Today marks recognition of the unsung yet pioneering heroes of the four-cylinder turbocharged production automobile universe. These are the Eighties turbocharged Mopar four-cylinders. Long before you could buy a universal turbocharger kit of questionable origin and functionality off eBay for a few hundred bucks, you could step up to your local Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth dealer and … [Read more...]
Now and Later Turbo Pinto Wagon
Mike Streets could have crammed one of many and readily available Ford V8 mills into the engine bay of his 1974 Pinto Wagon. Instead he chose to transplant a 2.3-liter single overhead cam turbocharged four-banger from a 1988 Ford Thunderbird in place of the aspirated stocker. Why? "A V8 would have been too easy", said Mike - who is a former SCCA Pinto road racer and current … [Read more...]
Dodge on the Rampage in South City
Though is may seem like these shots are circa 1984, this super-clean Dodge Rampage was spied recently by photojournalist Dave Wallace on a trip to legendary Gotelli's Speed Shop in South San Francisco, California. The Rampage and its 1983-only Plymouth Scamp rebrandmate were built on the Chrysler L-body platform, and shared a nose with its Dodge 024-Plymouth TC3 cousins. The … [Read more...]
Six Wheels of Citroën
Just in case you were wondering what to drive on the Ventura highway to the West Coast Citroën Rendezvous this weekend, we are proud to present this 1979 Citroën CX Tissier as a public service announcement. The stretch versions of the hydropneumatic pride of French modern motoring achievement were used for everything from ambulances to hearses - with countless towing, bread … [Read more...]
Tool of the Week: Super Straight Edge
As we approach the beginning of Mitsubishi Astron engine rebuilding season, it is time for the first in a series of tools that can help get the job done. A quality step in transforming a salvaged engine block into a working short block is checking the deck for flatness. One might think they could lay any old reasonably straight thing across the deck and mark it good, but … [Read more...]