I can’t believe that between Clive and I we only took four almost identical photos of this cleanly and traditionally finished Elite Enterprises Laser 917 kitcar. It even has a factory bumper! I was sad to see only one at a show… I fear as time goes on, more and more Lasers share the same fate as mine, back-shelved in a barn somewhere, waiting for the day the owner retires (or gets divorced) and finally has the time to finish it…
…this finished one is owned by Mark Bidwell of Neptune City, NJ, and is built on a 1971 VW chassis.
One of the hottest cars at Carlisle 2006 was the Factory Five GTM Supercar, which to me sort of looks like a Ferrari 360 from the back and a modernized GT40 (although that’s not being entirely fair). What blew me away was they designed this car to be built for under $30,000, and the full kit sells for $19k! It’s a complete kit that you can finish with Corvette parts and a Porsche transaxle (G50). Having sat in the car it’s incredibly comfortable (I’m 6′2″, 220 pounds, and I saw a guy a lot bigger than me sit in it as well).
Anyway, it was hard to get a good shot of the car because it there were always people gathered around it, and it was inside rather than outside so I couldn’t get any distance from it (and even if I could, as soon as a I stepped away, others took my place). I can tell you though that theses pictures (and ones I’ve seen in magazines) don’t do the car justice.
This father-son Avenger projects has, among other customizations, blacked out headlights, a custom sound system and interior including a full computer, and a 3.8L V6 conversion. It was the first of I think five or six Avengers and Valkyries that made it to Carlisle 2006 (or at least that I saw there).
Apparently that’s Italian for “Ferocious”. This was once an ‘85 Fiero and had a V8 Archie body kit, and is now owned as the “Feroce” by Edward Stephens in St. Johns, MI. The suspension is adjustable coil overs with tubular control arms, the interior sports a custom dash and leather seats, the engine is a 160 HP 3.4L V6 out of a ‘95 Firebird, it’s painted in PPD Mandarin orange metallic, and rides on Nitto NT 555 225/40ZR-17 tires.
It’s won first place at the 2003 “Full Sport” Detroit Autorama, and has been feauted in Speed Style and Sound, Kit Car, Sport Compact Naitonal, Domestic Driver, and other magazines. Visit feroce.com for more information.
This Manta Mirage was being sold at Carlisle 2006. I actually think that the guy in the light blue shirt may have bought it, he was right on the line when I left. Given that it was a gorgeous custom chassis (being sold it because the guy wanted to focus on his rock climbing chassis projects), with a great air ride setup (I think he said it could rise eight or nine inches or something crazy), and headers and engine/tranny mounts for a Porsche G50 and 400 cubic inch V8, I hope he did! He’s also snubbed off the rear to show off the suspension gear, and I think if this car is finished right it could end up as one of the wildest Manta Mirages on the road.
PS. If you’re the person who bought it, and you’re reading this, drop me a line and keep me updated!
Check out Bob’s (if I remember right) Mini 18 #1 — literally the one that you see in the brochures. It’s a regular at the show, but these photos were taken at Carlisle 2006. Seeing it so finished in person makes me sort of which that I’d not only kept mine, but left it as is (I converted it to six wheels and put it on a truck chassis), it really looked great.
I’ll be honest with you — I’ve never understood the appeal of the Ferrari F40. I think it’s a weird looking car. I understand that the real thing has stellar performance, but I think most of the time when someone builds a supercar kit, it’s going to underperform the original most of the time (although it may well be more reliable)… But don’t pay any attention to me — my thing is weird VW original exotics, which I’d say the average Ferrari guy thinks are abominations! That’s the wonderful thing about kit cars — to each their own!
That said, since we’re speaking of Ferraris, let’s mention this F40 that was for sale at Carlisle 2006.
The engine is a V-6 on a four-speed tranny with a claimed 300 HP (intake and exhaust ported and matched, roller rockers, competition cam, new pistons, new rods, new rings, adjustable twin turbo, counterforce dual friction clutch, new distributor cap, wires, plugs, K&N air filter, and full balancing). The interior is custom as well with Dakota Digital gauges (either very slick or very gaudy depending on your personal ideals), Cobra Kevlar racing bucket seats with Williams covers, a back-up sensor, Momo steering wheel, polished aluminum dash and console, and a boost gauge.
It’s running Dunlop Qualifier P265/50R15 tires at the back, and P225/50R15s at the front, all mounted on 3-piece Ferrari rims. The lights are Ferrari as well, as is the paint, and the mirrors are custom. I don’t know if it sold at the show, but he told me, “first $30,000 $25,000 takes it” if I remember right (of course, that was Saturday morning, so who knows if the number is lower now, or if it sold). If it’s still for sale, you can get in touch with the owner at 240-441-6483 (cell) or 301-855-7598 (home). If it’s sold, someone let me know so I can update this entry!
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