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Thread: Return of the EUNOS MANTICORE – featuring an Ecotec 2.4 engine swap

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    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! MiataQuest's Avatar
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    Lightbulb Return of the EUNOS MANTICORE – featuring an Ecotec 2.4 engine swap

    This will be the continuation of the previous Eunos Motors fantasy build of the Manticore Special Edition without all the craziness, well maybe just a little.
    ===============
    Right now, I am of the greying age where I want to revive some fond automotive memories of my youth.
    One of those memories was owning this car at the invincible age of 19 years old.



    Yes, it’s a 1962 Mercedes 190SL. (Excuse the digital picture of a blurry Polaroid picture)
    Even better, it had a 1964 Corvette 375hp 327 V8, 4 speed, 12 bolt rear end, along with a Corvette big block hood grafted in! Can you believe it, I removed the large distinctive Mercedes 3-point emblem from the grill. I did that so it would look more like a Cobra. It even had the single Cobra style roll-bar behind the driver. It looked great with the hardtop off and was a blast to drive with the exhaust echoing out both sides via the Thrush side pipes. The 1200 rpm idle with the Isky cam was menacing at each stoplight. Unfortunately, I had to sell it a few years later to pay some medical bills.

    I wanted to re-create my modified Mercedes 190SL but this time with a GM LSx engine while making improvements in the handling and braking department.
    Hmmmm, searches Craigslist, Hemmings, Ebay… Dohh, look at those prices! Interesting that all the good ones have the same price; “INQUIRE”.
    The dream of a 190SL restomod is so notgonnahappen.com

    A very wise person once wrote “No Roadster, No Life”.
    I need a roadster replacement for that 190SL so I can have an automotive life again.
    What 2 seater convertible can I buy that has good parts availability, good aftermarket support, has rear wheel drive, a chassis known for handling, and can be had at a reasonable cost?
    Of course, The answer is always Miata! (You knew that was coming)

    The MiataQuest began to find a rust-free NA with a good body and interior.
    I decided on a 1992 white LS out of Texas. It had a BEGI turbo, nice leather interior, and air conditioning. The air conditioning was a big plus to make the wife happy. At 117,000 miles it was priced a little higher than I wanted to pay. However with a rust free car as a base, everything can be rebuilt and modified over time.



    I wanted to create my own version of a special edition model that could be passed off as a factory offering. At the same time attempting to improve the car in as many performance categories as possible.

    With that in mind, my special edition needed a name for brand recognition and to add some styling cues.
    Back when I was driving the Mercedes 190SL I would have been a huge Emerson, Lake, and Palmer fan. Recently Keith Emerson and Greg Lake had left this earth for concerts afar. I thought the car could be a tribute to them by using their own “Manticore” recording label. I think the Manticore logo is fitting for a performance roadster.



    I will definitely be talking with Revlimiter and Spinnywhoosh in the future.
    Last edited by MiataQuest; 08-18-2017 at 10:46 AM.

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    Agent☣Orange (08-17-2017),Greasemonkey2000 (08-17-2017),NCGreasemonkey (08-18-2017),oldgrayleather (09-29-2017),Phatmiata (12-06-2017),tsingson (08-18-2017)

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