'63 Gran Sport Replica At Barrett-Jackson. . .

[Jack H.]

just sold for $65,000.

[Loren L.]

Buillt by John Hinckley *NM*

[Joe C.]

Re: Buillt by John Hinckley

Loren:

That is precisely what I was thinking. But the car had American Racing mags instead of Halibrands. It also had a stock smallblock hood (as opposed to the ugly variations of the GS hood, with all those ostentatious louvers).

I don't know whether or not that was John H's car, but I liked it better than most iterations of the GS that I have seen lately. I particularly liked the Sunoco blue with the yellow graphics better than the blue and white of the original Grand Sports.

Is there a de facto method of building a GS replica?

Joe

[Mike Cobine]

Explain to me

why everyone gets so excited over the Grand Sport add-on kits, the Grand Sport kit cars, and other variations of Grand Sport cars built. (Not talking the 5 original ones here.)

And at the same time, these same people with get all bent out of shape if they see a mid year with six taillights, flared fenders, some non-stock paint, or the interior in a non-stock configuration. Let's not even mention non-stock engines, let alone a "non-original" engine.

The first are custom cars built to look similar to the five original Grand Sport Corvettes. The others are custom cars built to look similar to race cars, show cars, and/or how the owner wants it to look.

So why is the first applauded and the second condemned? Aren't both custom cars?

[Loren L.]

I do NOT see anything in the posts above

that condemns or approves either - I suggest that your predisposition is being subbed for a report on an auction sale and a recital that the car in question was built by a member - and that the car has changed hands 3 times in ___months.

[Patrick H.]

Re: I do NOT see anything in the posts above

Loren,

Actually, B-J is the first time it actually changed hands since John sold it. The newly-former owner "sold" it twice on eBay in the past few months, but got stiffed twice too by deadbeat buyers. So, he no-reserved it at B-J and it's finally out of his hands.

Patrick

[Mike Cobine]

Maybe because there isn't anything in the posts

above to indicate that people approve or condemn. It was a general question about Grand Sport replicas in an area where the Grand Sport replicas is being discussed. It was not a statement of anything wrong with the car that John built, because in pictures and in previous dicussions, it seems it is one of the most accurate cars built.

In the past at NCRS events, I have seen people flock around Grand Sport replicas. The prices on Grand Sport replicas in general have been fairly high, both new and in resale. Several companies have built and sold kits, which indicates there is a market, or they would have never spent the money to do so.

Yet when you see a customized Corvette at any NCRS event, you will find few around it and you will hear people make less than complimentary remarks about it.

The prices for such cars in ads and auctions are typically much lower than even a non-original car that is somewhat stock appearing, indicating people have no desire for a customized car. Granted some can be quite ugly, but not all are.

I will say that I heard very few such comments this weekend in Old Town and yet there was quite a group of customized Corvettes around. However, that has not been the norm of most events.

Still, the question is why do people seem to like Corvettes customized to look like Grand Sports and yet dislike Corvettes that are customized in any other way?

[Joe C.]

Re: Explain to me

Mike:

I don't think that people get "excited" about GS replicars.........I for one don't. The original 5 are a completely different story. IMHO, folks are entitled to do anything they want to do with their Corvettes, after all, it's their car. Again, I wouldn't, because I think that they are all beautiful automobiles, right out of the box. (I wonder if anybody ever grafted 1959 Caddy tailfins on a midyear? Ugh )

I am not a GS expert, but I know that the original 5 were raced in varying configurations over the years. I have never seen one with a pleasing front hood. Those louvers are just way over the top IMHO. The question is: because there were so many versions of the GS, is there any "preferred", or "correct" version?

Joe

[Joe C.]

Re: Maybe because there isn't anything in the post

Mike:

Maybe people respond favorably to GS replicas, because they are copies of important cars that actually existed. Further, they are represented as REPLICAS.

I think you can compare them to Cobra replicas. Real, original Cobras will bring high six figures. Cobra replicas arouse interest because they look exactly (to most people)like the legendary roadster.

I would never pay 65 large for a GS replica, nor for a Cobra replica. But they are nice to look at.

Joe

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: I do NOT see anything in the posts above

-----Owner after John also made what he felt were improvements but all that saw it with me at B-J were awestruck that the guy screwed it up so bad. Very ugly pipe covers(albeit possibly necessary),ugly 17 inch Halibrand wannabes painted blue to match the car,and other stuff too painful to mention. If I sound negative its because the car was so tasty as built by John H..........Bill S

[John H.]

Re: Explain to me

Joe -

I don't know if there's a "preferred" version, but I built mine (with detailing help from John Mecom and Tom Armstrong [owner of GS #003 until three weeks ago]), exactly as it appeared at Sebring in 1964, driven by A.J. Foyt and John Cannon. The hood with the two small ducts in the front was the initial late 1963 Nassau configuration, and the one with all the louvers was the 1964 Sebring configuration, which was an attempt to vent/reduce air pressure under the front of the car so you could steer it over 130mph (didn't help much).

I didn't care for the modifications made after I sold it either (whizbang low-profile tires/large wheels, "killer" stereo, funny sidepipes and heat shields, etc.), but that's just me. The Halibrands I had made (from the original wood patterns) and the sidepipes I had made were included with the car as sold at B-J; hopefully they'll find their way back on the car again.