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Hugh Nutting
LaDawri Quest QT |
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A couple of years ago as we were
getting retired in Montana, I met a local Hot Rod guy about my age. One
day he showed me around his collection which included a LaDawri body he
found at a yard sale. At first I did not think much more than
"interesting". Then came LaDawri.com site. I had another Sports Rod 100
inch WB flathead chassis in the works as a back-up to my Glasspar, so I
took another look. The body had been traided to another local car guy.
He was thinking of using it for a sign for his Nova Restoration Shop. It
as they say 'it followed me home' . This body turned out to be a Quest
QT. They were the first new addition to the LaDawri line in 1958 after
the original Conquest bodies. The QT body was designed to fit chassis of
about 94" WB plus or minus. Most notable of this size are the MG TD & TF,
the MGA and the original VW Bug.
Being a longtime British Sports Car fan and TD owner, the QT was fine
with me. I located a 1952 MG TD frame near our old place in Colorado.
MG's have many inter-changeable bits from TD through MGB. It makes it
easy to upgrade the TD chassis to disc brakes while still looking
pre-1960. Since I have many MG pals that have Rover/Buick powered MGB
V8's, my current plan is to use a 215 inch Olds F-85 aluminum engine
with a Triumph TR-3 wire wheel rear-end. It has a Chevy/GM size u-joint
that will make the drive shaft easy, too. (its a bit larger and stronger
than MGB used) The 'mix & match' British BMC era chassis parts make the
front-end assembly a direct bolt-on with no modification to the TD
frame. It is mostly MGB with Austin-Healey 3000 shocks. I also have a
rather interesting folding soft top set that might work well. (don't
know what it came from)
To this point no one else has seemed to have found another Quest QT
body. They were later redesigned as the Sebring and the Del Mar was
added to fit the shortened Triumph TR chassis. -- Hugh --
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