0-60? 1 second. Street legal,

[Gob]

Many young drivers dream of renovating their tired old cars into a sleek, impressive model.

But one 50-year-old has turned that dream into reality by turning his £60 red Vauxhall Victor into the world's fastest street-legal car - complete with a MOT.

Andy Frost's monstrous motor, which he bought in 1980, can clock a whopping 250mph and will rocket the driver from 0-60 in under one second.




And for the creator, from Wolverhampton, the 29-year project which has cost him an estimated £100,000, it has all been worth it.

Andy, from Wolverhampton, said: 'It has been an on going 29-year project, but it is never going to be complete - I'm always trying to improve it.

'I've spent almost £4,000 a year on this car since I bought it second hand. I have slowly improved it bit by bit in my spare time.

'It is a bit like Trigger's broom in Only Fools and Horses - I've changed so many parts that it has evolved into a super car from just a bog standard Vauxhall with nothing done to it.

'It is hardly recognisable from the the car I first bought.

'I have sacrificed having a holiday each year to spend the money on the car instead.

'I don't ever go to the pub or spend money on other trivial things like that - I just plough it all back into improving the car.

'It has been a life-long dream to be able to say I own the world's fastest street legal car. It makes all the hard work worthwhile, but I won't stop tinkering with it even now.'

SPECIFICATIONS: WORLD'S FASTEST STREET-LEGAL CAR

Cost: £100,000

Top speed: 250mph

Weight: 1,200kg

Body: Vauxhall Victor

Brakes: A parachute

Engine: V8 engine

Acceleration: 0-220mph in 6.5 seconds

Interior: leather seats and electric windows

The car fanatic, who runs Penn Autos in Wolverhampton, has devoted over 1,600 hours to painstakingly crafting the sports car in his garage.

It weighs a hefty 1,200kg due to the modifications - and is estimated to have cost Andy over £100,000 in total.

When on the drag strip it can zoom from 0-220mph in 6.5 seconds - and comes complete with a parachute to help slow it down.

And for those who like to cruise at break neck speeds in style, Andy has added luxuries including leather seats and electric windows to the interior.

Under the bonnet a powerful V8 engine combined with two turbos lifted from a large digger give it enough boost to reach its top speed in a matter of seconds.

And the suped up Vauxhall Victor can just as easily poodle down to the supermarket - but don't expect a lot of room in the boot to put the bags.

He added: 'It is just like a normal car when you drive it on the roads - it handles easily around the corners and isn't tricky to drive like many people think.

'But on the track it goes like a rocket.

'I used to take my three lads to school in it. They loved it obviously as they were the envy of all their friends. Everyone would stop and stare as we roared up in it.

'I've had the car so long that it has been a part of my life since before my children were born, so it is as much a part of the family as they are.

'My wife Deb is used to it all as the car has been a part of my life ever since I met her so she didn't get much choice.

'But she is a part of my Red Victor racing team so loves the car as much as I do.'

The build has even attracted the attention of Andy's local council and Vauxhall who both sponsored him to help him bring the car to its current condition.

Andy said: 'I was given some sponsorship by Vauxhall and Wolverhampton Council.

'They thought I was helping promote Wolverhampton and Vauxhall so I got a cheque from them towards the project.

'At first I thought it was a hoax, but once the cheque came in I was delighted.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1Y4FQX2HL

[Jarlaxle]

What is the quarter mile time? Considering some of the cars Hot Rod had at Drag Week, there is some seripus competition!

(I'll link later when Im home, posting this on my cell phone.)

[Jarlaxle]

I can see the video now...if that's his best 1/4 mile time (7.23 seconds at 199.8MPH), he's toast! A guy named Jeff Lutz's 1957 Chevy Bel Air, powered by a massive twin-turbocharged 600ci (10 litre) big-block ran an Earth-shaking 7.10 1/4 mile. That was not the record. Larry Larson's 1966 Chevy Nova (also powered by a twin-turbo big block, though his is "only" 565ci...about 9.2 litres) ran an astonishing 6.95 at 205MPH. THAT car is King of The Hill!

I must also mention that both cars managed this AFTER 1000+ brutal street miles! This was Hot Rod Magazine's Drag Week last year...and there are about a half-dozen guys aiming squarely at taking down Larson and his Nova!

So...wonder if Andy Frost might want to enter next year? His car looks like it would put him in the "unlimited" class, though...he'd be head to head with Lutz, Larsen, and the rest!

[quaddriver]

My own engine builder (yes, even I have a builder when it gets too hairy) runs 6.54 at 212.35 and he built the engine for the current world record holder for a single 4bbl (Jerry Albert) which ran 6.62@207.82

Most of the cars on his resume are considered 'door slammers' - aka somewhat street legal.

As he told me when he machined up my 347 he isnt really interested in anything <2500hp, but since I wrote him some code to fix a 'broken spline' problem produced by Master Cam scans, he did me a favor.

[Jarlaxle]

Not just a fast 1/4 mile run...Larsen's Nova is a LEGIT street car, capable of 1000+ miles in the space of a week!

Tony Christian ran 6.80's in a flying-barn-door 57 Chevy fifteen years ago, but while a street-legal car, it was anything but a street car!

[quaddriver]

well the whole 'street legal' bit is a fast one in itself (no pun)

As you can see from the pics, those are speed capable tires to survive the growth at speed AND hold together under the twisting force they need to run sub8's. therefore the assend is tubbed. therefore it is most likely open to outside air and not 'street legal' in any sense other than specialty rod, which precludes such road mileages. In some states far more stringently than others...

[Jarlaxle]

No, you're not paying attention: Larsen's Nova is a street-driven car. He DROVE it close to 1500 miles on Drag Week! (He's done three Drag Weeks, IIRC.) Unlike everyone else in the Unlimited class, he did not have a trailer...he ran 6.95 on the same tires he drove 1500 miles on. (Yes, he ran the number on DOT tires.) It is tubbed (actually, I think it's a full tube-chassis car with strut front end), but so what? Plenty of tubbed cars are street-legal. I saw several on the Power Tour, including Cole Quinnell's famous Pavement Pounder.

[dales]

TOP THIS!

[Joe Guy]

My own engine builder (yes, even I have a builder when it gets too hairy) runs 6.54 at 212.35 and he built the engine for the current world record holder for a single 4bbl (Jerry Albert) which ran 6.62@207.82

How exciting!!

Please tell us more about your personal engine builder who takes over for you when things get too hairy and who is better than any other engine builder and creates the fastest running engines in the world!

I'm really looking forward to reading the links you are going to give us that show your relationship with this person and document how great he is at what he does.

It must truly be exciting to be you.

Thanks for sharing.

[quaddriver]

someone ran out of cats.

[Jarlaxle]

ARe you hammered?