British Sports Cars

[HHP]

Want a British sports car? Go big or go home. Check that license plate.

[JonWint]

Originally Posted by Ozzy the dog

There seems to be a lot of bashing Brit cars in here (and I have been guilty of that in my offerings) so I'd just like to offer a bit of balance.

A lot of us do love (sometimes love/hate) the British cars. I like them enough to build replicas for myself. BMW power in Lotus 7 and Honda in the other which I can't name due to "trademark tarnishment" damage suit threat.
[IMG][/IMG]

[jpd]

Originally Posted by Silurian

What are these Alpha Romeos that everyone keeps talking about?

1913 A.L.F.A 40 60 HP prototype (Alfa Romeo)

[Ozzy the dog]

Originally Posted by JonWint

A lot of us do love (sometimes love/hate) the British cars. I like them enough to build replicas for myself. BMW power in Lotus 7 and Honda in the other which I can't name due to "trademark tarnishment" damage suit threat.

Very nice - I've got a bit of workshop envy creeping in now.

[Otterhound]

Originally Posted by JonWint

A lot of us do love (sometimes love/hate) the British cars. I like them enough to build replicas for myself. BMW power in Lotus 7 and Honda in the other which I can't name due to "trademark tarnishment" damage suit threat.
[IMG][/IMG]

A friend of mine built a Lotus 7 replica from a Haynes manual . Used Miata drivetrain and suspension . He has also built Cobra and IMSA Monza replicas . He used the drivetrain from the Monza in the Cobra .

[harpspitfire]

British sports car? most true brit sports cars have been done for years- the daily driver doesnt cut it here, i owned 2 spitfire's, last one for 18 years, fantastic cars for handling, but it stops there, of course the modern day spitfire is a mazda miata, i recently owned one and just sold it last week, great little car and fun to drive, course non of these modern cars have that classic appeal to me, i think the spitfire was best looking true sports car ever built

[auggie242]

Originally Posted by H165

I've owned a '52 MGTD since 1969. I think it's the best looking open roadster generally available to the typical small sportscar enthusiast.

If I had to go modern, I think the 2017 Miata and the 2001 M Roadster would be a tossup.

You have my vote for owning the prettiest automobile ever, tho I'll take mine in racing green.

[jpd]

Originally Posted by harpspitfire

British sports car? most true brit sports cars have been done for years- the daily driver doesnt cut it here, i owned 2 spitfire's, last one for 18 years, fantastic cars for handling, but it stops there, of course the modern day spitfire is a mazda miata, i recently owned one and just sold it last week, great little car and fun to drive, course non of these modern cars have that classic appeal to me, i think the spitfire was best looking true sports car ever built

Like my GT-6

[Rockysdad]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Dirty Little Secret of the Day: First- and second-generation Miatas will accommodate the stock running gear from a similar-year 5.0 Mustang with relatively few structural modifications - beefed-up suspension/frame, narrowed Ford 9" rear, upgraded cooling system, tranny tunnel mods if you opt for the automatic (the street/strip guys prefer them), wheel/tire package - and no body panel work. Completely street-legal BTW (as long as you retain the OEM Ford emissions equipment), and back in the '90s I heard tell of a couple guys who put a mild tune on theirs (~400 HP), took out some unnecessary weight, turned mid-10's @ ~130 - and it looked almost dead-stock (except for the requisite rollbar); great for making a little spare cash on Saturday night, if you're so inclined - get a car length on that dude in the Lambo, and watch his facial expression in your rear-view mirror as he tries to catch you...

I've built one of these Miata "monsters", great fun to drive and one had better know "how" to drive when behind the wheel and foot on the gas.

[cotten]

Originally Posted by H165

... If I had to go modern, I think the 2017 Miata and the 2001 M Roadster would be a tossup.

I wanted a modern roadster, and drove the options I could afford, which wasn't a lot. Ah, but I found a roadster/go cart that I absolutely love. Sorry it is not English, or a proper sports car. Wait. It is not really even a car. But it is the most fun behind the wheel I have had since I first learned to drive - more fun than the MG, Austin Healey, Triumph, etc., that I drove years ago, or the Miata MX5 of today. No, it cannot compete with sports cars that cost 3-4 times as much, at least not as a sports car. But then they cannot compete with my Polaris Slingshot as a go cart for grownups, either.



I apologize for the hijack. I now return you to your original thread.

cotten

[H165]

but it will start up every morning and not leak oil all over the garage floor.

That's because it's actually a BMW

[Otterhound]

Originally Posted by H165

That's because it's actually a BMW

I was waiting for this .

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

Anyone remember the E Type Jaguar ? They were quite nice looking cars (IMO).

Originally Posted by Silurian

Gets my vote for most beautiful car ever.

Absolutely YES.

[AllThumbsBruce]

In high school in the late 60's I bought a '64 MGB for $500. It was a good deal only in the sense that it ended up teaching me how to fix or rebuild every automotive system. Except for the electrical system, which I never did get working correctly. Driving on a rainy day was an adventure. Push on the clutch and the wipers stop. Turn on the headlights and the turn signals stop working, etc. Bob Womack - thanks for the memories and a good laugh!

A friend gave me a disassembled Renault Dauphine as a shell and boxes of parts that we put together so I would have a car to drive to the MG parts store.

But on a sunny day with the top down it was about as fun as you can have with four wheels and 95 hp.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by The Growler

Absolutely YES.

In 1961 Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type, "the most beautiful car in the world".

The Datsun Roadster Club I was with had a run with some British Sports Cars one week-end.
There was a beautiful early model E-Type with us.
As we drove down hill to a 'T' intersection the hood of the E-Type flipped up and forward so the drivers view was obscured as the nose scraped on the road surface.