Kit cars from the 50's

I know we've talked about Kellison's, La Dawri's, and others but who here is actually building one? I think they are often overlooked cool vintage rods and can be pretty ferocious cars if done right. I particularly like them as old gassers or sports racers.

I just worked out a strange deal that left my 1915 LaFrance Speedster seats in a new home and this Caribee coming to me. It's got a fiberglass (obviously, since the whole car is glass) tilt one piece front end and corvette glass. It can use a vette chassis or an Austin Healey 3000.

 

The sign on the floor is appropriate

I dig it--wish I was made out of money, cause I'd be on my way there to buy that.

You are the king of weird stuff, scoob.

btw, which Corvette chassis will it "mate" to? Straight axle or mid-year? I've got one (a roller) out back....

 

Scooby when i look at that car... images of Herman munster's cousin from the U.K pop into my head

 

Interesting shell. Kinda looks like a Baldwin Motion car circa 1980.


But the rear end doesn't look........... symmetrical to me. Is it warped or something?

 

I'll know more about it next week when he brings it over. I've had those seats in my garage for about ten years and they were worth the same as the car (all relative!) so I just swapped em. I haven't had any money for a while and needed my wierd shit fix...not in a lower G.I. way though. This thing is a looooooong way from being done but would be pretty cool I think.
I was hoping to see some others here.....
Anybody?....anybody?....Bueller?
What's that vette roller? I don't think I'll ever be able to go that route because I imagine that a 61 Vette chassis is $$$$$$$$$$$

I was told they made 12 of this car and then production was shut down and the molds destroyed after the founder murdered his wife and business partner. Dunno if it's true but it excites me to know that the resin could be tainted with the blood of the infidels. These things can be really cool or really cheesy depending on how they get done. Most just don't get done.

 

Good work. I can't wait to see it finished. On a kinda-sorta note,There was a guy named Bob Bailey,who used to run a Devin bodied gasser at San Fernando raceway '64-'65 . It had a 6 carb.283,and '55 ford rear end. It ran about 11's. A long. long time ago. Sparky

 

I was watching that thing too.
Its cool.
I could see it with spindle mount fronts on a I Beam, nose high with Slicks at the back.
But I really dont need another project, and I was able to control myself by not bidding on it...
Glad you got it Scoob, can't wait to see you build it.

 

I didn't mention this before, but I like you Scooby. You have weird taste just like I have.



You're like me, but with money.

 

I have money????? Please please tell me where!!!!!
I sell all kinds of cool stuff and everyone thinks I'm a dealer. The truth is that I see all kinds of cool stuff and have to have my hands on it, see it, smell it, rub it, whatever....
Then I usually have to sell it because I'm broke...typically at a loss! It's bad business but I've had some neat stuff. I like deals like this when I can work something out instead of actually having to come up with money. This was a three way trade and probably the only three way I'll ever have in this lifetime.
Metalshapes, I'm with ya on the gasser. I've got the stuff to do it if I can afford to hang on to it all. I've still got a freakin monster of an Isky roller stroked 462 lincoln but like every other car I've had, I'll bet I can't get it to fit this one either.

 

Glad you got it .... I was thinking about it toooo. I've had my eye on a Kellison for a vintage road racer .... You thinking Drag or road car?

 

body looks alot like a cheata . would look killer as a road racer with huge american 5 spokes sitting ontop of any 63-82 vette frame.

 

Butt end a little Ferrari GTO - center a bit Cobra Daytona coupe - front sorta like a GT-40 but different headlights. I like it!

Charlie

 

Being both tall AND fat, I'm not quite sure how I feel about those gull wing doors though! m,......

 

I bought a mold on ebay to build these thinking I could go into the F/G body making business. I mean Cobra kit cars fetch decent money, and I wanted some. My first attempt sent the wife to the moon. Stunk up the garage, house and neighborhood from the resin. So I had to sell it. Here is a link to Tam's site - http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/ These cars were callled "Specials" and were made so poorfolk could get pussy by tricking girls into their fiberglass kitcar rather than an handcrafted aluminum bodied Ferrari. I had the Sorrell-Larkin Special, and sold it to Mike Larkin who does plan on building some bodies.

 

Cool trade...is that thing sitting in a living room??

 

got a freebie vette chassis sitting down here in northern ky .....someone started backhalving the chassis .....but all of the front suspension is there as well as the brakes.....need it out of the way .....the frame was cut about where it starts to curve in for the rear tires......let me know if interested scoob .....brandon

 

Thanks man. That might be cool for a start on this thing. Drop me a pm and let me know where you are at.

 

Couldn't tell they were gull-wing style doors - that always seems unnecessarily complicated.

Charlie

 

yo Scoob, there is a company oura Georgia that is selling complete c5 vette rolling chassis motor and wiring and suspension and all, you can get it with the 6speed for about 12,500.....

i know that a little OT for here but man that would make a kick ass canyon carver with the 400hp ls2 motor......

 

Thanks. IT would be badass but it's precisely $12,495 more than I have right now. The car is in a house as a matter of fact. I dig that.

 

here are some cheetah pictures kind of close to the same body.

 

is that the bill thomas stuff......he was the one that did the fastback chevyII in one of the other post.....would love to have one of the cheetah for a driver....oh yeah ......

 

There's a guy here in town (ex-DEA) that has a 1999 Corvette that was rolled in soft mud. The body was shot so he peeled it off...what's left is a haulin' ass over-sized 350HP go kart! That body would drop right onto his vette and for a mere $11K it could be yours. Given that all the driveline, wiring, brakes, exhaust, etc....are all intact and functional, $11k might not be a bad price to pay.

 

I thought so, and yes that is kinda cool...

 

Just sold my '68 Avenger GT-12. I loved the lines on this one, I really wanted to keep it but I have SO many cars already and I promised myself I wouldn't take on any more projects that weren't running. I know I'm going to regret letting this one go, at least I was able to keep the cool Fenton Hawk wheels off of it.

I really can't complain, though. I paid $300 and got $3000, had it for about a week, didn't touch the car, and the guy who bought it is as pleased as punch with it. He'll actually build the car, so it's better that he has it. And just like so many others I've sold, I'll always have the pictures of it.

 

I like those Fenton wheels too. I'm surprised there aren't more of these types of cars showing up here. I figured there were some "closet fiberglassers" on here.

 

Here's my secret shame!!! The six foot chicken is not me - the car was used in a publicity campaign for the British National Health Service.

 

mmmmm....six foot chicken.......
I'll be hungry all day now.

 

Exactly what I was going to say...