Grand Sport info needed

[stepinwolf]

I friend of mine has got his hands on a 64 cowl-back Corvette body shell, and is seriously considering turning it into a GS replica. On a tight budget, there is no way he can invest in a full blown kit, such as those who have been offered in the past by various re-sellers.

Basically he is trying to source someone who can supply him with front, and rear fenders that have the proper cutouts and flares, along with a few needed accessories.

Thank you for the time you will take to respond.

Stepinwolf

 

[richscorvettes]

Bob,

You might want to try this link for information: http://www.corvettegs.com/

Rich Lagasse

 

[Tom Bryant]

Sounds like a fun project. He may have a rough road ahead of him though. This subjuct of building a GS replica without buying the kit has been kicked around before and in every case that I know of the kit makers will not sell any individual parts to anyone that has not bought a kit from them. Ive even seen people asking for someone who is a kit owner to purchase headlight covers and things for them.

How about an alternative? Find some pictures of a famous old Corvette racer like the Penske 1966 L88 prototype or the DA racer and copy that. There isn't anything appearance wise that couldn't be duplicated from available aftermarket or home made parts and it would be truely unique. Most of these old cars used special parts that were made at the race shop since aftermatket parts were not available and they were not often show pieces. This makes it easier to duplicate.

Tom

 

[richscorvettes]

Here is another potential source at Duntov Motor Corporation: http://www.fastcorvette.com/ We saw their car at Wakins Glen recently. I don't know if they sell individual components or not but it might be worth a shot.

ERA Replica's in New Britain, Ct. was going to reproduce the Grand Sport but shelved that project. I don't know if they have any parts they would sell but it might be worth a call.


Rich Lagasse

 

[stepinwolf]

Sounds like a fun project. He may have a rough road ahead of him though. This subject of building a GS replica without buying the kit has been kicked around before and in every case that I know of the kit makers will not sell any individual parts to anyone that has not bought a kit from them. Ive even seen people asking for someone who is a kit owner to purchase headlight covers and things for them.

How about an alternative? Find some pictures of a famous old Corvette racer like the Penske 1966 L88 prototype or the DA racer and copy that. There isn't anything appearance wise that couldn't be duplicated from available aftermarket or home made parts and it would be truly unique. Most of these old cars used special parts that were made at the race shop since aftermarket parts were not available and they were not often show pieces. This makes it easier to duplicate.

Tom

Tom,

I agree completely Tom, but you know the saying about the " bringing a horse to water thing,,, "

Were I the one thinking about this type of project, that is exactly the way I would go about it, but the appeal seems to be with the final look of the car

Stepinwolf

 

[srs244]

i have a buddy who is curently in the process of building a 63 GS coupe from one of the better kits. he was able to get the custom tubular frame with a load of other stuff and a rough (but complete) used GS kit body. having seen and worked a bit on it, i can say that when it is all said and done, your buddy will be deeper dollar wise into trying to "make" a GS than if he bought a kit new or used from someone. i would think the suggestion above to build a "modified" racer would be a much better and cost effective way to go for him. BTW my friend paid around 15K for a completely done frame with C5 rear suspension, and full coil over front suspension, a 74 small block with 4 sp trans, several sets of doors (kit and OEM) 2 hoods, complete, body in primer, seats, etc. BTW the price included the guy who sold it to him delivering it from ohio to so florida for the cost of gas round trip.

steve

 

[Stingray6974]

quote
Here is another potential source at Duntov Motor Corporation: http://www.fastcorvette.com/ We saw their car at Wakins Glen recently. I don't know if they sell individual components or not but it might be worth a shot.

I'm sure they will sell you individual pieces if you can get them on the phone to ask. Having been involved with the initial building of this car I can truthfully say that none of it will fit an original vette. The molds were made from a wrecked corvette and is obvious in the pictures. The body lacks any type of metal support other than pvc tubing in the front fenders.

quote
ERA Replica's in New Britain, Ct. was going to reproduce the Grand Sport but shelved that project. I don't know if they have any parts they would sell but it might be worth a call


ERA's GS project was shut down by the lawyers. Along with Timeless Replicars who now is in with DMC. It would take a lot of work to make on of those bodies presentable.

Mike

 

[JohnZ]

Here is another potential source at Duntov Motor Corporation: http://www.fastcorvette.com/ We saw their car at Wakins Glen recently. I don't know if they sell individual components or not but it might be worth a shot. Rich Lagasse

I wouldn't advise ordering anything from fastcorvette.com/DMC; mounting number of recent horror stories from folks who never got parts, got wrong parts, got garbage parts, didn't get the parts back they sent, never got their money back, etc. Appearances suggest they're in financial trouble. :eyerole

 

[Stingray6974]

Thanks John for saying what I wish I could say. Earlier this year he had threatened to take me to court for what I had posted about his business dealings. And you're 100% correct about finances. It started the day I stopped working for him and paying his bills.

Mike

 

[richscorvettes]

Bob,

Looks like your friends options are limited to either going with a package or components from Jeff Leach, building his own parts or changing directions. At least he should now have a little more insight on what he is facing.

Rich Lagasse

 

[vette]

Only Jeff Leach Has the parts you want. The nose is a piece and so is the rear clip. He may sell you just sections for the rear quarters. I'm building my 3rd one right now. Call Jeff and see what he can do for you. What about the chassis? If you have the stock frame under the car then you can just put the nose on and splice in the rear quarters. If you want to build one all the way there is no cheap way. ERA has sold the project to a guy in Mass. Most other guys trying to make and sell these cars make one piece bodys. They are not using a factory birdcage.If you need his number Email me. It is at my office. Brian G.

 

[JohnZ]

Last I knew, the body molds were still in Akron, when GSR bought them from Dean or E.R.A., then the GM lawyers shut GSR down after Mike built his first car. Dean has been in and out of jail, and rumor has it that he's still building cars and maintaining a very low profile, but I don't know that to be a fact. With Dean, E.R.A., Sonny, and Mike out of the picture, Jeff Leach is the only game in town, unless you can find an old D&D kit on eBay - they appear occasionally.

 

[tigernut]

Just curious, what's the history behind GM shutting down all these operations for making Grand Sport replicas?

ERA doesn't seem to have problems creating really nice replicas of Cobras, GT-40s, etc.

Doug

 

[Sting Ray]

Tigernut,


I believe "Grand Sport" is a trademarked name to GM still.

TOM M

 

[John Mcgraw]

You will also notice that almost every Cobra kit maker now does not use the word "Cobra" in their name or description anymore. The Lawyers have gotten all over anyone who used the Cobra name! The Grand Sport, and the Cobra name are trademarked names and are protected.


Regards, John McGraw

 

[vette]

Just talked to Pete From ERA this week. He did sell the project to a guy in Mass. I talked to him also. He thinks he will be up and running in about a year. As far as I know the Cobra builders will not even sell a complete car anymore. Very close but not complete. They won't even put emb's on the cars. You have to do that your self. I'm sure most of you know the nightmare in Calif. about the vin. numbers on these so called kit cars and street rods like from Boyd and Foose. I know it is not easy to reg. any in Conn. I think this will be the last GS I build And I am glad to have found a good doner coupe for this one. It is getting very hard to find good clips with good tags .

 

[Subfixer]

I built a couple of "hybrid" cars in CT in the past. It was a bit of a PIA to get them registered, tow to Wethersfield, get inspected, tow home, fix failed items, tow back, get new CT VIN. The real problem is that they consider the car's year as the date it was accepted, so if you build a car and complete it in 2005, then it's registered as a 2005 model. This kills you on emissions requirements and property taxes.

 

[BarryK]

I have a friend that has built many various cars over the years from kits and from scratch including "off-the-wall" novelty cars such as his Coffin Car. Yep, it was a real coffin mounted on a frame with a motor and all and he would drive it every year during Halloween. He never seems to have any problems getting his built vehicles registered here in Delaware. He has mentioned it can be a bit of a PITA as times but he always manages to get it done.

 

[JohnZ]

Just curious, what's the history behind GM shutting down all these operations for making Grand Sport replicas?

ERA doesn't seem to have problems creating really nice replicas of Cobras, GT-40s, etc.

Doug

GM has decided to aggressively protect their "trade dress" rights for the Grand Sport design patent, just as Ferrari has done very aggressively over the last ten years; GM shut down GSR, Sonny, and anyone else making "from scratch" replicas of the Grand Sport. They left Jeff alone, as they consider his GS a "modification" of a production Corvette (since he starts with a production body with an original VIN and just adds his own front and rear clips).

 

[JohnZ]

I built a couple of "hybrid" cars in CT in the past. It was a bit of a PIA to get them registered, tow to Wethersfield, get inspected, tow home, fix failed items, tow back, get new CT VIN. The real problem is that they consider the car's year as the date it was accepted, so if you build a car and complete it in 2005, then it's registered as a 2005 model. This kills you on emissions requirements and property taxes.

There's a movement afoot by SEMA to have the states adopt new standardized registration/emissions regulations for built-from-scratch and kit cars that recognizes their "year" for registration as the year of the car they replicate, not the year they were actually built. Several states have already adopted the SEMA recommendations, and legislation is pending in several others to do the same.