Automotive Blogger

Craigslist is an endless source of fodder for my blog. There is always someone selling something ridiculous or trying to scam you out of your own vehicle by promising you access to an African diamond fortune. Today it was a ridiculous vehicle that caught my eye. But this vehicle isn’t ridiculous in the home built V8 powered X1/9 sense. This vehicle actually looks like it is well constructed and might perform well.

In the last year I’ve noticed several unique 3 wheeled vehicles cruising around my local Bay Area freeways. With two wheels up front and a single drive wheel in the back these creations are usually powered by motorcycle engines and tend to look both scary and fast. Well now you have the chance to buy your own crazy-fast three wheeled monster. If you search the Bay Area Craigslist for “Supercar” you will come across this ad:

“Supercar built by Dr. Technology at the SECRET MOUNTAIN LABORATORY IN 2001. Has Corvette front suspension, rack & pinion, disc brakes, aluminum A frames. 1000cc 4 cyl. Kawasaki with 6 speed gearbox sequential shifter, tube chassis with all aluminum bodywork. SCREAMS!”

I’ve actually heard mention of this “Secret Mountain Laboratory” and it is always in reference to some wild aluminum bodied machine. However, I have been unsuccessful in discovering the true identity of Dr. Technology. Either way he has churned out another amazing vehicle. Even though it looks a bit like a bottom feeding fish, this supercar certainly is unique and the fighter plane cockpit gives it a sporty look. If it is as light as it looks it can probably get down the road quick enough to make you forget that you can’t see out the back of this thing. So would you pay $50K for this “supercar”, because that is what Dr. Technology is asking. Maybe you can trade him some comic books and get a little discount.

-Bill Mertz

supercar, craigslist, tricycle, motorcycle, Kawasaki, aluminum, one-off

What has four wheels, a turbo boxer four cylinder motor, all wheel drive and a metallic blue paint job? If you answered “Subaru Impreza STi” you would be right, but “a custom STi powered ATV built by a nutty New Zealander who clearly has a death wish” would also be acceptable.

Actually Ken Brough isn’t unlike many in the world of cars; he likes to go fast, likes to tinker with things and is a big kid at heart. It was these qualities that lead him on the path to build a road going ATV that could put the fear of God into most Subaru drivers. When he started the project Brough enlisted the help of auto dismantler/friend who sourced parts and gave tech support when needed, but the rest was up to him. The super quad was running in roughly 10 months which is remarkable considering that the there was no real design or plan for the vehicle, but the finished product is pretty amazing.

STi-ATV without its clothes on.

The frame for the ATV is made of roll cage tubing that doubles as a hard water line to carry coolant to the rear mounted radiator. The gearbox uses the standard H style shift pattern thanks to a clever design using a toe stirrup and a telescoping 90 degree shaft coming out of the back of transmission. The motor of course is the turbocharged STi unit in basically stock form except for a custom exhaust built to fit the quad. All this adds up to a vehicle that weighs 530kg and produces 170kw of power. For us Yanks (what’s a kilowatt?) that’s roughly 230 horsepower pushing around a little over 1100 pounds. Not a bad power to weight ratio if ask me.

Unfortunately Brough failed in his quest to get the STi-ATV registered for the street in New Zealand, something about the wheel track being too narrow for the power and it having the potential for such high speeds blah blah blah not suitable for the road blah blah. But like a good lad he went and drove it on the road anyway and put a good video of it up on his site here.

Go Ken Go!

Well it looks like Ken Brough is hunting for a new home where his creation will be road legal. But until then I’m sure he will continue to make due in New Zealand. Maybe he should start a business building these things for export. Any takers?

-Bill Mertz

ATV, quad, STi, Subaru, Impreza, Kiwi, New Zealand, race, rally, hot rod

Usually when I think of mini trucks I picture the a late 1980’s or early 1990’s compact pickup that has been lowered to the weeds with 13″ diameter super wide rims, an outrageous paint scheme and helicopter bed. But today I heard about a different mini truck, this one is an actual Mini truck. Austin produced a great looking pickup truck version of it’s successful Mini back in the 60’s but I bet no one would have ever dreamed that some one would take the little truck and turn it into an over the top gaudy custom truck.

Enough gauges for two engines.

This Austin Mini was the brain child of English car customizer Paul Ireson, and oh how did Paul customize it. From the hand built body with single driver side gull wing door to the outlandish single seat interior with enough gauges to make the astronauts jealous, everything on the Mini has been modified in some way by Ireson. It has a massive sound system, a radical and ridiculous paint job, and cool name brand parts for practically every component on the car, but the best part is this thing is a twini Mini with a motor up front in the stock location and one out back underneath a Plexiglas cover. As if that wasn’t enough, Ireson decided to ditch the stock and feeble Austin power plant in favor of a pair of Honda B16 four cylinder engines with VTEC, and twin turbochargers….and nitrous. Ireson estimates that the two mills put out a combine total of 1100 horsepower. For the love of God Paul, the car only weighs 1800 pounds! Mated to a custom Honda five speed this all wheel drive Mini pickup should be a screamer once Paul get’s a chance to test it.

Twin Honda motors, one in front one in back.

I must admit, at first look I thought this was one of the tackiest vehicles I had ever seen. Actually I still think that, but I also think it is one of the fastest tackiest vehicles I have ever seen. On a serious note, while this car isn’t my cup of tea in terms of looks, I think Paul Ireson did a masterful job of designing and building this super-Mini. The work looks clean and professional and the car is done right (see EBay X1/9 for a car done wrong). Cheers to Paul for being bold and innovative in his project and may he keep bringing new wild creations into the world.

To read a full write up by Truckin’ click here: www.truckinweb.com

-Bill Mertz

Austin, Mini, Cooper, pickup, mini-truck, truck, low rider, Honda, engine swap, hot rod

1972 Chevy Nova before build up

A sleeper car refers to a vehicle that has lots of go with minimal show. The term is most commonly heard in drag racing and muscle car circles when a vehicle shows up that looks virtually stock but is packing a punch under the hood. In my own experience real sleepers are few and far between. Some people claim to have sleepers but their cars always have major give aways to what lies under the rough exterior such as loud exhaust, drag slicks on super wide wheels, a host of after market gauges in the interior or an after market steering wheel and race seats.

When Wheel to Wheel Powertrain set out to build the ultimate sleeper they weren’t messing around. Starting with a shabby green 1972 Chevy Nova complete with straight six motor, they boys at Wheel to Wheel went to town creating one of the meanest Nova’s ever to hit the streets, but the best part is you would never know by looking at it.

If you’ve ever driven a six cylinder Nova then you know what the true meaning of “slow car” is. But gone are the days of snailing around in this ‘72 Chevy. Now the Nova sports a 402 cid LS-2 V8 with twin whisper quiet Rotrex C38-81 superchargers and twin liquid to air intercoolers. With all the goodies this Wheel to Wheel motor is good for 1100 horsepower, and thanks to a nifty octane on demand fuel system it can be run on pump gas without problems. Thanks to the blowers and a hefty set of mufflers the car is still able to maintain a low profile.

Inside the car looks remarkably stock. The original bench seat was left in tact with an old cover draped over it for affect. The two spoke steering wheel was left in place and the dash board was untouched; all the after market gauges were cleverly hidden in the glove box. The backseat was modified slightly to hide wheel tubs and a 10 point gauge was blended into the car, but even with the gauge it is really hard to tell that this Nova isn’t bone stock.

A look at the interior of the finished vehicle. Note the gauges in the glove box.

The Nova’s brakes were ditched in favor of a high-tech set of four wheel discs. The rear end and suspension were beefed up to handle the additional power. Twin fuel cells-one for pump gas one for race gas-were hidden in the trunk along top of the line fuel pumps and an easily accessible drag parachute. No expense was spared on turning this Nova into a full on race car that could still drive on the street and look like a stocker.

So what do all these high performance goodies add up to? The SS Nova (super sleeper) will run the quarter mile in the low nine second range all day long, and you can still drive it across the country. This is one impressive sleeper. If it weren’t for the wider tires and lower stance you would never know it wasn’t a six cylinder Nova.

The finished product. Doesn’t look like 1100 horsepower.

For the complete build up go to: Wheel to Wheel Powertrain

-Bill Mertz

sleeper, Chevy Nova, 1972, Wheel to Wheel, drag racing, muscle car, hot rod, Rotrex, supercharger

Starting on January 13th Scottsdale, Arizona will play host to the 36th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. Every year this event brings together a collection of some of the finest vehicles on the planet and puts them up for sale to the highest bidder, often fetching astronomical prices. This year there will be one exceptionally rare Cobra joining the ranks.

The car in question is 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 “Supersnake”, CSX3015. So what the heck is a “Supersnake” you ask? It is one of only two custom Cobras commissioned by Carroll Shelby that sports an 800 horsepower twin-supercharged 427 V8. The “Supersnakes” are extra rare because they both started life as Competition Cobras of which only 19 were produced. This particular car was Shelby’s personal “Supersnake”, the second car (CSX3303) was built for Bill Cosby. As a kid I remember my dad telling me stories about these two Cobras. I think it stands out in my memory because I really liked Bill Cosby. I remember my dad telling me about the twin superchargers and I swear he said they went from 0-60 in under 4 seconds. Maybe that was just my active imagination but 800 horsepower in a lightweight Cobra makes the story sound plausible. In a 1968 road test, Road & Track called it “The Cobra to End All Cobras” and I certainly believe it.

A vintage snap shot taken of the engine during restoration.

This car has a great history, is extremely rare, has all the documentation and is highly touted by the Shelby American World Registry. So are there any guesses what this rare snake will fetch on the auction block? My guess is about 1.2-2 million, but I know next to nothing about Cobras. Last year a 289 Competition Cobra fetched roughly 1.2 million but there were others that went for much less. With no real racing history it is a little hard to guess how much interest this car will get, but it will definitely be big money. In fact some are guessing it will be the most valuable car ever to cross the stage at Barrett-Jackson.

-Bill Mertz

Shelby, Ford, Cobra, 289, 427, Supersnake, Barrett-Jackson, auction, collector

It sounds like the title of a low budget science fiction movie, but the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter (DSO) and Project Earth-Trek is quite real. It all started when Rick Dobbertin hatched the crazy idea of creating an amphibious vehicle in which he could circumnavigate the world. In the early 1990’s Rick had already built two prize winning hot rods. According to DSO legend, Rick was in Australia showing his vehicles when he decided to take a side trip to see some outback wild life. He was trying to feed a Kangaroo when the marsupial got agitated and punched him square on just like in cartoons. Fortunately his wife caught the whole thing on tape and submitted it to “Totally Hidden Video”. The video was a winner and the couple came home with $10,000 in prize money which served as the starting point for the Surface Orbiter.

The basis for the Orbiter is actually a 1959 Heil tank trailer that was designed to transport milk. The trailer measured 7ft x 32ft which was too big for Rick’s garage at the time so he simply added another 16 feet onto his garage to fully enclose the trailer. Over the next four and half years Rick worked roughly 14,000 hours creating one of the most amazing vehicles ever to grace both roads and oceans.

The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter in the Atlantic Ocean

The DSO is powered by a 6.5 liter Chevrolet Turbo-Diesel which puts out 250 horse power. The engine was modified for marine use and is mated to a 4L80E automatic transmission and a Borg Warner four wheel drive transfer case. With heavy duty axles turning six 35″ BFG Mud Terrain tires the Orbiter can do 70 mph on land and gets around 12 miles per gallon. In the water the DSO makes use of a single 22″ propeller with a 12″ pitch which will push the behemoth up to a cruising speed of 10 knots giving only two miles per gallon. The rig is fitted with dual steering wheels (one for land one for water), a self inflating life raft, six full size spare tires, 40 gallons of potable water, 340 gallons of diesel fuel, and enough communication and navigation equipment to run a small airport. The interior of the Surface Orbiter is both functional and luxurious with a full kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area, navigation control area and storage.

Cockpit view of the DSO

The journey itself started in December 1993 but due to a lack of funding the trip was cut short in June 1996. Even so the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter traveled 27,300 land miles and 3,000 ocean miles in those two and a half years and the couple themselves had many adventures. Apparently the Orbiter looks like a drug smuggling vessel because the Dobbertins were stopped by the FBI, the DEA and a group of heavily armed Columbian guerillas. Each time they were let go, but not without taking pictures first. In the 3000 miles of ocean travels the DSO faired reasonably well in seas up to 18 feet, it also became the first ever amphibious vehicle to pass through the Panama Canal.

The Orbiter in the Panama Canal

After the trip ended Rick and his wife split up. Now, apparently, the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter is up for sale. The price tag is around $200,000.00 dollars, which when you think of it as an old mild trailer seems a bit outlandish, but when you call it a “surface orbiter” it seems right on the money. With my new found obsession for world travel I will officially add the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter to my dream car list, but don’t expect me to be taking out home loans for the DSO anytime soon.

-Bill Mertz

amphibious vehicle, Dobbertin Surface Orbiter, DSO, Earth-Trek, boat cars

http://www.dobbertinhydrocar.com/Home.htm

Kettenkrad in Saving Private Ryan.

Towards the end of the movie Saving Private Ryan there is a scene where two guys hop on a little tracked motorcycle and speed off to try and lure a group of German tanks into an ambush. When I first saw the vehicle I was really curious what exactly it was. I’m a WWII guru so-to-speak and had never seen one of these tank/motorcycle hybrids before. In the movie they called the vehicle a Rabbit, but I couldn’t find it in any internet searches so I slowly forgot about the oddball bike.

This week by pure coincidence I opened Keith Martin’s Sports Car Market, and toward the back of the magazine I saw a picture and short write-up of the little Rabbit. It turns out it isn’t a Rabbit at all, it is actually a German made NSU Kettenkrad. A quick visit to Andreas Mehlhorn’s wonderful Kettenkrad homepage gave me more information on this amazing vehicle than I could have dreamed of. Now I really want one and Andreas has three. What do you say Andrea, even swap for my MGB?

The NSU Kettenkrad was a small tractor designed in WWII (it continued production even after the war) to tow a small gun or a trailer over difficult terrain. Although it has a motorcycle front wheel and fork mounted on the front it really is much more of tank than it is a motorcycle. At just under 10 feet long and with room for three people it was the smallest tracked vehicle in service in Europe.

Because NSU only produced single cylinder engines at the time, the Kettenkrad was powered by a water-cooled Opel four cylinder lifted straight out of the Opel Olympia. The motor put out a respectable 36 horsepower which proved to be more than enough grunt to scoot 2700 pound half-track around quite briskly. In fact the stated top speed of the Kettenkrad was 50 mph–tremendous for a down-sized tank–and Andreas reports that the NSU is a very fast vehicle indeed. Remarkably the Kettenkrad gets 18mpg imperial which really isn’t too bad.

At first glance the Kettenkrad looks like it uses conventional motorcycle steering but this is only partially true. At high speed the motorcycle front tire adds an element of stability and in large arching turns the front wheel is what steers the vehicle. But when the NSU needs to make a tight turn it relies on a steering brake system much like a bigger tank. When you turn the steering wheel sharply the brake is applied to which ever tread you are turning towards, making the Kettenkrad a very maneuverable vehicle.

Slightly over 9000 Kettenkrads were produced and only a fraction of those survive today. It is a pretty obscure find. However, in my search for the Kettenkrad I think I found something even rarer, Kettenkrad Porn. Seriously I found a photo of a Kettenkrad with naked girls posing on it, what a world we live in. With no Kettenkrads on Craigslist it is doubtful that I will own one any time soon, But I will definitely have to add this rare vehicle to my dream car (tank-motorcycle) list.

-Bill Mertz

NSU, Kettenkrad, Saving Private Ryan, Motorcycle, Off road, Military, WWII, Germany

Line drawing of a Lotus Eleven.

To me, the Lotus Eleven represents the ultimate in sports car design. With a light tubular space frame chassis slung low to the ground, simple mechanicals, a Spartan interior and a slippery aluminum skin it really is a purpose built race car that you can drive on the street. As a teenager I imagined myself flying around the country roads of Europe in an Eleven, but as I grew up I realized the cold hard truth; Lotus produced few Elevens and they are highly coveted and sought after vehicles, meaning unless this blog gig makes me rich I’m SOL on owning a real Lotus Eleven.

Westfield Eleven, rear view.
Collin Chapman holding up the ultra-light Lotus Eleven frame. The entire chassis only weighed 70 pounds.

But my search didn’t end there. In college I was reading my roommates compilation of Peter Egan articles from Road & Track. Mr. Egan is one of my favorite automotive writers and I have always enjoyed his columns, but one in particular had my eyes glued to the page. He wrote a story about building a Westfield Eleven kit and driving it across the country. Until I read that article I never new that anyone made an Eleven kit. I knew of plenty of knock-off Lotus Seven’s and knew that Westfield produced a Seven kit of there own but only had minimal interest in the open-wheeled Lotus Seven’s. As it turns out by the time I read Peter Egan’s words Westfield had stopped making the Elevens. After doing some searching I was also finding out that even the Westfield replicas were fetching top dollar, and my hopes of ever owning an Eleven were dashed once again.

That is until about two years ago when I received a very anonymous email from a lotus website that I was a member of. It simply stated that if I was interested in a Westfield Eleven kit I should send an email to the address provided. Naturally I sent out an email and within one month’s time a received a glossy brochure announcing the rebirth of the Westfield Eleven. I was ecstatic. The Eleven wasn’t cheap, but the fact that it was in production again gave me hope that I could some day by my own kit and build the little Lotus knock-off myself. I know it’s not the real thing, but I can actually drive the piss out of the Westfield and not feel guilty that I’m hurting a rare 80,000 dollar piece of racing history.


Westfield Eleven, front view.

This is how Westfield describes their kit:
“A performance road car based upon the same legendary Westfield chassis with front independent wishbones and rear five link with four trailing arms and panard rod, Westfield’s range of Performance Road Cars provide a unique combination of traditional sports car style with the best of modern design and technology with a wide choice of power options.”

The kits still use some components from MG (rear-end, engine and gearbox) just like the original Westfield’s, and the body work is composite, not alloy like a real Eleven, but it looks like a complete, well thought out, high-quality package. The Westfield can be ordered in kit form or as a rolling chassis with prices starting around $17,000. That does not include any running gear so some additional costs need to be factored into the equation. While this is pricey, I would still rather drive the Eleven then a new Miata or Saturn Sky, which both cost a lot more. I guess it’s a matter of personal preference, but I’m still hoping that someday I can bring home my own Eleven to live out my racer fantasies.

-Bill Mertz

Lotus, Lotus Eleven, Lotus 11, Westfield Eleven, Westfield Seven, sports car, race car, kit car, MG