What is it?

[kodiak]

But where’s the online community for these rare machines? You’d think a rare beast like that would have one.

I love LaForzas. I tried to find a nice one once but couldn't. The interiors are incredible when in good shape, like a Maserati Quatroporte with leather Barcaloungers. They're faster than a comperably sized/vintage Land Rover with the Mustang-type 5.0L, and, like the VX, most mechanical bits are borrowed from other U.S. vehicles, making basic maintenance reasonable. Though, most examples are pretty trashed.

They did suffer from horrible wheel trims.

I have inspected and driven two examples. The one was great with a trashed interior, the other had some steering issue that made it difficult to assess. I should have bought the second one, because it was immaculate, but the steering issue scared me away. Another concern is you never get your investment back. LaForzas don't have good resale values.

There is a really nice one on eBay now, with a proportional price tag. I have seen lesser examples go for $3-$5K.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Other...fCarsQ5fTrucks

[workmeistr]

OK,
Bad picture, but here is a car I once owned. What is it?

[Ldub]

OK,
Bad picture, but here is a car I once owned. What is it?

Rover of some sort ?...yeah, I cheated & peeked at the image tag...

I'd forgotten how dreadful the initial attempts at conforming to the new "bumper laws" of the time were...
That looks much like the rear bumper from a late 80's Toyota pickup...

[kodiak]

lol! This is a cool little Vid I found with one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJUNI9lk0PA

OK,
Bad picture, but here is a car I once owned. What is it?

[workmeistr]

The compimentary video is pretty funny, too, with Clarkson doing some mad donuts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlmW8...eature=related

I had to order a flywheel for my Series Land Rover Hybrid from RPI Engineering, the craftsmen of Clarkson's 5.2L SD1, 'cause I had a Rover 3.5 V-8 mated to a 5-speed normally used in a 4-cyl Rover. They were the only place in the world I could get the 9.5" 4 cyl. flywheel. With the Hybrid's 88" wheelbase, the 8-cyl. LT 77 couldn't be used. Long story..

The Rover SD-1 ('3500S' in the U.S., only offered to the U.S. in 1980 and was Road & Track's Car of the Year that year), had the same 3.5 liter as all of the Range Rovers, actually a derivative of the aluminum Buick 215 of the late '60's. Many surviving 3500S's in the U.S. have been converted to carb, as was mine with a Holley 4-barrel.

Speaking of federalized 80's bumpers, look what Rover had to do with the headlights. One-piece halogen headlights scared the federalis so much that Rover had design a dual headlamp set-up for the U.S. market. 'Totally screwed up the Ferrari Daytona looks.

[kodiak]

This sucks, Look what happened to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR5BI...eature=related

[workmeistr]

They claim that they (RPI, again) restored it, though the before pictures are of a black SD1. Unless someone tried to restore that green carcass ahead of time and slapped a black paint job on it, me thinks they started with a different car. Oh, and the video also claims the transformation took just one week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGmNJ...eature=related

[Cobrajet]

They claim that they (RPI, again) restored it, though the before pictures are of a black SD1. Unless someone tried to restore that green carcass ahead of time and slapped a black paint job on it, me thinks they started with a different car. Oh, and the video also claims the transformation took just one week:[/url]

Two different cars, two different stories. If you read the comments on the Clarkson restoration video, you would see that parts from the Clarkson car went into the Hammond car. The Clarkson car is still in the restoration process, but on hold. The Hammond car is supposedly still being raced by a third party. The guy that bought the Clarkson car probably bit off more than he could chew, but had good intentions. Good luck to him.