vamach1 Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Sorry for upside pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 (edited) Yeah, the Vallelunga is a neat little car. It's got an English Ford 1600cc pushrod 4-cylinder, a 5-speed gearbox based on an upside-down-and-backwards VW case with Hewland guts, a steel backbone chassis that's kinda Lotus-like, and a fiberglass body. And it is small, only about as big as a Lotus Europa. Driving one is like a slightly heavier Formula Ford race car, with two seats and a roof. It was, of course, the DeTomaso immediately before the Mangusta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Tomaso_Vallelunga Edited October 15, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vietnam Vet67 Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 How many remember the De Tomaso Dodge 024 Omni for 1980??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi,Wow, I get nice flash backs of a simpler time;The Bee GeesPaul AnkaHee HawStar Wars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Kron Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) The Vallellunga was part of series of designs Allesandro DeTomaso did in the early to mid -60's, quite obviously in response to Colin Chapman and his radical work in simplified, ultra-light sports and racing cars. The Vallelunga from 1964 had a pressed steel backbone chassis which was a close cousin of Chapman's design for the Lotus Elan, from 1962. However, the Vallelunga was rear-engined so De Tomaso resorted to a tubular sub frame at the rear to locate the Ford Kent 4-cylinder 1500 cc motor and rear suspension. The car used a VW-Hewland gearbox. It is considered the precursor to the 5 liter Ford powered Mangusta, which in turn was the basis for the most successful and longest enduring De Tomaso, the Pantera. During these years DeTomaso produced several radical designs exploring variations on the central-spine monocoque concept including a cylindrical, cast monocoque chassis for small formula and sports cars. Later in the 60's De Tomaso employed Gianpallo Dallara, already a rising star in the racing car firmament, having done work for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. Dallara would pen several somewhat more conventional formula and sport racing designs for De Tomaso during the late 60's and early 70's before establishing the now world famous company bearing his name. It is currently the largest producer of racing cars in the world and makes chassis and complete cars for the majority of the single spec racing series on the planet. Edited October 16, 2017 by Bernard Kron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Thats a pretty neat looking little car. I would drive it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Thats a pretty neat looking little car. I would drive itHi,Well here is the kit that you can build;http://www.ebay.com/itm/MPC-Dodge-Omni-024-1-25-Scale-Model-Kit-MISB-Sealed-1979-See-My-Store-/371819753819?hash=item56922f315b:g:OLoAAOSw6DtYWcfSI remember the car as Omni was my favorite magazine back then.The lines on the following car are very similar so I think they renamed it;http://www.ebay.com/itm/MPC-1982-Dodge-Turbo-2-2-Charger-MODEL-CAR-MOUNTAIN-1-25-FS-0836-2n1-RED-/382193584167?epid=1378347364&hash=item58fc834827:g:g4AAAOSw-iNZj1Te Edited October 16, 2017 by aurfalien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 How many remember the De Tomaso Dodge 024 Omni for 1980??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aurfalien Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi, True dat. It was an odd time for our American car companies in redesigning smaller, more compact cars. Even the Stang took a hit and didn't look all that good. My mom had a Mercury Comet, boy what a POS!!! Her beloved VW Bug which ran flawless burnt up in a garage fire and so she got that thing. Embarrassing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi,True dat.It was an odd time for our American car companies in redesigning smaller, more compact cars. Even the Stang took a hit and didn't look all that good.My mom had a Mercury Comet, boy what a POS!!! Her beloved VW Bug which ran flawless burnt up in a garage fire and so she got that thing. Embarrassing.The "DeTomaso" version of the little Chrysler L platform had as much in common with a real DeTomaso as I do. The wheels and trim were upgraded, but the drivetrain was completely standard.The Omni / Horizon wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great...and it sure wouldn't go, stop or handle like a Vallelunga. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Yeah, the Vallelunga is a neat little car. It's got an English Ford 1600cc pushrod 4-cylinder, a 5-speed gearbox based on an upside-down-and-backwards VW case with Hewland guts, a steel backbone chassis that's kinda Lotus-like, and a fiberglass body. And it is small, only about as big as a Lotus Europa. Driving one is like a slightly heavier Formula Ford race car, with two seats and a roof. It was, of course, the DeTomaso immediately before the Mangusta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Tomaso_Vallelunga When I saw this pic I thought Dino for some reason. Front end ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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