1971 Innocenti Mini Cooper
This is our 1971 Innocenti Mini Cooper. It’s a twin-SU, 998cc-powered car. It’s also left-hand drive, which we figured would be better in the real world.
This was originally a hydrolastic suspension car, although it has been converted to a dry suspension. The engine was recently rebuilt, the brakes are fresh, the interior is new, and the car is in pretty decent condition. It drives nicely, too, once it’s warmed-up.
So what is an Innocenti Mini? Simple: a Mini made by Innocenti. Under license, in Italy.
1965 Sunbeam Tiger
While on a business trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, we found a 1965 Tiger in a barn with a straight, rust-free body and a blown motor.
It was last driven in 1974, has 41,000 miles on it, and came with an early Alpine parts car and a 289 engine.
1973 Triumph Spitfire
We introduce a new project and a new author as Publisher Tim Suddard’s son, Tommy, tackles the restoration of the 1973 Triumph Spitfire on a teenagers budget.
1974 Triumph TR6
Associate Editor Joe Gearin’s Triumph TR6 came all the way from Rye, New Hampshire. He drove it home to Classic Motorsports World HQ in Florida.
1963 Ford Ranchero
We resto-mod a classic for use as a shop truck.
1971 MG Midget
Eclectic Motorworks’ Carl Heideman set out to make a Miata-killer of our “rust-free” 1971 Midget.
1969 Triumph Group 44 GT6
We found a cool vintage racer with some real history.
1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder
Sometimes it becomes obvious that we live our lives according to emotion, not logic. No wonder we drove poor old Mr. Spock so crazy.
Our own proof of this tendency is sitting in the garage. It’s a 1963 Corvair Monza Spyder, one of the best examples of emotion beating logic that God ever put on this green earth. There’s no other way to explain a car that represented so many innovative firsts by its manufacturer, GM—including fully independent front and rear suspension, unibody design, and a rear-mounted, aircooled engine (Chevy’s only attempt at that breed) available with the manufacturer’s first production turbocharger—that it debuted to great accolades, yet came to be so reviled by an automotive-buying public thanks to Ralph Nader’s sensationalist 1965 book, “Unsafe at Any Speed,” that its failure is still remembered today.
Completed Project Cars
- 1957 Triumph TR3
- 1970 Datsun 240Z
- 1969 Volvo 142
- 1967 Meyers Manx
- 1974 Saab 99 LE
- 1974 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV
More project cars
Want more project cars? Check out what our sister publication Grassroots Motosports is building!