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Wow, a Costin on EBay!

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Sparkie

Sparkie

Senior Member
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OK, it's not built in England, but Ireland. However, it was designed by one of the great British engineers, Frank Costin (his brother was Mike, the Cos in Cosworth).

Anyway, this is 1 of 4 I know of in the states. 1 of 26 built. One is in my shop, one somewhere in the NE with a BDA of all things, this one and finally one in a crate at the Panoz warehouse. This was the predecessor of the Panoz roadster. The Irish company was sold to Panoz and moved to Georgia, but that's another story...

Quite a snappy car with 100HP and a max GVW of 1550 lbs! Drop me a line if you want general details about the car - I know nothing about this particular car for sale.

EBAY Costin
 
Costin with a BDA.... HoBoi!!! THAT'd be a handful. WHEEE!!!!!/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif

Mebbe I should consider a road trip, go kick th' tires and play lot-lizard...
 
No kidding! I purchased mine from Hayes Harris and according to him, the previous owner of mine also purchased the BDA powered rocket at the same time. It was supposedly raced at one time by Paul Newman at Watkin's Glen (hopefully remembering correctly) - where he blowed up the lump. Someone made good on a replacement and the car supposedly lives on, somewhere on the East coast I believe.

Unfortunately my car was the one offered for sale rather than the BDA car. Oh well. Guess I could always put one in...
 
Love the front view, a bit to boxy looking from the side and back to suit me. Bet its a hoot to drive tho.
 
Whoa - looks like someone laid a nasty whuppin' on a Lotus 7 with an Ugly Stick! (If the one in your shop is yours, Scotty, and you happen to think it is the most handsome vehicle since the Ferrari GTO, feel free to discount my aesthetic assessment - what could I know anyway - I own a Jensen CV8!)

I think I'd rather have a Panoz, all things considered.
 
billspohn said:
Whoa - looks like someone laid a nasty whuppin' on a Lotus 7 with an Ugly Stick!
Click to expand...

Wow...They took an ugly car and made it hideous.....

(Makes my Pinto look acceptable)

I'll take the BDA though /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif & you can have the car.

BTW...I think the Europa is gorgeous /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif
 
billspohn said:
Whoa - looks like someone laid a nasty whuppin' on a Lotus 7 with an Ugly Stick! (If the one in your shop is yours, Scotty, and you happen to think it is the most handsome vehicle since the Ferrari GTO, feel free to discount my aesthetic assessment - what could I know anyway - I own a Jensen CV8!)
Click to expand...

I agree with your opinion of the Costin's looks, but I have a strange attraction to CV-8s!
 
Twosheds said:
But I have a strange attraction to CV-8s!
Click to expand...
Is that an 8 cylinder CV-2?
1939-Citroen-2CV-Prototype-lg.jpg
 
Uh, no I'm not attracted to that car. But I think this one is purty:
 

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I too like the Jensen CV-8. I guess "ouit chaveaux" means eight horsepower? (pardon my french) And why didn't you mention Darrel Duckworth, part of that British power duo?!

Random thoughts.... I'm just enjoying my martini after destroying one of my Zenith Stromberg carbs
Steve
 
This is my favourite part of my CV-8....
cv8eng.jpg
 
She may be ugly, but she has a great personality! And no, I do not think it’s the prettiest car I own, but beauty is only skin deep... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/troll.gif

I was drawn to the car because of the designer, Frank Costin. Now deceased, he was an engineer in the purest sense; a true genius. Enticed to the dark side (Lotus) from De Havilland by his brother Mark (cos in Cosworth), he designed the Lotus 8,9,10, 11 (amazing car!). Going on to design bodies for the Vanwall, Lister Jag and many more. You just have to admire a guy who can make successful monocoques from wood (as co-founder of Marcos).

I thought you guys would appreciate the pic of the personality improvement I just completed – twin Dellorto’s in place of the single 2BBL downdraft Weber. What a hoot to drive!!! Very reminiscent of my go-kart racing days. I don’t know what the HP gain was but I can tell you it’s quite noticeable in her 1550 pounds (remember – personality) of GVW. I believe net is around 1200lbs!

In case you are wondering, that’s a 100HP (pre-DCOE’s) version of a Ford CVH engine.
Costin.jpg
 
Well, THAT should make some proper noises!! After the conversion, did ya notice yer eyelids gettin' sore from overcoming the acceleration improvement? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

Quite nice, Scotty! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

I see you're usin' a Facett type pump... did you have to dial it down with a regulator? I can see the filter but not the rest of the line as it goes under them honkin' great thingies.
 
No, I am not using a regulator. The float valves appear to be doing fine.

I do need some advice on the vacuum advance, however.

Even though I pick vacuum off each carb, I am still getting oscillations at the distributor. It rattles like heck at idle. With vacuum line disconnected, no rattle.

I am aware of an anti pulse valve that Alfa's used to solve this. It looks like a fuel filter and I think it's just a small orifice and vacuum reservoir to average the pulses. I cannot find one on this side of the pond. So today I'll try to make one with a fish tank air regulator (small pintle adjusted valve) with a length of tube betwixt it and the disti (reservoir).

Guess I could go mechanical disti but haven’t found one yet. Or change springs in mine….
 
Actually the MGB's had a little "pulse cutter" in the dizzy vacuum advance capillary originally. I think they're Unobtanium now, tho.

I stand corrected!!! Moss shows it as part #163-640! Page 85 of the 2-2006 (MGB-MGC) catalog, and the other bits to plumb it up.

Have a look at that as opposed to fabricating?

...unless the challenge is so overwhelming you can't stand it. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif
 
smcmanus said:
I too like the Jensen CV-8. I guess "ouit chaveaux" means eight horsepower? (pardon my french) And why didn't you mention Darrel Duckworth, part of that British power duo?!
Steve
Click to expand...

Uh...no, Steve, the CV-8 is nothing to do with Cosworth, nor Keith Duckworth nor Mike Costin - or was that the martini talking? :smile:

CV-8 = Chrysler V-8
 
Darrel Duckworth is certainly part of this British "power duo!" And I was thinking that if 2CV stands for Deux Chaveau or 2 horsepower then......

All in fun

Have a nice day
 

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Sparkie said:
Even though I pick vacuum off each carb, I am still getting oscillations at the distributor. It rattles like heck at idle. With vacuum line disconnected, no rattle.

I am aware of an anti pulse valve that Alfa's used to solve this. It looks like a fuel filter and I think it's just a small orifice and vacuum reservoir to average the pulses.
Click to expand...

Try this, a Fram fuel filter, and a mig welding tip for
0.024 wire. Worked on my 2.0L Capri...

SteveL
 
MacGyver!! Where you been hidin'?!?! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif

I ~LIKE~ that!
 
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