On Fri, 16 Oct 1998, Eric A. Yates wrote:
> I have a question about engine conversions: why do people do it? I am
> curious as to why folks make changes to something as fundamental to a car's
> character as its engine.
You're probably going to get a big rant from DANMAS on this subject. But
here's my small rant for the meantime:
Some of us like doing the impossible, or the improbable. Sometimes it's
circumstance- while it is possible to get a small car to "go" by tweaking
and massaging the engine, it costs a lot of money and they wear out really
quickly.
If, in the quest for MORE POWER (arr arr arr), you decide to place a large
engine in a small car, then you get a few advantages: more reliability,
smoother running, and MORE POWER (arr arr arr).
Take my brother's two beaters: an 81 Camaro (w/ 267 V8) and a 74 Ventura
(w/ 350 BigBlock V8) The camaro is smaller and lighter, but guess which
one goes faster? (hint: the ugly one). He wanted to pop the big block
into his Camaro (small block) but we axed that plan as it would require
major modification to a car worth less than $1500. In this case, it's
smarter to find someone who already has a big-block Camaro.
But with our LBCs, sometimes something unique is required. I'd love to
stick a Lotus 1.8 mill into my Chevette. Why not buy a lotus? (big
reason: I don't fit in Lotuses). Also, I'd have a Chevette capable of
some pretty wild stuff. heh heh, heh heh, cool.
> I am not a person who places a major priority on originality, but I would
> hesitate to make such a drastic change to my car. If I wanted a Triumph
> with more power than my Spitfire, I'd get a TR6 or GT6. Probably the TR
> since I love top-down driving, but then again, a GT would be a cool
> compliment to my Spit. Either way, I'd seek out a car that has the larger
> engine rather than wedge one into my current ride.
Why is it drastic? Is an engine really that much of the personality of a
car? (Only to the driver, I'd say... and in that case, to each their own)
> On the other hand, a conversion like sticking a Chevy V8 in a TR6 seems
> strange to me. I respect the amount of work and effort that goes into such
> a conversion, and it is impressive to see the final product, but I wonder
> why the builder didn't start with an American car in the first place to
> build his hot rod. That way, the final product retains a certain amount of
> the character of the original car.
My favorite conversions are the ones whereby you can't tell it's been
done. No loss, unless you really like gawking at what's under a car hood.
-Malcolm
* There is a FAQ for this list! Its temporary home is:
http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/walker/triumph/trfaq.htm
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