Cafe Racers and a 'British' style for cars...

[locostbryan]

Jul 18, 2014 6:07:52 GMT alolympic said:

Jul 16, 2014 9:33:41 GMT locostbryan said:

Lovely Toledo - imagine it with Dollie wood and leather interior, and a Stag V8 under the bonnet . All from the Triumph parts bin .

Not sure those changes would improve the car at all. This particular Toledo works so well because other then the ride height, there is nothing to give the game away. It has a stock Toledo flat dash and seats. That helps keep it stealth. The engine is an XE which performs much better than a Stage V8 would. Unfortunately the wood used in a Dolomite interior does not feel luxury anyway, it is all nasty veneers as opposed to solid timber that they were using 10 years previous.

Have to admit the leather and wood look was more a Rover P6B or Jag XJ6 thing, so not the "spartan" interior that is more suited to the "cafe racer" look. Not a big fan of modern engines in "classic" cars myself, Just call me old-fashioned

[doobie]

Jul 21, 2014 4:06:01 GMT locostbryan said:

Jul 18, 2014 6:45:53 GMT alolympic said:

I'm not sure I like the idea of spelling out a particular item that a car must have to be identifiable within a certain look. I find that really limiting and only ends up with something becoming over used, over familiar and soon boring. Plonking one specific part on does not make a car.
Surely it's better for a car to evoke a look as a package, with different people creating the same feel in different ways.

imho both of these wheels evoke the "British" look

Can i add these wheels if Marinanut does not mind??

[Deleted]

This was pretty much the ethos behind my old Cortina (now sold). Yeah....Minilites, so shoot me!

[MrSpeedy]

Minilites with respectable dish though, so in my opinion you're excused.

That and the fact that the whole car is pretty dammed sweet.

Reminds me of my first racer push bike. Lombard grey with red detailing! Lol

[avengertec]

<a href="http://s220.photobucket.com/user/KEITHOA/media/_72E3692_zps30fb6bbd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd303/KEITHOA/_72E3692_zps30fb6bbd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo _72E3692_zps30fb6bbd.jpg"/></a>


Does this count

[avengertec]

[eternaloptimist]

Love that Avenger. Just looks mean in the first photo.

I like the theme in this thread - I'm following a similar approach with my Standard Ten.

[Rich G]

Jul 23, 2014 14:22:21 GMT eternaloptimist said:

Love that Avenger. Just looks mean in the first photo.

I like the theme in this thread - I'm following a similar approach with my Standard Ten.

Need photos!

Wish I could find some photos of my old '55 Ten. Original Dove Grey paint with a stock red interior but disc brakes from an early Spitfire along with a 1300 Spitfire engine (running a single 1 1/2-in Stromberg carb), box and diff and wide steels - sure was fun. Sold it to a guy in Kent to fund a trip to the USA. FTF696 where are you?

[ettorebugatti]

more food for thought?

[eternaloptimist]

Jul 23, 2014 19:47:46 GMT Rich G said:

Jul 23, 2014 14:22:21 GMT eternaloptimist said:

Love that Avenger. Just looks mean in the first photo.

I like the theme in this thread - I'm following a similar approach with my Standard Ten.

Need photos!

Wish I could find some photos of my old '55 Ten. Original Dove Grey paint with a stock red interior but disc brakes from an early Spitfire along with a 1300 Spitfire engine (running a single 1 1/2-in Stromberg carb), box and diff and wide steels - sure was fun. Sold it to a guy in Kent to fund a trip to the USA. FTF696 where are you?

I've got a (neglected) build thread on here - must upload more pics....

[horney™]

I guess my car fits this style, what do you think?

[locostbryan]

Jul 23, 2014 22:06:32 GMT horney™ said:

I guess my car fits this style, what do you think?

Since you started with a great Japanese tribute to the classic '60s Lotus Elan, it could hardly not have a British style.

Those flared arches give it a bit of a Lightweight E-type look.

[ToolsnTrack]

[adam73bgt]

Found this from an album when I went to France in 2011, potentially relevant?

[devilishdesigner]

Very interesting thread here. For those who don't know I've been working in the motorcycle industry in Australia for the last year starting my own brand

suus.com.au
facebook.com/suuscustoms

I am a big fan of the cafe racer theme and style but had never really thought about applying it to cars, some of the examples show here are perfect!

[moggyman]

Jul 23, 2014 19:47:46 GMT Rich G said:

Jul 23, 2014 14:22:21 GMT eternaloptimist said:

Love that Avenger. Just looks mean in the first photo.

I like the theme in this thread - I'm following a similar approach with my Standard Ten.

Need photos!

Wish I could find some photos of my old '55 Ten. Original Dove Grey paint with a stock red interior but disc brakes from an early Spitfire along with a 1300 Spitfire engine (running a single 1 1/2-in Stromberg carb), box and diff and wide steels - sure was fun. Sold it to a guy in Kent to fund a trip to the USA. FTF696 where are you?

I think the Standard 8/10 is a perfect choice for this look.

[Deleted]

I have spent many years now wondering how one might create a quintessentially British version of a hot rod, rat rod, gasser, or similar.

I don't mean applying rat rod looks to a British car, I mean creating something uniquely British.

After a while I came to the conclusion that you can't fabricate cultural history. It either grew that way or it didn't, and small two seaters and sporting saloons was our sporting car history.

I had a good look over the Napier Railton up-close at Goodwood FOS around 2012, and that was really like a bit of hardcore steampunk British hotrod. From that point on I found myself losing my strong desire to drive around in American retro metal. Its just imported culture that doesn't really work on our roads if you get past the initial spectacle... Particularly when people have 50's stepsides and it means they are almost forced to dress like an extra from the waltons in order to drive it.

Having been into loads of car scenes since the late 80's, from the 80's VW fascination with 'Cal look' to the rat rod trend... I would personally love it if one of the next big styling themes to gain global recognition amongst motor heads was "Brit Style" and consisting of a unique set of visual and mechanical cues.

Maybe we need to write a manifesto of what constitutes Brit style, and then get started on some project cars.

[droctane]

What a great thread. I've thought a lot about the 'Cafe' look; certain British classics have been nailing that look for decades. Minis on 10"s with race inspired grp 2 arches and decluttered Ashley Midgets do it for me.

[Deleted]

Oct 1, 2014 20:54:45 GMT droctane said:

decluttered Ashley Midgets

oooh, yes.

[93fxdl]

I suppose my take on a quintisential British car cafe racer would be along the lines of the ERA or the Birkin blower Bentleys, the decendant of which would be something like Steeds jag, but the motorcycle cafe racer was a shed built special, so to me, the car equivalent must be one of the lotus 7 clones.
Will try to sort some pictures of a friends project, a homage to the ERA using a scimitar chassis with a jag 6 for power, will be wrapped in a single seat, replica body
Ttfn Glenn