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Freshly Built: A Skyline GT-R Powered Datsun 240Z Race Car

This is unquestionably one of the most extreme examples of the Datsun 240Z that we’ve ever featured on Silodrome – it has a sew of upgrades, and it’s now powered by a turbocharged RB26 Nissan Skyline GT-R engine.

This 240Z was recently built in Sydney, Australia and it’s yet to be raced. Shakedown testing is complete and it now has just 80 kms on the odometer. It’s now been listed for sale online, and the lucky new owner will be the first to drive it in anger.

Fast Facts – A GT-R Powered Datsun 240Z Race Car

The Datsun 240Z was released in 1969, it quickly became one of the most enduringly popular Japanese sports cars of all time. Even today over 50 years later it’s still being referenced by modern members of the Z car family.
Inspiration for the 240Z was said to have been taken from popular European sports cars of the time, like the Porsche 911 and the Jaguar E-Type. The production 240Z would be far less expensive but no less fun to drive.
The original 240Z was followed by the 260Z, 280Z, 280ZX, 300ZX, 350Z, 370Z, and the newly launched Nissan Z.
The car you see here has been completely rebuilt for racing with a GT-R engine, six-speed sequential PPG transmission, fiberglass and carbon fiber body panels, adjustable coil over suspension, a full roll cage, and much more.

The Datsun 240Z

When it was introduced in 1969 as a 1970 model, the Datsun 240Z proved almost immediately popular in the markets where it was offered. It combined the sports car styling of the era combined with an affordable price tag, and perhaps most importantly, it was fun to drive.

This highly-modified 240Z is now fitted with a turbocharged RB26 Nissan Skyline GT-R engine. In stock trim this engine is capable of 276 hp at 6,800 rpm and 260 lb ft of torque at 4,400 rpm.

Power was provided by the Datsun L24 straight-six, a 2.4 liter engine with a single overhead cam operating two valves per cylinder. Power was good by the standards of the time, with 151 bhp at 5,600 rpm and 146 ft lbs of torque at 4,400 rpm.

Power was fed back to the rear wheels via either a four of five-speed manual transmission, or through the far rarer (optional) three-speed automatic. Suspension was independent front and rear, with MacPherson struts and an anti-sway bar up front, and Chapman struts in the rear.

Rack and pinion was standard on all 240Zs and the car was fitted with front disc brakes and rear drums, a fairly standard arrangement for the era. With a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h) and a 0 – 60 mph time of 8.0 seconds, the performance received glowing reviews in the motoring magazines of the time.

The Racing History Of The 240Z

The 240Z proved immediately successful in the world of motorsport, it won the SCCA C Production national title in 1970 and 1971.

The Datsun 240Z proved successful in motorsport, surprising many when it went on to win the SCCA C Production national title in 1970 and 1971. Image courtesy of Nissan.

A slew of other race wins followed on tracks and rally stages around the world, including a popular win in the 1973 East African Safari Rally with driver Shekhar Mehta and co-driver Lofty Drews in the cockpit.

The racing successes of the 240Z and the Datsun 510 were a catalyst for the rise of the Japanese import performance parts industry – now a global multi-million dollar industry.

The Datsun 240Z Race Car Shown Here

The 240Z you see here has been thoroughly rebuilt for race track dominance.

The original 2.4 liter Nissan engine has been removed and replaced with an all new drivetrain headed by a turbocharged RB26 Nissan Skyline GT-R engine mated to a six-speed sequential PPG transmission.

The interior has been fully rebuilt for racing, it has twin Recaro seats with harnesses, a full roll cage, a Momo steering wheel, a hydraulic handbrake, a sequential shifter, a fire suppression system, and OMP switch gear.

Many of the original steel body panels have bee removed and replaced with fiberglass and carbon fiber panels, and a Pandem Rocket Bunny wide body kit has been fitted.

It’s now riding on a set of 18 inch bronze RAYS alloy wheels fitted with Hankook Z221 tires, and it has race-spec Alcon disc brakes fitted front and back. Fully adjustable coilover suspension has also been fitted at each end, and the car has been professionally corner weighted.

The interior now has two racing Recaro seats with harnesses fitted, as well as a full roll cage, a fire suppression system, a hydraulic handbrake, a Momo steering wheel, and OMP switchgear.

The car is now being offered for sale in a live online auction by Collecting Cars out of Sydney, Australia. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post Freshly Built: A Skyline GT-R Powered Datsun 240Z Race Car appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/skyline-gt-r-powered-datsun-240z/
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For Sale: The 1957 Custom Ford Fairlane 500 “White Pearl”

This is the 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 that was modified by legendary East Coast custom car builder John North. He bought the car new and immediately began the rebuild process, naming it “White Pearl” when it was completed.

The car featured prominently in period publications including Rod & Custom, Car Craft, and Hot Rod Magazine, it was later owned by rock star Gene Pitney, who apparently drove it to some of his concerts.

Fast Facts – The “White Pearl” Fairlane 500

This 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 was bought new by East Coast customizer John North, he rebuilt it into a custom car that would become famous from coast to coast named the “White Pearl.”
The White Pearl is powered by its original E-Code 270 bhp 312 cubic inch V8, fitted with double four-barrel carburetors and mated to a 3-speed manual transmission.
The bodywork and interior have been significantly modified over the stock car, in later years it became a popular part of the Bortz Auto Collection where it has been on display for over 15 years.
The car is now being offered for sale in a live online auction with RM Sotheby’s. The price guide is $50,000 – $60,000 USD, which puts it well into affordable territory for a car with history like this.

John North

John North has been called the “George Barris of the East Coast,” a reference to the legendary West Coast custom car builder who created a slew of iconic cars including the original Batmobile, the Starsky and Hutch car, the Dukes of Hazzard car, the Knight Rider car and many others.

The entire body has been customized from front to back along with the interior, and the taillights have been reshaped into teardrops.

While John North’s profile never reached those lofty heights he did build a strong fanbase for his technically sophisticated custom car builds, the most famous of which is the White Pearl.

The 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 “White Pearl”

Far from being just a show car, the White Pearl is a genuine performer. The “E-Code” 312 cubic inch Y-block Ford V8 under the hood is the same engine that was fitted to the first generation Ford Thunderbird.

In this application the engine is fitted with double four-barrel carburetors and it’s said to make 270 bhp – a significant figure for the late 1950s. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 3-speed manual transmission, also the same unit used in the Thunderbird.

This is the car’s original 312 cubic inch Y-block Ford V8, the same engine fitted to the first generation Ford Thunderbird. This one is fitted with double four-barrel carburetors and it produces 270 bhp.

John North was known for his gold scalloping and the White Pearl certainly features this in abundance. He also added “Lakes” side pipes running alongside the recrafted rocker panels, and taillight lenses recontoured into a distinctive teardrop shape.

A handmade handcrafted tubular grille is fitted up front and the front and rear badges were removed, and the rear bumper was removed in favor of chrome nerf bars. The suspension was also lowered to give the car a more purposeful stance.

Inside you’ll find white tuck-and-roll upholstery throughout – including the seats, dashboard, doors, and carpets. Interestingly a faux television was installed in there dashboard, a futuristic concept at the time but decades later the installation of screens into dashboards is an industry norm.

As a nod to the future, John North installed a faux TV into the dashboard. Decades later and modern versions of the dashboard screen would be fitted to almost every car in production.

John North would sell this car directly to rock star Gene Pitney, an American singer-songwriter and musician who charted 16 top 40 hits in the United States.

He wrote the songs “Hello Mary Lou,” “He’s a Rebel,” “Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa,” “I’m Gonna Be Strong,” “It Hurts To Be In Love,” “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart,” and many others.

Pitney would apparently drive himself in this car to concerts, no doubt attracting plenty of attention from fellow motorists along the way.

White Pearl is now being offered for sale by RM Sotheby’s in a live online auction, the price guide is $50,000 – $60,000 USD and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.

Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The post For Sale: The 1957 Custom Ford Fairlane 500 “White Pearl” appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/ford-fairlane-500-white-pearl/
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Classic Racing F1sh – An Unusual Print Series By Jay Cassells

Classic Racing F1sh is a series of poster prints and a book by Jay Cassells that showcases his highly unusual series of illustrations of famous Formula 1 cars as fish. It’s a concept that sounds strange on the face of it but works surprisingly well in practice.

The artist Jay Cassells is perhaps better known by his nom de plume “Jake Hassells,” which was given to him by a partner at a law firm where he worked many years ago.

Though trained and working as a lawyer, Cassells has made a name for himself as an artist and cartoonist, whose work has appeared in the The Bulletin, The Sydney Morning Herald, and a number of other publications.

Each of the illustrations features a real historic Formula 1 car that’s been given an aquatic makeover.

The book Classic Racing F1sh started out as a series of sketches done by Cassells for the entertainment of his young sons, it proved so popular with him he kept creating them.

The concept grew and soon enough he had a body of work sizable enough to release them as a series of high-end poster prints, not long after this he combined them all into a book – and thus Classic Racing F1sh was born.

Both the original prints and the book are now available to buy, due to the unusual nature of the work Cassells sells them on an as-requested basis so to get your hands on one you just need to send him an email, he’ll then get back to you with the specifics.

For those who are fans of both motor racing and angling, the Racing F1ish is just about the perfect acquisition – for the wall or the bookshelf.

Buy A Book – Buy A Print

The post Classic Racing F1sh – An Unusual Print Series By Jay Cassells appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/classic-racing-f1sh/
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The One-Off Caterham CSR GT – Developed By A Former Sauber F1 Designer

This is the Caterham CSR GT, it’s the only one that was ever built, and it was developed by a former Sauber F1 Team designer as a 21st century version of the iconic Caterham 7 sports car.

The Caterham 7 is a car that needs no introduction, it offers one of the purest driving experiences in the world and it’s been in constant production since 1957, when it started out as the Lotus Seven.

Fast Facts – The Caterham CSR GT

The Caterham CSR GT is a one-of-a-kind car designed on the Caterham CSR 200 platform. It was developed as a futuristic take on the core Caterham/Lotus 7 design, with a hardtop coupe body style making it ideal for use as a GT car.
The Caterham CSR 200 underpinnings remain largely unchanged, which is a good thing as the CSR was a significantly updated 7 design with an improved chassis, suspension, braking, and engine options.
The CSR 200 is capable of a 3.7 second 0-60 mph time, power is provided by a 2.3 Ford Cosworth engine that sends power to the rear wheels via a 6-speed gearbox.
The Caterham CSR GT is currently for sale in a live online auction, it has just 8,365 kms on the odometer, and it’s being sold out of Zurich, Switzerland.

The Caterham CSR 200

When the Caterham CSR 200 and its sister car, the CSR 260, were released in 2005 they represented the single biggest re-engineering of the 7 platform in its then almost 50 year history.

The Caterham CSR GT was designed as a futuristic take on the timeless styling of the Caterham 7, with a fixed hardtop for year-round motoring.

The CSRs had a newly designed chassis with uprated suspension, uprated brakes, an improved interior, and a drivetrain based around the high-performance dry sump Cosworth-tuned Duratec 2.3 liter inline-four cylinder engine.

Power is sent back through a 6-speed manual gearbox to the independently suspended rear wheels, and the car can manage the 0-60 mph dash in just 3.7 seconds.

Due to its low curb weight of just 575 kgs (1,268 lbs) and its high power-to-weight ratio, the CSR 200 is more than capable of trouncing many supercars on the road and on the track – despite the fact that it costs significantly less.

The Caterham CSR GT

The project to build the Caterham CSR GT started when the then-current Sauber F1 Team designer in Switzerland saw the new CSR 200 and decided to give it a modern exterior, to better suit its modern underpinnings.

The interior has cosy seating for two with alcantara upholstery, it’s left hand drive and it has a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox.

He sketched out a futuristic design with a hardtop coupe body style, integrated front and rear fenders, and fixed headlights that are integrated into the hood/bonnet.

The design doesn’t look like a Caterham 7/Lotus Seven type car when you first see it, though when you learn that it’s based on the 7 chassis the design begins to make a little more sense.

The interior is tastefully finished in blue with black alcantara, it’s left hand drive, and it has unusual scissor doors that open up and forwards.

Once the original design was completed the car was built in Switzerland by the H.M.C. Helvetic Motor Company, and the project was completed in 2013. The car now has just 8,365 kms on the odometer.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual Caterham or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

The auction is due to start soon (at the time of writing), and the price estimate is €25,000 – €70,000 which works out to approximately $26,800 – 75,000 USD.

The 3.3 liter Cosworth-tuned Duratec engine produces 200 bhp gibing the car an excellent power-to-weigh ratio given the low curb weight of just 575 kgs (1,268 lbs).