Happy Friday, Autopians! As usual, we’re going off-script today, but only a little: one of today’s cars actually fits within our normal budget. It does not, however, fit within anyone’s idea of a normal car, nor does its competition. I’ll show you what I mean in a minute, but first let’s see how our beater hybrids did:
That’s a bit surprising, actually. I would have guessed the Prius’s reputation would have counted for more. For me, I think it would come down to how they looked/felt/drove in person, but really, if I went the hybrid route, I’d probably hold out for a one-generation-older Civic, or original Insight, with a manual.
It’s almost a cliché at this point: “Never buy someone else’s project.” But if you think about it, every car is someone else’s project, even a new one. No vehicle is exactly what you want at the moment you buy it; it is always someone else’s idea of what it should be. Often you can choose to live with something you don’t like instead of improving it, but there is always something you’d have done differently if it were up to you. That’s the great thing about rough half-finished projects: it is up to you. Sure, they might need some backtracking to get them pointed in the right direction, but it is easier than starting from scratch.
Today’s projects are both pretty far along, but still need a lot of work to get them ready for their close-ups. One is a replica of a nearly 100-year-old race car, and the other is something George Jetson would drive, if it flew. Ready to dive in and have a look at them? Here we go.
1963 Triumph TR4 Bugatti Type 32 replica – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: Ford 2.3 liter OHC inline 4, unknown manual gearbox, RWD
Location: Dallas, TX
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? As you might guess, no
As soon as I saw this thing listed for sale, I knew I had to use it somewhere. What you’re looking at is a Triumph TR4 frame with what I’m pretty sure is a Ford 2.3 liter “Lima” four-cylinder in it, with a body shape roughed out in square steel tube. That body is meant to be a replica of the the Bugatti Type 32 “Tank,” a very early attempt at streamlining raced in 1923 with limited success. It’s an iconic shape, but just in case you’ve never seen one, here is what it’s supposed to look like:
Not the prettiest thing on four wheels, but it’s famous, and a replica of it would certainly get attention. Unfortunately, however, if you compare the above image to what’s going on here, the shape isn’t right. It’s close, but the cowl is far too high, and the shape of the nose is all wrong. It might still be called a tribute to the Type 32, which would be cool too, but I think you’ll be cutting and re-welding some tubing to get it closer to being right.
There is a lot going on in these photos, and not a lot of it makes sense, but let’s see what we can parse out. The Ford engine and what I’m pretty sure is a Mazda-built five speed manual appear to just be sitting in the frame, held in place by C-clamps and ratchet straps, so if you wanted to go a different way with the power, you could do so without much more work. The original Bugatti had a two-liter straight eight, for which no likely stand-in exists, but a Triumph inline six out of a TR250 should bolt right in, if you can find one.
The entire body appears to be a bit too wide as well, probably even wider than the stock TR4 body. And I don’t understand what’s going on with that enormous muffler. The whole thing just seems a bit sketchy; Mercedes Streeter referred to it as a “steampunk death kart” when I posted the ad on Slack. It might be less daunting after you see it in person, talk to the owner, and start to get a sense of their vision. But from the photos, it’s a little scary.
The seller says it rolls, and has it set up with a tow bar in front; I’m guessing it has been moved around many, many times over the years. It also does not come with a title, but once it’s completed, you could probably title it as a constructed/kit car in most places.
1968 Volkswagen Beetle with custom bodywork – $4,999
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6 liter OHV flat 4, 4 speed manual, RWD
Location: Tulsa, OK
Odometer reading: unknown
Runs/drives? Nope, but it’s all there
This vehicle made the rounds of the Opposite Lock forum about a week ago, and when I first saw it, I didn’t much like it. But the more I study the shape, the more little details jump out at me, and the more I can see where the builder was going with it, and what it might look like when finished. And I dig it.
The story goes that the builder of this car was a cabinetmaker, who passed away before he could finish it. Like so many kits and homebuilts, this one rests on a VW Beetle chassis, shortened somewhat by the looks of it. Power comes from a 1600 dual-port engine, and the car appears mechanically complete. The seller says they haven’t tried to start the engine, but it turns over by hand.
The design details of this thing are just astounding: the Ferrari- or Corvette-like buttresses of the rear pillars, the wheel arches which Adrian Clarke pointed out are very Marcello Gandini-esque, but also make me think of some of Raymond Loewy’s sketches, and that massive tubular rear bumper/valance that looks like a Harley Earl fever dream. If anything falls flat, it is the nose, which is too Datsun 240Z-like to go with the rest of the car. Maybe if they kept the headlight position and deep buckets, but swept the underside of the nose upward like an AMT Piranha, it would not look so derivative.
I can’t help but wonder if the intent was to use this wood body as a buck to form a fiberglass shell, or if this was “it.” There’s a lot of filler on the wood, so you couldn’t really do a woodgrain finish, but it’s smooth enough to take paint. The dash and door panels would look great if you left the woodgrain showing, and highlight the fact that the rest of it is made of wood.
This car also demonstrates the genius of using the Beetle as a basis for custom cars: the whole powertrain is self-contained; just give it some holes to breathe and it’ll keep buzzing along, like a firefly in a jar.
[Editor’s Note: I think this wooden VW-based thing is fantastic. That’s all. – JT]
Building your own car is a massive undertaking, and I have to applaud anyone who ever gets past the thinking-about-it stage. Both of these cars represent massive amounts of creativity and effort. One appears to have been abandoned and one was widowed, but it would be cool to see them both finished up. Which one are you taking on?
(Image credits: Triumph – Craigslist seller; Beetle – Facebook seller)
I think you just embrace “steampunk death kart” and you could have something really fun. It doesn’t have to be rational, I think going for the re-creation is a big miss. The Beetle looks lame.
I’m torn…I really like the way the Beetle looks, but I’m not big on the whole body being made of wood. That Bugatti replica looks like…well a complete death trap, to be honest. But it’s not made of wood, so it’s got that going for it.
The shape of the bodywork on the modified Beetle is a special kind of awesome.
I would modify it a little, like a ridge down the center of the front or something, mostly just to shake the Nissan resemblance away. I would change the wheel wells to something just a little more conventional. Not a lot else.
Then I’d use it to model a fiberglass body. I’ve been meaning to do some large-scale fiberglass construction. I was planning to make a custom enclosed trailer for bicycles and sport gear, but this would satisfy that urge, too.
These showdowns are “must choose” territory. I get it, none of us are really interested in many of these, but play along, people! It’s fun, and nobody’s going to make you actually buy one of them. You should only post “neither” answers if they’re truly funny.
Under forced choice conditions, I’m taking the entirely new species of Wood Bug.
One thought on the wooden VW- what happens if you crash it? Wood won’t crumple like metal. I could see large, sharp chunks of wood entering the passenger compartment with a front or rear end collision. It would suck to be impaled by a chunk of your car. This vehicle might make sense as an art piece, but it probably shouldn’t be driven.
That’s what I was thinking too. But even a minor impact could cause major damage to the bodywork, and unlike metal wood can’t be hammered and massaged back into shape.
I’m a huge fan of the classic VW Beetle, so I view any Beetle-based kit/home built car as a desecration. I have to hold my nose and vote for the Triumphatti thing. It looks ridiculous and I have zero interest in it, but it least it did not destroy a Beetle.
No.
In the strictest sense all cars are another project. There is a difference between normal wear and tear along with expected updates (radio, wheels) and what you have.
A see a project as some that was abandoned due to money or the sheer amount of work involved. Which is the case here.
If I had to choose, it would be Beetle just due to parts available.
I will take the Bugatti like thingamajig. Not that I would finish it, but just put a roll cage surrounding the cockpit, put in a windscreen and just run the backroads of Alabama in it.
The cabinet makers VW, just for the novelty of the damned thing. Put about a thousand coats of Marine Uethane on it and make a front lawn planter.
I know the cost of plywood has gone up significantly in the past few years, but geesh, $5K?!?
At least with the VW you can unbolt the cabinetry and find and old Manta, Manx, Bradley GT, etc. kit to drop on the chassis.
I fear that the inhumanely violated Triumph is a lost cause.
Gimme the Trumpet–I’m ready to blow my horn!!
Lay in a few cases of Olde English 800 (7.5% ABV), a welding torch, coupla spools o’ wire, and you got yerself a show!!
A Bugatti 2 litre straight eight might be a stretch but I think an Alpha Romeo 8C 2300 engine would be a reasonable substitute. Crossthwaite and Gardiner built a couple a few years ago, I cannot remember offhand who has the drawings now but CCR engineering would probably know.
If forced, the Beetle thing.
“The seller says they haven’t tried to start the engine, but it turns over by hand.”
Is it just me, or does this sound a lot like the seller is pretty certain it’s not going to start?
Neither for the price, but as a project the Zeetle is way more attractive to me.
For the second day in a row I’m answering neither. I get that this is the shitbox showdown and all but usually there’s something interesting I can find in at least one of the nominees. These are just piles of someone else’s junk, and yesterday I just couldn’t get excited about dilapidated hybrid NPC cars.
These are both awful and more awful-er for the price. With that out of the way, I choose the Bugatti-adjacent project because it’s down to the frame and I can decide if I want to modify it to be not as hideous as the intended final result. Also, it’s cheaper. If I’m going to get kicked in the groin either way, I’d prefer it to cost me less money.
Your comment brings one of my favorite scenes from Vegas Vacation to mind when the blackjack dealer tells Clark: “You don’t know when to quit, do ya Griswold? Here’s an idea: Why don’t you give me half the money you were gonna bet? Then, we’ll go out back, I’ll kick you in the nuts, and we’ll call it a day!”
That Triumph is a pile of garbage, and it might just be my personal taste, but the original that they were trying to emulate looks like a crappy carnival ride car that a kid would ride in. That VW is pretty interesting, but nothing I would really want to touch. It could really be something if completed, and the fact that it is made out of wood is pretty darn impressive. You’d have to highlight that somehow with the finished product – stain/laquer some of those panels instead of painting them? Good conversation piece for sure. Also – there are still some good VW parts in there if you just scrapped the thing, so I went VW.
I would take $4997 in singles and spend $3 on marshmallows . Burn the Money roast the marshmallows and it would still be a better use of money than buying either of these turds.
Definitely the Beetle. It has potential to be aerodynamically slippery compared to most modern cars(especially with the small frontal area). I’d definitely fiberglass over the wood and install a roll cage.
The front would be reworked to look more Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale than Datsun 240Z. The rear would be boat-tailed for drag reduction. To form a fastback, a piece of glass would be formed to complement the shape of the rear roofline and allow the airflow to not be abruptly disrupted by the almost 90 degree cutoff.
The engine would need to be swapped out to a VW Rabbit diesel. 50 or so horsepower would be all that is needed to top out around 120 mph if the aerodynamics are improved correctly, and 0-60 mph in around 18-20 seconds is “enough” to keep up with traffic. By selecting this engine, miles per gallon could approach the triple digits, again if the aerodynamic work is done right.
If more performance is desired, the entire car would have to be overhauled to accommodate a tuned 1.9L TDI engine, which would get similar or better economy to the proposed Rabbit engine, but in turn allow the car to keep up with the supercars.
Triumph thingie is closer to something I could use. The Beetle Whatchamacallit is promising, but too much of the body would need to be redesigned for the price. The roof is too tall, for one. I like where they were going a lot more than the Triumph, though.
I will hold my nose and vote for one with the knowledge that I would seriously regret whatever choice was made. Sort of like US elections.
Wooden Beetle. That Bugatti thing should be crushed and the welder confiscated.
Seriously. Whoever did that to a TR4 ought to be taken out behind the barn near where the compost heap is.
Something rather Mad Max about the Bugatti thing.
VW bodywork looks…Z-car inspired?
Triumph or Beetle, Triumph or The Beatles….Either way I picked the Beetle.
Are they f-ing kidding? $2500 for a pile of scrap, or $5000 for a pile of scrap? Hard pass on both.