Vikki - My Marlin Sportster Kit-Car

GreatOldOne

R'lyeh Engineering Works
H-M Supporter Gold Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
418
Hi All,

Before I started to put together my metalworking shop, I spent 5 years building a Marlin Sportster kit car. It's 30's style 2 seat roadster, but underneath it's a E30 3-Series BMW, with an M20B25 engine (2.5 litre, fuel injected) that's good for 171bhp.

Here's Vikki:

PaintedDrive1.jpg

PaintedDrive3.jpg


She's used the engine, gearbox, complete rear axle (indpendant rear suspension, diff, drive shafts), all the BMW braking system bar the ABS and Basketweave BBS alloys.

All the bodywork is from Marlin, and is a mixture of aluminium panels and fibreglass. All the wood trim is custom made by me, as is the dash and centre console.

There's loads more pics, along with a build diary and some other bits and pieces around the custom electronics I made for her on my website:

www.greatoldone.co.uk

Why is she called Vikki? Well, it's because (as Captain Blackadder pointed out) she's as English as Queen Victoria. Half German! ;)
 
Great looking project car, you did a great job and well spent five years.
 
Very nice build. Using a BMW as a donor was a great move. I Imagine that it must handle and perform really well.

I've always wanted to build a kit car but never had the space to do it....or the committed $$$

Marcel
 
As sometimes happens with kit cars, the assembler gets confused and installs the steering wheel on the wrong side. :roflmao:


Nice looking car!!
 
Thanks all - and by the way, the wheel is on the 'correct' side of the car... The rest of the world is wrong. ;)

Xalky - yep, she's pretty chuckable, but can be a bit lively at the back end as there's not much weight over the back axle. 0-60 in about 5 secs, but not really measured exactly. She pushes me back into the seat when I step on the loud pedal, and puts a grin on my face, so that's good enough for me. :)
 
FANTASTIC job!
You do beautiful work.

I'm a European car guy from way back. I like cars from European makers. Particularly Germany, Italy, and the UK. There are even a few from France I like. The Citroen SM is one but I like it because it's so darn ugly yet supremely innovative.
We've had a '66 Triumph TR4A IRS in the family since it was new and despite it's frame off restoration it gets driven.
One of the cars I've lusted for nearly my whole life is the incomparable Lotus (Caterham) 7. Colin Chapman was a genius!
I'll build one of the many kit 7's sometime before I croak.

Congratulations on the superb car!

I don't see any tonneau snaps. I love driving the Triumph on a crisp Fall day with the tonneau cover on and the heat going. Simply sublime!
 
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