The Classic Gazelle
By
Classic Motor Carriages Miami, Florida
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Drew was able to aquire this Beauty while attending an auction to purchase equipment for the 2 DOG Shop.
The body is a Fiberglass Replica of a 1928 Mercedes Benz SSK as shown Below. (Photo Credit to AI overview)
The Fiberglass Body and Floor pan were manufactured in Florida, by Classic Motor Carriages between the 1980's and 90's. The Purchaser would have to supply a donor chassis from a Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Chevette or a VW Beetle. This particular gem is built on a Pinto chassis, that featured a 1.6L in-line 4 cylinder mated to a 4 Speed manual transmission.
1928 Mercedes SSK
(Super Sport Kurz)
The 2 DOG Build
Click on Photos to follow progress
Initial Inspection
The process begins by lifting the vehicle and carefully looking over all undercarriage systems.
Tear Down
The Tear Down Stage allows Drew to assess each component individually and decide what is reusable verses what will be replaced. On this particular project, Drew found that the only thing salvagable where the wheels, body, floor pan and deck lids which means this project will require a ground up build.
That starts with a custom 2 DOG frame.
Frame Construction
Having to start from the ground up allows Drew to be creative with the drivetrain. A modified C4 Corvette drivetrain and both the front and rear suspension components will be incorporated into the build. Many original C4 Corvettes came with an LT1 engine mated to a 700R4 transmission. For this build, Drew will use an LS engine mated to a 4L60E transmission.
Pictured below is an LS engine mock up with the "Bat-Wing" Differential Carrier for spacing layout.
Drive Train
For the build, Drew picked up a 4L60E core and will completely teardown and inspect the individual components.
As expected, Drew found the #8 check ball driven into the seperator plate. This is caused by wear and hydralic hammering during normal operation. The results are typically a burnt 2/4 Band, and burnt 3/4 clutches. Photos below show some of the damage to this unit, which is typical for older 4L60E transmissions.
Once Drew completes this rebuild, 500+HP will be no issues for this unit.
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