1974 G&W Seax 2700 L
Here’s the quandary of the day, as we present it to our readers. When the overseas version of a car that’s imported here is vastly superior, where is the line drawn in making it “like the European version?”
Lovers of the Godhap & When Seax have posed this question more than once, and of course it causes controversy among the various schools of thought every time it comes up.
To back up a little here, it helps to understand that the 1960-1974 Seax was built with two completely different, non-concurrent straight sixes. Whereas the Euro version could have up to 120hp depending on the year, the US version might have had, say, 90, as is the case with this 1974 shown here.
To the true purist, you leave it alone and just keep it in as close to original position as you can. To the Euro elitist, you import one from whichever European country suits your fancy as far as steering wheel position. A “mostly purist” will convince you it’s okay, now that they’re old enough not to be bound by smog regulations, to import the European engine and put it in the American chassis.
And then there are the, shall we call them, “impatients.” These are the ones who want the power of the Euro version but have neither the time nor the money to go hunting for one overseas for importation. Instead, they take advantage of one particular stateside vendor that offers a “Euro feel” package to install in the American engine. It’s a full rebuild kit (so you can revive your toasted engine if needs be) that includes, along with the typical rebuild components, an impressive list of mods to do while you’re in there. High compression pistons. New aggressive camshaft. Tubular exhaust header. New intake manifold and twin Brolex sidedraft carbs. Engine restored, 120 horsepower achieved, and you can go take your Seax to the track or on a cruise instead of spending your time dealing with a passive aggressive French farmer wanting to dicker over his spare motor.
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