You guys seen this yet?

[Buckon37s]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8292520021453710550

I think it's pretty darn cool. Good color

[stevewhitaker]

Oh mannnnnn. I gotta get me one of those. But then, first I gotta get me $50 thousand pounds sterling - - and a new wife.

[Mike Hippert]

That is SWEET! I want one! It would be great in Christmas traffic!

[Rod Hayward]

I just got wood.

[Davis]

Kind of makes me want to take an all new direction with my 90. I have seen the Bowlers in the mags, but I had no idea...wow. Yummy.

[chrisvonc]

My pants got tight as I was watching that.

[devinchi]

I may have a new favorite over a Ford RS200 Group B rally car, but it is still a bit slow....

[read]

I think we should run one in the Baja 1000. How 'bout a D-90 Source race team?

[Doug]

How do you make it street legal in the U.S? Required for USA rally events. Could it be 'built' here as a kit car?

DW

[dnewman9]

Does anyone know what he was talking about in regards to the engine? 5 litre Rover V8 TDI hybrid? I did some googling and could not come up with any info, sounded kind of interesting.
Dennis

[JBurt]

www.bowler-offroad.com

[Doug]

TVR is a British high-performance sports car company that, over the years, has purchased stock engines from Rover and modified them for increased performance. I have a TVR/Rover hybrid in my truck that has double valve springs, high-performance cam, ported intake manifold, and is stroked out to 5 liters. Don't know if the V6 on the bowler site is a Rover block or not, and have no idea what engine the video is referring to. There were many Rover 3.5 - 5.0 liter V8 engines purchased and modified by TVR over time. They are pretty much bolt-in to any Defender with a serpentine belt, and will run on the stock hot wire EFI.

Doug W.

[dnewman9]

Oops, sorry, I thought I heard 5.0 TDI, I just listened again (closely this time) and heard the TVR. I know the TVR, I just got excited that there was some hipo TDI. I should have known better, it sounded like a Gas engine.
Dennis

[Doug]

Must be a TVR Griffith 5.0 built up from a Rover block, if he said 5 liter in the vid. Doesn't look like it's available as an option on the Bowler site, but cash talks.

How do I sneak one of these into California? ;)

Doug W.

[JBurt]

You don't, you bring over everything but the engine to Virginia. Then you ship the engine to a seperate address in Virginia. Put the engine in, show a cop the reciepts, get him to say it's roadworthy, get a VIN from VA DMV and register it as a project vehicle. Our receptionist's husband built a hot rod that way. If you're not in Northern Virginia it doesn't have to pass emissions either...

[dnewman9]

I say you find someone with a TVR in currently, remove the engine, have them ship the truck to the UK, put the new TVR in and ship it back.
It is a tested process originally used by drug dealers flying to South America using fake pregnant women.
Just like the Kalahari edition Discovery you could create the Mule edition 110. Anyone know of someone with a TVR 110 we could test this with :)

In all seriousness, Doug, where did you get your 5.0 from again?
Dennis

[flippedrover]

Or we could pool our money and get a Tomcat kit and build it off of a wrecked truck. http://www.tomcatmotorsport.co.uk/

[cbass]

Oops, sorry, I thought I heard 5.0 TDI, I just listened again (closely this time) and heard the TVR. I know the TVR, I just got excited that there was some hipo TDI. I should have known better, it sounded like a Gas engine.
DennisYeah, that's definately not a TDI race engine, but this one is.... http://audizine.com/news/view.asp?linkid=348


Sorry to change the topic a little bit above. That Bowler is amazing!! What a truck! Who do I give my down payment to??:grin

PS, I love the idea of a D-90 Source Baja team!

[Doug]

My TVR was sitting in a warehouse in Atlanta for a couple of years before I found it. I believe it was extracted from a new Griffith a few years ago, probably because it seems a bit out of balance (slight vibration). I bought it for a few grand as-is and had it shipped here after an engine bay fire in the 110. Found it on LRX.com. I'm replacing the cam at the moment since #3 exhaust lobe wore down badly. (The cam may have been the source of the bad vibe, fingers X'd.) If you search threads btw, you'll find that the tvr/rover 5L is a bit of a PIA -- runs hot, wears cams, etc.

Both Chammy (a salvage titled 110 that was apparently rolled in her youth and passed from owner to owner over the years) and her TVR (how it arrived in the US I'll problaby never know) have long mysterious stories, but over time their problems have and are being solved. :)

Now, about importing a Bowler... Anyone know if I could have a disassembled one shipped into CA and then build it up as a kit and get it licensed? I would definitely want to rally it, but club rally cars need to be licensed. I'm dreaming at the moment, but with a bit of good luck I might have the cash to do this by the end of '06 (No I'm not long 100 big silvers on the Comex). ;)

Doug W.

[Sergeant_V]

Doug,

I don't see how it can fit within the current vehicle classing regulations. If you find a way, though, I'd be happy to co-drive for you. It looks like a bigger thrill than the Group N car I'm right-seating in now.

Abe

[Glenn_Guinto]

Now, about importing a Bowler... Anyone know if I could have a disassembled one shipped into CA and then build it up as a kit and get it licensed? I would definitely want to rally it, but club rally cars need to be licensed. I'm dreaming at the moment, but with a bit of good luck I might have the cash to do this by the end of '06 (No I'm not long 100 big silvers on the Comex). ;)

Doug W.


Doug,

Call either John C, or his partner Adrian at 4x4ag. IIRC, Adrian once spoke about talking to a bloke from the UK about importing bowlers in the US. I'm sure they can hook you up. I think there is already one or two in the US, one might even be in CA.

Glenn

[Doug]

Great. If things move closer to reality, I'll talk to Adrian. I have some stuff he ordered for me from Scorpion sitting in customs at the moment!

Doug W.