO, my car is not much different from a stock spit, except
>engine parts are easier to come by and the darn manifolds are on
>the wrong side. A lot of people might be offended by this conversion,
>but I really don't care where the parts on my car came from.
>       There are good (and bad) craftsman in Japan and England,
>and if I can get their parts to work together to form a car I
>want to drive, there's nothing wrong with that. The reason 
>Triumphs are great cars is not because they are made in England
>or because they are Triumphs, but because they look good and are 
>fun to drive.
>       Miatas are probably fun to drive (but I think they're uglier than
>spitfires) but if I had the 10 grand a decent Miata cost, I could
>get a fully restored Spit, or a hot muscle car, or maybe both.
>
>       BTW, I went to the hotrod show at the Santa Cruz boardwalk,
>and along with all the classic 'Murican iron, they had the Plymouth
>Prowler. Not bad looking for a new car, but for the $100k price
>tag, I could have gone home from that show with a whole stable of
>great cars. Oh the only furrin car there was a Land Cruser with
>a blown, nitrous injected V8. Probably faster off the line
>than the Prowler.
>-- 
>Reed Mideke                                        rmideke@interbase.com
>
Patrick Bowen
'79 Spitfire
Jacksonville FL

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