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A Rover with a Spitfire engine, a WW2 Spitfire that is.

My link goes to 2 lightweight planes, one using a lawnmower engine the other a Trabant engine. Not a Merlin in sight. Or a car for that matter. :(
 
I have seen the video before, quite a few on yt, and it's not a spitfire engine, it is the same design but it has meteor engine from a tank, a cast iron block instead of aluminium.

And yes the link gets a kit plane video, something about a Trabant, ........

I do believe the video the OP wanted to link is the one below.

 
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The Meteor also of course had a flywheel and output via that rather than a spigot for a prop (no really!)

I’d like to see the size of the shoe horn used to get that engine in the SD1.
 
Back in 1972/3 John Dodd, a gearbox specialist from Epsom, built a Rolls using a 27L Spitfire engine, although they changed the magnetos to tank ones thereby limiting it to 2,000 rpm and they removed the supercharger and converted it to triple carbs. Girder frame, Mk 10 rear end and Wolsey 6/99 front suspension. The body was built by FGR (bonnet is 8.5 feet long) and originally had a RR grille but a court case ensued and the front end was remodelled. John regularly drives the car down to Malaga, Spain. Photos below by Dave East and shows the car in the Crystal Palace CC show.

C6-13 dave_east_1972_73_032.jpg


C6-12 dave_east_1972_73_031.jpg


The gearbox is a modified pre war Cadillac and the gearing means that it is capable of 200 mph but not for sustained periods.

Regards,

Rodger
 
I’ve still got an old copy of Speed and Power magazine from the 70’s somewhere which did a feature on John Dodd’s car. From the side it reminded me of a lengthened Ford Capri.
 
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. My all time favourite car (Bentley) beautifully married to that legendary spitfire engine. Motoring heaven.
 
Then there’s The Beast of Turin and one of the most beautifully shot films about a restoration I’ve seen from somewhere near me.
Note the 80 in the background. :)


In this one look out for Pheasant speak for ‘:scared-yipes: Fu*********k!!
 
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That Bentley is truly a thing of beauty
To me they are all achingly beautiful. Each one different in some way but just Engineering perfection made with looks to die for.
 
Gotta love a motor that actually produces flames!
I know! There’s something edgy and primeval and rather ‘against the rules’ about it. I saw the Fiat at Goodwood the year it arrived. I think there was concern (genuine or otherwise) that it might set fire to the straw bales. :lol::icon-surprised:
 
I love the way that engine started in the handle. He knew yesterday where the tip-point was and stepped back and the thing appeared to start all by itself.
The Bentley, pure beauty...
 
I love the way that engine started in the handle. He knew yesterday where the tip-point was and stepped back and the thing appeared to start all by itself.
The Bentley, pure beauty...
I think the command ‘go’ caused one of the others to trip a trembler coil to create the spark.Something like what (eventually) goes on here.

You wouldn’t want to throw it over like a model T, it would break every bone in your body and rip arms off for fun if it kicked back, at around 7 litres a pot!!! :shock:
 
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I remember the first time I saw this car in a car magazine, then a few years later I found a video on YT.
Here for your viewing pleasure.

 
Amazing!

Fabulous sound.

Wish they’d had the owner drive it properly. :)
 
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