It’s A Berkeley With A Quiz For You!
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Chuck F., who found the ad for this 1956-58 Berkeley SA322 or SE328 (we’re not sure) here on craigslist. The car is located in Pensacola, Florida, and is selling to the best offer by Friday, April 13th — so you’d better hurry ($1,100 is also listed as the asking price). And we want to know what you’d do with it if it were yours — check out the bottom of the post for the questions and answer them in the comments!
We’ve posted a lot on Berkeleys considering there weren’t that many made over the years the company existed (1956-1960). One of the lightest sports cars ever, the SA322 weighed in at 605 pounds, while the SE328 was roughly the same, as it was essentially a re-engined SA322. Since this car doesn’t have an engine, you really don’t have to worry anyway!
Naturally, you have to be pretty small to fit into a Berkeley. Or want to! And the cut-down windshield on this car, even though it appears to have been done well, makes the prospective driver even shorter. Or maybe just accepting of bugs in their teeth!
You have a little bit of fiberglass work to do here, but the cloisonne Berkeley badge is something I haven’t seen on many cars. Ah, I love little British roadsters — and if not, why not make the world’s coolest golf cart? So, I’m going to give you some choices with a twist. Would you: A) go through the effort to find an Anzani or Excelsior inline twin that these cars originally had as well as the three-speed Albion gearbox (chain drive!), B) use some sort of more modern motorcycle engine, C) convert the drive train using a transverse FWD powertrain from a modern car, D) go all out with a front engine/rear wheel drive conversion, or E) go electric? We eagerly await your responses in the comments!
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Comments
D. False Wheel Drive is for shopping trolleys not sports cars.
Fixed on this Berkeley:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/1958-berkeley-special/109627/page1/
I think it would be electric ⚡️ with the newer batteries (lithium) and paint it black with two lightening bolts hidden under the paint to show up close (ghosting).
I would put some leather late buckets and put s wood grant steering wheel as detailed dash .a homemade modern console to looking similar to 60s consoles in impala or chevelles.
If no top I would probably put a roll bar (chrome) with old fashion snaps on it as well as around the rear of the top deck like a boot would be on a convertible.
The wheels would steel and the cap or baby moons black also.
I would debate on a gun rack on the roll bar to make tailgaters think about riding the bumper at 85 on the expressway (kidding but tempting)
Yamaha vmax 1200 with a Quaife reverse gear box loads of power and useful low down torque. I used the standard vmax engine gearbox combo and then had the secondary quaife box if you search mgtf vmax on YouTube you can find a couple of videos of the car being started and driven, the kit car was based on the triumph herald chassis
I’d get another one for the other foot and go roller skating.
The pics of the four above, I actually bought the 3rd one from the left ,The red one with the blue tarp on the ground. It was a 56 322.
It came with the original engine,But I found that a great upgrade was a motorcycle engine. I seen one that had a honda550/4 cyl,4 carb supersport engine. That was the direction I was going to go. After a year and nothing started I sold it. That was a small car, but the girls thought it was cute.
A buddy of mine had one when we were in high school. We had plans to autocross it, but before we finished prepping it, other things got it the way, like college, jobs, girls and other cars. Eventually his father got tired of it taking up space in the garage, and gave it away or scrapped it. I don’t think my buddy ever did find out which.
My Dad one of these back in the 60s in the UK. His was a 3 wheeler, probably even rarer on this side of the pond. He also had a Bond….. I think its got the wrong windshield. the bonnet hinges are from the trunk hid off a Morris minor
In high school a frind of mine had one in his garage that his father bought back int the day. Excelsior engine and all. Be wierd if it was the same one as gbvette62, Was in Levittown, NY
Nope, the one I knew was in South Jersey, back around 69-70.
Kawasaki 750 two stroke triple ought to make it quite scary.
Nah. Halabusa
They are very small and could be a lot of fun, I had a rough but complete1959 4 wheeler,
( they did make them with 3 wheels) and the Excelsior Talisman twin.I sold mine on ebay way back and had a feeling that the guy was going to try to talk me down on the price. I never said in the ad that I had the front emblem and kept it in my coat pocket, if he would have just paid the selling price I was going to hand it to him….it’s on my model room wall.
Speaking of bike engines in a Berkeley, a friend installed a Kawasaki 4 in his Berkeley and it sure went down the road way better than with the original engine…and he said more reliable too.
I had a ride in it one day, and it was a raw and exciting trip. It was chilly with no top, and you were pretty close to the ground—-and also close to the other person in the car. I had the feeling that with a car that light you could increase the performance a lot just by ditching the passenger to reduce weight.
Interesting none of the featured cars were in impressive condition.
Greetings All,
I’d find an older Honda Goldwing with reverse. Radiators are nice, easier to get heat from one.
Just not sure if I’d rear or mid engine it.
I’d take my rusted pedal car and move the entire pedal assembly over but would have electric assist from a new generation ebike. I might also concider using the chassis/drivetrain from my John Deere lawn tractor with the mower attached. I’d use trunk space to hall firewood from my woods.
These were sold in the UK with I thought a Villiers engine?Didn’t think Exclesior made their own engines,certainly after WW2?
They never had Villiers engines – most were Excelsior. Excelsior struggled on until 1964 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Cars
I bow to your superior knowledge!I remember the Excelsior Twins but you never saw many on the road.
It’s too rare to ruin with a bunch of mods. I’d bring it back to original spec.
Greetings All,
BIll Wilkman, what EXACTLY is original spec?
I was under the impression, possibly mistaken that these were sold as kits for tax reasons. Everyone I’ve ever seen in the U.K. had a motorcycle engine installed, but they were all different.
What was the original engine?
No, always sold as fully-built production cars. The original spec would be easily confirmed by the club.
I’d put a built early ford flathead (the smaller in size 65hp base)with a T5 and a quick change rear. Yup that would do it for me it would be a blast
A friend of mine had with a Villiers in it.
At one point, there was a Berkeley model offered with a Royal Enfield engine – about 1960-61 If I recall correctly
The Wikipedia article on Excelsior said they sourced engines from JAP and Villiers so maybe the engines in the Berkeleys were rebranded Villiers engines.
Nearly everyone used Villiers engines!I had a James,who used them and another make(the name of which I forget).They were junk!Guess which my bike had???
I bought this one and it is sitting in my yard waiting for my shop to get built next month. The front is very rough as seen in the pictures but very repairable. Am thinking of a Triumph engine, or maybe BSA, Norton, etc, to keep it all British. Any thoughts? Any clubs and sources of parts on this side of the pond?
Congratulations, Raymond! I’d try this place first:
http://www.kipmotor.com/Berkeley.htm
Thanks Jamie, I appreciate the reply. Will contact Kip. They are the only supplier I’ve been able to find.
Race it with the H modified group in putin bay..lime rock or any place sports cars of vintage classic styles race