Ecomodding a Classic / Antique Car or Truck

[cleanspeed1]

Here are the basic parameters:

Must have been built before 1974.

Bodystyle is open.

Modern updates are fine.

What would your choice be and why.

[user removed]

Actually I bought this a year ago, for $700 on craigslist. The sellers father started building it in the the early 1980s. It's a Fiberfab MiGi kit on a 1973 VW chassis (not super beetle). The original VW had just over 63k miles. He ran into a problem with the wiring and ended up cutting a bunch of the original wiring and giving up. He never finished the transmission tunnel work to reconnect the shifter, clutch and throttle cables. I welded in the missing part of the transmission tunnel from a donor car and got it so you could drive it, but it still needs wiring. I have a painless harness that came with the car for an extra $100. It has all of the top parts and interior parts except for a couple of pieces of carpet.

It has the original 1600 dual port Vw engine in it right now, but I was considering other options like a small diesel or even battery electric drive, if I could find some battery options that wouldn't weight 1000 pounds. Right now the front end is so light I can left one of the wheels off the ground. I may eventually make it a diesel hydraulic hybrid.

regards
Mech

[cleanspeed1]

You got yerself a deal, that's a very nice looking car.

I remember the FiberFab products; used to have one of the biggest lines of kits available.

[jamesqf]

Lotus Europa, with the engine & hybrid system from a 1st Gen Insight.

Or FTM I'd take the early '60s Austin-Healey Sprite I used to have, as it was :-)

[cleanspeed1]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Lotus Europa, with the engine & hybrid system from a 1st Gen Insight.

Or FTM I'd take the early '60s Austin-Healey Sprite I used to have, as it was :-)

You must be short, because both of those cars I couldn't fit in!

[Odin]

72 Vega!

[fud2468]

Me too!
I also have a 1972 Vega. It's a hatchback GT coupe, bone stock, but unfortunately has the 2-speed air-cooled Powerglide, is geared very low and has a 2-BBl carb (not progressive).
I want to keep it as stock as possible, but maybe drop in a 200r4 to get OD and lockup, as well as a progressive carb.
The manual trannies were only 4-speed but 4th was a tall gear and they could get 32 mpg or so. The Powerglides could only get 18-19.
Mine was built for sale on the west coast and has the tilted windshield washer reservoir for the VertiTilt shipping scheme--but that's another story..
Oh, I forgot-it's not quite stock, it has a reman engine with steel sleeves.
Ray Mac

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cleanspeed1

You must be short, because both of those cars I couldn't fit in!

Nope. 6 ft, and 190-200 lbs. Limber, though: been doing yoga and such since my teens. Had no problems with the Sprite: kept everything I owned in it for months when I was travelling around, and even slept in it, a few rainy nights.

Had one of those Vegas, too, back in the '70s. It's the reason I've never owned an American car since.

[cleanspeed1]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Nope. 6 ft, and 190-200 lbs. Limber, though: been doing yoga and such since my teens. Had no problems with the Sprite: kept everything I owned in it for months when I was travelling around, and even slept in it, a few rainy nights.

Had one of those Vegas, too, back in the '70s. It's the reason I've never owned an American car since.

I guess you and Jeremy Clarkson have the gift ( he's like 6'4 or 6'5 ).

[Ryland]

If I was shopping for a car then I would go for a classic Mini Cooper and get the kit to put a V-tec Honda Civic engine in it then go with the D15z1 engine.
Otherwise I think I'd go for a Honda Z600 coupe and figure out how to put fuel injection in it maybe even replace the large flat alternator that they have with a hail affect sensor and have it work as the starter as well for automatic start stop and mild hybrid.
3rd option would be a Seabring Vanguard Citi-car, the first year they built them was 1974 so it would just squeak in under the topic rules, install lithium batteries, a rear axle with a regular drive shaft so the motor didn't have to be unsprung and install a larger electric motor.