Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Vehicles you don't see on the road anymore

Saw this pretty clean LTD wagon today outside of Hartford, CT.

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Saw this when I rolled into the parking lot at work this morning.

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What's that in the background, you ask?

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You don't see many 90 200tdi Defenders on the road over here, You guys have import regulations on such vehicles that mean they have to be over a "certain age" ( menopausal in human female terms) 😎
 
I used to see these from time to time, now I can't remember the last time I saw one.

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In the early 80's, I used to date a girl who was an insurance claims adjuster. Her appraisal limit was $5000.

One of their customers with a late 70's Ford pickup backed out of a parking space and raked down the side of one of these. He said he never saw it because it was so low and didn't feel it when his Ford can opener opened it up.

It got punted up from her desk as the repair was *just* a bit over her limit 🤪

I've always thought it was a fascinating design, and this pic really wows me.

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Edit: This got me wondering so I looked up some old road tests. While it was a rocket at the time, a bone stock modern Mustang GT would tear it up.
 
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Edit: This got me wondering so I looked up some old road tests. While it was a rocket at the time, a bone stock modern Mustang GT would tear it up.

Allegedly a rather cramped and potentially uncomfortable cockpit and the wing on later versions apparently served to slow the car down. But it's an old supercar, so concessions were likely made. I say that as a massive fan of the car, the prototype was like seeing an alien craft for the first time and I'm quite sure I had an ortho side shot poster of an LP5000 QV in full flare plastered on my bedroom wall, circa 1980.

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I've only ever seen one in the wild, actually at a car show at the local fairgrounds, it was jointly purchased/owned by three local dentists.
 
I used to see these from time to time, now I can't remember the last time I saw one.

I don't think I've ever seen a real Countach, but I have seen a few replica/kit cars over the years. The last one I seen was a beat lookin gone sitting at a local scrap yard begging for someone to take it home. I'll guess it never left.

This is one of the high-end Prova kit cars.
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I don't think I've ever seen a real Countach, but I have seen a few replica/kit cars over the years. The last one I seen was a beat lookin gone sitting at a local scrap yard begging for someone to take it home. I'll guess it never left.

This is one of the high-end Prova kit cars.
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I've actually sat in a 75 Countach that a guy I worked with was rebuilding . It was a grey market car from Saudi with wiring issues. It sounded so sweet at a fast idle ! Chuck revved it a few times and it was instant revs ! Think hot street bike . I'm 5'10" and my head was just touching the roof , small inside . Also the rear view mirror looked out a like sized rear window. You can't see the base of the windshield let alone the front of the car.
 
I used to see these from time to time, now I can't remember the last time I saw one.

View attachment 653184

In the early 80's, I used to date a girl who was an insurance claims adjuster. Her appraisal limit was $5000.

One of their customers with a late 70's Ford pickup backed out of a parking space and raked down the side of one of these. He said he never saw it because it was so low and didn't feel it when his Ford can opener opened it up.

It got punted up from her desk as the repair was *just* a bit over her limit 🤪

I've always thought it was a fascinating design, and this pic really wows me.

View attachment 653183

View attachment 653185
Edit: This got me wondering so I looked up some old road tests. While it was a rocket at the time, a bone stock modern Mustang GT would tear it up.

Apparently the transmissions on these things were like glass. If you launched off-the-line and let the wheels spin at all you'd destroy the transmission. I believe it was Top Gear (or some automotive show) that did a segment on this.

Cool looking cars but in no way worth it. There's a guy here in town who has a red one.

Me personally, I prefer the Diablo!
 
I don't think I've ever seen a real Countach, but I have seen a few replica/kit cars over the years. The last one I seen was a beat lookin gone sitting at a local scrap yard begging for someone to take it home. I'll guess it never left.

This is one of the high-end Prova kit cars.
View attachment 653190

Is it built on a fiero?
 
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Is it built on a fiero?

The one above has a custom built tube frame as part of the kit. I have seen a very awkward looking one built out of a Fiero, and I've seen one built using a Corvette, a C3 I think. I've also seen one built on a stretched VW Beetle pan, and it still had the VW engine and trans. :LOL: Most of the kit cars have odd lines when you get up close to them, but the engine is always a dead giveaway.
 
I used to see a red one and a black one from time to time. Apparently one of them belonged to one of the guys from the Dukes Of Hazzard TV show.

For a while there were several of the kits around but they always stood out as looking "wrong", especially the ones on a non-stretched Fiero chassis which just looked plain weird.
 
Also the rear view mirror looked out a like sized rear window.

I think there were legal issues involving that when those cars were new. It seem like the first cars had no interior rear view mirror and/or rear window since it was useless, but to make them road legal Lambo slapped something together.

Me personally, I prefer the Diablo!

Same here. Diablo was the Lambo of my childhood.

You can't see the base of the windshield let alone the front of the car.

You know, with my Jeep being the exception, I absolutely hate cleaning the inside of windshields. Having to do something like a Lamborghini would probably send me over the edge. I don't know what it'd cost, but if I owned something like that, I'd have to pay someone to clean the windshield. :LOL:

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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts