broadspeed sprints

[sprint1976]

a friend of mine owns a broadspeed capri, i was just interested to know even though its probably been discussed before ,how many broadspeed road cars are known to the club in the uk thanks jannette

[sprint1976]

i have noticed that ian wilkes forum member owns a delft blue broadspeed 165bhp are there any others and is it known how many were made ,i am not interested in works race ones,just the broadspeed road versions

[Ian Wilkes]

hello - are my ears burning?

Hiya, yep - I do indeed own one. I'm not sure how much of the Broadspeed mods are still there (apart from the 2inch carbs) but I do have a cut out of a local (to the showroom) newspaper article. If you'd like a photocopy of it, PM me with your address.

I doubt too many were converted though - iirc from the article, the cost was over £1k back in 1975!

My car was in a photoshoot with a yellow Broadspeed Capri. Could be your friends? It was at Bruntingthorpe - can't for the life of me remember the name of the magazine and don't have time to get into the loft today.

[sprint1976]

hi yes it was our friends broadspeed capri len's he as two ,i think there were more capri's then sprints coverted even though there quite rare ,i will ask him for a look at the article .you have a rare car£1000 was an high price back in 75 like you say. i have pm'd me my addy.

[Lewis]

Yoink!

A larger version can be supplied, if required

[rich]

2 inch su's , a reworked head and stiffer and lower suspension for £648 !!!!

try that now with out using ebay.

rich

oh , and a sports exhaust. haaaaaaaaa

[Ian Wilkes]

I doubt too many were converted though - iirc from the article, the cost was over £1k back in 1975!

Proof that my memory is good for nothing! haha

Thanks for scanning this today Lewis.

[sprint1976]

great reading thanks for posting

[tinganting]

my question is was it worth it in your own opinion?

[VYO 372M]

It just goes to show how easy it is to extract more power from the Sprint engine without having to go overboard.
Nearly 40 bhp gained from just reworking the cylinder head, fitting 2 inch SU's and a different exhaust system.
Pretty rapid too for such fairly modest modifications , 0-60 in 7.5 seconds - WOW.
Back in those days, you would need some really serious machinary to out accelerate that 0-60 time, and all from a 4-door family saloon!
Would I have bought a Broadspeed Sprint back in the 70s, most definately YES.

Steve

[Ian Wilkes]

Yes, I think it would have been worth it. The chap who wrote that article actually purchased the car a few years later. I wrote to him after getting the previous keeper file from the DVLA. He said that when he tested the car it was one of the quickest things he'd ever driven and was genuinely impressed. 0-60 in 7.5secs back in 1975 was pretty quick for a sports car, but for a saloon it must have been amazing!

[Jon Tilson]

the only salloons that would have been quicker were the 2002tii turbo and the XJ12.

I cant think of anything else that would have gone faster saloon wise.

Even in modern terms it takes a 1st divison hot hatch like a VXR or Meganne turbo sport to beat it.

Jonners

[Ian Wilkes]

Some crappy mobile phone pics:

[VanIsleSprint]

Pretty good pics for a 'crappy mobile phone'. How's chances of some of the engine
for the 'gearheads'.

[straylight]

thanks for scanning the article in, interesting read and good to learn something new about the sprint.

interesting that they say tuning a car for the extra 40bhp was a complicated business back in '75. Wonder what they would think about playing with moderns.

c'mon Janette, spill the beans, why the interest ?

stu