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Posted (edited)

I had an Avenger with a 140 Corvair engine for a short time. Kinda horrible fiberglass...heavy, 1/2 inch thick in places, cracked everywhere because the whole mess flexed so much, doors and deck chipped paint on the edges constantly (again, from the flexing), leaked in the rain...but it sure was fun. I had absolutely no idea it was ever offered in model form. Gotta gets me one.

Had a Lotus 7 and selling it was one of the stupidest things I've ever done. Had an Intermeccanica Speedster on a shortened Bug platform, and it was better than a real one (had late Bug non-swing-axle IRS, front disc brakes, etc). Currently have a Beck 550 Soyder, soon to be back on the road.

Two I used to lust after were the Myers Manx SR and the Brubaker Box.

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There were a surprisingly large number of fiberglass kit-cars available in the 1950s to refit chassis like Austin Healey, MG, etc. One of the better looking ones was the Devin. I'd like to see this offered in scale some day.

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Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Posted (edited)

And some went drag racing. :P4-racing-kellisons1.jpg1968-kellison-panther-rear.jpgcheetah7.jpg

I think your last pic here is a Cheetah, not an Avenger/Astra/Astro. Real or clone or replica, I have no idea.

Speaking of kit cars, I came into possession of an AMT original annual '68 Corvette body (and very little else). As it's not an especially accurate replica of a "shark-gen" Vette, I'm planning to turn it into a Corvair or maybe VW-powered "kit car," just for grins.

Edited by Snake45
Posted

Whether or not the Excalibur was a kit doesn't really matter, does it? If not an exact replicar, which is also part of the subject of this thread, it was still an homage with lots of copied elements from Mercedes.

Yes, in many way the Excalibur is a factorybuilt kitcar since it is a lot like many kitcars a hodgepodge of different parts from many sources put together to look like something else.

On the Firberfab GT40 clone: I'm not sure but I think that maybe the Swedish kitcarproducer RPB may have been inspired by the Fiberfab as I think it looks a bit like the Piraya they produced:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_Plast_Burtr%C3%A4sk

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Posted

Not really a kitcar as such, more of a modification but the Bandai 1:20 VW 1303S Super Beetle comes with a extra bonnet/hood with a Rolls Royce grille. The rest of the kit is however standard.

Posted

I think your last pic here is a Cheetah, not an Avenger/Astra/Astro. Real or clone or replica, I have no idea.

The "Fiberglass Trends" logo on the car is the giveaway. If my creaky old memory is correct, FT produced fiberglass lookalike "Cheetah" bodies and steel tube drag-racing-oriented chassis, not actual Cheetahs. FT built one of the prototype glass bodies for Bill Thomas, but when they didn't get the production deal, they went on and built a knockoff drag version. This is one of their catalogs. Most of the drag-racing "Cheetahs" you'll see are actually Fiberglass Trends' clones.

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Posted

Back to the Streetle Beetle in post #7. I've never liked the looks of that particular car. Shorting up a Beetle in that way just does not look good to me. Plus, I dislike the the engine cover/rear hood. What I do like is the '40 Ford front end. I remember seeing these on real Beetles back in the day. They looked great. My question, will the '40 front end from the Streetle Beetle fit any other 1/25th scale Beetle models? And if so, does anybody know where I can get one?

Scott

Posted (edited)

Wow, that '32 stlye nose just don't look right!

Although I do have to wonder, how much more trunk space do the Rolls and '37-'40 Ford noses give these cars?! You would think that so long as the grill wasn't open (or painted on like the orange flatbed), it would be a better luggage compartment.

Edited by Joe Handley
Posted

In 2007 I came a cross this one at a open day on the farm of a tractor enthusiast.

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Unmodified at the rear but with a Mercedes grille and modified hood. Not sure if it was homemade or made by some company back in the day.

Posted

I hate to come off a little naive, but what kind of car is the Avenger car suppose to be? GT40 clone? And did the kit have anything to do with old British Avenger TV series?

Scott

Yes. And no.

Posted

S32Pscan0017-Copy_zps207c7642.jpg Yes Miles, that's the one I was looking for.Thanks.

I am really liking this one!
Posted

There was a Discovery Channel show, or something along those lines, that had a guy restoring one of those vans. He made it all straight up Seventies Custom. It was pretty cool.

Posted (edited)

Just for ACE. :D

danke schön B)

There was a customized Box in the old sci-fi series Ark II. 18rx5y1uuzz00jpg.jpg

And there was this... 92b885a8afb38e1aa8cb134e4f096ba4.jpg

The "Boonie Bug" was a homebuilt using fiberglassed urethane foam planks on a VW type-3 chassis. Plans were in Popular Mechanics.

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One showed up in "Total Recall". 467029.jpg

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
Posted

There was a Discovery Channel show, or something along those lines, that had a guy restoring one of those vans. He made it all straight up Seventies Custom. It was pretty cool.

I think you might be thinking of the restoration of the Barris built Super Van that was done on Chop Cut and Rebuild by Canadian company the Guild, on the now defunct SPEED channel.

Chop Cut and Rebuild can now be seen on the new Velocity channel.

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