Now that the Cletus-Vette is perfectly restored, I need a project

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
08/29/2016 at 09:58 • Filed to: None

So I want to take the drivetrain from this car:

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And put it in this car:

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DISCUSSION (30)

NostalgicCarLife > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:00

why not put a rotary in it

bob and john > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:01

perfectly restored, thats why it wasnt at the drags friday right?

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > bob and john
08/29/2016 at 10:08

Just apply the universal drag strip rule: the shittier it looks, the faster it is.
You’ll probably be slower

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > NostalgicCarLife
08/29/2016 at 10:10

Would be hard to make a rear-engine transaxle work with that power. Cooling would also be an issue.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
08/29/2016 at 10:11

So if it’s not even there, that means it’s the fastest?

S65 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:12

Do it

Pacer Racer > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:19

It needs a supercharged Pancake Flat 6 from a Corvair Monza. Then you’ll have a full-on impoverished Porsche.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:20

Might I recommend a Montego?

I know a guy who’s got one for sale

NostalgicCarLife > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:25

Why would it be hard? Just do what the air-cooled VW people do and flip a subaru transaxle.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
08/29/2016 at 10:25

I love your car. But I REALLY want a tiny sports car.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > NostalgicCarLife
08/29/2016 at 10:25

A Subaru transaxle probably weighs half the car.

CB > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:26

Alternatively, buy this and fix it up .

shop-teacher > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:28

Hahaha! “Perfectly restored” Never change Cletus, never change.

I approve of this plan, so long as this is in addition to the Vette, which I assume it is.

NostalgicCarLife > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:34

but a rotary would more than make up for that

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > CB
08/29/2016 at 10:34

No way. That thing’s toast. Alex Reid’s roadster showed me how bad these things rust. And they ALWAYS rust.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:36

Since the size progression seems to be pretty steady from the Newport to the Vette to something like this, I’m expecting sometime next year that you’ll be in a Hayabusa Nash Metropolitan.

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 10:37

How about a sportbike motor in that?

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 11:00

MR Aspire would be better.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
08/29/2016 at 11:02

Muahaha just wait to see what Alex Reid and I have planned next. It’s gonna be loopy.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Flyboy is FAA certified insane
08/29/2016 at 11:03

No desire at all for that. I have the Corvette for speed. I want a happy little roadster to poke around the city in.

Dave the car guy , still here > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 11:14

My first car in 1971 was a 1968 850 Spider . It was just before the first gas crisis in 73-74 and we knew it was coming so I bought the Fiat since it sipped fuel.. I must warn you they are the slowest car on earth, but fun to drive once up to speed. Would take some serious hotrodding to get more from the stock motor. They make a good dunebuggy and the hot swap back in the day was a VW bug engine and transaxle. I’ve always wondered if a Fiat 128, Uno or X1/9 engine could be swapped into one.

bob and john > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
08/29/2016 at 12:10

I already have my times. Waiting for clayton to throw down

bob and john > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 12:11

Tiny? Sporty? Motorcycles are the tinest and sportiest

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > bob and john
08/29/2016 at 12:15

Hard to fit all my camera gear for video shoots on a motorcycle. My slider bar is 4' long by itself.

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 12:29

How about a goldwing motor? Simple, reliable, and torquey.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Flyboy is FAA certified insane
08/29/2016 at 12:31

Nope. I don’t want to spend weeks custom fabricating strange motor mounts for a random engine. Also weight. The 850 only weighs 1,600 pounds. A goldwing flat 6 and trans outweighs the stock little I4 by a lot. AND I doubt it would fit in the rear engine bay. Not doing it.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 12:39

Poor choice my friend, poor choice lol

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 12:51

Oh I didn’t really think about how much it might weight. Don’t want more rear weight bias

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
08/29/2016 at 18:16

As a fan of quirky Italians, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY support this idea! Shame the yellow one is so rusty, it has a neat patina to it! :)

Problem now is, if you were to undertake this, I may just have to move to Ontario from NS to join in the fun! :D

Dave the car guy , still here > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
11/07/2019 at 18:38

Had a 1968 Fiat 850 Spider as my first car in early 70's. Very simple to work on but I’m not sure how easy parts are to get no w . I know I’ve seen stuff on eBay and a Fiat parts seller in the back of Grassroots Motorsports. I had installed a new cam and Abarth made exhaust/header back then. It netted me maybe an additional 5-10 hp. The hot swap on those back in the day was a VW drivetrain for drag racing since VW performance parts were more widely available. It also allowed removing the radiator from the Fiat. Mine was great for NC beaches when I lived there. If you lessened the tire pressure it went pretty well on sand.