Jalopnik: Project Cars

Remember the BMW M5 Ute? Time for a Progress Report

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:45:00 EST

It's been quite a while since we brought you coverage of the greatest ute project the world has ever seen. The Postfather himself first broke the M5 Ute way back in December 2006, but in the interim, work has been steadily progressing. As it currently stands, the bed and tailgate have been fabricated, all the sheet metal refitted, cabin enclosed, massive new wheels fitted, and all the necessary electronic gadgetry relocated under a Ridgeline-like bed trunk thing. It looks like they may even be playing with the idea of some kind of aftermarket hood. We can't wait for this thing to be done so we can witness joygasm-inducing Bruce-amino burnouts. What's that you say? Video tour of the car below the fold? Don't mind if I do.

[M5Ute.com]

SEMA 2007: Lowrider Camry Project Car Hits Flickr Ahead Of SEMA

Ray Wert — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:00:00 EDT

While not quite as big a project car reveal as say, Popular Hot Rodding's "Project X" car, we're fairly sure the folks at Lowrider were probably hoping to keep their project car off the radar until their big reveal of the pimped-out Camry come SEMA show-time. Who are we kidding, they totally would love the attention. Lucky for them, some shots managed to make their way on to Flickr, and then make their way here. So, here it is in a set of not-quite-ready for prime time shots below. [via Flickr]

Project Car Hell: Fiat or Austin-Healey?

Murilee Martin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:30:17 EDT

Not being content with a fleet consisting of a couple of reliable 90s beaters, I've been itching to take on a fun car project of some sort. So, I've been scanning the Craigslist car listings, looking for just the right starting point. Lots of interesting stuff can be had for cheap, but I've played this game long enough to know that what starts out as a "fun" project can become an inescapable quagmire...

Thing is, having an obscure and/or oddball car is great... but impossible-to-find parts and undiagnosable mechanical woes give you a one-way ticket to Crazy Town. So that brings up today's Choose Your Eternity poll: We have two cars on Craigslist that we're pretty sure most Jalopzoids would consider cool, each can be had for $1000 or less, and each would be total freakin' nightmares to repair and maintain on a reasonable budget. The question is, which one would drive you crazier?

First off, we have this 1971 Fiat 500, available for the reet price of only $800! Yes, you'll have the Sophia Loren lookalikes kidney-punching each other as they vie for a ride in your dashing little Italian machine... provided you could actually make it work! Oh yeah, you'll have to fabricate a few things...
But what if you're the smooth-talking British-sports-car type with a preference for Japanese power? This 20R-powered '67 Austin-Healey Sprite can be yours for the low, low price of $1000! Was the engine swap done right? How about the electrical system? Hey, finding out is part of the fun!

Nothing Leftamino

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:30:00 EDT

As far as we could tell this was at one time a final generation g-body Chevrolet El Camino. At first we were left melancholy by its picked over state, but then realized that its parts soldier on in what are likely many a 'minos still on the road. Either that or some hoon shoehorned the drivetrain into a Chevette, or similar. – Mike Bumbeck

All Caminos, All the Time [Internal]

Finnish F-Body: The Tax-Dodge Camaromino

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:44:09 EDT

The Finns are awesome. We only know a paltry handful of them personally, but their ingenuity with a hack saw and prowess with a rally car totally make up for the bland food, meager sunlight and high taxes. And if those are the worst things about Finland, it's still better than winter in New Hampshire (oh, but I kid the Hampshirians). But back to the country's fiscal policy. Our buddy Matti hipped us to a tax loophole that brought the law of unintended consequences to bear on a helpless mid-80s Camaro Berlinetta.

During the 80's the curious vehicle classification and taxation laws in Finland lead to a situation where someone figured that a GM F-body could be turned into a pick-up truck and therefore receive a tax exempt status.

Thus, some enterprising folk of the north country created this Camaromino. The builders have retained the Camaro's fastback c-pillars, augmenting them to become flying buttresses supporting this Finnish redneck cathedral. May the Finns always have weird taxes and plenty of imported cars. If not for their benefit, at least for our own amusement. – Mike Spinelli

26 All-Too-Tempting Basket Cases!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:30:00 EST

While Bumbeck's feverishly searching for sub-$1000 post-apocalyptic project cars on Craigslist LA, I do the same on the San Francisco CL listings. This listing has been around for a while; I suspect the slightly-steep prices are subject to negotiation by now. So far I haven't called the guy, in spite of the fact that the cars are located within thrown-rod distance of me, because I keep telling myself — with decreasing conviction — that I can't take on some impossible-to-find-parts-for car project. But, in the name of all we hold holy, imagine having a '56 Ford Mainline with a 460 plucked out of a junked Continental! You could knock the ladies dead by saying "Wait here, dollface, I'll pick you up in my Mainline." Or a '47 DeSoto with suicide doors? Or, also in the name of all we hold holy, a '54 Hillman Minx? – Murilee Martin

26 Project Cars For Sale [craigslist]

Man Builds Ute: A Bimmermino Down Under

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 09:27:48 EST

Apparently, this project has been circling the M5 community for quite a while. It seems some aggro Australian bloke is recasting his BMW E39 M5 as an Aussie ute — they of the dusty continent having invented the car-pickup, arguably. Blasphemy, you say? Well, it depends on your concept of Bimmer purity, or your feelings for Australian culture. Anyhow, it's still a work in progress, but as of last month, he's gotten pretty far along. Click through, or don't. Your choice. [Thanks to Kevin for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

M5 Ute Conversion [M5Board.com]

DP Cars Update: We Have Chassis

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 09:56:53 EDT

Dennis Palatov and his cadre of motorsports engineers have been working feverishly on their DB1 adult go-kart since it was a mere cocktail-napkin sketch back in 2002. If you'll recall, Palatov dreamed up an all-wheel-drive, single seat track car, powered by a Suzuki Hayabusa engine and weighing in the sack-of-flour range. The team hit a milestone earlier this week, the exciting "driving the chassis in the parking-lot" stage. Palatov waxes philosophical:

A birth is an end of one process and a beginning of another. I have a lot of work ahead of me but I'm looking forward to it. Sometimes it's nice to have confirmaion that there just might be a method to my madness. For now the dp1 sits in the shop, resting. It was pointed out to me that it's a used car now. It's a good feeling.

Cue the theme from "Rocky." [Hat tip to wohho!]

The DP1 [DP Cars]

All Mod Cons: Swapping a 27-Liter Rolls-Royce Engine Into a Rover

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:27:39 EST

If this isn't the most ambitious undertaking since someone dug that ditch in Panama, we'll eat our copy of Wot? magazine. It's a photo essay of one man's bid to fit a 27-liter Rolls-Royce aero engine that once powered a Meteor tank into a Rover the size of, well, a Rover. Hilarity ensues. [Thanks to St3ph3n for the tip.]

PICS OF 27 LITRE ROLLS ROYCE METEOR ENGINE INSTALLATION [Pistonheads (Gassing Station)]