Ye Beast! A true classic.
In 1969,
I purchased a 1964 Triumph Spitfire - it was a college graduation present for myself. The selection of the
Spitfire had been planned - the stock Spitfire would supply the body and other parts essential for the creation of a V-8 powered Spitfire.
To begin the project, a custom frame was designed and fabricated. A narrowed 1964 Corvette Stingray rear suspension with differential and beefed-up front suspension - strong enough to support the weight of a small block Chevy V-8 - were fabricated and installed.
Next, mounts for the engine and transmission were fabricated. The brake and fuel lines were installed and the engine, transmission, and driveline were mounted. The rolling chassis was ready for the body.
The body shell of the 1964 Spitfire received firewall and trunk modifications and was placed on the completed rolling frame. By 1970 the V-8 powered Spitfire was on the road. My son named it - The Beast . Since the Spitfire is of British origin, I renamed it Ye Beast .
Between 1970 and now, there have been three Chevy small block V-8 engine upgrades:
Ye Beast is a project of continual upgrades to current technologies, including:
To begin the project, a custom frame was designed and fabricated. A narrowed 1964 Corvette Stingray rear suspension with differential and beefed-up front suspension - strong enough to support the weight of a small block Chevy V-8 - were fabricated and installed.
Next, mounts for the engine and transmission were fabricated. The brake and fuel lines were installed and the engine, transmission, and driveline were mounted. The rolling chassis was ready for the body.
The body shell of the 1964 Spitfire received firewall and trunk modifications and was placed on the completed rolling frame. By 1970 the V-8 powered Spitfire was on the road. My son named it - The Beast . Since the Spitfire is of British origin, I renamed it Ye Beast .
Between 1970 and now, there have been three Chevy small block V-8 engine upgrades:
- a Corvette high performance 327cid, 350hp
- a Chevy 350cid, 360hp
- a Chevy 383cid, 470hp & 500 ft-lbs torque
Ye Beast is a project of continual upgrades to current technologies, including:
FiTech EFI:
- Replaced carburator with a FiTech 4 EFI
for engines producing between 400hp and 600hp
- inspect all components for wear and fatigue after 48+ years of service
- increase the rear track by 3 inches for improved handling
- add two more leaves to the transverse spring to increase the spring rate
- convert the rear Vette drum brakes to disc brakes
- increase the rear wheel size to 17 inch diameter and 10 inch wide rims to allow the selection of rear tires that match the front tire specifications
- inspect all components for wear and fatigue after 48+ years of service
- replace all bolts and connectors for safety
- convert the front Chevy Nova drum brakes to disc brakes
Running light upgrades
to:
- employ LED headlight technology
- replace all running lights with LED technology