Replica kit cars?

[robert77]

I've been looking around at some of the "replica" body kits that are around, i.e; Ferrari F40 and F355 (to fit Mk2 MR2) Ferrari 360 (to fit Pug 406 Coupe or Mk3 MR2 etc) with a view to maybe doing one as a project next year.

I just wanted to know what everyone's opinion on "replica" body kits were.
Are they a good cheaper alternative to the real thing or just a cheap and nasty gimmick?

I myself don't have a problem with them and the appeal of having an F355 "look-a-like" without the cost of the real thing to me is a good option. It may lack the power and poise of the real F355 but surely there are some good pionts to them.

[DAVID PATERSON]

The biggest problem with these kits is that they are not replicas at all. The base cars are much shorter, narrower and taller than the cars they are supposed to replicate, so the proportions are all wrong.

The end result is you take a perfectly OK car and spend a lot of money and effort devaluing the car and making it look silly and nearly unsaleable.

The attraction of a Ferrari or a Porsche is the looks and the performance. These kits offer neither.

[Bluebottle]

People will laugh at you, really.
My feeling is that if you're going to spend that kind of money why not go for one of the many original designes out there? That way you'll have something that turns everyone's heads, even Ferrari and Porky owners will ask you about your car (We've had that happen with our Quantum H4 and our Hurrcane) and performance is not out of the question either, look at stuff like the Ultima, the Westfield GTR (an LMP inspired car) the Minotaur Mk2, the new Veranti (MR2 based body kit)
There are some good replicas out there, mostly fake snakes and GT40's and some are very well designed cars with stunning performance, the Mirage Countach replica (no longer available I think) was actually drivable, unlike the original, and had opening windows!!
Pick up a kit car magazine and have a look through the classifieds.

[robert77]

The F355 kit made by Extreme Sportscars is about the best you can get and looks closer to the orginal than any other on the market and can be done with donor car included for about £10k, plus around £1500 to have the interior retrimmed.

Go to Extreme Mk2 MR2 based F355 body kit and take a look.

[Bluebottle]

I've seen those in the flesh and they really do look the part, an image ruined as soon as you turn the key! My personal chouce would be to spend the £10000 on something different. With replicas you're obliged to make it look original but if you chose an original design it's up to you how you finish the car, what stuff to put inside, where to put switches, gauges etc on the dash, colours, trim etc etc all become your personal stamp on the car and no other car will be the same. Do that with a replica and people will say "Oh it's just a replica" and walk away (Mind you, whatever you build for whatever cost with whatever performance there are some who will just say "Oh, it's a kit-car.." and walk away )
Incidently there are some replicas which are accepted into the original car's owners clubs- the Stratos replicas are for instance (Stratos replicas are more prone to overheating than the real thing because, unlike the original, the panels all fit properly so there are no big gaps for cool air to get in!! So I'm told anyway...)
Just for comparason how much would a s/h F355 cost?

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

The biggest problem with these kits is that they are not replicas at all. The base cars are much shorter, narrower and taller than the cars they are supposed to replicate, so the proportions are all wrong.

The very worst example being the Countach 'replica' built on a Beetle chassis! I'll see if I can find a picture. Thankfully the kit industry as a whole has moved on in great strides since then and the quality gap between a well built kit and a factory car is much less, in fact some kits are much better built and finished than many production cars!

[Truckosaurus]

I'm with The Bottle, if you spend £10k on a MR2 based replica you'll just look foolish and have to keep apologising for it. It's not even a proper replica, it'll still have a wheezy Toyota Corolla engine in the back and cheapo plastic minicab interior.

You'd be better off with a standard MR2, or anyother kitcar, or even an early TVR Chimera or Griffith which are now down to chose sort of ballpark prices.

[Bluebottle]

Don't look if you're eating...

http://www.priceofhistoys.com/catego...hini-countach/

We've come a long way since then!

Oh, and I was wrong about the Mirage Countach replica, it's still available.

[garcon]

The only kit car replicas I know of that are not just utterly laughable crap are Cobras and GT40s. But they cost nearer £25k if you use proper engines.

I really and honestly wouldn't consider any of the "lookalike" kits - far better off going for a standard Caterham/Westfield type of kit. (You could get a seriously good one for £10k too).

In answer to Bluebottle's question, a good used F355 will cost you circa £45k upwards (add £10k for a Spyder). Every service (3k miles/12 months) will cost you about £3k. Doing three thousand miles a year you're probably looking at overall running costs of over £5k.

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by Bluebottle

Don't look if you're eating...

http://www.priceofhistoys.com/catego...hini-countach/

We've come a long way since then!

But, come on,. You have to love those 70's Chevy Silverado's rims! So much better than those alloy countach wheels. And what about that ride height! Probably the only countach capable of going off road!

[Sharky]

http://www.priceofhistoys.com/wp-con...06/05/siva.jpg

Thanks for the link Bluebottle. This has to be one of the funniest pages I've ever seen.

Can't imagine why would anyone spend any amount of money to be laughed at and ridiculed.

[redshoes]

I wouldn't call them cheap and nasty, but only because they are not that cheap. You'll get a car that will turn heads wherever you drive but only because people are pointing and laughing.

The MR2->F40 conversions I've seen look awful. The proportions are all wrong.

The MR2->F355 looks better, although I notice that on the website none of the pics have anything to give a sence of scale. In the real world it will look 7/8th scale at best. I'd question the prices. Just shy of £10K for donor car and kit, but that's un-fitted and un-painted. Don't know how much work is involved but add a couple of grand for professional fitting and a re-spray, plus another £1500 for a re-trim and you're looking at maybe £15K+. Whatever it looks like outside it's still worn out MR2 running gear, unless you want to re-build the suspension and modify the engine, in which case that's more to add to the budget. Don't expect to much of that back when you come to re-sell it.

You could go for a cheaper kit and do much of the work yourself but chances are you'll end up with plastic padding and rattle can special, which will look worse.

The 406->F360 kit is even more expensive. There's no price on the finished car for sale on that site but I'm told the owner is looking for £28K. That's a stupid amount of money for something that is still going to drive and handle like a Peugeot.

Given that sort of money to spend a rusty old MR2 would be last on my list.

[Al Weyman]

A mate of mine built a Dodge Viper replica, still has it I believe but more on that later. It is built on a Corvette chassis so a doner vehicle could be anything up to 5 or 6k maybe more with a decent engine and manual box.

Anyhow he bought this project unfinished with the body already on a doner Corvette chassis. A mate of his had just wrecked his corvette (ripped the body off trying to go under a barrier in Framce!) so he bought that off him for the engine, box, axle, brakes and all the other bits and bods. Anyhow he then does a silly thing, he fits the auto box from the Corvette into the car (Auto in a Viper!!!). Then decides to by a tuned engine (I have the original Corvette lump in my workshop which I bought off him) and puts it altogether with Tuned Port Injection and a puter. Fine so far till he finds it won't run right so down to the rolling road for many many expensive sessions but the auto keeps changing down (all computer controlled) and it turns out impossible to tune it so it has been parked outside the rolling road place now for two or three years!

Now this is the irony. This thing must stand him in over £15k and hours and hours of work. It is six inches shorter than the real thing (on the front wing) and therefore looks wrong. It has an autobox and won't run right. I showed him a Viper (genuine) in Classic American for 18k (from memory it mighthave been a tad more) and he was sick. What was the point?

PS if anyone is up to the challenge it may be up for sale!

[redshoes]

How about this for an alternative?

Al, you might want to look away now....





An MR2 based Mustang replica. More info here

[Bluebottle]

That's just plain wrong!

[Al Weyman]

My God that's hidious, give it to Clarkson for appraisal :-)

Does anyone remember Miami vice. The Ferrari they drove about in fact was'nt, it was the same as my black IROC car with a special body/kit conversion. At least a conversion like that and in fact my mates Viper, the doner car has the size to (almost) carry it off but these Jap/Euro things are laughable.