inventorgtp Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 here is my ride and some of the custom bits and pieces. The badges, script and shifter kit I will custom make to order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCamFan Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Sharp looking TC, I'm all for the do it yourself ingenuity! Kinda looks like you are trying to take the Chrysler portion of the heritage from your car, maybe you relate better to the Maserati side of your car ;-) ? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 little of both, I am a product designer and I have a buddy who is budds with one of the old timers that were on the design team for the tc. What I was told was the maserati team had a lot to say about the look of this car and because of timing some of the details were left out such as the quality of the badges, console area. I might take a crack at making some penta toadsticker logos but for now I like the oval ones. I do relate more to the italian side, like I said in my piece "ode to a great little auto" this is one of the best cars chrysler or maserati ever built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LouZ Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Hi Guys, To throw my 2 cents in the ring, I will tell you that the plastic insignia on both the front and back of the car is of such poor quality it's almost a shame to associate them with Maserati on it's worst day.. This was created in my opinion by the need of american buisness and most of the populous for instant gratification.. Chrysler bought 5% of Maserati because they wanted the name and associated quality that came with it. This quality etc. comes from inherant artistry. This is a time honored condition. This mindset produces items that are of the best quality that can be done at the time, just for the sake of knowing it is the best that can be done. Americans on the other hand are always out to show how fast they can do the job and how many cost cutting corners can be included.. "Oil & Water Don't Mix. American business haste brought out the LeBaron Conv. when it did because, Italian "artistry" was too slow and "time is money". That was a short term dollar value (the car was a pretty good convertable); but it sure did screw up the whole plan for the super car and everythings future. OK, that's it, I'm taking back my 1 1/2 cents an leaving this discussion to Y'All... Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 23, 2007 Author Share Posted June 23, 2007 lee and detomaso went way back, to the pantera in fact as far as the tc being the lebaron the fact is its the other way around. The tc was designed and on the show circut before the lebaron with the coke bottle sides existed, one theory is that lee like the look of the tc so much that the lebaron was designed to refelct it. The history of american and euro's building great cars extends way back, the most well known is the Shelby cobra (a ac ace body and chassis) through the pantera (detomaso with for funning gear) the big Jensons (hemi power). As to how fast, vrs the best may I bring out the Dusenburg, still looked at as being the equal to the best in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LouZ Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 The way I understand it, Lee wanted the car shown in '86 and ready for sale to the public in '87. The Italians had to "Tool-Up" in Italy to stamp out all the parts and then set up the assembly line Well here's where the rub began; Artistry and Haste are part of that "oil & Water" thing, Lee got excited because of the delayed production and felt because Chrysler owned 5% he wasn't stealing and copied as much of the look as he wanted into the LeBaron Conv. The fact that the public saw the Lebaron first caused the public to think the TC was a copy.. No one in corporate would poblicize otherwise and the fallacy continues to this day. No one wants to "fess up". but Allessandro was so enraged at his almost friend that he had the board throw Chrysler and thier 5% out..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 23, 2007 Author Share Posted June 23, 2007 Part of the delay was the change from a coup to a convert when they found out that buick was doing the reatta. Its a confusing story but I know you have parts of it right, so do I and I doubt the truth will be fully known...and to the world the "tc" is not the "touring convertable" (was supposed go be "touring coupe" inline with the quratropote being the "touring sedan" but "town and county". I prefer to call mine a "turbo corsa" for that is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCamFan Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 INventor,I like your well informed take on things, I am glad to have your here. Welcome to our humble little list, I hope you decide to stay with us a while.Care to give a little backstory on your car AND yourself? More about the inventor status maybe...Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 I am a product design engineer with 30 years in. I take a product from market research though design, prototype, testing, production and sometimes sales. I have taken seven of my own products from idea though to the market and 30+ for clients. I have had many exotics in the past some more exotic than others and I saw a tc for sale in the paper so did some research, another exotic owner had some great things to say about this misfortunate child so I went and took a look in person. The guy had been the second owner, knew well the first owner from Palm springs and it was in great shape. Took the car for a drive and yup, blower lag (stock exhaust) good handling with hardly any cowl shake, design elements of the quratroporte' (I owned a 87) hell it FELT like, looked like, smelled like a 2 door vert version of the big Q. Remember gents the Q cost in its day MORE than a RR and was the fastest four door out there so I could see where they were going. I dug deeper, hell Shelby drive train, blown, cooled, injected motor that has shown the ability to be massaged to over 400hp as well as going 200k miles I was sold. As an old designer, I knew a bunch of guys in the car world and put out the word to find somebody from mopar in the early mid 80's to chat with. I got the story as I have relayed it and set to thinking. I decided to do what the design guys wanted, the maser guys wanted and likely the ceo's wanted but couldn’t because of timing and politics. I decided to "finish" the turbo corsa off, and have done so in a way that is backdate able, but to be truthful many of the little touches just look so damn right that most just assume that’s the way the car IS. A quick story, this Sunday went to a art gallery open house and these people just went crazy over old blondi, I struck up a conversation with another gent my age who had done well in software but at heart was still a rock and roll drummer. He had a few nice rides 1967 e type roadster, a db2/4 Aston martin and some other. He asked for a ride, and I said ride hell you drive it. Now remember I have all the upgrades on the motor so it is putting out something around 270hp so off we went, the guy was all smiles and said "spirit of a maser, soul of a hemi". He had looked at buying and drove a new maser spider, and yea the new one is a bit faster, had a bit better, sound but he said, “Was worried it was going to be a hanger queen like all Ferrari’s are” and so took a pass. So folks with people that love design, emotion, and the good things in life the turbo corsa is a stone hit.Cheersgtp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCamFan Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Sounds like nice upgrades GTP, what have you done, exhaust, computer, injectors, boost? More? Is this a five speed car? I have had many satisfying stories like the one you told, introduce someone who likes cars but know nothing of the TC's really and they leave impressed. I had an hour conversation with a Porsche mechanic a few weeks ago, he had never heard of or seen a TC but got very excited about it's features.Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 I went with the stage 3 semac from forward motion, did some playing with the map and put in a 5th injector that is tied to it. I did a bit of custom work so the "5th" only comes in when the extra microprocessor I built up reads both boost and the mixture says its with in pramaters so it wont go lean. I hardly used it and went back to 4 injectors and 17psi boost with the stage 3 semac. I did do the 3" pipe from turbo back using a low back pressure cat and a glass pack and ansa twin tip exauast on the end, its sounds wonderful. I have the auto, but I had it rebuilt by a guy who is a wizard and he put in some serious guts to handle the extra oomph, not a car that you power brake and turn lose, but fine for normal driving. He also tightend up the shift points to make them more chrisp. I did the bar shim on the front and will be putting on some koni's this fall (run them on the soft setting to start) as well as replacing bushings as needed. I do run mobil 1 and use a oil filter from a 5 liter mustang (1 full quart). If this motor ever gives up the ghost, I think a pro built 2.5 will be the way to go, but from what I have seen these motors will last almost forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 29, 2007 Author Share Posted June 29, 2007 I went with the stage 3 semac from forward motion, did some playing with the map and put in a 5th injector that is tied to it. I did a bit of custom work so the "5th" only comes in when the extra microprocessor I built up reads both boost and the mixture says its with in pramaters so it wont go lean. I hardly used it and went back to 4 injectors and 17psi boost with the stage 3 semac. I did do the 3" pipe from turbo back using a low back pressure cat and a glass pack and ansa twin tip exauast on the end, its sounds wonderful. I have the auto, but I had it rebuilt by a guy who is a wizard and he put in some serious guts to handle the extra oomph, not a car that you power brake and turn lose, but fine for normal driving. He also tightend up the shift points to make them more chrisp. I did the bar shim on the front and will be putting on some koni's this fall (run them on the soft setting to start) as well as replacing bushings as needed. I do run mobil 1 and use a oil filter from a 5 liter mustang (1 full quart). If this motor ever gives up the ghost, I think a pro built 2.5 will be the way to go, but from what I have seen these motors will last almost forever. what have you done to yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCamFan Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 Mine are 16V cars so it easy to make big power gains.One has a custom turbo T3/T4 hybrid turbo, big intercooler, custom intake manifold, tubular headers, Wiseco pistons, eight injectors, billet main caps etc etc. There is an SRT 4 dyno event on the 15th of July so I am expecting to see roughly 400 WHP but you never know... It does spin the BFG drag radials in 4th-with a Quaife posi :-)Other cars are a bit more tame...Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 holy poopoo! that is way over the top ! You have that in a TC? I have seen such build ups in mini vans, and daytonas as well as the little 2 door grocery getter (wicked fast). I couldnt ever see how to get a bigger intercooler into the TC with out major hacking and cutting. In any event well done and happy smoking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinCamFan Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Uh, actually no. That is the first TC Masi motor I built and it actually resides in one of those grocery getters you mentioned, an 87 Shelby GLHS. In my TC the motor is a stock bottom end with a ported and polished head (40 hours worth), oversize intake and exhaust valves, better springs, ported manifolds, bigger intercooler, 3" exhaust, +20 injectors, rising rate regulator, Dawes devices air fuel meter etc etc. After the cylinder head upgrades the stg III Clutchnet clutch wouldn't hold the torque so I had to turn the boost down to 12-13psi. A few weeks ago a 90 16V TC follow me home as a parts car, when I got it home it was nicer than the 89 I've been restoring for five years. So the only thing that makes sense to me is to swap EVERYTHING to the 90 car. I am maybe 3-4 hours away from finishing that task. I have 80 man hours in it so far... The clutch has been upgraded to a four puck ceramic so I should be able to turn the boost back up and go to a dyno day soon. The stock turbo is a very limiting factor on the 16V cars, it is substantially smaller than the Garrett T3 on the auto cars.Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 ya with my auto box (I like NOT shifting) I am limited to about 300 hp max, more than enough in my book. I have wonderd from time to time what it would take to make a tc all wheel drive like my old audi, now wouldnt that be something 400 hp, all wheel drive TC, a true fire breather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inventorgtp Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 weird to see 2 blondies sitting side by side, boy the stock wheels really didnt do anything for its looks did they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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