Shit kit cars (very picture heavy)

[Formula Autos]

I've nothing against kit cars - each to their own, and all that. However, we keep mentioning unconvincing or bonkers kits in other threads, so I thought they deserved one of their own.

 

For your delectation:

The Zimmer, for authentic '30s glamour.

 

The Vigilante. Chevy small-block powered. The power to weight ratio of an Indycar. The stability of Del-boy's van.

 

Obviously a secret Rolls-Royce prototype.The Silver Chav, perhaps?

 

Amazingly, this isn't actually a Daytona, but actually based on an MX-5. Good job lads!

 

The Rodster.

 

This rights the wrong of Maserati somehow forgetting to add chrome hub caps to their race cars of the early '60s.

 

The Studemino. El-Camino based, and absolute class.

 

The Pisa Artero. The bastard offspring of a Diablo and Supra?

 

The Newstalgia Wheel "52 Chevy".

 

Yet another Cobra replica. Is this the most unconvincing yet? Number 001 apparently - of a production run of one perhaps?

 

From the normally sane Germans comes the Smart based Michalak C7.

 

More abuse of a poor MX-5.

 

From "Luxury Kit" the Phantom SUV.

 

Lil Big Rig. Pick-up based transport for B. Baggins Haulage Ltd.

 

The Hot Snake.

 

The Gold Coast Coach Baroque.

 

The Fiero Factory "Testarossa". A Prince amongst Ferrari replicas.

 

The Fereday Vario, an Uno based creation.

 

T-Bird based "Easy Rods".

 

007's new ride? Q branch have had to make a few cutbacks .......

 

The Tango T600. Refundable deposits of $108,000 now being taken.

 

Look veeerrrrry closely and you might just see hints of Corvette C4 in this.

 

Sherpa Cabrio based.

 

Or if you want to completely remove all traces of style from your MGB, then why not try the Etch-a Sketch roadster?

 

The Subaru powered, mid-engined Blast.

 

Or why not completely cock-up your Porsche 914?

 

Hear that distant whirring sound? That's Raymond Loewy spinning in his grave.

 

New from Liberace Automotive - the Luxxor.

 

The Aldino. Apparently inspired by the Ferrari Dino.

 

Which they've obviously never seen.

 

A Boxer once drove through town though, and someone drew a picture of it.

 

With a crayon.

 

The "53 Corvette Wagon".

 

All of these, and more, can be found at http://www.kitcarlist.com/

[Alexg]

Erm..... Oh fuck it, I quite like that Daytona MX5. There, I said it.

[Rebuilda]

I am so glad most of the kits you picked on were american.

We do have our fair share of uglies over here though.

[CreepingJesus]

What did the poor little MX-5 ever do to deserve such punishment? A perfectly good little fun roadster...until you turn it into a Cobra/Ferrari/Little Tikes Cosy Coupe.

Quite liked the idea of this one, when it came out...

...the UVA F33 Can-Am. Wonderfully loopy, and probly less practical than any motorbike I've ever had...

One I can't seem to find, is Pilgrim's short lived Stratos rep. Based on a Mk3/4 'Scort. Very inventive!

[autofive]

Erm..... Oh fuck it, I quite like that Daytona MX5. There, I said it.

 

+1

 

i dont imagine it as a ferrari, but its a better look than the mx5

[catsinthewelder]

A dozen kits to make your MX5 look like something else and one kit to make your Porsche look like an MX5

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

 

Z3 kit for an MX-5

 

 

On the same site - this works quite well, though I don't think it's a kit.

[Negative Creep]

 

Z3 kit for an MX-5

.

 

 

 

Quality headlamp fitment

 

I do kindof like the mini Big Rig though

[Formula Autos]

How about this beauty?

 

It's Ford Cougar based (though obviously you'd never know by looking), and I have a Cougar.

 

A plan is forming. Audi R8 on the cheap, and no-one would know.

[Quintus]

Is it me or is it a legal requirement for about 90% of all kit cars to be startlingly unconvincing or just a bit wonky and ill-proportioned?

 

How about the Osage by Fuhr Motors? Nice rear overhang there.

 

[Dead_E23]

 

I used to see a vehicle similar to this when passing through Cricklewood on the Edgware Road in the late 80s. It lived on the corner next to the shop selling army surplus Can-Am Bombardier motorcyles that always had a couple of olive drab Sherpas parked out front.

 

iirc, it differed in that it was designed to travel on two wheels (which I guess makes it a cabin motorcycle or 'dalnik') and looked even more aircraft-inspired than the Vigillante. I once stopped for a closer look, but couldn't see a maker's name anywhere on it.

 

Anyone remember it, or have any ideas what it might have been?

 

Here's a gratuitous picture of a dalnik that I found whilst trying to answer my own question:

 

[Bren]

When I was arranging my wedding myself and my (now) wife went to look at Wedding cars.

 

My wife, having little taste, said she wanted a Beauford. I told her in no uncertain terms we were not having a Beauford, because when it pulled up outside the church people would think Liberace was in town ( a bit difficult seen as he was dead).

 

We settled on a vintage Morris oxford.

[ashmicro]

I have to be honest here - I once helped build a kit car. Much sweat (and blood) later, it looked like a heap of shite. 2 litre Pinto powered, but definitely a heap of shite. A wire-wheeled, coach painted, massively over-budget heap of shite. And it handled like a boat, and stopped about as well.

 

It sort of looked like this:

 

 

 

Did I mention that it was SHITE?

[Formula Autos]

A chinese Enzo replica, apparently based on a Geely coupe

Is this the worst replica Ferrari yet? At least some of the others have the engine in the right place.

[Formula Autos]

Got a Chrysler 300?

 

Sick of it being mistaken for a Bentley?

 

There are now measures you can take:

[retrogeezer]

 

My wife, having little taste, said she wanted a Beauford.

 

 

I've always wondered why anyone would want one of those Beauford thing, they are just dreadful.....you might as well sit in a Mini Cabriolet.

[Peter C]

How about this beauty?

 

It's Ford Cougar based (though obviously you'd never know by looking), and I have a Cougar.

 

A plan is forming. Audi R8 on the cheap, and no-one would know.

 

With a more suitable set of wheels, that would actually look ok.

 

I'd never have guessed it is Cougar based!

 

8/10 for effort.

[CIH]

I actually like the MX5s so far, especially as they tend to have a much better chassis. Z3 look-alike is a perfect case in point.

 

I have to be honest here - I once helped build a kit car. Much sweat (and blood) later, it looked like a heap of shite. 2 litre Pinto powered, but definitely a heap of shite. A wire-wheeled, coach painted, massively over-budget heap of shite. And it handled like a boat, and stopped about as well.

 

It sort of looked like this:

 

 

 

Did I mention that it was SHITE?

 

Marlin eh ? I know of a chap (old boy) who spent more or less ten years building one and it handled like crap despite much work. You really wish someone had talked him out of it. He could have gotten a nice MX5 for the same money and had a rally nice car to play with. Actually I should have gotten pictures as they're total kit-SHITE.

[garethj]

I'm partial to some fibreglass nonsense but this takes the bronze, silver and gold for me - a Sherpley. You guessed it, based on a Sherpa and looks like a Bentley

 

Doesn't look too bad, does it? Oh yes it does, because I've stuck the picture through the photocopier and reduced the height by 25%

 

This is what it really looks like

 

There just aren't enough in the world to show how I feel. When building one, could you not chop the bottom 8 inches off the bodywork? And fit some wheels of proper proportions? And get something better than an asthmatic B series in it?

[Formula Autos]

 

I wonder when they actually looked at a picture of a Metro 6R4 and realised it was a three door?

 

I suspect that is the point at which this became an abandoned project.

 

Call me picky if you like, but I suspect there may be an issue when the fuel runs out too.

[eddyramrod]

Apparently you can still buy this...

I would!!!!! The original is at least partly responsible for my lifelong love of American cars, and of fins. To build your own, you need a 1970s Lincoln, they say, as the chassis dimensions are correct. That would be appropriate: the first one (there were 5, or 6, depending whose account you read) was built from a redundant Lincoln show car called Futura. Last time I looked, the basic kit was over $20,000, plus accessories, plus Lincoln, plus the time it takes to build it.

[CreepingJesus]

^At least that one won't have an 1800 B-series in it.

Having said that, the Sherpley's engine choice isn't that limited. Anything that'll bolt onto an LT77 or R380 gearbox: which should be a fairly broad field. And that's before you start onto gearbox adapter plates.

Must be better 'special' projects to create on a Sherpa/LDV chassis, surely; 'cos that thing's funny in a bad way. And not the good 'bad'...the BAD 'bad'.

[retrogeezer]

Lincoln Futura..

 

http://www.1966batmobile.com/background2.htm

[Tayne]

.

[daverapid]

My shite kit car.

 

[Split_Pin]

I quite like some of the bonkers ones, but surely anything, anything is better than driving around in an MX5 with a fibreglass replica of an exotic car Isopon'd to the front?

 

My Fiance is being transported to our wedding next year in a Beauford. I mentioned to her how shit it was but she's happy so its easier to just leave it at that

[CIH]

I quite like some of the bonkers ones, but surely anything, anything is better than driving around in an MX5 with a fibreglass replica of an exotic car Isopon'd to the front?

 

My Fiance is being transported to our wedding next year in a Beauford. I mentioned to her how shit it was but she's happy so its easier to just leave it at that

 

From the drivers seat ? No.

 

 

 

We had that ^ in work a little while ago and it was strangly appealing.

[mk1_4dr]

Anyone Know owt about these? Aparrently called a 'GSM Flamingo'. A South African frinds dad had one back int' day.

 

[chaseracer]

Have some open-source info, guaranteed 70% accurate. Maybe...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_Sport_Motors

[barrett]

HNNNG/OOOF/ETC

 

I bleedin' love GSMs. those Flamingos look a bit mental like, but the earlier Delta/Dart is really handsome in road trim, which very few are. If I can be bothered i'll try and upload the pic I have of the mid-engined V8 Dart hillclimb car...

Not shite really, and not a kit car in the general sense (see previous topic on 'specials')