Chop Cut & Rebuild is doing a car like mine

Liquifire 4/6 · Post by **Liquifire 4/6** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:08 pm

A favorite passtime of mine in the summer is attending car shows with my Bricklin. I try to get to a couple shows a month with this Canadian built oddity. It still runs great for a 33 year old car....it's completely original with 29000 miles. I noticed Chop, Cut & Rebuild is currently working on one and I'm anxious to see what it looks like when they're done. Excuse the dark pic.....I have some much better pics of the car, but this one is the only one small enough (under 200K) to post in here.

Jack Frost · Post by **Jack Frost** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:57 am

What is it?

Liquifire 4/6 · Post by **Liquifire 4/6** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:09 am

Jack, it's a 1975 Bricklin SV-1, one of approx 2800 built in St John, New Brunswick. For more info on the car, check out www.bricklin.org/

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:44 pm

Back to the future. Whats the motor. BOB

Liquifire 4/6 · Post by **Liquifire 4/6** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:45 pm

Hiya Bob......Yeah, almost everyone at first glance thinks Delorean (like the one in Back to the Future)......but it was designed and built 6 yrs before the DMC hit the road (and as far as I know, no drug money went into the project). The engine is a 351 Windsor, the tranny is a Ford FMX. I'm keeping this one original, but I have another that I'm slowly restoring. I plan on installing a somewhat more potent drivetrain in that one but still haven't decided on an engine/tranny combo.

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:26 pm

From the back it looks almost like a Mach 1 or even a Corvette at a quick glance. You should put a Ford 454 in the resto one. Nice car BOB

Danzig · Post by **Danzig** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:57 pm

Bob-
Have you seen one of those Ford 454's? I bet they look awesome.

Rodimus Prime · Post by **Rodimus Prime** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:07 am

now why would they build a nice looking car and put a tranny thats well known to puke and an engine that leaks and is also known for bad cranks?

Liquifire 4/6 · Post by **Liquifire 4/6** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:31 am

Yes, Bob......I'd agree the side profile does resemble a Vette to some extent. I also think the hood line looks a little like some of the 80's Firebird/Camaro models while the rear end looks somewhat like a Nissan 240Z/260Z. The taillights are straight off of a Ford Pantera. I'm attaching a pic of the rear end. I just noticed that in this pic, the rear hatch is not completely closed....it does fit properly when closed.

Rodimus, the 351/FMX combination wouldn't have been my choice either, but I think Bricklin just had to settle for buying what Detroit would sell them. The engine bay is quite cramped and even the Windsor is a tight fit. The 1974 models (first model year) had AMC 360's mated to Chrysler automatics ( a small number of 74's had a Chrysler 4 speed). Evidently, Bricklin had to switch to the Ford engine in 75 because more stringent emission regulations in 75 meant they'd need to install a catyletic converter on the AMC mill to get it to meet the new regs....and there simply wasn't enough room under the car for a converter (plus the heat from the converter wouldn't work too well with the fibreglass floorpan/body). The Windsor was able to pass the emissions tests without the catyletic converter. The 74's were quite a bit quicker cars, especially with the four speeds.

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:52 pm

Danzig the only 454 i seen was in the F-350 at work. Whats under the car that makes it so cramped. BOB

Danzig · Post by **Danzig** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:13 pm

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:39 pm

You like that hah its the hick way only seen it in a truck not in any fancy dand cars. I have however seen a Blown and stroked 351 though. Heres a pic. BOB http://www.hpcrazed.com/images/a125_2581.jpg

Liquifire 4/6 · Post by **Liquifire 4/6** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 4:05 pm

Bob, the model designation of the car is SV-1 which stood for Safety Vehicle 1. Despite it's compact dimensions, it's actually a fairly heavy car. A few things make it a bit crowded on the underside. The frame is quite robust and the fuel tank is boxed in from all four sides to prevent it from taking an impact in a collision. But I think the main thing that kept them from using a catyletic converter is the added heat being an issue with the fibregass floorpan. As it is, it gets very hot in the interior as the engine is set way back against the firewall and you get lots of engine/tranny heat coming up thru the console. If the a/c gets low on charge, it's almost impossible to be inside it. I'm gonna have to check into that stroker 351. I know you can get lots of power out of the Windsors, but it costs way more than toying around with a small block Chevy......so I was actually considering putting a GM mill in the other car. I know that might devalue it, but my other Bricklin has already been messed around with and I wouldn't feel too quilty about taking it a long way away from stock. I'm not looking for huge power out of it, but would like to see somewhere close to 300 HP along with reasonable fuel mileage and a consistent reliable engine. I'm thinking something a bit more modern with fuel injection would be nice. I should be able to buy a near new donor vehicle quite reasonably around here now because we had a wicked hailstorm that wrote off hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of vehicles last week. See the attached pic of a brand new Buick Enclave sitting at a local GM dealership. Yep, that's what hailstones the size of baseballs can do.

Pete

Mr. Deere · Post by **Mr. Deere** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:08 pm

Ya my Cousins engine was making close to 600 HP. Thats cool that must be a sweat box in the summer. WOW they wouldn't fix the cars that would be cool to get a new truck for cheap. BOB

Post by **WinnipegStPaul9** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:24 pm

Man, it's been years since I've seen a Bricklin. Yours is exceptionally nice. What's the history? Don