A Classic Love Story
This 86 should be familiar, I spoke about it a few months ago at the "Vintage Car Show". It's nice to see some minor updates on the car cosmetically and mechanically, things that really hold the build together at this point.
“Well it’s simple really. The car has always been my dream car or “one true love” if you will. There is a classic love story like Romeo and Juliet called Tristan and Isolde. ”
Isolde
She really is gorgeous.
This 86 should be familiar, I spoke about it a few months ago at the "Vintage Car Show". It's nice to see some minor updates on the car cosmetically and mechanically, things that really hold the build together at this point.
The engine bay has changed a bit, first major change seen here is the strut bar, and the velocity stacks have changed from red to black. The stacks are bit longer as well, adding a little more torque. It's still the same 16v 1600cc 4-AGE.
The new engine map was also done with the engine, this was definitely noticed on the road, the engine still has to hit the dyno to find the output, but it's definitely within the range of 160 hp, about what a 4AGE should be doing.
The front of the car also received a new lip, bringing it further down to the road, it doesn't really affect the aero performance of the car, but it does look pretty awesome, giving the car a bolder presence.
It's really nice to see the build coming together, a few more changes are planned for the near future for the car, I will continue to keep an eye on how the build is going.
Tristan doesn't just keep his car for show though, he can set it through it's paces, check out this video of his autocross run at Vaucluse Raceway in St.Thomas, Barbados, click the image below to play the video.
Tristan's 86 run compared to an Evo X driven by Christopher Mcfarlane at Vaucluse Raceway during an Autocross event. Video by Woolf Sales Solutions.
- Alex, signing out till next time, happy motoring!
The MG Shop
These days MGs are a collectors item for car enthusiast. We got the opportunity to photograph this pair of MGs recently. They both took him four years to restore and the results are fantastic.
The MGB roadster first started development in 1962. To many back then, this was the epitome of the British sports car. The car checked all the required boxes for things a sports car should have back then: a long hood, it was deliciously streamlined, low ride height, nice exhaust note and as a bonus it was affordable and also if you really tried you could fit 1.5 passengers in there.
These days, MGs are a collectors item for car enthusiasts. We got the opportunity to photograph this pair of MGs recently. The owner Ryan aka Woody was so enthused by the cars he restored two of them. It took him four years to restore the pair and the results are fantastic.
The blue MG is from 1972 and the red is from 1971. In a previous life, the blue car was an ... interesting mustard color (it's one of those colors you either hate or love).
He keeps them tucked away in his garage away from those nasty UV rays and liquid sunshine. The garage itself is a very eclectic place filled with some MG paraphernalia, family photos and racing trophies, you see, Woody is actually an extremely talented professional race car driver.
The garage was the kind of place all car lovers want to have, where you keep the things closest to you; your family, your legacy and definitely your cars.
There's nothing like OEM parts. The attention to detail during this restoration is what I like the most about these cars, from the wooden gear knob to the dials and the overdrive switch to the right of the steering wheel, it's all really well done, and of course a single din pioneer head unit for only the freshest beats was added.
They really compliment each other.
Both of the cars are completely stock with the factory inline 4 1800cc SOHC, dual carbureted engines which made about 92bhp from factory, a few modern quality of life touches were added to the engine however because unfortunately, British sports cars weren't too reliable.
The parts added were a Lucas ignition coil, braided fuel lines, new wiring and hoses.
I just absolutely love old cars! The lack of computers basically means it's just you and the car interacting, the ultimate driver's experience...as long as you aren't to ambitious with your speed around a corner. It's all good fun!
Their styling is actually quite reminiscent of 1960s American muscle cars, mainly the Mustang. You can see the similarities when you look at the arches over the rear lights and the distinct round headlights, they're just placed a little higher on the MG roadster. It was a smart design choice as the cars were very popular in America when it was released. This was a change from the MGA.
Their styling is actually quite reminiscent of 1960s American muscle cars vs the MGA.
Woody's MGs aren't driven that often, as you can tell by the condition they're in. They're probably only driven on weekends with the top down on a nice long road, dodging potholes.
There's something special about someone's love for their car, it doesn't matter what kind of car. You can really tell when someone puts a lot of work into a build and has a lot of love for it and for cars in general. If it's one thing you can say about Woody, he loves cars. As car lovers I think we can all respect that.
Maurice (fist bump)
Chilling with an MGA
It's a nice feeling when you have some time alone with a classic. Sitting on an empty track with a camera in my hand, this was a great afternoon.
It's a nice feeling when you have some time alone with a classic. Sitting on an empty track with a camera in my hand, this was a great afternoon. The weekend of the "Holetown Festival" in Barbados usually starts with a classic car parade, and after this parade, drivers usually leave the festival for a chance to chill and hangout with other owners.
This MG was gorgeous. I think I am developing a bias for blue cars though but that's beside the point. This MGA started its life off the production line in 1959, sporting a 1.6L single carbureted, single overhead cam engine. It makes about 78hp with a 4 speed transmission.
This MG was special though. It was bought in the US, it was spec'd for the US market, left hand drive, and before it was blue, it was red, the upholstery was a different colour as well.
The owner stumbled on it one afternoon coming out of a mall. He saw a car show happening in the car park next door and decided to take a look at it. Owning this car was a childhood dream of his, he recounted the principal of his elementary school owning one, and before he would leave on afternoons he would give the children a show, a nice rev. This memory drove him to purchase the car.
Restoration is always never an easy job. Like was mentioned before, the car was a different colour and the driver seat was on the opposite side plus the car was in rough condition. After importing the car, much work began, from the ground up, the chassis was sandblasted, primed and rust sealed. Then alterations were made to the dashboard, a new tortoiseshell coloured one was placed and the steering moved over to the right hand side. and the upholstery was changed to tan.
Tan, might sound like a boring colour, but I must say, it really complimented the blue of the car. I bet you didn't notice the missing door handles. This car was fitted with a string on the inside of the door inorder to open the doors and windows were in the trunk, if you wanted to use them.
Sporting the Tortoiseshell Dash
Inside the car, you have your basic needs, a steering wheel, some dials and gauges, and a gearstick and pedals, I mean, what else would you want in a car ? Driving this car, is an experience in itself, not to be filled with distractions.
It wasn't just meant to get from A to B, it was meant for the driver as well as the passenger to be engaged in the journey from A to B.
MG streamlined the body panels of the car, with the sweeping curves and bubble design of the 50's "Hi tech" design, proving to be a nice vintage astectihc as the car aged. Owning an MG for him, is like owning a childhood dream, and few can say the same.
- Alex, until next time, keep motoring.
The Best Yellow
This Ford was unapologetic, and yes, hate me for it, I love that wing.
After moving on from the "Brothers" we met up with what could be called their Dad. The Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
Normally, this Escort was one of 2500 made in collaboration with Cosworth and Ford, but it was even more unique because its modifications made it one of a kind.
Using a Turbocharged 2L 16V DOHC engine, it would've normally made about 220hp. This figure was pretty similar to the car that came before it, the Ford Sierra Cosworth, it actually was made even more famous because it was the Sierra which Colin Mcrae would've driven for a time in Rally. This Ford Escort though, ironed out the issues Ford thought plagued the Sierra, and instead of being Rwd, its 4wd.
The "Whale Tail" anyone who vaguely knows Ford from the mid 80's, to the early 90's would remember that time Ford made cars with wings that were so odd, you either threw up or fell in love. This Ford was unapologetic, and yes, hate me for it, I love that wing.
It was far from stock though, this car was also prepared by Graham Goode Racing, meaning it wasn't just modified, it was heavily modified. The huge intercooler to the front of the car should've given that away.
Using the same 2L engine, this car was able to produce around 512 hp, at 21psi with its Garret Turbocharger. It was possessed with the demon of speed, and left hidden under covers in this garage.
This car amalgamated all the research and design Ford acquired over the years of racing and rally, although stock, it only made 220 hp, it was a platform that could be modified and used in racing like we see here. It gave the racing experience to everyone, and gave them the joy of building or preparing a machine they could use everyday.
This Escort RS Cosworth mk5, shows Ford closing the chapter on the Escort and Sierra line of cars, with one last hurrah. Its thicker wheel arches, slight aero modifications, and enormous wing showed that Ford wanted to make a statement.
Alex - Until next time, keep motoring.
Brothers
A friend of Y-Esuf Auto Clinic invited us over a while back to see a few of the cars they were working on. Among these cars were two little Ford Hatches. They called them "Brothers".
A friend of Y-Esuf Auto Clinic invited us over a while back to see a few of the cars they were working on. Among these cars were two little Ford Hatches. They called them "Brothers".
The Ford Focus RS, a common sight to many but strangely not to us in Barbados. They're actually only a few over here for whatever reason. Needless to say, they're pretty amazing. The white RS is a Mk2, it was the most modified.
The engine was the Volvo - engineered 2,522cc 5-cylinder engine but it was tuned and modified by Graham Goode Racing UK, we're not sure exactly what was done to it but it now makes around 430 hp, a big upgrade from the stock 301 hp.
Right next to it was the younger brother the Mk3. The Best Blue, the color was amazing.
That's a modified RALLIART Evo X way in the back by the way.
I just fell in love with it.
I don't even like modern cars that much, I actually recently just sold my car to buy another that's 4 years older(financial mistake?) but the styling was so streamlined...gorgeous. Anyway, It was completely stock with the 1.5-litre turbocharged 4 - cylinder engine making 345 hp or so. It was however soon to be modified, we're told awesome parts are being ordered, can't wait to see it finished.
The guys at Y-Esuf Auto Clinic have a serious love for cars they put a lot of time and care in when modifying their cars.
Sign Guyz 246 seen in the pictures was actually vinyl wrapping the cars while we were there, he does really good work. So give him a shout if you need some styling mods done to your vehicle.
Some Vinyl Work by our friend.
When writing articles we actually try not to focus (no pun intended) too much on the numbers a car produces, we like to talk about the feelings they evoke, it was just hard not to talk about the numbers in this one(they're fast). They were a couple other cars that were there that we'll cover a bit later, one of which had a shade of the best yellow we ever saw. Until then, lata.
-Maurice
Freddie Mapp -"Escort Specialist"
A few weeks back we at Sleeper Forest had the opportunity to visit Freddie Mapp's garage. It's interesting how race car drivers never really leave the race track, they just "race" in an another way.
A few weeks back we at Sleeper Forest had the opportunity to visit Freddie Mapp's garage. We never got to meet him as a race car driver, his glory days were before our time in the 80's but we got to meet him as the mechanic. It's interesting how race car drivers never really leave the race track, they just "race" in an another way.
Archival footage from the "The Barbados Rally Club" & Kaieteur News
Our friend "Sicky Back", gave us the invite.
We got the invite to tour the garage from friend of ours, you may have seen pictures of his 1jz swapped Toyota Cressida on some of our Instagram post, it's pretty great.
We got to see just few of the cars on the outside, they were works in progress. We deemed it the inline 6 alley, every Toyota with the space, received the inline 6 treatment. Some twin turbo, some single turbo, these machines were being built for drift, they were definitely not lacking in power.
Among these cars was something a little different and special but that's a secret...for now.
Once on the inside we were greeted by the smell of oil and metal. The garage wasn't much different from any other garage except for the six pieces of Caribbean automotive history laying around in the form of six ford escorts. They were just taking a rest from the hard work they put in over the years, catching some dust, winning races is hard work you know.
Way in the back of the garage was this blue escort shell it once carried a single cam engine, however it was modified to be a twin cam engine.
The engine started with a single over head cam, that was driven via a push rod method from the crankshaft, but with this conversion, the first cam, spun a second cam via a gear, and this allowed more airflow into the head, more air = more power, and more power = more fast. This was automotive magic and ingenuity.
Further to the front of the garage, we found more Escorts, one MK1 with the Cosworth 2.0L 16v turbocharged engine, makes around 300hp as well as his Mk2 Escort, the one he used consistently in rally. They were covered in tools and parts.
This really reinforces the fact that we need experienced persons to be able to carry on the passion and love for Motorsport to a younger generation, so it can continue grow. As Freddie stepped away from racing his mechanic shop continued to grow, taking the time to work with clients and help those he can.
We really appreciated the tour, and the chance to be able to photograph these amazing machines.
- Sleeper Forest Team
"Without courage, you will always lose"
In Martinique, my adventures were not yet finished. After speaking for a while that night by the shed with the Fiats , the owner and I made arrangements to meet up again. He said he wanted to show me one more car he thought I might really like.
In Martinique, my adventures were not yet finished. After speaking for a while that night by the shed with the Fiats , the Patrick and I made arrangements to meet up again. He said he wanted to show me one more car he thought I might really like.
He did not disappoint at all.
For starters, I never saw anything like it in my life. But, I knew the stripe - that iconic Renault offset race stripe. I was in the presence of another legend. He smiled and told me that his was Renault Gordini r8, which he had spent the better part of two and half years restoring to factory conditions. It was well worth the effort.
This car is a lot more interesting than it seems. It looks like a regular sedan, but it's basically a road going rally car. The car's engine is located in the back. It is also rear wheel drive but it still has 4 doors. This layout gives great traction during acceleration but to offset this, the car actually had 2 gas tanks - one in the back and a second in the front that was larger. This, along with the weight of the driver keeps the front wheels on the road and give the traction necessary for cornering.
The heart of this machine is a 1.3 liter engine, which makes about 100 hp, and 86 lb-ft of torque. It is mounted longitudinally in the engine bay. I admired the amount of time he spent caring and repairing this car. What really caught my attention were small things like that tiny bulb in the engine bay or the heat wrap on the exhaust manifold. The latter has a dual purpose of keeping the temps down while adding a great aesthetic within the engine bay. All of these makes these classic cars pretty awesome.
The car only weighs 850 kg. Which means it can take off pretty fast despite its small engine. I don't think I can stress enough how much of a difference weight makes in a car.
What makes this car so special though, is it's rally pedigree. It's a car driven not just in rally, but driven by rally drivers on a daily basis. I had the privilege of sitting in the passenger seat for an evening drive. It's so well balanced, we have to think back to the era when things like traction control and auto braking systems didn't exist, when this machine spoke to its driver through the steering wheel. It was a very visceral driving experience.
“Without courage, you will always lose.”
He told me that he's been driving rally for many years and his experience has taught him that, "without courage, you will always lose". No matter how fast your car may be on paper, unless you have the courage to drive it to the limit, you can't win.
I believe that was the idea behind this car.
- Alex, until next time, Happy Motoring.
Vintage Car Show
The open field in Content, St. Thomas came to life one Sunday afternoon filled with Vintage cars from all over the World. This is the first event for Vintage car owners this year.
The open field in Content, St. Thomas came to life one Sunday afternoon filled with Vintage cars from all over the World. This is the first event for Vintage car owners this year, I believe. They spend hours tinkering and cleaning and getting their cars ready for display.
There were so many cars to see and photograph, but a select few really stood out to me, and I wanted to share those with you.
Making my way around the cars this Lotus Elan really stood out from the rest of the MG's it was parked next to, those cars were already pretty small, but this was even smaller. It was tiny ! I started photographing it and met the owner, he gave me a history of the car. The history was definitely bigger than the car itself. The designer of the car Colin Chapman, believed in achieving peak performance through low weight, and boy was he serious about this.
This was the first Lotus to use a "monocoque" chassis and a fiberglass glass body, it weighs in at about 726 kg. In fact the current owner doesn't trust anyone as yet to paint it because the materials for the body are so different, so it has the original paint job from the factory. This design actually influenced Formula 1 design.
The engine makes about 126hp, from a DOHC layout, it was pretty advanced for its time period. On paper it's said to do 0 - 60mph in about 7 seconds. It really is a special machine.
E- type ! Classic car hype boys assemble ! I don't think there's really any other car that gets as much, hype, admiration and love like a Jaguar E - Type V12 at classic car shows. This iconic machine has actually had the pleasure of being owned by just one person, since it was bought, it was daily driven, but as the years rolled on, it's kept more as a show car now. The owner knows its value.
Seeing this car up close is really spectacular. It's like one of those really old houses, that are well maintained, old furniture, and intricately hand crafted objects that just tells you it was from an era we lost and probably will never see again. The long swooping lines of the body all the way to the tail, showed a streamlined design. The funny thing about this car, at the front, most of the front is basically engine, a V12 is pretty enormous in a car of that size.
The AE-86, or Hachi-Roku it depends how you want to call it is a staple classic for persons who want something they can daily. This one isn't from Japan though. It's a GT-S from the US Market, but the owner replaced the internals with JDM parts. It's still a work in progress but it's well on it's way to being finished, with just an engine map left to do.
The 16valve 4A-GE makes about 160hp to the crank and 150hp to the wheels, it's actually pretty refreshing to see someone interested in restoring an 86.
It's clean, simple and works.
Yes, this is also an 86, in a sense. I have heard persons call them the 86's ugly cousin, coming off the same production line as the AE-86. Daihatsu made the Charmant, the parts were interchangeable, it uses the same 4A mount configuration in the front and the car is also RWD.
The owner replaced the original engine with the 16V 4A-GE which is a pretty common occurrence, apart from this, the car is pretty much the same from the factory.
This build is also really simple and clean.
This Ford Shelby Cobra, although it was a kit car, it's still pretty amazing to see one here. The Shelby has a pretty long history itself, even how it became so iconic. This car uses the 5.2 liter 302 BOSS V8, and it sounds absolutely amazing. The owner still wanted to make sure that the car stayed period correct in terms of specifications.
Across the Atlantic, Ford in England was making another icon for a totally different market. The Escort, although this one was a rally car, it really made me realize how much markets affect the design of cars. Both were icons but you could say in a sense they were polar opposites. 4 cylinder vs V8, economical car vs low mileage high power just to show a few.
Can you believe that's a Nissan ? This car was actually very intriguing. Made me do some research.
Its called "Le Seyde". Originally Nissan made about 500 of them, in 1990 and they were all sold out, it was based on the S13 Silvia Chassis, they did a another run in 2000 that was based on the S15 Chassis. This one in particular though, was from 1990, on inside of the engine bay the chassis tag said S13.
- Alex signing out till next time.
Some other cuts from the show.
I found a Shed in France
I traveled to Martinique late 2016 around September time, it has been a long time since I was there about 10 years, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived. It's vastly different car wise compared to Barbados
I traveled to Martinique late 2016 around September time, it has been a long time since I was there about 10 years, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived. It's vastly different car wise compared to Barbados where I come from, almost no Japanese cars were there,mostly European cars and the odd Japanese car there came from the US market because of the prevalent use of left hand drive so even those looked different. Highways filled with Fiats, Renaults, Peugeots and Citroëns were the norm.
I really wondered what car culture was like over there, I saw a few cars some "hella flush" others just slight cosmetic modifications but nothing major, I guess I was looking at the wrong generation.
One morning during breakfast my uncle was showing me some cars that he loved from back in the day. I asked him if any were still around, I haven't seen many interesting cars since I got here, I was beginning to get a little worried about how things were shaping up, and then he just casually said yeah, up the hill there's some. “What do you mean up the hill? “ He just said my friend has a few , we can go look this afternoon, I was a bit apprehensive, I expected to see some old cars lying around, but I had no idea what I was in for. That evening we took a stroll up the hill, me with my camera in hand to a shed.
We exchanged greetings and he opened the shed for me, and sitting there were two gems, first one I noticed was covered by a sheet, but I immediately knew what it was, 1966 Fiat Abarth 1000 TC Corsa
This was one of my favorite cars from classic rally and to see one up close in person was unreal, he kept it unchanged from the factory cosmetically, and mechanically.
A quick breakdown on the specs of this car, the engine is about 982 cc with a single overhead cam along with dual carburetors it makes about 112 HP. The engine is situated in the rear of the car and the car is rear wheel drive, it weighs about 580 kg. Classic European solution to speed, take as much weight out of the car as you can. With a decent power to weight ratio it makes itself a fun car to drive around small roads with.
Classic European solution to speed, take as much weight out of the car as you can. With a decent power to weight ratio it makes itself a fun car to drive around small roads with.
The other car in the shed was another Fiat, a Fiat X1-9 designed by Bertone. It has a mid-engine rear wheel drive layout. Its 1.5 liter engine outputs about 85 hp and it weighs in at 914 kg. It was still in the process of being restored when I came in and saw it
He had one more car to show me, but I'll save that for another post.
Coming soon, until then, enjoy motoring - Alex