gilltech Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 The GTO kits have been around for years, the first ones I recall on the scene in the '80s were made in the UK, followed by the USA. Later they came available in Australia. I'm not knocking them, each to their own. There are enough 2-seaters around to spare & sacrifice a few, particularly if, due to rust, they would benefit from new door skins, rear guards & front end! However, like any modifieds or kit cars or restomods they need to be executed to a very high standard to gain credibility. The Ferrari wheelbase is about 100mm longer than the 240, so the kits have to take that into account to get the proportions right along the cabin-line; not easy to do. And as mentioned in a post above, using a V8 rather than the L motor helps the credibility; the project car under discussion appears to have a 4.4L P76 alloy V8, which I think is an excellent choice. I really hope someone takes it over & finishes the job off. Very disappointing & sad for the guy selling it, it must have been an exciting project to embark on at the outset. Personally, if I had the resources I'd enjoy doing one in preference to a Cobra. Are there likely to be any issues with getting it road-worthy/registered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieZed Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi y'all, The kits are still available at around $7K for the kit and all the bits and pieces, from an outfit in NSW. http://www.classicrevival.com.au/GTO.html ... but I suspect their sales are limited by the availability of 2 seater Z cars these days. They don't do anything for a 2+2 (I asked, and I suspect the roofline would ruin the look anyway). I'm not so sensitive :'( as to get put off this buy by z car purists (and I do have my unchanged 260z in the garage, for the record) ... but I think the price might go to high for me.... oh and it's not red, which really is a pity..... R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620Z Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Personally I like the black. Makes it a little more classy. 7K for a kit, car purchase, motor and running gear, interior, maint job etc etc. Not to mention time to get to the point he is at. Would be massive hours and research. Easy over a year to get there from scratch. Like I say he would have spent over 50K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynton Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I agree with 620Z it would cost way more than he is asking in schmick condition plus a V8 to boot ready and waiting, definetly a project worth taking over? Lynton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvemfast Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 What's wrong with black cars? I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garvice Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 What is wrong with that car? I would not do it to my car, but I have no problem with someone making their car how they want to. After all, it is only a datsun. Yes I love my datsun, but when it was created it was similar to what we would see as a Hyundai Genesis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacks Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Never mind the body kit, which I kind of like. A British V8 and transmission. That's the killer IMO. Why would you do that to a Z? Imagine parts availability and cost. The interior looks pretty good, a lot of money spent there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620Z Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Yeah the interior looks fantastic. Including the dash for the period and type of car he is creating. would have cost a bomb for all that. As for the motor. Well I would go a Chev of course. But again he might have gone that motor for suit the car. Each to there own on that one. As long as it has 8 cylinders I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Well it's actually a Buick-designed V8 engine, popular for its light weight. It appeared in 3.5L form in various British vehicles, 4.4L form for the P76 & there was even a 5.0L version apparently. The Ferrari 250 GTOs mostly had a 3.0L V12, with the last few getting a 4.0L V12. So slotting a light V8 into a Z-based GTO-tribute car makes more sense than retaining the Nissan 6, IMO. As I understand it parts aren't much of an issue because so many of those motors were produced. Note: I'm not putting the car down by calling it a 'tribute' car, I just think that's a more accurate description than 'replica'. 'Tribute' cars are the new black; look at all the Shelby Mustang, AAR Cuda, Camaro RS/SS etc etc type upgrades & tribute kits fitted to numerous more mundane versions of those cars, because there aren't enough of the genuine articles to go around & prices for those surviving have already gone through the roof in most cases. Hopefully all the engineering for this Z-GTO is in hand; & that's the most important question for an intending buyer. I don't know why the floor pan image was tabled; it looks a bit scarey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterAllen Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Most of these kits were started 10-20 years ago when people would pay you to take their Z away. Some kits are up to their 2nd, 3rd or even 4th builder. It's certainly much more of a dilemma these days whether to modify a Z. I'm not sure their scarcity will ever make them valuable. I agree with 'gilltech' about the description and perhaps 'tribute' is even stretching it a bit far. I use the term 'kit car'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PZG302 Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 gilltech - Is that the block for the first Repco F1 engine? No, IIRC the Repco engine was an in house design by Repco and Brabham, and may have very tenuous links to a production engine. The 4.4litre Rover/Leyland motor was a very successful base for some very quick F5000 motors and sports sedans, including John McCormacks Ansett Charger, that was basicalla F5000 chassis with a Charger welded to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Yes the 4.4L engine has been used to re-power pretty much everything over the years. Apparently the 5.0L version which was apparently intended to be used in competition versions (rally, I think) of the killed-off P76 series & others could really make things fly & yet was still pretty much bullet-proof. Whether any made it into the hands of the public I don't know. So PeterAllen, while we're on this topic, which has certainly created a lot of interest & in particular from my perspective, being a Zed fan & also an admirer of the GTO styling school, how far has your own Z/GTO 'kit car' (your words, I still prefer 'tribute'!) project progressed? I'm unsure how old your attached images are. Looks good in red, from what little I can see. Regards, gilltech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvemfast Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 "This is not, the greatest car in the world. This is just a tribute!" -Jack Black Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordo Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Is someone going to buy this car. Looks like a bargin to me. all the hard work has been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoota G Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 What about this one? http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ferrari-308-GTS-Replica-Toyota-TA22-/230602332360?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item35b0f858c8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvemfast Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 What about this one? http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ferrari-308-GTS-Replica-Toyota-TA22-/230602332360?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item35b0f858c8 All I can say is.………WOW! Actually, I can also say ….……WHY? Would be fun if you had some money to waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirpent Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 All I can say is.………WOW! Actually, I can also say ….……WHY? Would be fun if you had some money to waste. Exactly Simon WHY ?????? If you Goggle the Russian Space Shuttle and look at it's pic against a US Space shuttle that's what this reminds me of, one very poor attempt. I'd consider the Z based 250 GTO a very good "tribute" to the original. This however would have Tom Selek running for cover and looking for a razor, not necessarily for shaving purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PZG302 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 All I can say is.………WOW! Actually, I can also say ….……WHY? Would be fun if you had some money to waste. If it's good enough for top gear...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Zedman240® Posted April 2, 2011 Moderators Share Posted April 2, 2011 I think it would've been worth more as an actual TA22 Celica! Sorry, but driving in that you will get lots of pointing and laughing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
620Z Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Ha Ha Looks like nobody has been game to drive that one since 1991. And rightly so. I think the Zed GTO is in a different league for "replica". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilltech Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 So that's what that '308' thing is, a Celica re-body; I've seen one parked on the roadside a couple of times; not much of it actually resembles a 308's lines from any angle. And the 308 is not uncommon so we all know what a real one looks like. The Z/GTO on the other hand is pretty convincing, & one isn't likely to see a real 250 GTO (39 built in total) except in a museum or private car collection, or at a wealthy man's classic car track day in the UK or Europe. I think go the Z/GTO, just don't leave any hint of Datsun or Japanese detailing to be seen; keep it all European in detail & finish. I've seen a convertible version, I think it may have been at a Redcliffe car show; & it looked good. But I'd like to see a hardtop for real sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvemfast Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Maybe someone should get a Fait X1-9 and make it into a tribute series 1 MR2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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