When I first posted this I thought it might get locked down as well, and I thank Ryan for leaving it up. Its interesting that just about everyone who has completed a kit car enjoyed the process . There's even been some pretty hard core traditionalists that have posted to this thread about their experiences. I dont think I'd like to see a lot of these posts here, but now and again is probably OK since some of these cars go WAY back. and they're pretty historically interesting. If I had to guess, even the boss would enjoy piloting a few of those posted.
I'm shocked this is still going. I put a battery in the yard sale Bugatti saturday and all systems are go. I'll start it next saturday.
I love all kinds of cars. But it's getting to be really difficult to register them in my state, "California" The DMV here will only allow 500 total to be registered per year as Special Construction and soon that may go away. Check out the Post on "California Government" by Kirk and read the news. Really enjoyed reading about the old Kit Cars. I built an EMPI Sportster with my Dad in the mid 60's. But Hot Rods were always my love.
I don't believe there is a limit to the number of Specialy Constructed Vehicles in California. The 500 limit typically only pertains if you want to avoid smog control and inspection. Albeit, that is probably everyone that builds a car from stratch. My buddy built a Porsche Speedster with a VW engine and simply registered it as a Speically Contructed Vehicle and it had to pass year-of-engine smog rules (including checks every two years). Not ideal, I understand, but at least we can still build cars from scratch. I like the idea of the legislation you mention. It would certainly ease up restrictions on building kit cars.
We still lived in California when I finished our car and tried to register it. At that time the 500 exemption certificates were only required for professional shops. I found the page on the DMV's website that stated a hobbiest, building a car for himself and not for sale didn't need the exemption. The supervisor at the DMV didn't buy that even when I showed her the page. (!) Those of you who still live in CA should get behind that legislation that Kirk posted last week about doing away with the 500 exemptions. Write to Sacramento and express your support.
I had one of these as a kit car in 1965 about the same time as my Kellison project. It was a favorite V8 powered sports car of mine. A one piece vacuum formed body bought at the hobby shop. 1/25 scale slot car. I built the slot car but chickened out on the 1 to 1. That short WB can be a handful with a hot Chevy engine. Don't ya love it?
I could go for something like the Cheetah. The Alfa Romeo TZ1 The Lotus Eleven ( there are kits for all of those, and I've talked to some of the sellers/ manufacturers) Or the Lotus 30/40 ( dont know if there is a kit for those) These 4 cars are just absolutely beautiful to me. But most of the time, when I acctually build something, I'm souping up a underdog instead.
I always liked McLarens. This ain´t no kit car. (this one was for sale at the weekend - a tad bit out of my price range unfortunately!)
Every time I see an Avenger for sale I feel like grabbing it. There is one locally here that looks no too bad except the guy has stuck on a bunch of JC whitney style chrome "ventiports" AAARGH!
Yes, I have always been asked ..."Is that a kit car?" I usually reply .. I didn't have any stinking directions. The flared Speedster is a car I always wanted since the age of 14 . My influence was a movie called King of the Hill . Dennis Hopper was in it . Well 30 plus years later I found a beater Speedster and transformed it . 200HP VW is no snail with a car less than 1900#
In 1986 I got a bit of money back from the IRS and used it to buy a Beck 550 Spyder kit. It was a lot of fun to build and drive. My first car was a 1930 Model A coupe that I bought in 1958 and rodded. Over the years my interest drifted to sports cars and then it came back to my roots. I recently sold the Beck to finance my 31 Model a coupe project. I was sad to see it go. But as you can see it was neglected. It has a new home and a good owner. And my coupe is coming along.
Put together a crap load of F/G dune buggies -- what a rip, a go kart on the street. Did a bunch of Avengers and a few Valkyries - Vw's and corvair powered. got an Avenger on the back burner for a while now.
My middle son was with my wife when they visited friends. He spotted a cool roadster hanging out under a tree with weeds growing around it. He asked, and found it was a Sebring 5000. The original owner bought it in '88 and worked on it with his son. The car got parked in a garage in '92, then lost garage space to a Porsche. The car had spent a LONG time under that tree! The owner gave it to my son and we hauled it home. We got it running for a little bit, but can't get it going again. So the car is now hanging out in our garage. I need to get better at figuring cars out - it would be great to get on the road again! Anyway, here's a kit car with some years on it. Has a Chevy 350, Edelbrock intake, Carter 4 barrel carb, Hedmann headers. Chevy TH350 transmission. Hopefully we'll get it running again. Was fun tooling around the neighborhood in it.
I wanted a FFR Daytona coupe really bad and know a few people tha have them. One is a twin turbo 347 stroker. Holy Crap ..Fast. But after the reality set in and a interesting ad popped up on craigslist...I'm going to have a Sunbeam Tiger Clone.
Pete, If you're working with an Alpine, I hope you know there is a little more to it than pulling the 4 cylinder and droppin in the 8. I had a Tiger that I basically ran in the ground when I was younger. I found a pretty clean Alpine and figured I'd switch everything over. After reality set in, I sold the Tiger and gave the Alpine away. Larry T
I used to work with a guy that drove a little kit car called a tri-lon. A little 3 wheeled Rocket looking thing with a VW motor and a red lite on the hood that went back and forth like a cylon raider from Battlestar Gallactica. Anyway, he said he owned the company that made them and he was a HUGE BS'er but one time he told me of show on TV about kit cars and he was going to be on it. Sure enough, he was and he was called the owner of Tri-lon Kit Cars. I have NEVER been able to find anything out about them. Cool Car.....Looked like something out of Star Wars.
This guy does some pretty cool fab work. http://www.ikcc.ie/forum/viewtopic.php?t=718&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
I flipped through this thread. There'd be some bitchin' but the guy is across the pond, he used what's at hand and fabbed some parts and he's got a neat car
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