1990 Troyer Modified Hillclimber

So awesome to see this set up as a hillclimb car. I bet it's handling characteristics are surprisingly good. Do you run power steering on it? If so, engine or drivetrain driven?

For others looking to do something like this, there is also a 4 cyl option. In FL they are called Outlaw Modifieds and there is a similar series in CN. This is an old picture but it shows a body off chassis next to a bodied one. Most of these guys run a Lima 2.3. My neighbor runs a 2.3 +.60 with s stroker crank, edelbrock aluminum intake and a custom 600 cfm carb. Throttle response is SICK!

hobiercr wrote: So awesome to see this set up as a hillclimb car. I bet it's handling characteristics are surprisingly good. Do you run power steering on it? If so, engine or drivetrain driven?

Yup I run power steering. Engine driven. In the picture of the motor above the power steering pump is top right. I run an AGR mustang quick ratio rack.

hobiercr wrote: For others looking to do something like this, there is also a 4 cyl option. In FL they are called Outlaw Modifieds and there is a similar series in CN. This is an old picture but it shows a body off chassis next to a bodied one. Most of these guys run a Lima 2.3. My neighbor runs a 2.3 +.60 with s stroker crank, edelbrock aluminum intake and a custom 600 cfm carb. Throttle response is SICK!

I bet that would be fun! Be nice to have something like this for our Mt Philo event. Most of Philo is single lane and it's a narrow lane. My car is basically as wide as the road. Makes what line I can take kinda limited. On the other hand it is really simple to drive since I just have to make the front end follow the road. No worries about what line to take.

One of the guys who races with us runs a dwarf car. This is basically a tiny modified with a motorcycle engine. He wins Philo every time he shows up.

Is the guy with the dwarf car named Sherman?

Dumb question alert...

The engine is 17" behind the front center line of the wheels? Could someone who was absolutely insane decide to convert this thing to AWD using nothing more than a transfer case and front drive axle and associated hardware due to the clearance up there?

hobiercr wrote: So awesome to see this set up as a hillclimb car. I bet it's handling characteristics are surprisingly good. Do you run power steering on it? If so, engine or drivetrain driven? For others looking to do something like this, there is also a 4 cyl option. In FL they are called Outlaw Modifieds and there is a similar series in CN. This is an old picture but it shows a body off chassis next to a bodied one. Most of these guys run a Lima 2.3. My neighbor runs a 2.3 +.60 with s stroker crank, edelbrock aluminum intake and a custom 600 cfm carb. Throttle response is SICK! Those are pro 4 modifieds up here in the northeast..

Thanks for sharing Kevin, very cool car!

In reply to modlite9:

Yes

modlite9 wrote: Is the guy with the dwarf car named Sherman?

It sure is!

Sherm is a great guy! He even let me drive his car at one Okemo when my car was broken. It was a blast! I should also add his car is no one course wonder. He always wins at Philo but the car is fast everywhere and he has won the championship with it twice.

Conquest351 wrote: Dumb question alert... The engine is 17" behind the front center line of the wheels? Could someone who was absolutely insane decide to convert this thing to AWD using nothing more than a transfer case and front drive axle and associated hardware due to the clearance up there?

Anything is possible but few things actually happen.

I'd love to have an AWD modified. The hill records are all held by custom built AWD cars. But it's by no means a simple thing to do. Also finding AWD hardware that can stand lots of torque is a problem. Paul Tinguad owns the hill record at Okemo and Ascutney (regular course). He also won king of the hill this year. But he broke 3 transmissions this year in his custom AWD car.

Just as an FYI. I've been answering a lot of questions the last couple days. I'm leaving tomorrow for a week of vacation and I may not respond to anything until I get back on Mon the 18th. But keep the questions coming.

Kevin, You mentioned you were 5'7". Is there enough adjustment seat-wise, to fit a taller driver (6'-2" plus helmet) so your head is below the plane of the roof tubes? Thanks -Dan

dahn16 wrote: Kevin, You mentioned you were 5'7". Is there enough adjustment seat-wise, to fit a taller driver (6'-2" plus helmet) so your head is below the plane of the roof tubes? Thanks -Dan

Yes people that tall drive modifieds. It's mostly a matter of placing the seat correctly. It also probably depends a bit on the exact chassis. I don't have any proof but it looks to me that later model Troyers have more room in the drivers compartment than mine does. Roy Spaulding who races with us is no small guy and he drives a modified. His is a Spafco chassis but it's pretty much the same thing.

We now join with our story in progress.

I've been racing this car for several years already.  Right now I'm in the process of putting it back together after a big crash at Mt Ascutney in 2013. There was also a big crash at Ascutney in 2006. We will know in 2020 if this is an every 7 years event. (Note: In 2020 all the events were canceled due to Covid-19 so I'm hoping now the next big crash can wait until 2027 but there is still a chance the next big crash was just postponed until 2021) 

Here is the new front clip. I just finished mounting the front and rear motor plates.

Here is what it looked like a little while ago. The strap on the top with the eye is where I'm going to grab it with the tractor to put it on the trailer.

And here it is back from Rusty Ball with the new front clip.

This addition is tree protection.

This has to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

This can only be described as pure automotive awesomeness

It's a blast to drive when it isn't bucking me off. I often feel like I'm riding a bull that is waiting for me to make a mistake so it can throw me off and then stomp on me. But it is always a wild ride.

What a beautiful rear end.

Front clip now available in Gold!

Shiny, We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious.

Nice shiny new Sweet power streering rack. This new front clip uses this style rack instead of the old Ford Mustang unit. The nice part is you can order this in pretty much any ratio you want. I've got about a turn and a half lock to lock.

Crash landing protection in place. The first picture shows how the radiator was mounted in the stock Troyer setup. In the next two pictures you can see the new bar that goes in front of the sway bar mount. The old bar (as the piece came from Troyer) came up before the sway bar mount and the radiator mounted lower and in front of that. So the radiator was the leading edge. If you look at the last picture you can see why that won't work. I'd rip it off when it was the first thing to hit the pavement after a jump. Also it probably wouldn't even live just driving around the pits at some hills or turning around at the top.

As it came from Troyer

Changed to move the bar forward with the radiator mounted behind that.

New bar and mega strong protection in front of the the radiator. There is a 1" tube, 1" angle iron and some more steel connecting those together.

Landing after the Ascutney jump. The old front cross member hitting the pavement.