Replica/Kit Makes Sterling (1980)
Sale price: US $250.00 Make an Offer
| Condition: | Used | Year: | 1980 |
| VIN : | Unknown | Mileage: | 0 |
| Transmission: | Manual | Make: | Replica/Kit Makes |
| Body Type: | Coupe | Model: | Sterling |
| Warranty: | Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty | Engine: | Buick 215 Aluminum V8 |
| Vehicle Title: | Rebuilt, Rebuildable & Reconstructed | Drive Type: | RWD |
| Fuel Type: | Gasoline | For Sale By: | Private Seller |
| Exterior Color: | White | Disability Equipped: | No |
| Interior Color: | Black | Drive Side: | Left-hand drive |
| Number of Cylinders: | 8 |
Lucerne, California, United States
Vehicle description
For sale are the components of a Sterling kit car, including an aluminum V8 engine and transaxle. The components were purchased prior to 2001 for a planned Sterling build but were never assembled. The Sterling kit is an older style, probably manufactured in the 1970s or 80s, as it has separate lower body panels that attach to the upper portion of the body. Included is the separate top and its windshield and two side windows. The top and glass are in very good condition, and the rest of the body kit is in fair to poor condition. The Sterling was purchased with a trellis square-tube frame/tunnel made to allow use of a small block V-8 engine, which will make for a very quick sports car, or even a dedicated race car. Also included are the transaxle, fuel tank, and several small parts such as headlights, steering wheel, and turn signals, but it still needs many parts, including suspension and axles. The engine is a complete aluminum-block V-8 that is either an original engine made by Buick in the early 1960s, or was built from a mix of newer and older parts. Buick made the engine for only three years, 1961-63, and it was used in Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac models. It was a very advanced design for its time, weighing less than the four-cylinder engine it replaced in Buick’s lineup of engines. Though originally designed as an economy engine, it quickly became popular for racing applications, and one was used in a car raced by Dan Gurney in the 1962 Indianapolis 500, and another was in a car that won Formula One Grand Prix events in 1964 and 1966. The engine continues to be popular for racing and custom applications, such as replacing the stock 4-cylinder engines in MGB sports cars. Buick licensed the engine design to Rover in Great Britain in 1963, which continued manufacturing it up through 2006. Britain-based MTK K then purchased the tooling for the engine from Rover and is continuing to make the engine today, mostly for specialty racing applications. This one appears to be either an original Buick engine from the early 1960s, or an engine built using many original Buick parts on a Rover or MTK block. The valve covers, carburetor, intake manifold and exhaust manifold are Buick parts, but the engine number location is on the back where the engine is bolted to the transaxle, rather than on the front right side as was done on original Buick engines. The transaxle (the combination transmission/differential found on mid-engine sports cars, like Ferraris) is likely a stock VW part, perhaps from a microbus model, and is in good condition. The engine is in only fair aesthetic condition, reflecting its long-term storage, but it appears to be a complete engine, and may run with relatively little additional work needed. The components are currently stored in Lucerne (Lake County), CA, and are being sold as-is by the estate of the previous owner. The estate would prefer that the components be sold as a package to a single buyer who will arrange for shipping the components after purchase, though selling components separately may be possible. Inspection can be arranged, and an appraiser"s report is available.