Dream Cars: Pontiac Sunfire Hot Rod |
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Topics: Pontiac Sunfire
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Bill Crittenden
May 26, 2013
A few weeks ago I saw a truly epic hot rod on the Internet. Hot rods are definitely not my favorite canvasses for automotive creativity, but this one sparked my interest in a whole new way.
The rod was an old BMW 2002. I wish I could just show you the picture and spare the 1,000 words, but I can't. No hood, no fenders, but the front nose and everything from the cowl back was flat black. The car was lowered so the fat rear tires stuck out from the sides if the rear and the front was widened so the front grille fit between them. The exposed engine was far too large for the original 2002, and if I were building the car it would have been the 7-Series V12 from some years ago. Just to say I had a V12!
I absolutely love mixing car cultures that aren't supposed to go together, and this hot rod was a perfect combination.
After a few of my own versions floated around in my head (Tundra TRD supercharged V8 in an old Corona or Celica, Ford V8 hot rod with a Mondeo body) I settled on an old favorite: Pontiac.
The car I would build would start with a basic hot rod frame, and have an engine from a classic Pontiac fitted into it. Preferably one in the metallic light blue color. After all, horsepower isn't as important to me as display in this case.
To complete the rolling chassis I'd paint the wheels the same color as the engine, with fat street slicks on the back and narrow front tires. They've got to clear a wider nose piece than the 2002 without the car being too wide.
The nose piece, and the rest of the cowl-back bodywork, would come from a later version Pontiac Sunfire. Why the Sunfire? It's a convertible with a curvy rear, with the little spoiler at the edge if the rear window and the lit-up Pontiac word mark on the back. I think it'd look great, it's a car that was never intended to have a V8 (or even a 6), and telling folks who haven't seen your car that you have a bad ass Sunfire sounds kinda fun.
Oh, but that interior. Dark grey plastic all around. Well, nothing another can or three of that Pontiac blue paint won't cure. Then throw in a new black rug and some aftermarket black seats, a matching light blue pinstripe down the sides and across the back, and you've got about the coolest Sunfire in creation...a hot rod not necessarily worthy of major national show trophies but an attention grabber at any "Pontiac night" at your local cruise and a fun curiosity for the major Pontiac shows like Indian Uprising.