MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas
Transcription
MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 58 MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas CRATE Expectations Complete Kit Car checks out a consignment of fake Ferraris, from a classic 250 GTO to an up-to-date 360 Modena, and asks the owners why they chose fake Ferrari clothes for their Toyota and Pontiac donors. 58 COMPLETE KIT CAR JUNE 2007 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 59 JUNE 2007 COMPLETE KIT CAR 59 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 60 MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas YOU PROBABLY HAVE an opinion on Ferrari replica panel kits. It seems everyone has something to say about them, and many views are strongly put forward at any given opportunity; controversy follows these cars everywhere they go. The haters can’t stand the fakeness of it all, but those who actually go out there and convert a Toyota MR2 or, in the past, a Pontiac Fiero with GRP panels, simply enjoy driving something that looks exotic yet is easy to live with. We’ve brought together examples of the three main false Ferrari candidates from over the years – a Fiero based 308, an MR2 Mk2 based 355 and the latest in the line, an MR2 Mk3 based 360. A couple of wildcards add to the mix, in the form of a Datsun 260Z based 250 GTO and an ultrarare Fiero based F40. We’ll see what makes these cars tick, and why the owners chose such automotive deception... Syd Edwards’ DNA 3Sixty simply purchased DNA Automotive’s exdemo 3Sixty. Job done. Despite being a life-long car enthusiast, the kit car scene has passed Syd by: “I’d never have considered a kit car, but I fell in love with the DNA when I saw it at the Autosport show.” Before stumping up the necessary £28,000 to buy the car, Syd asked the DNA team question after question. Each one generated an answer that made his choice to buy the car all the easier – and consequently led to the replacement of his beloved Jaguar XK8. “I saw the time and effort that had gone into the car,” says Syd, “and I was 3Sixty’s interior benefits from a red leather retrim. MR2’s centre console has been removed to give a more genuine Ferrari look. Finding a privately built 360 copy proved impossible, as it seems that today’s Ferrari replica owner is more happy to let the factory do all the hard work. Syd Edwards, owner of the silver car here, is a perfect example. When he took the plunge, he This is DNA Automotive’s ex-demo car. Current owner bought it for £28,000. 60 COMPLETE KIT CAR JUNE 2007 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 I OWN THIS... Owner: Syd Edwards Age: 48 Occupation: Property developer Favourite tool in your garage: A screwdriver or hammer Best thing about your car? The looks Worst thing on your car: I can’t think of a worst thing! Fastest car you’ve ever been in? A Jaguar XJR, or a stationery F1 car Other car(s) you own: Mitsubishi Shogun Lottery win car: Ferrari 360 First car you owned: Mini impressed with the bodywork and finish. I believe it’s as near to a Ferrari 360 as you’ll 16:54 Page 61 ever get with a kit car.” At the time of our interview, Syd had owned the 3Sixty for about eight weeks but, being out of the country often, had only covered about 600 miles in that period. Not enough time to get used to the attention the car draws. “Roland at DNA told me everyone would look, take pictures and want to speak to me, and I thought he was exaggerating, but he wasn’t!” Another great aspect of the 3Sixty is the running costs. It uses half as much fuel as Syd’s previous Jaguar, while kit car insurance rates are low too. The looks/economy balance is a major draw, and a big part of the reason for Syd’s choice. And what about the Toyota MR2 level of performance? “The power is not as relevant as I thought it would be,” says Syd. Hood stows away neatly. Engine is in there somewhere. Owner Syd Edwards replaced his Jaguar XK8 daily driver with this 3Sixty. “I don’t miss the performance of the XK8.” We had to push Syd to come up with a criticism, and he had to nit-pick to nominate the fiddly hood arrangement which takes a couple of minutes to raise and lower. Otherwise, he is positively brimming with enthusiasm for his new daily driver. He loves the fact that he has something that’s practical enough for daily use, fools most passers-by into thinking it’s the real deal and is cheap to run. We have a kit car convert in our midst... OWNER RATING SYD EDWARDS (OUT OF TEN) ON THE ROAD Performance Handling Brakes 9 9 9 Overall quality Smile factor Value for money 9 10 9 Neil Prudhoe’s ‘Roy Kelly’ 355 Neil Prudhoe has been a kit car owner for over 20 solid years. Tucked away in the garage at home is a VW Beetle based Kingfisher Countess (below) which he bought fully built in the mid ’80s. Without wishing to be rude about the angular Countach lookalike, it highlights just how far body conversions have come in two decades. It also whetted Neil’s appetite to build a car for himself, and when he retired he did just that. He spent two years researching the market and eventually chose the kit made – in a very low key way – by Roy Kelly of the Italian Replica Club. Being ‘just’ 80 miles away from Roy’s base (much closer than other makers at the time) swayed his decision and, in July 2004, he collected the kit. To kick off the build, Neil took advantge of Roy’s ‘build day’ where he visited Neil’s house and, together, they loose-fitted all the panels to ensure JUNE 2007 This 355 replica has the import-only MR2 turbo engine. COMPLETE KIT CAR 61 everything lined up. It was a 7am to 7pm day’s work and well worth the money. “Roy’s experience meant he could just 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 58 MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas get on and start cutting away at the GRP,” says Neil. “The day gave me great confidence – without it, I don’t think I’d have ever got it done.” I BUILT THIS... Owner: Neil Prudhoe Age: 54 Occupation: Retired Black leather interior Favourite tool in your garage: The grinder dictated the yellow paint. Are you a member of the club?: Yes, the Italian Replica Club and the Teesdale Motor Club. If it was sprayed red, Best thing about your car: The looks – it’s all about the body shape! would have had to retrim Worst thing about your car: A small crack in the filler at the base of the windscreen frame for authenticity. owner Neil Prudhoe the interior in magnolia Best bargain: A Ferrari shirt from eBay for 1p Fastest car you have ever been in: I drove a real Ferrari 360. What a car! Lottery win car: Ferrari Enzo 355 replica was First car you owned: Ford Capri Neil’s first kit car build. OWNER RATING NEIL PRUDHOE (OUT OF TEN) THE BUILD Kit quality Factory back-up Build manual Ease of build Ease of SVA compliance ON THE ROAD 9 10 8 8 n/a Performance Handling Brakes Value for money Smile factor 9 8 7 8 10 The entire construction was a learning curve. For instance, Neil was happy to learn to weld (“it’s handy to be able to weld up brackets as you go along”) and even painted the car himself. He’s willing to point out faults on the car, and areas he would do differently next time. For instance, the paint suffers a ‘feathered’ edge where it was masked around the windscreen. He now knows that for £35 he could have had the ’screen removed and replaced after painting. The yellow colour scheme chose itself by virtue of the Toyota donor’s black leather. If Neil had opted for red 62 COMPLETE KIT CAR JUNE 2007 paint, authenticity would have dictated a re-trim of the interior to magnolia which would have added a hefty chunk to the budget. By September 2005, Neil’s car was on the road at a cost of £9750 and he’s more than pleased with the finished product. His car is a turbocharged import and he finds the performance more than adequate without too much risk of getting points: “There’s no point being a petrol head without a license,” he says. For him, it’s all about the styling and a Ferrari replica fits the bill perfectly – so much so, that he’s already planning another build. 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 59 Jeff Fulcher’s SPM 308 Jeff Fulcher didn’t get off to a good start with Ferrari replica ownership. He began building an Auto Milan 308 replica but, mid-build, the manufacturer ceased trading and Jeff didn’t have everything needed to complete the kit, so he sold what he had. Still keen to own a 308, though, he sought one second-hand and, in 1999, found the car you see here. “I wanted one with good bodywork. You can sort out anything mechanical,” says garageowner Jeff, “but the panels need to be right. That’s the whole heart of it.” Even now, the SPM is in terrific condition bodily, and the 308’s lines have lost none of their delicate appeal. Increasingly classic looking, the 308 can’t be accused of being ‘showy’, its modest size and gentle curves harking back to Ferraris of the past. This one’s immaculate, too. After paying £10,000 for the car, he knew there was work to do underneath. “It was drivable, but the electrics were up the shoot. On the way home, we were flashing wires together to get the brake lights showing.” Once he got the 308 home, Jeff totally re-wired it. He has also replaced the dash with an aftermarket one from the States (it’s Pontiac Fiero based, remember), installed new VDO dials, converted the brakes to vented discs at the front, lowered the suspension, fitted new shock absorbers all-round and removed the catalytic converter. “There’s not much that hasn’t been done!” Jeff uses his SPM at the weekend, primarily to go to kit and classic car shows. Out on the road, the only drawback is the blindspot to the right (the V6 engine dressed up to look a little more ‘Ferrari’. I OWN THIS... Pontiac’s left-hand- Owner: Jeff Fulcher drive retained with Age: 49 308 replica. Occupation: Garage owner/motor technician Favourite tool in your garage: The air gun Are you a member of the club?: Italian Replica Club Best thing about your car: The looks you get Worst thing about your car: Visibility out of the right-hand side Best bargain: Various parts from the States Fastest car you have ever been in: Either a real Lamborghini Countach or a Ferrari 512 Boxer Other car(s) you own: A Citroën Xantia Donor Fiero dimensions suit the 308. No need for big wheel spacers here! car is left-hand-drive), but as he almost always has a passenger it’s no big deal. Unlike later Ferrari replicas based on MR2s, there was no bonding of bodywork or cutting of donor car panels on these early Pontiac based body swaps. The Fiero itself had a GRP body, so the old panels were unbolted and new ones bolted in their place. Also, there was no need for the wheel spacers that today’s replicas employ. The 308 itself was a small car, making it the ideal replica on the ideal donor. If Jeff can get used to the idea of having big wheel spacers, though, he might be tempted by a 360 build... JUNE 2007 Lottery win car: Ferrari 360 Stradale Challenge Favourite film: The Great Outdoors or Gladiator First car you owned: A Mini OWNER RATING JEFF FULCHER (OUT OF TEN) ON THE ROAD Performance Handling Brakes COMPLETE KIT CAR 63 8 8 9 Overall quality Smile factor Value for money 8 9 10 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 60 MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas Peter Cuthbert’s 250 GTO “It amazes me that so few Ferrari replica owners get involved with the Ferrari Owners’ Club,” says 250 GTO replica owner Peter Cuthbert. He’s a member of the Prancing Horse Register, the part of the club you join if you don’t actually own a Ferrari, and often visits club events to rub shoulders with the real thing. “There are a lot of nice people who own Ferraris,” he says, “and I’ve built up quite a rapport with them.” When asked, he never denies his car’s Datsun 260Z origins (“it can be appreciated for what it is”) and reports plenty of favourable comments from other club members. Peter wasn’t actually looking to buy a Peter Cuthbert goes to many Ferrari Owners’ Club meetings in his 250 GTO replica. So few people have seen a real 250 that it hardly matters that this isn’t an exact copy. Even replicas are a rare sight! Nissan Z-car donor vehicle means a charismatic straight six engine. OWNER RATING PETER CUTHBERT (OUT OF TEN) ON THE ROAD Performance Handling Brakes 8 9 7 Overall quality Smile factor Value for money 9 10 10 kit car when he happened to see the 250 advertised. That was ten years ago and he’s proudly owned his replica ever since. “It had done 15,000 miles since being built seven years earlier in 1990 and since then I’ve only had to buy new tyres, get an exhaust made in stainless steel, replace the handbrake cable and carry out routine maintenance.” He paid £13,500 for the car and the last one to change hands fetched over £20,000, so not only has it been cheap to run, it’s been a good investment too. For six years, Peter ran a 355 replica alongside the GTO but, in the end, couldn’t justify owning two kit cars. “I sold the 355 because, if I ever decided I wanted another, it would be easier to find than the 250.” He’s also fonder of ’60s styling than that of the ’90s. Peter will readily admit that his car isn’t an exact replica, but so few people have ever seen a real 250 GTO that it hardly matters. It’s obvious that he just enjoys driving an entertaining, good looking car which opens doors to places he wouldn’t otherwise have gone. “I’ve made so many friends as a result of owning the car,” he says, “and been to places I wouldn’t otherwise have gone.” Over his ten-year ownership of the car, he has occasionally considered 64 COMPLETE KIT CAR JUNE 2007 selling it, but pushing it out of the garage on a sunny day is enough to convince him otherwise. “If I was ever in a position to buy a real Ferrari, I’d be tempted to hang on to the GTO too.” I OWN THIS... Owner: Peter Cuthbert Age: 63 Occupation: Retired Favourite tool in your garage: Small socket set Are you a member of the club?: The Italian Replica Club and the Prancing Horse Register Best thing about your car: The looks Worst thing about your car: The front overhang is out of sight when parking Favourite supplier: Z Farm Fastest car you have ever been in: A Ferrari 360 at Silverstone Other car(s) you own: A Vauxhall Vectra Lottery win car: A Ferrari Enzo. It’s nice to dream! First car you owned: A 1935 Wolseley 14 058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template 3/5/07 16:54 Page 61 Steve Rowe’s Xillion F40 There’s nothing like making things difficult for yourself. Steve Rowe had his heart set on buying a second-hand Ferrari F40 replica, but they only come on the market once in a blue moon and, when they do, they’re snapped up quickly. Just when he was about to give up the search and go for his second choice, a Diablo replica, a friend told him there was an F40 copy on the market. He was quick to hand over £12,000 and get this wedge of ’80s exotica on his driveway. It’s still got it, the F40: to our eyes, neither the F50 nor Enzo have come close to emulating the visual drama of this hyper-Ferrari. The Xillion is a French kit and this one was built in America in about 1990, before ending up in the UK and being converted to right-hand-drive. Steve bought it last December and has since had the clutch replaced (which didn’t require removing the engine and ’box, as first feared) and got it serviced. His local independent Mercedes specialist did the work (he drives a Merc daily) as he confesses he doesn’t have the time or skill to carry out anything too involved. “I’m good at tinkering and cosmetic things,” he says. Aesthetically, the Xillion apes the F40 Le Mans racer, which means it has an adjustable rear wing (“I don’t go fast enough to need to adjust it!”). Retaining the donor Fiero’s roofline adds 2in to its height compared to a genuine Ferrari but you wouldn’t necessarily notice that. The toddler who shouted, “Look! A space car!” wasn’t too concerned by the finer details of this UFO’s dimensions. If there’s one thing Steve would like to improve, it’s the performance (and, interestingly, he’s the first person today to say that). “It’d be nice if it was a bit faster. It’s not bad considering it’s a 22year old engine. It has loads of torque and is strong in first, second and third.” For now, though, Steve is more than happy with the Xillion. If ever he bought another kit car, it would be that Diablo replica that’s been on his mind... Lick it clean, Steve! Being a replica of I OWN THIS... Owner: Steve Rowe the Le Mans version of Age: 52 the F40, this one has an Occupation: Photographer adjustable rear wing. Favourite tool in your garage: My 2-tonne jack It’s a French kit that was built in America and then imported to the UK. At that point, it was converted to right-hand-drive. Steve Rowe almost Are you a member of the club?: Italian Replica Club Best thing about your car: It looks like an F40 Worst thing about your car: Replacing the rear tyres. Retail price is abour £600 per pair! Best bargain: The rear tyres I found for £269 the pair Other car(s) you own: A Mercedes gave up his F40 replica Lottery win car: A Ferrari F40 if just for the noise search and bought a First car you owned: A Hillman Hunter Diablo instead. OWNER RATING STEVE ROWE (OUT OF TEN) ON THE ROAD Performance Handling Brakes 9 8 7 Overall quality Smile factor Value for money TO JOIN IN Italian Replica Club, Roy Kelly, Stoneleigh, 50 Teal Street, Ossett, West Yorkshire WF5 0NY. T: 01924 273619. E: [email protected] W: www.italianreplicacarclub.co.uk JUNE 2007 COMPLETE KIT CAR 65 9 10 10