| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| arrocuda |
Posted - 03 May 2010 : 22:12:51
Hi.... I'm working on a project car that started out as a straight 'resto' and then ended up customising the '71 Rapier into a car that may well have looked along the lines of how it might have been had Chrysler decided to develop the Rapier. After all, Ford developed the Capri, as did Opel with their Manta model.... is too bad Chrysler didn't have the same foresight with the Rapier.
It has often been remarked that the Rapier bears a close resemblance to the '65 Plymouth Barracuda but, I prefer the styling of the '67 model so..... I set out on a 'what might have been' mission to change the outward exterior along the lines of the later Barracuda. Is too much to mention here so I'll root out some pics and put a build thread together in the 'restoration' section. Then..... I'll take cover as all the purists 'flame' me for my sacrilegious actions.  The car isn't finished yet but is coming along and is getting to the point where you can see roughly how it's going to turn out, just a refabricated boot lid needed to complete the body work mods.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| bigt80 |
Posted - 09 May 2010 : 20:42:31
Just to say Hi & welcome to the forum. Hope you find some info & help here. No probs with mods by me. It's good to have standard cars & concours cars, but they were made for driving & enjoying, so anything to make them more useable in a modern environment is all to the good in my book. Derek is the man for mods, so sure you'll find some help & advice there. Look forward to seeing some pics up here soon too. Cheers. G.
quote:
Originally posted by arrocuda
Hi.... I'm working on a project car that started out as a straight 'resto' and then ended up customising the '71 Rapier into a car that may well have looked along the lines of how it might have been had Chrysler decided to develop the Rapier. After all, Ford developed the Capri, as did Opel with their Manta model.... is too bad Chrysler didn't have the same foresight with the Rapier.
It has often been remarked that the Rapier bears a close resemblance to the '65 Plymouth Barracuda but, I prefer the styling of the '67 model so..... I set out on a 'what might have been' mission to change the outward exterior along the lines of the later Barracuda. Is too much to mention here so I'll root out some pics and put a build thread together in the 'restoration' section. Then..... I'll take cover as all the purists 'flame' me for my sacrilegious actions. The car isn't finished yet but is coming along and is getting to the point where you can see roughly how it's going to turn out, just a refabricated boot lid needed to complete the body work mods.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda').
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| arrocuda |
Posted - 07 May 2010 : 21:47:50
Thanks for the info Derek. Like I said.... there's never been a plan but now I've decided to stick with the original power unit I've a feeling that this forum is going to be a regular haunt for me. As I mentioned earlier, unlike my other cars, this car is going to be LPG only. I have found dual fueling to be too much of a compromise with past cars.... so high compression is preferred. Will burn the gas more efficiently and being higher octane is ok for turbocharging without the usual low compression pistons.
A custom manifold may well be the way to go though!  Might just check out Coltec too!
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
| 1922 |
Posted - 07 May 2010 : 13:29:55
The 1725 is quitetuneable. I have a 130bhp 1840cc built by Holbay and a 1922cc (not yet assembled) also by Holbay (now called Coltec) that might get me 150+bhp.
The standard engine is 9.2 to 1 compression so you might not be able to run a lot of boost. The standard head doesn't breathe too well, but it can be modified. I suggest you give Richard at Coltec a call (see http://www.coltecracing.com/contact.html). Nice bloke and knows his stuff.
I think at the very least you will need one of Coltec's special head gaskets.
London Stainless Steel do Rapier H120 exhausts (4 - 2 - 1). I got one made by them (years ago) in 2" pipe.
Derek
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| arrocuda |
Posted - 05 May 2010 : 14:10:12
Hi 1922... had a Nissan CA18ET turbo engine in mind for the motive power cos I've got one in the garage going to waste, but then I saw this......
I was going to swap the pistons out of the Nissan engine for ones from a non turbo unit cos I am planning to run the car on LPG only. Then I thought maybe I should just put a high lift cam in the 1725cc engine and exchange the exhaust for an S5 alpine one and pop a turbo on the original engine and see how it goes.
I contacted Bob the Holbay specialist at Ginetta Heritage and got some advice from him as to the best way to go about it, but although I've gathered the bits I need, I haven't built the engine yet. Transmission limitations are the only drawback, but I might end up swapping the gearbox and final drive out yet. I don't really have a plan.
Building the '2nd series' fastback Rapier ('Arrocuda'). |
| 1922 |
Posted - 05 May 2010 : 13:12:10
They are a few modified cars in the club, though with most it's just a set of alloys, some also are rather faster than they used to be.
Look forward to seeing the pictures. |
