April Art Show / Contest- Sport Compact Killers
 

I often wonder what it would've been like wandering the streets as a teenager in 1970 rather than being born that year. I'll bet there were muscle cars everywhere. Today, my kids have to look at mostly sport compacts roaming the streets. Admitantly some of these cars are pretty bad, in particular I've seen some wicked low key (no stupid wanna be race car stickers everywhere) looking Subarus that sound totally killer and with it's turbo 4 banger would walk all over my daily driver with it's big inch small block. There's also a guy in my muscle car club with a plain yellow turbo Dodge Neon that runs 11's off the bottle. There's something to these cars- light weight, tight suspensions and short wheel bases that handle well, great gas mileage and in some cases really decent power.

Since we all love older cars, pro-touring treatment and lots of muscle, wonder what we could come up with for a muscle car inspired OLD SCHOOL sport compact? Every American manufacturer had some sort of compact back in the day- Chevy Vegas and Monzas, AMC Gremlins, Ford Pintos and Mustang II's, Plymouth Arrows, and all their cousins like a Mercury Bobcat, Olds Starfire, etc. Each of these cars came standard with rear wheel drive, a 4 cyl, lightweight, smaller wheel bases, and mysteriously everyone of them easily could fit a small block in the engine bay.

For April, lets all create the ultimate sport compact street fighter- American muscle that can pull off quick e.t.'s in the 1/4, slot car handling, and good cross country mileage. Be sure to include the basics of how you'd build it to accomplish all of this. Please only limit this one to cars that were originally small compact cars, REAR wheel drive and a 4 cyl. was an option. (Your are not limited to keeping the 4 cyl in your design!) Try to stay away from mid size cars like a 4 cyl Fox body Mustang or some earlier cars like a 63 Nova with a 4 cyl.

Posting will be open on the 1st Friday and Saturday in April, the 3rd and 4th. Keep in mind that if you just want to participate in the show post up anything, but only theme car art will qualify for the contest. Good luck, let's see what ya got!

Some inspiration...

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...3218358_pr.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...rs/opel-gt.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l...ars/77capr.jpg

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/l..._cover_001.jpg

Thanks for pointing me here from Motorburg!

Here's my entry! It's 4cyl and RWD, right? hehe

http://www.hrkmedia.com/images/courier.jpg


This was done as a promo piece for Truckin' a few years back. The blurbage:

Leave a '78 Ford Courier alone with a DTM Ford Focus and-bow-chica-bow-bow-you get a Retro Racing Beast. To paraphrase Kristina: This concept embodies her fascination with minitrucks and road racing.

The drivetrain includes a built Cosworth Duratec block punched out to 2.5L, with custom cams and a billet crank. Add an equal-length twin-scroll turbo manifold with GT3071R dual ball-bearing turbos, breathing through a stainless 3-inch exhaust system, plus a Cosworth dry-sump oiling system and custom ECU, then bolt on a Viper-spec, heavy-duty T56 six-speed tranny and custom aluminum driveshaft. After that, you'll hit those late apexes with confidence on a front tubular suspension and rear IRS from an early '90s BMW, with KW Variant 3 coilovers on all four corners and sway bars with adjustable end links.

The braking came courtesy of Wilwood, with a six-piston front, four-piston rear setup that includes manual bias control in the cab. Over the brakes are lightweight forged OZ Racing wheels shod with appropriate R-compound tires. Let's not forget the interior: Sparco seats, harnesses, and steering wheel, a complete NASA-spec cage, and full-digital instrumentation. Did I mention the custom aero-friendly bodywork? You'll need plenty of downforce to chase down the big guys at the next Time Attack!

Is this aimed at only american 70's sport compacts or can we do foreign 70's sport compacts and throw in an american drivetrain???

-John

I researched that Opel GT yesterday and found that it was distributed by Buick in the US but it was widely available in Europe. That in itself kinda opens this up. It'd be cool if you could use an American car we're all familiar with but then again the whole idea behind this is to inspire all of us, artists and car builders alike, to think outside the box for the next build. I've seen some pretty sweet potential projects from across the sea, so I'm game.

Let's say this- with all due respect, (and I love Datsun 210's) lets' avoid Japanese products, even the cool old ones, as we're trying to design a car that will put the modern day Japanese imports that fill the streets to shame with classic American or maybe even European styling. Stick with American drivetrain products we're all familiar with. Also be sure it was available rear drive (for ease of chassis re-working) and had a 4 cyl as an option.

How about this too, lets all post a photo of what a stock version of the car you're doing looks like along with your rendering, so if it is a car we're not familiar with we can become so. :thumbsup:

I know it's early... but I figured what the hell....

Alrighty, then... so I watched "The Man With the Golden Gun" a few weeks back... and then Ben announced a Sport Compact Killer contest... soooo..... while researching another project, keeping up with a loaded project board, and generally playing while I should be sleeping... I developed this:

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g.../xhornetmb.jpg

An AMC Hornet, with a twin-turbo 360... why not? I grafted in the center hood section from a new Challenger, cleaned up some trim, drilled the front bumper (and molded and tucked it), added a chin spoiler, splitters, added lower driving lights for those Mulholland sprint sessions, and used the factory front parking light openings to feed the turbos. It's slammed on a tube chassis with a full cage, and wears some fitting bright yellow w/black accents... Oh, and why not some import tuner-style wheels while we're twisting the knife a bit?

Hope ya dig it.

...and here's Bond's ride for reference:

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...xhornetmbb.jpg

That thing is bada$$ Brian! I love it. Great movie too!

Man, I hope I can get some time to actually enter something for this contest. I always miss it and there have been some great ones.

Brian,
That AMC is bad ass!!! Someone needs to build that car. Great design on a very unsuspecting vehicle. Very Cool!!!

Thanks, Ben... fun little car, and even though that movie gets a little hokey, it's an AMC-fest.

Josh-- thanks, man! These cars have some slick lines, a lot of potential, and respond very well to a number of treatments. Thanks for the kind comments, guys.

I like both the hornet is just wicked and the courier is bada$$.

I wish I had more of a drawing talent, mine are rudimentary at best. How about a station wagon as a monthly contest.

Tim

Only two days to go everyone! Woohoo! Remember posting closes midnight pacific time Saturday, let's see whatya got!!