'53-'54 Kit Car

[Don Ursery]

I looked at a '53-'54 corvette kit car today. My neighbor's father died and he inherited this car. He's totally unaware of the history of the "real" corvettes and was asking me if I knew of a "Manta"? kit car. I've never heard of them but have to admit (don't get upset) but it didn't look all that bad...alot of "original looking" equipment, down to the six cylinder, carb. soft top, hubcaps, stone-guards, steering wheel and gauges. Seats looked just like originals. Anyone have history on this kit?

[Ed Jennings]

Re: '53-'54 Kit Car

I'm not familiar with this particular kit, but I saw a 57 kit car a couple of years back that had me completely fooled until I looked under the hood. The builder had utilized a lot of original Vette parts such as doors, windshield frame, wheels and hubcaps, seats, door panels, gauges and steering wheel to name a few. I think it also had an original soft top frame. Underneath, it was all street rod. Real nice rig.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: '53-'54 Kit Car

On eBay a month or so ago, some guy had a '53 kit built around '78 that was claimed to be part of those made by the original molds that a GM engineer had obtained. Supposedly, several had been produced before Chevy shut them down.

I don't know how true that is, but I remember a '53 kit back about that time and that Chevy took legal action which may have been the start of every reproduction part having to be "Licensed by Chevrolet".

There was another company in the late '70s or early '80s that produced a body that went on your chassis of choice, mostly Camaro subframes welded together.

I've seen some with the six and all parts to look original and others that had small blocks, automatics, and '70s/'80s drivetrains under the old looking body.

Without more information on who built the body, you are on your own at finding out much.

[Clem Z.]

Re: '53-'54 Kit Car

go to google and type in "manta kit car" and there are several reference to the kit cars

[John H.]

Re: '53-'54 Kit Car

The "Manta" is a pretty well-known transverse mid-engine kit car that is a replica of the (one) McLaren M6 street car that was built. The '53 Corvette replica has been around for many years, and the molds have been sold about six times in the last 10 years; it's designed to go on a shortened GM "A"-body chassis. The seller you reference is an Honors Graduate from the eBay School of Marketing - the panels are hand-layup items, and have no connection whatsoever to the old GM molds.