Horsepower Hunters

Spotting, photographing and filming cars around the world!

[Helen @hjwakerley]

We’re filming with the FAB 1 at the British Motor Museum soon and, having done a bit of digging, the story seems wonderfully muddled.

Some say it’s a Ford, some Cadillac-based and built at Pinewood, others that it’s fundamentally a stretched Thunderbird with Jaguar’s 3.9-litre V8… and I’ve even seen mention of a 7.4-litre engine, which feels gloriously unlikely.

Can anyone separate fact from folklore? Any other insight on the car would be hugely appreciated 🙏

[Helen @hjwakerley]

A lot of you have shown interest in what actually lives inside our unit. I should warn you now, parts of it are downright shameful.

At the last count there were 16 cars in there. The inevitable consequence of two people with absolutely no impulse control, no appetite whatsoever for selling anything, and a slightly unhealthy obsession with rescuing cars that most sensible people would have given up on years ago.

Before you read the article that TI posted today, it’s worth remembering that none of this happened overnight. Ten years ago we were just two geeks chasing cars around London and in and out of car parks.

The fact that some of those cars are sitting under our roof today still feels surreal. We never really expected any of it.

We’re still the same geeks. The only difference now is we somehow have the keys. A lot of keys. Not all worth having. Some definitely not worth having.

You should be able to read / listen if you are not a Ti subscriber. Gez (the talented writer) voiced it and it’s a really good listen. Story below.

Ps Tommy has just told me that he’s bought a 3rd 124 wagon so there is now 1 wagon and 3 SL that need to be sold. 1 of the SLs is near perfect and the other two… less so.

[Helen @hjwakerley]

https://t.co/pGZv0ZWEOl

[Helen @hjwakerley]

In 2004 Ford quietly built this.

Project Daisy. The Shelby Cobra Concept.

A true one of one with a bespoke V10, built on a Ford GT chassis and suspension.

It’s got some stories, not least its price?!

So glad we got the opportunity to film it. Big thanks to We Are Curated.

Really hope you like it👇

[Helen @hjwakerley]

https://t.co/A0WKYCNxkj

[Helen @hjwakerley]

One of the most interesting cars we've ever made a video about. The mythical, Range Stormer concept.

I don't believe it's turned a wheel (other than for maintenance) since the Detroit Motor Show in 2004.
Like all good concepts it's got some secrets.

Big thanks to the British Motor Show for trusting us with it - and for all the amazing work they do keeping British cars alive... and running!

Video below, I hope you enjoy it.

[Helen @hjwakerley]

I honestly wasn’t sure that I’d even want it after I fixed it.

The lesson it taught me is that sometimes it’s the ones that test you, that you truly value. More than cars 10x its value.

No car has made me cry before but the Pajero Evolution did. BIG TIME. So I wrote about it.

… I really wrote it all for you, the people who followed its frustrating journey. I wasn’t always very open about what was going on, but this should clear up why.

It is behind a paywall, so I convinced Dan and Andrew to give me a link for 2 months of free reading so you can all enjoy it.

It just needs an email address - no catch and no card details and nothing in it for me other than the joy of sharing it. Please say hello in the comments ☺️

The moral of the story is. Get the truck. Do it anyway. Appreciate it so much more later.

Follow this link and it’s today’s story.
https://t.co/0s7w5KUJTa

Vid 1: after
Pic 2: the hero Charlie (and Penny)
Pic 3: 300 plus pages of translated Japanese Evo bible

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@hjwakerley @PistonHeads It will be missed

[Helen @hjwakerley]

On every car I sell, there’s a section titled “the bad bits.”
This one doesn’t have one.

This little car is the best R230 soon to be offered for sale in this country and unquestionably the cleanest. I am biased but I really think that’s true.

That fact has very little to do with me and everything to do with its previous owner. The car has had just two owners, I’m the second, and less than 15,000 miles on the clock. Which should be illegal.

It has reached the point where I feel guilty seeing it sitting in the unit. Every time I arrive in something else, I feel I have to apologise to it. Not because I don’t want to drive it, but because it’s too nice and we have too many cars. Something we are rectifying this year, starting here.

Brabus in the late ’90s and early 2000s wasn’t only about power. You’ll notice that Brabus owners tend to keep their cars longer than most, and that’s no accident. Longevity and usability were engineered into these cars just as carefully as performance. Anyone who has visited Brabus HQ will know how seriously they take that.

This is a Brabus SL550, one of just two in the world. It is cleaner than a new car, and I don’t say that lightly.

I could list the ways Brabus improved it over a standard SL500, and they did so extensively and at great expense, but what matters is not the individual changes, rather how cohesively they work together.

The engine alone tells you everything. It’s from the SLK55 Black Series, the rarest of the Black Series cars. None are in the UK, and there may be as few as 40 worldwide. Naturally aspirated, it has a much more efficient power delivery than the SL55.

There’s so much to say, but it’s all laid out in the auction advert on @PistonHeads. It is an unapologetically long and very geeky read, with extensive detail, history, and maybe too many photos.

What I will say is this. It sounds wonderful, people are instinctively drawn to it, and it manages to be both elegant and naughty. Roof down and throttle opened, it will make you happier. That I know for sure.

The R230 was Bruno Sacco’s last car.

That feels like the right place to stop.

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@theintercoolerx Mk7 Golf

[The Intercooler @theintercoolerx]

This week’s thread is dedicated to the car-themed Christmas video, a genre in its own right.

You know Christmas is on its way when your social feeds are full of ambitious sleighs and impractical tree transport.

Here are a few of our favourites 👇

📸: @ dliccious (IG)

[The Intercooler @theintercoolerx]

This week’s thread is for those who prefer to avoid the season of salt and want an expert's opinion on how best to get their car ready for winter storage indoors.

We’ve asked the gurus at @Topazdetailing to provide a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your car at home.

[Theon Design @TheonDesign]

Theon is coming to London 🇬🇧

Where better to celebrate our British heritage than on a tour around our capital city? See our two latest commissions—a Targa and a Coupe—on display against the iconic London skyline.

We hope you can join us.

Saturday 16th November
Noon Old Brompton Road
12:10 Hans Road/Basil Steet (Harrods)
12:20 Sloane Square
12:30 Belgrave Square *
12:35 Hyde Park Corner
12:40 Constitution Hill (Buckingham Palace)
12:45 Trafalgar Square
12:50 Piccadilly Circus/Regent Street
13:00 Old Bond Street *
13:10 Berkeley Square
13:15 Mount Street *
13:25 Park Lane South

*we will be stopping at these locations for photos.

Keep an eye out for these two cruising through London, and don’t forget to tag us in your photos 📸

See you on Saturday.

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers Restomod Bronco with a Coyote V8

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers AMG Japan S70 W140

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers Bugatti Veyron SS

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers Mercedes SLS AMG

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers BMW i3

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers Mk7 Golf

[Horsepower Hunters @HP_Hunters]

@_theintercooler @WeAreScramblers Audi A6 All Road