Last July I posted about Des’s GT90 replica project. This thread on GT40s.com keeps you updated best, but here’s some more recent photos of Des’s progress — this is all being done by hand (no CNC). The chassis is still to come, but it’s an aluminum monocoque design. He’s hoping to sell the kit for about $35,000, and is slowly and steadily moving toward completing the body.
Long-time readers may remember this from the old PoHT site — I still have a lot of old archives to repost. This pink Avenger spent years sitting on the roof of Parkhurst Motors in Belleville, Ontario, Canada… When I saw it, I pulled in and asked them about it and they told me that when they’d hoisted it up there, it was a running car and was in theory still for sale if someone was willing to pay to get it down. Well, last time I drove through Belleville I noticed that it was no longer there.
I know, it’s not really a kit car, but it might as well be. The Adams brothers produced a number of wild cars that I’m a big fan of — the completely mad Mantis XP (another car that I’d love to see a kit made of) — but the practically knee-height Probe 16 (the Imp Site has a great page on it) is arguably the wildest of the bunch. One of the Probes showed up on Top Gear a while back seeking restoration (it didn’t win), and they shot some great video of it that really show what a suberb car it was, and I’d like to share that here.
Before you ask, yes, I’ve called the owner of the Probe 16 in Canada and bugged him to let me splash a mold off of it. For now he’s not interested…
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For some reason, not everyone is a fan of the Mirage’s rear end, which is pretty much the opposite of it’s long pointy noise — flatly snubbed off. Personally I love it — it really exaggerates the car’s rocketlike appearance. As a quick reminder:
But, like I said, not everyone is a fan. For example, this Mirage has a wing molded into the rear, which actually does a nice job maintaining the race car appeal. The corners have been extended back and rounded off a little as well.
Here’s a Manta Mirage where it seems like the owner would have rather bought a Ferrari, as he’s spent hundreds of hours molding in the lights and rear deck from a Testarossa kit car instead. The problem with this, as I see it, is that the Testarossa is a very distinctive car and many people will recognize this vehicle as an odd Frankenstein’s monster. Nonetheless, a nice job that I’m sure will appeal to many. Just not me.
This one’s a little more “futuristic” looking — the owner molded in the rear section of a seventies Corvette and mounted lights from a Fiero. The connection between the Vette and the Mirage is a little awkward (you can still see the Mirage’s wing), and I’m not convinced the front and back of the car match aesthetically, but it definitely has a lot of potential.
I’ve saved the best for last I think. This Mirage has what I’m pretty sure is a Manta Montage rear molded in. It’s a great fit stylistically and really looks like it was designed that way. It does a wonderful job of extending the rear and making it look a little more natural, and gives the car a sleeker and less obviously aggressive look. Of the modified Mirages, this one is my favorite.
Scott’s got a nice clean looking Sebring up for sale that needs just a little TLC to get it perfect — it’s a 1979 Sebring with a 1600cc VW pan. The engine needs a bit of work (fuel pump, etc) to get it running, but on the whole it looks good and the electric top works. Scott’s a tall guy (6′3″) and doesn’t quite fit so he’s selling the car, located in Westerville, Ohio. Asking price is $4,400 — write him at ras3549@netscape.net if you’re interested.
I’ve owned a couple Vettes, and I’ve mentioned my affinity for the Mako Shark in the past, but it was a real treat to see this obscure Fiberfab kit up for sale — a Centurion SS on a ‘58 Corvette chassis. Perhaps a dozen of these were made, so it’s very rare. Most (or perhaps all but this one) were made without a full windshield and with only a single rear hump. This car sat for thirty years in the garage of the father-in-law of the current seller, and I suspect this is the only time you’ll see this car for sale. You can write to Will at thingpilot@sebastiancorp.net or bid on the eBay auction (#200304513497). The car is located in Foresthill, California.
Frank’s got this solid looking Invader GT that he’s currently working on at his restoration shop in Arizona. I’ll say this regularly, but someone really needs to fabricate and make molds for half-doors for the Invader. There are enough of them out there that I’m sure there’s a market for such a product, and it radically improves the looks of the car.
This car is one in a long series of VW-based vehicles Frank has owned — he’s had about thirty in all. He’s whittled down his collection, and the only other one he has left is a bug sitting on a custom frame with a 500 CI Cadillac engine stuffed into the back seat. Yes, I’ve asked him for some pictures, so hopefully you’ll get to see that here soon.
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