Tardza – The Recycled Porsche

Tardza is a unique short film about an unusual Porsche 911, nicknamed Tardza by its owner Pawel Kalinowski.

The car has a fascinating history, it belonged to a homeless man in Seattle who lived in it with his dog for many years, before crashing it one day and leaving it at a body shop to get the fender repaired.

He didn’t have the money for the repairs, and he had other debts, so the car was forfeited and ended up being bought by Kalinowski and shipped to Poland.

If you’re a member of the global vintage Porsche community you probably already know who Pawel is. For the uninitiated he’s the founder of Car Bone – one of the world’s leading suppliers of parts for custom vintage 911s, not to mention 356s, 914s, and many other models.

Tardza Custom Porsche 911 3

The story behind Tardza starts out tragic, the former owner was struggling with both drug addiction and homelessness, but in his previous life had been successful enough to have bought a 911.

After the car was bought by Kalinowski it became a community project of sorts, he made friends around the world who helped supply parts for the car and over time it’s been completely restored – all except for that front fender a memento from its former life.

As with most Car Bone projects the 911 wasn’t intended to be returned to factory condition, but rather to be rebuilt as an entirely unique car that pays homage to its own heritage.

Read more about Car Bone here

Tardza Custom Porsche 911 2

Tardza Custom Porsche 911 14

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Tardza Custom Porsche 911

Tardza Custom Porsche 911 1

Images: Bartek Kolaczkowski

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Lotus Europa Twin Cam Special – An Affordable Mid-Engined Classic

This is a Lotus Europa Special, arguably the most desirable version of the famous mid-engined sports car that helped establish the British automaker as a significant force in the world of sports car manufacturing.

Lotus And The Ford GT40 Program

What a lot of people don’t know is that the original design for the Europa was penned for Ford, in the hope that it would be chosen as the basis of the car that would become the Ford GT40 and go on to dominate the 24 Hours of Le Mans, trouncing Ferrari in the process.

As it played out Ford chose the Lola Mk 6, a similar design from a competing British company, and it would be Lola engineers that would work with Ford to create the now legendary GT40.

All wasn’t lost for Lotus however, the Europa would go on to become a mid-engined icon in its own right, and it would be the godfather of one of the most famous cars of the 20th century – the DeLorean DMC-12.

The Lotus Europa – An Affordable Mid-Engined Car

The project to develop the Europa kicked off in the mid-1960s. Colin Chapman’s Lotus Formula 1 Team was successfully making use of mid-engined cars and it was decided to bring this same architecture to the company’s road cars.

Lotus Europa Interior 2

Above Image: The interior of the Europa has seating for two, with excellent visibility for both the driver and passenger.

At the time Lotus was using a steel backbone chassis as the core of its road cars, this would then be fitted with a lightweight fiberglass body. The benefits of this were significant, it meant Lotus didn’t have to invest in expensive steel stamping equipment and it helped keep their cars as light as possible – a core tenet of Chapman’s “simplify then add lightness” philosophy.

Lotus had made good use of Ford engines and gearboxes in the past but this stopped with the release of the first Europa, possibly because they didn’t get the GT40 contract or perhaps because they were looking for reliable engine sources closer to home.

Chapman would eventually decide on using a modified version of the Renault 16 engine in the Europa, providing 82 hp at 6,000 rpm for the 610 kg (1,350 lb) car which was considered adequate at the time.

Both the buying public and the press were clamoring for more power and so later versions of the Europa were fitted with the superior Ford-based Lotus Twin Cam engine that was used in the Lotus Elan and the Lotus Cortina.

This Twin Cam Europa would first appear in 1971, power was appreciably increased, with 105 hp from its 1,557cc (1.6 litre) capacity. Though slightly heavier, the Twin Cam was a better engine in every regard and it transformed the Europa.

In 1972 the Europa Special would appear, this would be the final major iteration of the model, and it would feature the “Big Valve” version of the Twin Cam engine, now producing 126 bhp. This would be the fastest and arguably the most desirable version of the car, it’s capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds it has a top speed of 123 mph (198 km/h).

Lotus Europa Profile

Above Image: The unusual back end of the car holds the Twin Cam engine, with big valves in this instance, and a small luggage trunk.

When first released in 1972 the Big Valve Europa Special was painted in the John Player (a cigarette company) livery consisting of black with gold accents. This livery was chosen to emulate Lotus’ F1 cars which had clinched the 1972 Formula 1 World Championship.

The John Player livery became so popular that the original run of 100 cars was expanded to thousands, although the first cars are the only ones with the special numbered JPS plaque.

The Europa would leave production in 1975 to be replaced by the Lotus Esprit, though the two cars looks vastly different they shared very similar underpinnings.

The 1973 Lotus Europa Special Shown Here

The car you see here is a desirable 1973 Special, making it a Twin Cam “Big Valve” with 126 bhp. The car is wearing the now famous John Player Special livery and it’s presented in good original condition throughout with its original paint scheme and wheels in place.

With an estimated hammer price of €20,000 to €30,000 this car is an order of magnitude less expensive than other mid-engined cars from this era, and it offers that beautifully balanced handling with fine steering feel that Lotus cars are famous for.

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing on Bonhams, it’s due to roll across the auction block at the Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris on the 3rd of March.

Lotus Europa Twin Cam Engine

Lotus Europa Interior

Lotus Europa Back

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Lotus Europa 6

Lotus Europa 5

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Lotus Europa 2

Lotus Europa 1

Lotus Europa Twin Cam

Images courtesy of Bonhams

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380 bhp Ford Mustang-Based Batmobile – $27,800 to $41,800 USD

There are few cinema cars as famous as the Batmobile, and few Batmobiles (if any) that are as beloved as the Batmobile from the Tim Burton Batman films Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992).

The Tim Burton Batmobile was a stark departure to the Batmobiles that had come before it, it was a long, sleek design with a jet turbine engine running through the middle of it and a total length of 25 feet.

The Tim Burton Batmobile

First appearing in 1989 in Batman, this new Batmobile proved wildly popular with fans. It was designed by conceptual illustrator Julian Caldow and it was built by Keith Short in collaboration with Eddie Butler.

The vehicle used a significantly modified Chevrolet Impala chassis, two were built for use on screen – one of which can be seen at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and the other is in a private collection.

Road Legal Batmobile 7

Above Image: The cockpit has a sliding canopy and seating for two. The vehicle is right-hand drive and there are plenty of gauges to keep the driver occupied.

As is the case with essentially all famous cinema cars, people quickly got to work building replicas. As with all replicas the quality varied wildly, but one of the most popular was made by Z Cars in the United States.

Using a Ford Mustang donor car the fiberglass body was moulded in several parts, and it was fitted to the new spaceframe chassis. The wheelbase was extended significantly – the 1965 Ford Mustang has a wheelbase of 108 inches and the new body requires a wheelbase of over 140 inches.

As you would expect the original drivetrain was kept in place for most of these builds, the complications of running an actual turbine engine are significant after all, as Jay Leno can best explain.

These Batmobile replicas have proven popular with the general public and they’re always a huge hit at car shows, owners explain that even stopping for fuel usually turns into a 30 minute event of explaining how they ended up owning a Batmobile and allowing people to take pictures with it.

The Batmobile Shown Here

The Batmobile you see here is believed to be one of those builds from Z Cars, there is a little mystery surrounding it, but we do know that it’s fitted with a 380 bhp Chevrolet 5.7 litre small block V8.

Road Legal Batmobile 11

Above Image: As the car is actually powered by a 380 bhp V8 the front “jet intake” is actually more of a cold air intake.

The interior of the car is well-equipped, it has two seats and it appears to have a manual transmission. The car is right-hand drive and there are a plethora of switches, gauges, and lights that’ll take some getting used to.

The reason there isn’t much information on the car is because it’s being offered for sale on the instruction of a high court ruling. The car was first registered in the UK for road use in January 2012 as a 1965 Ford.

It’s currently not registered however the process of getting it back to road-registered status in the UK shouldn’t be particularly complicated – though any buyer would need to research this for themselves.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual car or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing. The estimated hammer price is between £20,000 to £30,000 (approximately $27,800 to $41,800 USD) which seems rather reasonable given the obvious desirability of having your own Batmobile – through it may not fit in your garage given its length of 22 feet.

Road Legal Batmobile

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Road Legal Batmobile 3

Road Legal Batmobile

Road Legal Batmobile 2

Images courtesy of Bonhams

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Land Rover Defender V8 – The Perfect Defender 90?

The marriage of the Land Rover Defender and the ubiquitous 3.5 litre Rover V8 first occurred in the 1980s when it was first offered as an engine option from the factory. It would be the most powerful engine factory-fitted to the Defender (or earlier Series Land Rovers) up until that point in history.

Although not as economical as the diesel options, and not as cheap to run as the smaller petrol engine, the Rover V8 was as close to perfect for the Defender as any engine could be.

The Rover V8 is an all-alloy engine so it doesn’t add weight over the front axle compared to the original iron block engine, in fact its slightly lighter depending on final configuration at 170 kgs (370 lbs) vs 205 kgs (450 lbs). The improved performance when the V8 is mated to a 5-speed gearbox also gives the Defender the ability to comfortably cruise at modern highway speeds without sounding like the conrods could shoot through the block at any moment.

The Rover V8 was never as popular with buyers as the diesel and smaller petrol engine options and as a result they’re reasonably rare now – and much in demand. It’s become increasingly common for people restoring Defenders (and Series Land Rovers) to fit the Rover V8 and mate it up to a more modern 5-speed gearbox – transforming the vehicle in the process.

Of course the mileage will never be as good but the instant throttle response and huge torque increase help significantly with any serious off-roading.

Land Rover Defender Dashboard

Above Image: This Defender benefits from a restored interior with new upholstery, door cards, and a tasteful wood rimmed steering wheel.

As the classic car world becomes increasingly aware of vintage 4x4s we’re seeing far more interest paid to them, and as a result an entire industry has grown in recent years to restore, modify, and improve them.

The Defender you see here has been comprehensively restored, all body panels have been replaced with the exception of the front wings and rear tub. Unusually this car has had both a refurbishment, and later a full restoration, the latter taking place at the workshops of Vintage Reborn.

Unusually this vehicle has been fitted with a Land Rover Puma-generation bonnet and “Series” doors – as these come with removable tops that better suit top-down driving.

It’s now finished in the Ferrari hue of Rosso Rubino with black trim items including the stainless-steel front grille, headlight guards and chequer plate panels which are fitted to the sills and the tops of the front wings.

The new black fabric hood was supplied by Land Rover specialist Exmoor Trim, it’s fitted to a heavy-duty frame, and the car also comes with a new bikini hood for the summer months. The Defender is now riding on a set of new 16-inch steel wheels fitted with chunky Goodyear Wrangler tires.

Land Rover Defender V8 Engine

Above Image: The Rover V8 is approximately 34 kgs or 75 lbs lighter than the more common iron block four cylinder engine.

Inside you’ll find that the three seats have been fully re-trimmed in fluted black leather with red stitching, it also has a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and in the rear, folding benches provide additional seating for up to four passengers.

In order to provide modern security the car is fitted with a Category 5 tracker with digital app controls, and the rear heater element has also been converted to function as a discreet engine isolator switch.

The Rover V8 and the 5-speed transmission have been restored, the vehicle also benefits from a full disc-brake conversion – a smart upgrade given the added power. If you’d like to read more about this Defender or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing, it’s currently on Collecting Cars with three days left on the bidding at the time of writing.

Land Rover Defender 6

Land Rover Defender 2

Land Rover Defender 1

Land Rover Defender V8 Engine Swap

Land Rover Defender V8 1

Land Rover Defender Steering Wheel

Land Rover Defender Seats

Land Rover Defender Grille

Land Rover Defender Wheels

Land Rover Defender V8

Land Rover Defender

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

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