Originally posted by monochrome @lesmore49 I’m not far enough along to have thought about motor / gearbox / suspension yet, but starting with your thought is my default. Kirkham will source all mechanicals including a 289, if desired, but has to be finished by someone. Seats, wheels, tires, paint, etc. It does come with an MSO, so registration is easier.
The issue is, I have to work backward from who will service it. I’m not obsessive about reproduction or actual original components. Since they’re all hand built you can spec anything from a de-tuned City car to an autocross special to a weekend track car. 4 years coincides with the down ramp to retirement in 7.
Sadly, I’ll probably end up with an electric Miata.
It is an exciting process to plan out a car where you can make many decisions. As far as an electric Miata goes I have a feeling within the next 5-10 years I too will end up with an electric car...hopefully I can at least have a hybrid ... internal combustion/electric vehicle. I do like and prefer the sound and driving characteristics though of a powerful, purely internal combustion vehicle.
---------- Post added 11-04-18 at 12:28 PM ----------
Originally posted by ThorSanchez I didn't get married until I was 33. When I was 30 I found a guy from Australia who was living about a half hour from here. He was moving back down under and was selling all his toys. He wanted $25k for his '63 split window. Not a bad deal, despite the completely non-stock 396 block someone had dropped in years ago. Original block is long gone, but I do have the original hood that's in the picture. But it came with a '66 or '67 hood with the bump to allow for the big block.
The motor has had various problems over the years, after kids were born and time was scarce I wasn't able to keep it up. Last time I tried to turn it over it had a serious fuel leak. At some point I had some work done on the lifters and the guy doing the work told me he thought I had a spun main bearing. So I really want to pull the body, look at the state of the chassis (suspect not great), pull the motor, get a 327 block and restore it to its 340 hp glory. But that's going to be a lot of time and money.
A couple years ago I took it up to a guy near DC who is a very well regarded Vette restorer with a huge shop, drives his own split window. He told me for him to get a early '63 block, build it up, install, and do a chassis restoration, but no body or interior work would be... wait for it... $60,000. That took a lot of wind out of my sails.
I almost wish I'd bought a much lesser car 17 years ago. Something cheaper, quirkier like the 2CV or an old British roadster or something. Something more reasonable to afford to rebuild and keep running. But I can never sell the split window. Every time I think about it it's like a month ago when I had someone come repave the driveway... two minutes into the driveway conversation the guy sees the Vette, wanders over to look at it, take pictures, talk about how that's the holy grail of cars. Eventually we got back to paving the driveway.
I'm putting a lift in the garage, maybe that'll get me started on the project.
I know the feeling. At one time I rode motorcycles quite a bit and had a number of bikes over the years. However the motorcycle I always wanted was an English, big single cylinder or big Brit twin cylinder...of the Desert Sled variety. This desire started back in the late '60's and at that time I couldn't afford one of these motorcycles..I had a car, I was young, starting to think about attending university, etc. The usual life things.
As time went by and as our kids got older and money flow..improved...just a wee bit...I kept my eye open for the aforementioned British Desert Sled. This was around 2000 and by that time these old bikes that I had a hankering for were all approaching 30 + years old and getting scarce.
I came upon one, that fit my bill. I bought it. It is a '67 Matchless 750cc (Norton Atlas engine) and is a factory bitsa. Big Norton twin, in a light weight Matchless frame, modified for more travel... Norton Roadholder front forks...Lyta aluminum racing tank, skid plates, low gearing twin Amal carbs, Norton sports cam, etc.
Officially these bikes were both Norton and Matchless...badge engineering ....as they came from the same AMC (Associated Motorcycle Company ) factory that built Norton, Matchless and A.J.S.
I've had it for 18 years now and I'm still restoring it...slowly and sometimes not too surely.
I have a feeling our son, who rides a BMW G/S will eventually inherit it and continue the build. At least I hope so.