this question is for everybody , especially Fritz and Mark, has anyone done a clone of The Surfite? i did a google search and it produced one pic as a potential clone. i also did a hamb search and it didn't produce much. i have mentioned in the past that i am selling my hotrod to pay off some medical copay debt, and i'm thinking about a new project. The Surfite might be it.
That would be cool! No clone that I have ever heard of. You can buy the model and use it for a guide.
I'd like to see one! Get started!! I'm actually kind of suprised Mr. Moriarity hasn't done one in his "spare time" yet!!!
shhhhhhh!, don't give him any ideas... i know he could have it done before i could even locate the correct drivetrain. lol
If you make it (which I think you should), I have the sign Von Dutch painted for it while working at the Brucker's "Cars of the Stars" museum.
thats nice of you to offer to give it to me for free. i will send you my address so you can ship it out asap. thanx again. lol
Roth would never make a clone of it. He'd make a modern version "Surfite II" with a BMW MINI drive train and rolling stock under it instead of the Morris Mini stuff.
actually i was thinking about that but then it wouldn't be a clone. if i'm gonna do it i am going all the way and doing it as true to the original as i can.
Hodad,.. You like really need to stop by my shop (just over around the corner in Bellmore) You'll love all the "Roth" stuff we have going on. I think you should build a clone if ya want! I'm cloning the "Beatnik Bandit" have all the parts for it, just finishing up the mock up on the "Outlaw" I'll keep a few beers in the fridge FRITZ
does anyone have any accurate info regarding the drivetrain, and the build? google search has yielded a number of set ups which all seem to contradict one another.
My only input may be too odd for use on the drivetrain...but a few years back I acquired a Surfite model kit and a Tamiya Mini Cooper kit at the same time, and spent a LOT of time comparing the drivetrain pieces, which were very detailed in both kits. My resulting impression is that this was very closely related to stock mini powertrain stuff... I don't think the idea could be pulled off with "New" Mini stuff...the new car, though tiny in comparison with Toyotas and such, is HUGE when compared to an Issagonis early Mini. I think also the powertrain would take up proportionally more space than the Issagonis transmission/engine combo.
early mini/Morris stuff is pretty easy to come by in some parts of HAMBland (here Aussie and the UK). I like the idea, build it I say.
There is a nice picture of the Surfite ch***is in the book "Hot Rods by Big Daddy Roth". The ch***is was built by **** Cook with a cross mounted 1269cc Mini Cooper engine. The Surfite was in the Roth display at the 2006 Detroit Autorama. I'm ***uming it was the original. I took a picture of the display but not one of the Surfite itself. It is a couple cars behind the Druid Princess. Mick
hey mckee thanx for the pics... you can really gauge how small the Surfite is when someone is standing next to it.