pparaska Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 May 2006 Hot Rod Magazine, page 101, "The World's Baddest Solstice". First Paragraph: "The engine swap is a tradition in hot rodding and HOT ROD magazine. Cadillac V-8s and Buick nailheads in Model A and B Fords were commonplace in the early days, and the muscle-car was born via the concept of the engine swap. Anyone over the age of 35 remembers the V-8 Vegas, Monzas, and Pintos, lightweight economy cars that were easily made to go very fast with a healthy small block stuffed in place of the stock four. And let's not forget the V-8 Datsun 240/260/280Z, which combined Chevy V-8 power with the little sports car's inherent handling abilities." (I added the bold font.) Is the V-8 Solstice the next popular hybrid? (No, I don't mean the tree-hugger hybrids!) I'd love to have one! Of course, they put the LS7 in it. I want one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNeedForZ Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I have seen a few Solstice's on the road and I think they look very nice. I wouldn't mind having one myself to tinker with either...but my Z comes first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastzcars Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Do mean this pontiac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 That's the one by Mallet cars (sp?). It's one slick package and there are power upgrades as well Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 No, this isn't the Mallet car. GM Performance and Hot Rod Magazine got together and did this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonZ Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 VERY tempting proposition. The Saturn Sky is crying for a transplant too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 No, this isn't the Mallet car. GM Performance and Hot Rod Magazine got together and did this one. Ah, I saw the pic posted and spoke too soon. I like the idea of a one-off conversion since it is closer to our car crafting than buying a complete car from a company like Mallet. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Pete, good observation! I was also surprised to find that passage in Hot Rod, considering that they spent the past half dozen issues lashing themselves for their "imports might not be so bad, after all" phase a couple of years ago. The Toyota Carina build-up in the previous month's issue was also an interesting exception. But the same article went on to mention that the post-swap weight of the Solistice would likely be over 3000 lbs - perhaps well over 3000 lbs. Most our HybridZ's are under 3000 lbs, even with all-cast-iron engines and full amenities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastzcars Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 DavyZ, your right, the picture I posted ia a mallet car. I jumped the gun, Sorry Pete. I'll have to go and get a copy of Hot Rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted March 23, 2006 Author Share Posted March 23, 2006 Yeah, that Mallet thing is mucho bucks. Michael, I haven't read the article yet - but I too bemoan the 3000+ weight. I've said it before, Pontiac screwed the pooch on the Sostice weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bartman Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I just read the article tonight and they say the stock Solstice weighs just under 3,000 pounds, and one of their goals is to keep the car near that weight. They're stripping out everything they can. They claim that the V-8 powertrain adds about 800 pounds. Could this be right? They must mean total weight not 800 pounds more than the Solstice stock powertrain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschiltz Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Whaaa?!?! How does that tiny car weigh so much? Did they use cast iron for the frame rails? It'd still be a sweet car, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I read the article yesterday and was pleased to see the reference to the S30's n there. The Solstice should be a real stormer with the LS7 in it. The number of modifications to the car is extensive - reminds me of the mods on some of the Z's on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 It's real easy for me to believe they weigh that much - my '94 Q45a weighs more than 200 lbs more than my '96 Lincoln Town Car. Without the active suspension, it would STILL weigh more. A lot of engineering stuffed into a small space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubin Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 off gmcanada.ca - 2860lbs with 50/50 distribution off honda.com - 2855lbs for the s2000 looks like direct competition to the s2000. dont hear anyone complaining about that being too heavy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewievette Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 I frequent http://www.solsticeforum.com mainly because I have been diggin on the solstice ever since it was a show car back in 2002! If you search that site you will find that there are a few companies doing the V8 install, a hand full doing V8 swap Kits, and there are also a few doing V6 Kits! Another cool thing I noticed about the Solstice is that since all of the body panels are removable it could be the next Fiero for kit car manufacturers! btw, Mallet is working on the V8 Sky already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastzcars Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 You know guys , after reading through the mag, I think I just found my new car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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