Tag Archives: Restomod

Cyan Racing Volvo P1800

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For those rearders not familiar with Cyan Racing, here is a quick background to get you up to speed. The group was founded in 1996 and was originally known as Flash Engineering. From 2005-2015 they were known as Polestar, until Volvo Cars acquired the performance section.

Cyan Racing is based in Sweden and is privately owned and operated. The race team is well known for turning out World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) winning vehicles.

In 2020, the company launched a road-legal restomod car called the Volvo P1800 Cyan. This is their interpretation of the iconic Volvo sports car from the 1960s. Similar to how Singer upgrades vintage Porsche models but is not a manufacturer, Cyan Racing is offering a similar treatment that requires an original P1800 donor car. During the 12-15 month process, the car is completely reborn as a modern performer with vintage style, completely tailored to the owner’s specifications.

Only a few components from the original car get re-used. The car’s original chassis is upgraded with high strength steel and is then given a multi-layer rust protection treatment. The car is prepared for an in-house designed independent rear suspension and front axle. Everything from instruments and light switches to control arms and steering rack are replaced with custom parts manufactured by Cyan or its suppliers. Most impressive is the replacement carbon fiber body shell, which is bonded to the steel chassis using high strength adhesive.

Under the hood is a turbocharged, twin cam 2.0L four-cylinder Volvo engine that produces 420 hp @ 7000 rpm. Coupled to this is a five-speed Holinger manual gearbox and a carbon fiber driveshaft. Every detail has been thoughtfully considered to make this the perfected version of the iconic sixties sports car.

The company had two vehicles on display at The Quail Motorsports Gathering in August 2022. I saw this lovely blue car with a yellow stripe, and a red car with bronze wheels. Both looked absolutely stunning and really showed off the craftsmanship that Cyan Racing is capable of.

Each car is a custom commission, with a base price starting at $700,000 USD. For a one-of-a-kind restomod that is on par with Singer or RML Group, you can be the coolest guy at your local Cars and Coffee in a Volvo P1800 Cyan.

Totem GT Reinvents Alfa Romeo Giulia GT with Supercar Tech

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In 2009, Porsche enthusiast Rob Dickinson began restoring and “reimagining” the classic Porsche 911 under the brand Singer. From their Los Angeles workshop, Singer Vehicle Design “reimagines” customer cars with new technology such as more powerful engines, improved suspension, and carbon fiber body panels.

The company operates under the motto “Everything is important” and restores customer cars to a higher level than OEM.

What Dickinson has shown is that there is a niche market for resto-mod European sports cars done to a very high level.

Following the success of Singer, the playbook they wrote has been used to revive some other European enthusiast brands.

In 2014, a Hong Kong investment group led by Norman Choi acquired the rights to the DeTomaso brand, which ceased production in the 1990s. They relaunched the brand with the P72, an exclusive supercar that is limited to just 72 units worldwide. The cars have a base price of $1.25 million USD.

In 2019, the Peralada Group launched a revival of the Hispano-Suiza automotive brand, a Spanish car manufacturer who made luxury cars from the turn of the century through the 1930s. The new vehicle, named Carmen, is a luxury electric coupe that is limited to 24 units worldwide. The Carmen has a base price of $1.7 million USD.

In 2018, Italian automotive designer Riccardo Quaggio founded Totem Automobili with the goal of reimagining the classic Alfa Romeo Giulia GT with modern technology.

The company has created the Totem GT, which is available in two models, each limited to 20 units. The Electric is a high performance EV, and the GT Super is gasoline powered.

The Totem GT is a clean sheet design that starts with a custom steel chassis, which was developed after studying the original car’s chassis. Dressed over that is a full carbon fiber widebody that offers incredible strength while remaining light weight.

The Electric version has a powerful motor that produces the equivalent of 590 horsepower, whereas the gasoline model has a 2.9L twin turbo V6 engine producing up to 750 horsepower.

Prices for the Totem GT start at $535,000 USD. It brings an impressive amount of tech and beautiful design together in a package that’s limited to just 40 vehicles total. For that kind of exclusivity, the Totem GT is an intriguing option for those with a passion for Italian cars.

RML Short Wheelbase Pays Tribute to Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB

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There are a lot of folks in the world who would love to own a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. The problem is that only 176 examples were built. These cars do not come up for sale very often and when they do, the prices are well into the $5-8 million range.

Have you ever wondered what a modernized version of this legendary GT racer might look like? Well, UK-based RML Group has done just that. They have created the RML Short Wheelbase, a 21st-century version of the famous high performance road car.

Inspired by the 250 SWB, the RML Short Wheelbase is a bespoke, ultra-low volume car executed to the highest possible standards. The car is limited to 30 units worldwide, each one finished to the customer’s precise requirements, and priced at $1.35 million pounds plus taxes.

So what do you get for your money? You get a car with a 485 bhp Ferrari V12 engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with open gated transmission, for pure driving enjoyment.

This magnificent engine is packaged in a carbon fiber body that blends classic form with contemporary function. Though it has the look of a vintage racer, it does not require a specialized mechanic to adjust the carburetors every year.

The car features ample leg and headroom even for 2m (6 ft) occupants. A hidden navigation system, air conditioning, and modern stereo with smartphone connectivity and Apple CarPlay are also standard on the RML Short Wheelbase.

I saw this gorgeous blue car on display outside the Portola Hotel during Monterey Car Week 2022. It looked absolutely stunning under the cloudy Monterey skies. It is amazing how a few small changes like flush mounted glass, deleting the split chrome bumpers, and current lighting and wheels can really modernize a car.

For the lucky few who will own one of these cars, they get to enjoy an amazing car that is a capable driver as well as a piece of art. Without having driven it, I think that this car is more comfortable, more reliable, and also more affordable than the real 250 GT it is based on. That makes it a winner to me.

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod Ford V8 Swapped

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The Volvo P1800 is a beautiful example of Swedish design and aesthetic. The car’s lines look as graceful and elegant today as they did when the car debuted in 1961.

This P1800 located in Arizona has been given the full restomod treatment.

The original 1.8L engine has been replaced by a small block Ford V8 engine under the hood. A set of stainless headers and an Edelbrock intake adorn the engine, which sits beneath a custom air intake. An oversize aluminum radiator and electric fan help keep this thing running cool. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox.

The exterior is a light gray-ish color over a vibrant red interior. A full set of Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges are beautifully integrated into the original dashboard, which sits behind the wooden steering wheel.

The seats, carpet, and door cards are upholstered in red, which contrasts nicely with the body colored transmission tunnel. There is no center console or cup holder at all.

I reckon this car is an absolute blast to drive. It has good power and great styling in a light weight, 2 door coupe body. Seriously, what more do you need in a car?

 

 

1969 Chevrolet Camaro ‘Strode’ by Ringbrothers Debuts at SEMA 2022

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As a seasoned attendee of the SEMA Show for the past 10 years, I have seen dozens of different custom car builders put their own spin on the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro. The 67-69 F-body has been chopped up, remixed, and reinterpreted as a resto-mod, g-machine, pro touring car, and everything else. It would seem that there is nothing left to do with the F-body platform, or is there?

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro “Strode” from Ringbrothers debuted at the Keystone booth at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, along with three other Ringbrothers builds at the show. Like all Ringbrothers builds, the car has a one-word name, which is “Strode” for this car.

The name is a reference to the 1978 slasher movie “Halloween” which stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. A butcher knife emblem with the word “Strode” on it appears throughout the car and is one of many custom touches throughout this build.

The car is much more than a simple restomod, where your local garage drops a crate engine into an old body. This car is a complete reimagination of what a Camaro could be. A staggering 6,500 man hours went into building this one-off car that retains only two parts from the original car – two pieces of side glass.

Though it looks like a Camaro, the car’s body is made of 100% carbon fiber. The Ringbrothers have done full carbon fiber cars before, such as their 2015 build of a 1965 Ford Mustang “Espionage.” The Strode Camaro is the latest high-end build from the brothers to use the extremely strong and light weight material.

Furthermore, the car’s proportions have been stretched and pulled – the body is five inches wider in the rear and three inches wider up front. The rocker panels were lowered, the center of the roof has been recessed, and the hood is longer and reshaped. The front and rear bumpers, diffusers, valences, and spoiler are also made from carbon fiber. The car is painted with BASF Glasurit Ghost White paint, except for the hood, roof, and A-pillars which are black. It’s an insane build from tip to tail, and that’s just the body of the car!

Under the hood is a Wegner Motorsports LS3 V8 engine with a Whipple supercharger that produces a healthy 1,010 horsepower. The engine is painted orange and really pops in the all-white engine bay, where all of the wires and hoses have been concealed. a Holley Dominator EFI system delivers fuel to the thirsty beast of a motor.

Power is routed through a Bowler Tremec T-56 six speed manual gearbox and into a 9-inch rear end from John’s Industries. A carbon fiber driveshaft from QA1 is another modern touch on this muscle car.

A custom Ringbrothers exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers ensures the proper sound when the accelerator pedal is mashed.
The car’s handling has been vastly improved with a hydroformed subframe from Detroit Speed Engineering. A Fast Track front suspension and independent rear suspension from Roadster Shop bring modern handling and driveability to the Camaro, while QA1 Mod series coilovers absorb the bumps.

The car rides on Ringbrothers’ signature five-spoke G-CODE wheels, which they developed with HRE Wheels. They measure 19×11 in the front and 20×12.5 in the rear and are wrapped in a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S high-performance tires.

Bringing everything to a stop is a Baer Brakes 6-piston disc brake system, with an E-Stopp emergency brake.
The car has a full custom interior and dashboard by Steve Pearson at Upholstery Unlimited in Clinton, IA. The custom dashboard, center console, bucket seats, and door panels are all done in saddle tan with custom stitching. The rear seat has been deleted, reducing the car’s overall weight.

Driver comforts include Dakota Digital gauges, a Vintage Air Gen IV HVAC system, and a Kenwood stereo with JL Audio sound system.

The car is full of custom touches including many billet machined and 3D printed parts. A careful eye will observe the knife-shaped recess in the front fenders, the trick custom taillights, the trunk-mounted fuel door, custom center-exit exhaust, and many other changes from the original Camaro.

While I thought I had seen it all when it comes to early Camaros, the Ringbrothers from Wisconsin have shown that there is still plenty of imagination left in the world with their customized 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.

1969 Mustang Mach 1 ‘Patriarc’ by Ringbrothers Debuts at SEMA 2022

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One of my favorite custom car shops is the Wisconsin-based duo of Mike and Jim Ring, and their shop Ringbrothers.

The brothers made their debut at the 2005 SEMA Show, and in 2006 captured the Mothers’ Polish award for their customized 1967 Mustang nicknamed “Reactor.” In 2014 they won a Chevrolet Best of Show award for their 1966 Chevelle “Recoil.”

The shop builds one to two cars per year, which are highly customized with one-off parts. What sets them apart from other builders is their attention to detail, and their impressive ability to manufacture custom parts using everything from carbon fiber to 3D printing to CNC machining.

Since 2005, their custom car shop has expanded as a parts supplier of high quality hood hinges, door handles, hinges, and other hardware.After sitting out the 2020 and 2021 SEMA shows, the Ringbrothers returned to SEMA 2022 in a big way, with four full custom builds on display throughout the show.

One project that caught my eye was the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 “Patriarc” which was on display at the Centerforce booth. The car starts with the 580-horsepower 5.2L V8 “Aluminator” crate engine from Ford Performance, coupled to a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual gearbox and a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end.

The car rides on a set of Ringbrothers signature G-Code wheels that were developed with HRE for the G-Code Camaro in 2016. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Handling is vastly improved thanks to an independent front and rear suspension using Roadster Shop Fast Track components with Penske Racing RS Edition coilovers. A Baer disc brake system with six-pison calipers and massive 14-inch rotors provides serious braking force.

Build time on the Patriarc Mustang is over 5,000 man hours. The body was widened two inches in every direction, and the rear quarter panels have been lowered. This required fabricating a new floor pan and transmission tunnel from sheet metal. While they were in there, they added a roll cage, too.The list of carbon fiber parts includes the air scoops, hood, and rear diffuser.

It is impressive that after building more than a dozen different one-off Mustangs, the Ringbrothers continue to push the boundaries of the resto-mod world with their creations. The Patriarc Mustang Mach 1 is a remarkable car from every angle.