How not to make a car go faster

Have I ever modified a car?

Yes, with a terrible outcome.

In college ca 1960 one of my classmates had a 1954 model Renault CV 4

The engine was wheezing badly, clearly on its last legs.

I sometimes walked by a scrapyard. There was an almost new 1959 Renault Dauphine with a badly mangled front end.

The Dauphine was larger and wayyyy faster than the CV 4 model.

We “all knew” that all rear engine Renaults at the time used the same engine bolt on pattern.

We made a quick deal with the scrap yard - took the CV 4 engine out and bolted in the Dauphine counterpart. Perfect fit everywhere but about twice the hp. We even transferred the larger radiator.

That was fun, racing around town and showing off “the fastest CV 4 of all -

until - 

The driver put the foot on the floor in second gear (not me that time) and 

• the extra force on the rear wheels made the very weak rear suspension bend both wheels forward
  
• that broke both driveshafts 
  and
  
• made gear teeth salad of the interior of the transmission. 

Full power in second gear - baaaad.

It was fun as long as it lasted.

• Money spent? Very little.
• Time? Too much.
• Enjoyment - immense.
• Lesson learned. “Things” are often designed to fit in tandem. The larger engine in a body designed for less hp was NOT a good match.

We all graduated our Mechanical engineering course with good marks, and probably better than most for our knowledge of “engineered limitations”, I think.

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I've had many more interesting experiences since then. If you 'd like to read my memoirs, "Seasons of a Man", please buy a copy here.

https://www.amazon.ca/Seasons-Man-Lindvall-family-friends/dp/1723934151/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=bengt+lindvall+the+seasons+of+a+man&qid=1551805469&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull