C2 kit cars

[Dale P.]

Does anyone know if anyone is building a C2 kit car package ... there are many kit cars out there and more each month .. I am sure that someone has to be thinking of doing a c2 on a late model chasis ....... after two c2 (both 67s) three c3s .. we would like to just build a car to "our" specs Vs the factory specs ... we have looked for a good "donor" c2 .. but even those are so expensive that it make no sense to build the car to our spec ..

[John C.]

Re: C2 kit cars

Someone makes one (or used to make one, kit car companies often don't last too long) but I can't remember who. I suggest a long Google search. I tried but I couldn't find anything within 5 monutes, my time limit for other people's questions. Good luck!

[Grant M.]

Re: C2 kit cars

There was indeed a mid-year convertible kit car available some years ago that used a GM A-body (Chevelle/Cutlass/Grand Prix/Regal) floor pan. Photos that I saw of the finished product looked pretty good, although the wheelbase was different and treatment of the windshield wasn't exactly as per the original. One of the car magazines (could have been "Kit Car") had a one or two page spread on the kit and, as I recall, included mostly positive comments.

I can't recall price/availability etc, and I've never seen anything about it since.

grant

[Patrick H.]

Re: C2 kit cars

I saw one in real life once. I'm not sure it would have been worth it to build given the end cost and fabrication required, but I know that some of the available hardware has improved greatly in the last 10 years.

Or, consider the GS recreation from Mongoose Motorsports. I really like them.

Patrick

[John H.]

Re: C2 kit cars

That was the kit made by the "Nice Car Company" that went on an "A"- or "G"-body frame; the company didn't last very long; by the time you bought all the trim and hardware parts that weren't included with the raw body shell, you had the same amount of money in it you'd have in a real Corvette, but the car was worth next to nothing. Not a sound premise for a great business plan.

[Jack H.]

I agree with John...

The 'hooks' on kit cars are several fold:

(1) Buying the trim pieces separately will literally bankrupt you.

(2) When you're done, the registration/title will NOT read 'Corvette' (unless you bought a basket case Corvette as a donor car with valid title in addition to the 'kit'.

(3) Resale value of 'dubious' parentage kit cars whose title doesn't match the car they purport to be is typically VERY low...

[Gregory G.]

There is a market for reproduction bodies

With the retro rod fraims there should be a market for bodies. If you could find a basket case and get the vin#, and missalenous parts you could put together a nice retro rod and not waist a restorable vette.
I have been looking for a body and interior to make a retro rod and the bodies are just too high. Everyone wants to sell them as restorable singe they think they are worth much more.
Have you seen the price on a nice retro rod? I have someone in my club that paied ~$80K to add new suspension, an LS2 & 6spd to his 59.

Just my two cents

[Loren Smith]

Re: There is a market for reproduction bodies

I thought I read somewhere that Corvette Image had one in the works.

[David D.]

Re: C2 kit cars

John, Nice Car Company was started in 1993 and was sold to Ck3 Designs in Calgary, Alberta Canada in late 1997. So, the company lasted about 5 years, before being bought out. I believe only about 33 kits were actually sold, in various stages, not all complete kits. I would bet there were less than 10 COMPLETE KITS (take that with a grain of salt, none were really complete), actually sold at the original 1993 price of $9995.00. Only about 4 or 5 kits have actually been completed, in TN, GA, TX and FL. As far as I know, the only GM or reproduction Corvette parts used for the kit, were the front windshield, F&R bumpers, tail lights, door handles and driver and passenger dash pads, if used. I have many more details on the NCC kits, if anyone is interested. Dave

[Clare Carpenter]

Re: There is a market for reproduction bodies

I saw a vendor, Hitek Hotrods, at Carlisle displaying a 67 Corvette coupe replica body. It had the distinction of having a "rust-proof" wooden birdcage. ;-) $15500 out-the-door. http://www.hitekhotrods.com

Interestingly, the vendor was directly across from the GM Corporate tent. I asked him how he got around design infringement; he said his body had enough dimensional differences that GM basically left him alone.

I think GM went after D&D for their Grand Sport replicas and the Gran Sport, although similar in design to the later C2's, was never a production car. You would think GM would certainly want to protect one of their best known and most popular model designs, plus set a standard and make a licensing fee on approved "replicas".

Disclaimer: I am not recommending this vendor, just providing the info for whomever might be interested.