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Author: Subject: Interesting site
Alan B

posted on 4/11/02 at 11:18 PM Reply With Quote
Interesting site

http://www.racefabinc.com/mid-engine_suspension.htm

and other pages there......

I bet you are glad you don't have to pay these prices...wow

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TheGecko

posted on 5/11/02 at 06:50 AM Reply With Quote
And the scary part is, I'm not sure that the design quality of their stuff is all that great either. The chassis looked familiar too and a bit of hunting around turned up an image similar to one I saw on someone elses web pages (on the Yahoo Kitcar list).



Maybe that chassis isn't finished but if so, it's unfinished in exactly the same way as someones elses is!. Note that the sum total of the chassis between the front and rear is six parallel tubes - four in the tunnel and two out at the sills. No other bracing or diagonals. Should have about as much torsional stiffness as a wet cornflakes box! Not inspiring stuff.

Oh yeah, and their prices ARE shocking aren't they.

Dominic

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interestedparty

posted on 5/11/02 at 09:06 AM Reply With Quote
It baffles me why people attempt replicas of cars like Lamborghini Diablos etc. Any mid engine car with doors is going to need a complicated roof structure or sill structure. And the idea of a alloy quad-cam V12 being replaced by a pushrod V8, ugh!
All that effort, when the best possible result is going to be the automotive equivalent of a ................. (suggestions welcomed)





As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!

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Alan B

posted on 5/11/02 at 01:33 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by TheGecko
And the scary part is, I'm not sure that the design quality of their stuff is all that great either. ..................


Yeah, I thought that too.......very basic.
I certainly didn't go "wow, that stuff must be expensive"....quite the opposite in fact
Yet, it seems they have a lot of business.....they must use TONS of steel too
Colin would be turning in his grave

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garethpowys

posted on 5/11/02 at 02:56 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by interestedparty
It baffles me why people attempt replicas of cars like Lamborghini Diablos etc. Any mid engine car with doors is going to need a complicated roof structure or sill structure. And the idea of a alloy quad-cam V12 being replaced by a pushrod V8, ugh!
All that effort, when the best possible result is going to be the automotive equivalent of a ................. (suggestions welcomed)


Yeah quite. There's a 911 Turbo "replica" on Ebay at the moment, looks like an accurate replica - but it's powered by a 1600VW engine! I just don't get it.

What makes it worse is that some of these "replicas" (I'd rather call them lookalikes) cost an absolute fortune to build. Rather than build a poxy underpowered replica of something exotic why not spend the money on a used example of a decent sports car? I read of one 911 lookalike that cost almost 20K to build. You could buy a good used Porsche for that sort of money, and a proper Porsche wouldn't be powered by the CVH engine that this waste of time sported.

I just can't imagine the embarassment of driving something that looks like a Lambo and getting eaten at the lights by a hot hatch.

Gareth

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sgraber

posted on 7/11/02 at 08:51 PM Reply With Quote
Well, I have to agree with most of what is said regarding the replicas. And having built one several years back, I can say that the experience was what drove me (pun intended) into designing and building my own car from the ground up. There are just too many compromises to be dealt with when attempting to "re-body" an existing car.

A lot of people build "replicars" to fullfill a childhood dream. Others build them because they want the rewards of the accomplishment. I built mine because I think that the '62 Ferrari 250 GTO is the single most beautiful car in the world. I decided that building was more rewarding than the driving... Too many staring eyes when you are driving in a car like a 250GTO. Very unnerving for a shy person like me.

Steve G





Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/

"Quickness through lightness"

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interestedparty

posted on 8/11/02 at 08:23 AM Reply With Quote
There are exceptions to every rule, and decent replicas of certain classics are sensible and desirable. I would love to build a GT40. Trouble is, just too expensive for me, plus not really suitable for a long-legged 6'4" driver!

John

[Edited on 8/11/02 by interestedparty]





As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!

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Alan B

posted on 8/11/02 at 01:52 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by interestedparty
There are exceptions to every rule, and decent replicas of certain classics are sensible and desirable..........


Nah, John...Steve's car was crap and he know's it


Yes, I'm joking.....BIG time......it was awesome!!!!!!

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Findlay234

posted on 8/11/02 at 03:39 PM Reply With Quote
hey sgraber.

where did you get the kit for the 250gto from??

i bet you did get some looks, ferrari only made about 24 of the things, ever. is that a pic of your one below your name?






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sgraber

posted on 8/11/02 at 07:03 PM Reply With Quote
Yes, that one is (was) mine.

Ferrari made 36 and they won virtually every race entered from 61 thru 64, until the Cobra came out.

The build turned out better than I had any right to expect! It won numerous awards, best of shows, etc.. as well as gracing the cover of Kit Car Mag. I showed up at the Barrett Jackson Auction in 2000 here in Arizona and was going to park it in general parking. When the valet guys saw me driving by, they literally ran out into the road to stop me. They parked the car right at the entrance! I just about crapped my pants.

The comapny that makes the fiberglass is temporarily out of business, (owner change) but my website detailing the build-up is: http://www.newtier.com/graber/z-car

It did get a lot of compliments. It was kinda like dating a supermodel.... hehehehe. I sold the car in late 2000...

Like I mentioned before however, there were so many compromises made in adapting the body to a Datsun 280Z chassis that I decided to build my next one from scratch and not make any compromises on what was important to me: Light weight, incredible handling, good fuel economy, potent acceleration, ease of tuning, joy of building, new body design... yada yada yada.

[Edited on 11/8/02 by sgraber]





Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/

"Quickness through lightness"

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sgraber

posted on 9/11/02 at 03:14 AM Reply With Quote
Ignore this test. really



Sorry for the fake post. I just had to see if those smilies actually worked.... Ignore me...





Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/

"Quickness through lightness"

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