Odd Modifications Thread

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Masterminded in the mid '60s by engineer Gordon Allen for a car owned and driven by accountant and amateur Mini racer Rod Embley, "620 AXE" in its most recent configuration with a block of Allen's design on top of a highly modified standard Mini 4-speed gearbox and fitted with the cylinder head from a Jag 2.4 six cut down and re-welded with cylinders 1, 2, 3 and 6. At 1475cc, it produced 115bhp...3 more than the Jaguar six did at its debut.

However, during the car's racing heyday, it was fitted with TWO of these hybrid powerplants, the second in the rear; the front shifted normally with the rear linked to it electro-mechanically and utilizing push-pull solenoids for gear engagement. One clutch pedal acted on two cylinders just as the go pedal controlled both throttles, but there was a fourth pedal to the left of the clutch that operated the rear motor's trottle to help the car rotate around corners.

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It dominated in its first outing, but humorously, a stray bolt rattling about on the floor caused a concerned Embley to pit and retire before the race was over.

Edit: Here's what I presume is the original rear motor, and on the left hand side (the clutch side) is what appears to be one of the aforementioned solenoids and its mounting fixture:

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ZGBox
That's quite classy, I have to admit.
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Oh absolutely, and it's made all the more impressive by the builder taking it on in his garage and without formal training. What's more, he used BMW 3-series (E90) roof bits to accomplish it despite the Rover roof being a fair bit wider.

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Doing a bit of image searching, while looking for bimotore/twin-engine cars actually, I found the following which isn't plausibly twin-engined but it caught my eye
On one hand, the following MGB's modifications kinda ruin the classic car altogether, probably far from tasteful for the car to the point I don't quite find it attractive-looking, and pretty much change it to something completely different

...On the other hand...
iu

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It's changed to something competely different, coming quite a long way while putting a fair bit of effort into its modifications and apparently planning on legitimately being GT3 spec with a 650 hp Lotus 912 engine
...But something needs to be done about those seats, those can't be comfortable
 
Rather than derail another thread further, I figured I'd post Oemmedì Meccanica's Porsche-powered classic Fiat 500 here.

The mildest of three builds that includes a Ferrari V8 and a Lamborghini V12, this one retains much of the original car's essence...as well as its backseat.

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By rights, that engine has no business fitting in that car when it replaces an inline two-cylinder motor--especially when you consider that an American V8 can be fitted into a 911 without too much fuss--but some rather ingenious modifications made it happen.

A Porsche gearbox sits ahead of the motor, several inches ahead of where the original transaxle was located, and a chain drive sends power back to the wheel hubs in their standard (albeit with more distance added between each side of the car) location so that crazy axle angles are unnecessary. Those hubs and springs are then carried by a hollow tube axle that pivots at some point under the front seats.

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In this last image, the [white] chain guard illustrates the distance between the axle flange and the wheel hub, and you can make out the link arm beneath the car:

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what if I told you that was a "Dealer Special" and was done like that new... |
apparently every dealership stateside at the time received one outfitted identical to that.

(I work at a body shop that has had the contract for our local mercedes dealer for the last 35 yrs... my boss has collected 7 of those cars.
 
Zychotic1
what if I told you that was a "Dealer Special" and was done like that new... |
apparently every dealership stateside at the time received one outfitted identical to that.

(I work at a body shop that has had the contract for our local mercedes dealer for the last 35 yrs... my boss has collected 7 of those cars.
Click to expand...
I'd say it could be the case, but that I also know it to be a modification that's been executed either by owners or professionally on the owners' behalf.
 
Mercedes SLK "Gelandewagen" which was unveiled at SEMA in 1998. Yes, this is an actual thing...







Audi Coupe pickup.



This Mercedes W116 Widebody...

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964 on Fuchs



Daihatsu Copen "Aston Martin DB5"



 

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