what do you think of the factory five kit cars?

a reply to: BrianFlanders

I bet you're fun at parties

originally posted by: caterpillage
a reply to: BrianFlanders

I bet you're fun at parties

I'm sure after a few drinks he gives long winded speaches in front of the group, promising to lead them into a new and prosperous generation, a new Reich of you will.

a reply to: theboarman

Those are beautiful but a rat rod is more my speed....

a reply to: olaru12

Ironically my area is a pretty big hot bed of automotive enthusiasts, ironic considering the weather. Anyway I know a few nationally recognized rat rod builders. While cool, they are death traps. I'd sooner run along a slippery pool side with a bucket of knives and a poorly assembled nuke than ride in one of those things.

a reply to: MisterSpock

What do you think of these? Man, if I had the bucks I'd be in one in a heart beat. Not a kit car per se but kind of along the same idea.

karls

originally posted by: caterpillage
a reply to: MisterSpock

What do you think of these? Man, if I had the bucks I'd be in one in a heart beat. Not a kit car per se but kind of along the same idea.

karls

I've seen similar Corvette body kits. You certainly get a retro/classic look with all the underlying performance.

Older corvettes are cheap(er) and a great platform to start with.

originally posted by: MisterSpock

originally posted by: BrianFlanders

I think if everything was done right everyone would be driving almost exactly the same vehicle. And it would be simple, utilitarian, affordable, reliable, efficient and all the good stuff most people really want.

Yes, a simple car, just with what the average person needs, nothing more.

Like a "peoples" car.

I like it Adolf.

Or Henry (as long as it's black) Ford, eh? Rumor has it that Adolf was a Ford fan.

Top Gear has a few kit car segments, inc the Caterham kit iirc.

a reply to: MisterSpock

What you're doing there is pathetic, especially given that he makes a sensible point.

Let's face it, this is a $22000 vanity game.

Wanting a practical standard is not synonymous with Hitler. But then, you already knew that.

a reply to: BrianFlanders

You can, apply that logic to anything. Why aren't all houses the same, why the need to wear different clothes or have different phones. Hell why isn't all art a picture of dogs playing pool???

Diversity in products not only allows greater individuality, it also drives competition that makes products better and cheaper over time.

Factory 5 isn’t terrible as far as glass kit cars go but I would go for a metal body. My dad is a body man who does restoration and custom work and has built several kit cars including several F5 Shelby Cobras. Now keep in mind that 22k for not even a full rolling chassis, most kit cars use a fox body mustang chassis, granted getting a stock fox body rolling chassis and driveline isn’t very expensive but where’s the fun in a lame driveline under the beautiful body? I’m a more go than show type. One of the the Shelby kit cars my dad did for a guy had a a terminator cobra driveline in that was putting down upwards of 600rwhp, it was a beast.

Some day I might do a Shelby Daytona Coupe but over a full custom tubular chassis.

ETA- My dad has also done restoration on real dyed in the wool aluminum bodied Cobras, he’s restored $500k+ classics he used to work for the Blackhawk car mumseum out in NorCal and did a lot of crazy rare and awesome old iron. I’m looking for a 56 Ford F100 project truck for me and him as a father son build.

originally posted by: SlowNail
a reply to: MisterSpock

What you're doing there is pathetic, especially given that he makes a sensible point.

Let's face it, this is a $22000 vanity game.

Wanting a practical standard is not synonymous with Hitler. But then, you already knew that.

Compared to spending $250k on the real deal it doesn’t seem too ridiculous.

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
It's a waste of opportunity, resources and effort. Modern science, engineering and technology (along with the ability to mass manufacture just about anything) could be utilized in so many more beneficial ways it's just disgusting to see the state of things.

I think if everything was done right everyone would be driving almost exactly the same vehicle. And it would be simple, utilitarian, affordable, reliable, efficient and all the good stuff most people really want.

Instead, we have a gazillion shapes and sizes and bells and whistles and colors. Pointless diversity just to say we did. Engineering wasted on building street cars that go 100 MPH over the speed limit in the vast majority of place where they're sold and driven to death.

I don't want to build my own car. I want a simple design that doesn't cost much and eliminates as much of the BS as it can.

I'm glad there's more to life than having everything exist to be utilitarian, "gets the job done", soulless and dull.
The appreciation of, and ability to, produce/own such things that are aesthetically pleasing and well engineered is a part of what makes humanity unique.
To me these are the areas of human nature that should be celebrated and encouraged, rather than the relentless quest to find better, more efficient ways of killing each other, to much focus and energy is already wasted on creating crap thats only purpose is to destroy, spread fear and hatred.
Activities like building your own car(as one example of many)encourage creativity and independence, improve skills and knowledge and bring happiness and fulfillment.
Its much better to try and see the positives rather than just focusing on negatives.

The fiberglass exotics are nice, but.....

If I'm gonna ever build a 'kit car', the are companies that build 100% new versions of classic musclecars.
Yenko Camaro, Mustangs, etc
brandnewmusclecar.com...

a reply to: Brywilson2

that is cool, but most likely for the 50-60 thousand for a complete high end model isnt even close to the price range i would pay for something like that, and im not to worried about having a metal body.

They're pretty much all out of my price range.

But, I've always wanted a car with a mid engine and gull wing doors.

Didn't they make a kit like that years ago?

-dex

originally posted by: DexterRiley
They're pretty much all out of my price range.

But, I've always wanted a car with a mid engine and gull wing doors.

Didn't they make a kit like that years ago?

-dex

I think I know what you’re talking about but I can’t put my finger on the name or who made the kit. Personally I’m not a fan of gull wing or other odd doors (like Lamborghini doors and don’t get me started on the Lambo door on every ish box little river that’s one of the few custom jobs that me and my dad would turn down 99% of the time, most of the hinge kits were crap and just a nightmare, never could stand the looks or idea of them). I’m gonna have to go through our old polaroids we have from some of the jobs on the super nice rare cars, I’ve got to lay my dirty mits on an original Gulf Racing GT-40 my god what a car!!!!! That was probably one of the most expensive rides we worked on with it’s legit racing provinence, always loved the Gulf Racing colors for the GT-40s too. Ah memories.....
Wait now that I think about it I’m an idiot you probably were talking about a GT-40 kit car D’oh!!!

ETA2- Yeah I’m pretty sure it was a SuperPerformance GT-40 here’s a pic of one of them some up in the gulf racing colors like the real deal my dad and I worked on.
s.aolcdn.com...

a reply to: BigDave-AR

The SuperPerformance GT40 is a beautiful automobile. Very sexy. I think I had this car in my electric car race track set when I was a little boy.
I can picture myself time-travelling in this slick piece of technology.



But, I did a little research and I found the car I was thinking of. It's the Bradley GT II.

My high school girlfriend had one of those. A cool looking kit car with gull wing doors. It was built on a VW bug chassis, so it had the rear engine by default.

They also made an electric version of the GT II called the GTE in 1980.

-dex

originally posted by: DexterRiley
a reply to: BigDave-AR

The SuperPerformance GT40 is a beautiful automobile. Very sexy. I think I had this car in my electric car race track set when I was a little boy.

I can picture myself time-travelling in this slick piece of technology.



But, I did a little research and I found the car I was thinking of. It's the Bradley GT II.

My high school girlfriend had one of those. A cool looking kit car with gull wing doors. It was built on a VW bug chassis, so it had the rear engine by default.

They also made an electric version of the GT II called the GTE in 1980.

-dex

Oh god my eyes!!!!! That thing is Pug Fugly!!!!!! Calling it mid engined is a bit cheeky I hope it had a hot tossed Vdub engine and not just stock I imagine that body isn’t light I’m guessing it was a dog in the performance department. Those GT40s are amazing! I love the story behind there development too Ford went to Ferrari offering to buy them out while they were having financial problems, the reason Ford wanted to buy out Ferrari was they wanted to start endurance racing programs, well Enzo Ferrari being who he was wanted to maintain full control over the company, he wanted his cake and eat it too so he axes the deal and told Ford they’d never be competive in endurance racing. So Ford decided to develop there racing platform in house and ended up DOMINATING they took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the 24hrs of LeMans!!! Absolutely destroying Ferrari Enzo was not too pleased, so essentially the car was born out of a pissing contest.

Detroit, Ford’s point man, Don Frey, was told by Henry Ford II to ‘go to Le Mans, and beat his ass.’ Or so the legend goes.

www.topgear.com...

I love any car that good ole Carol Shelby laid his magnificent hands on!!!!

a reply to: BigDave-AR

carol shelby didnt like factory five very much, he even sued them, but he lost.