Such was the objective when General Motors began planning its mid-sized intermediate platform during the late 1970s. In fact, that was one of the reasons we gave it the 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year award: "It's in this category the bigger Passat really shines. In 1967 the rules changed to allow any engine but still no superchargers. ). Fiberglass automaker Kellison bought the moulds and rights to the Byers design and sold them in the 1960s, another company bought the rights to the SR-90. Two-door coupes will demand the most and Chevys will be the most sought after, but there are deals to be found. Not bad for a car with a 104.4-inch wheelbase. Wheelbase, track width, and differential measurements; You can edit this article right now. But the A-body had been designed and brought to market at a time of great change, and the timing of bringing such a large car to market had the ominous result of putting GM's brands at a disadvantage relative to the massive invasion of Japanese compacts that began hitting American shores in the mid-'70s. With no engine up front, five-passenger Model S sedans have 31.6 cubic feet of combined cargo area with the rear hatch and frunk. The 108-inch wheelbase GM G-body was a step below the full-sized 116-inch wheelbase B-body, which underpinned cars like the Chevy Caprice, Pontiac Bonneville, Oldsmobile 98, and Buick LeSabre. As it currently stands, there is only one car with a wheelbase shorter than the Cobra's: the tiny smart forTwo. By making the G-body's configuration as flexible as possible, many types of cars could be built from the G-body, including trailer-towing family haulers, performance machines, and luxury coupes. While some hardcore drag racers call out the G-body's rear suspension for its instability when faced with huge amounts of torque (aka the "G-body shuffle"), the design behaves in a drag environment quite favorably compared to stock leaf-spring and IRS set-ups. The Civic sedan has nearly 2 inches more legroom than the longer Chevrolet Cruze, as well. Edited by AgentZ on Thursday 24th October 18:10, Tomorrow I'll try and remember to search all the new-registered cars with 2540mm wheelbases and post them, but I can't do historic searches. Still, these were exciting years for Austin-Healey, especially once the little frogeye Sprite arrived in 1958 to take the marque into high-volume territory for the first time. There is also a lounge mode if you want to recline and watch a movie on the infotainment screen. It would be the only car that Bond would ever build himself from scratch. G-bodies are well supported by the mainstream parts pipeline, so you can order common parts like brake linings and ball joints from RockAuto.com and others for a million choices. (Looking for a G-body donor car to start with? These may have been virtually useless for anything except parcels, but they met the demands of the sales force. My 1966 Griffith 400 with 271HP 289 engine had a wheelbase of 88.5" and 15x185 mm tires. The full-size, based as it was on the F-series, was also bulldog wide79.3 inches for the '78. On the performance parts and NOS parts side, the news is also good, with several suppliers specializing in the G-body line such as GBodyParts.com, Dixie Restoration Depot, Original Parts Group, Kirban Performance Products (Buick Grand National), OldsParts.com (Hurst Olds and 4-4-2), and Ron's Classic Cutlass (Hurst Olds and 4-4-2). That it was also an agile, responsive, and unbelievably inexpensive car didnt hurt matters, either, and the Sprite retains a fond place in collectors hearts to this day. You may have seen them at county fairs the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos, leading to the name "silo-drome.". The Marauder X-100 was only equipped with the 360 hp (268 kW; 365 . It's therefore a smaller number than the car's full length, as measured from its front and rear end. If you could buy Tesla stock at $40 a share, you'd go back in time and do it, even if you know nothing about the stock market. The interior was re-trimmed with tan leather upholstery, 5 wire wheels with knock-off hubs were added, a side-mounted exhaust system was fitted, the front fenders were given vents and a discreet hood scoop was added to ensure plenty of fresh cool airflow. BMC saw the Austin-Healey as an integral part of their lineup, so when the firms engine strategy changed, it was clear that the big sports car would too. Auto engineers are a lot like hot rodders in that they have the same objectives: build it as inexpensively as possible, design it as lightweight as feasible, and make it as efficient as available technology can make it. Wheel Base Chart (Inside) 171478 Views 42 Replies 23 Participants Last post by bristolbaby62, 5 mo ago. In that time came Mark II, Convertible, and Mark III models, plus assorted running changes in engine, chassis, gearbox, and body construction. While all good things must come to an end, you can find out all about these beloved Austin-Healey cars in the following pages. The question is; is it fast Nope, it was the gasser class that the Anglias were excluded from. But autumn 1957 brought two important developments. Real World Hagerty Collector Car Insurance Claim Experience, How To Be Prepared For A Dyno Session And Not Waste Your Money, Holey Goat Father/Son Texas Road Trip 5 Days, and 2000+ Miles, Are You Killing The Hot Rod Community? Its successor, the Sprite Mark II of 1961 (also cloned for a new MG Midget), was much the same car with extra amenities and more conventional, square-rigged styling. Right now, wagons are particularly popular and the prices have not yet caught up. It was thus no surprise that the 100/4 became the Austin-Healey 100 Six in 1956. Although some vehicles feel smaller inside than their exterior presence would suggest, other vehicles are roomier inside than you might guess from their small exterior dimensions. In 1955 Byers went his own way, he created a new version of the Meteor SR-1 body and called it the SR-100. Maybe some of the other cars based on it did as well so a fair few. Alas, the Austin-Healey 100 Six was a disappointment in its first year or so of production. Much-modified Sprites, with front disc brakes, heated engines, and smoothed-out bodywork competed gamely but with distinction against far larger and more powerful machines at places like Sebring and Daytona. Smallest cars. The original car, built until the autumn of 1955, was coded (and is now colloquially known as) BN1. Drag Racing 101 ~ Everything You Need to Know! This module is attached to the passenger-side firewall and is easily yanked out for weight savings, leaving a ton of extra room for headers and spark plug access. Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more Silodrome 2023. all rights reserved. to four, including this 6-foot scribe in back. The original 1966 Ford Bronco was a tiny thing by modern standards, riding on a 92.0-inch wheelbase, standing 68.8 inches wide, and weighing 2880 pounds in U13 roadster trim. (Check out Eric Malone's big-block powered 1979 Chevy Malibu "Black Mamba," pictured above, from Fastest Cars in the Dirty South here.) Riding an 80-inch wheelbase, the Austin-Healey Sprite was tiny by the standards of its day (and ours, come to that) though larger and heavier than 1930s Midgets. In the 1960s this car had its original engine and transmission removed and replaced with a more modern Ford 302 cubic inch V8 sourced from a 1968 Ford Mustang and paired with a 3-speed manual transmission. It would be the last time that a domestic automaker would use a rear-drive layout on which to build a perimeter-frame, rear-drive intermediate passenger car platform, and herein lies the G-body's beauty (at least to hot rodders!). Copyright 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. VooDoo Larry created a really great flow on the chop on this one. BMW X5 Chrysler Pacifica Ford Explorer Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Coupe Lamborghini Urus Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE-Class Rolls-Royce Phantom Volvo XC90 Buick Enclave Tesla Model X. The GM G-body employs a triangulated four-link, coil-spring, live-axle rear suspension that is an improvement over leaf-spring designs. In addition to the superior legroom, the Honda Civic's flat rear floor contributes to a feeling of openness and more room for the middle passenger's feet. Like the Honda Fit, the Nissan Versa Note is roomier than expected from its exterior appearance. Jim, Cobra Make, Engine: scratch built 289 eclectic mix of fia/ussrc/early comp, Cobra Make, Engine: Superformance, Ford 521 Ted Taormina build, 94.50 Ferrari 250 GT SWB (short wheel base). Despite its compact dimensions, the Fiat 500 has more usable space than expected. No-- anything under 100" was required to have suspension. Privacy Policy. The Byers SR-100 you see here was built on a 1953 Kaiser Henry J chassis, its powered by a Ford302 cubic inch (5.0 liter) Ford V8 which is mated to a 3-speed manual transmission. M. mudslinger99 . But by then, BMC faced new U.S. safety and emission regulations and decided that modifying the Big Healey to meet them wasnt worth the money. Engine, Transmission, Chassis Swap Donor Vehicle Look-Up. Roughly the same exterior dimensions as the Chevrolet Trax, the Fiat 500L hatchback offers similar interior dimensions. "Austin-Healey" When ordering your Byers SR-100 you would typically speak with Jim Byers directly, modifications could be made to the body when needed before shipment. Jim Byers joined the fast-growing kit car world in 1952 when he got his start working on the first fiberglass Victress body, a handsome design that had been created by industry pioneers Doc Boyce-Smith and Hugh Jorgensen. by: Alittle1, Cobalt327, Deuce, Eloc431962, Joe padavano, Jon, Matt167, Schnitz, Sprecher48(Click here to edit this page anonymously, or register a username to be credited for your work. That damn 26 car was fast till he forgot he was on asphalt and tried to find the cusion in turn 1. 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While some hardcore drag racers call out the G-body's rear suspension for its instability when faced with huge amounts of torque (aka the "G-body shuffle"), the design behaves in a drag environment quite favorably compared to stock leaf-spring and IRS set-ups. Today, this means there is a brand, model, and style of G-body for every taste and every budget. Since these cars have only been out of service for a short time (less than 20 years in most cases) used parts are in better condition and their sheer numbers mean prices are still affordable. . The Morris Minor 1000 donated its rack-and-pinion steering, while the Sprites 4-speed gearbox, firmed-up front suspension, and venerable BMC A-series four-cylinder engine came from the Austin A35. 6 cubic feet). I know people that either have or, have had the below cars as street cars. Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. See all 30 photos. Originally packing a 426 Max Wedge, Chrysler 4-speed manual transmission, and standard 111-inch wheelbase before getting its own funny car makeover, Sharkey's home-brewed creation (also born a . American enthusiasts were quick to support this lively, attractive machine, firmly establishing Austin-Healeys reputation. At 152.1 inches long, its about a foot and a half shorter than a Toyota Yaris. Short wheelbase cars are more susceptible to the effects of bad design [eg bump steer, and rear roll steer] and the camber and toe need . That cheap wheels can inspire such long-lived affection may be surprising, but then, the Bugeye was much more than the sum of its humble parts. Subcompact cars from 160 to 167 inches long. That doesn't sound like much, but we were able to take four adults to lunch, including a 6-foot tall staff member in the back seat. Ever since the first-generation Honda Fit arrived on U.S. shores, the subcompact hatchback has been wowing buyers with its innovative "Magic Seat." I just want to know if anybody knows of a website that has this information so I know what kind of donner car I will need. Even though GM's engineers were shooting for low mass and great fuel economy with the G-body, they still planned for the intermediate to swallow every engine in the general's line-up, including the 454ci big-block Chevy which was never officially offered. At a hair over 12 feet long (144.4 inches), the Fiat 500 has 40.7 inches of front legroom and 31.7 inches of rear legroom. It didnt seem to handle as well either, and somehow came off as less of a sports car than its predecessors. Ever build himself from scratch in back of a sports car 100 inch wheelbase cars its predecessors so production... 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