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Local Car Feature

Click here for local car gallery

This is where you can get your 15 minutes of fame, let us know what you’ve got growling in your garage by sending us some photo’s and details of your pride ‘n’ joy. Alternatively you could arrange a surprise for someone with a feature of there car on this site. Either way send us your details on info@qtbi.co.uk From time to time we will do a special feature where we will come and do a photo shoot ourselves, maybe some action shots!

To get this feature started we are going to jump start with a local car from yesteryear. Back to the eighties infact, to which this is when the owner/builder sold it and is now seeking its whereabouts, so if you’ve seen this monster lately let us know!

A Mini Van with a difference, V8n’t seen nothing yet!!

It was bought for £65 in1978 pictured right and went though a few changes before the Rover V8 was installed in 1980.

The 1300GT engine was removed and so was the floor and bulkhead!! This made way for the 4”x2” home built box section chassis to be installed. The front suspension was Vauxhall and the rear Jaguar XJS independent which was narrowed by 14inches to fit under the fabricated steel wheel arches. Both items had the chroming treatment as did anything else that could be unbolted.

The whole body was de-seemed and the roof took a chop of 2.5 inches. A full size fold back sunroof was installed to let in the summer cruising sunshine (or keep out the rain!) Door handles were removed and replaced with solenoid operated locks with

 

As you can see by the photo’s the engine was a tight squeeze and protruded beyond the old dashboard position! Hence the ‘back seat driver’ position pictured above. All this was enclosed in a new steel bulkhead and auto transmission tunnel. The brakes consisted of 10” disc at each corner with servo assistance. The exhaust was home made from a pair of chrome lake pipes and 2” steel tube then chromed. The cooling of the 3500cc engine came from a continental Rover radiator which had an extra row of fins, these helped the cooling as did the electric fan in such a small engine bay.

Click here for Part 2 >