Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows, Toys
Woodward 2008: Not all replicas are created equal
As long as people have been willing to pay insane amounts of money for classic cars, there have been entrepreneurs and hobbyists creating reproductions of those cars. Unfortunately, the desire to reproduce a classic and the skill to do so in a faithful manner often do not go hand in hand. Such is the case with some of the machines on display along Woodward Ave. today. In some cases like the pseudo GT40 pictured above they copies end up looking more like something out of the movie Cars than the real thing. Any time you make a replica of a classic, the one thing it should never have is badges implying it is any other than a copy.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2LS7? 4:58PM (8/16/2008)
Didn't I see a lineup of Panteras on a competing site? When are we going to see pics of those?
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BoxerFanatic-formerlyMK 5:58PM (8/16/2008)
The red-white stripe car isn't a GT40 replica anyway (the burgundy one is) It is a Fiberfab Avenger. A knock off, but not a true replica. VW floor-pan based.
The same for the red dino knock-off. Also a VW based kit, called the Kelmark GT.
Personally, as VW-based cars go, I like the Puma GT better than both.
They are ok as they are, but trying to pass them off as the original article, is not really my idea of classy. The kits can stand or fall on their own merits. Either like the kit, or don't like the kit.
The Cord knock-off definitely falls. That one is bad.
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nom de plume 7:15PM (8/16/2008)
"Any time you make a replica of a classic, the one thing it should never have is badges implying it is any other than a copy."
First off, who are you to say this? Autoblog is hardly an authority on good taste.
If some poseur wants to put Ferrari badges on a VW, it just makes those of us with taste look better.
What is cool is the fellow in California who put Hyundai badges on his Bentley.
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Derek 11:40PM (8/16/2008)
I agree, badge it whatever you want. I love cars at least as much as the next guy, but it's just a badge. Besides, it gives those us who know better a fun time spotting the fakers. Just come clean with it if someone asks, and never NEVER try to sell it as the genuine article.
Jay Evans 10:34AM (8/17/2008)
Sigh... It's amazing that some people don't recognize that these early kit cars have their own little niche in Automotive history. I can remember back in the late 60's when every car magazine was filled with "Build your own xxx" ads.
The fact that all these "kit" cars were parked together might be a clue that nobody was trying to pass them off as real.
But easier to make snarky comments about things you don't understand than take the time to research the subject.
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The13bats 9:13PM (9/01/2008)
Sounds like some non wrench spinner is jealous of all the wonderful older kit cars at a show, seems that arrogant snob wants to pick on Grass roots kit cars and trash people who build them and badge them,
If you are going to call this group of cars "Woodward 2008: Bad replicas" then at least weed out all the cars that are not trying to pass as the real deal then see if you even have a gallery left,
Whoever did that write up obviously has no clue of the origin of the "grass roots kit car" or the type people who build them.
Grass roots kit cars are for us dreamers, we make things happen with mind and skills over money, no, we can't for example pay 2 million for a real Porsche 917 or GT40 so we get a kit car that fills the void,
If we think a badge or bannor looks cool so be it.
If I wear a "Porsche" t shirt am I trying to pass myself off as a real "Porsche"
Some of us are just trying to have fun here, jeez man lighten up!
I admit Early kit cars are in many cases not high HP, high end engineering racers some shop built that you can't enjoy for 3 minutes on the street. They are in many cases well built fun cars,
On the other hand I know of some pretty high end cars that did start out as grass roots kit cars, it all depends on who builds them and what they desire.
We build our cars to please ourselves and some people do desire to try to make their GRKC more of a replica than a stand on it's own merits kit car, so what? who are you to trash it just to try to make the builders feel badly because you don't have the skills to build yourself a cool car.
The first car you pick on is the Avenger, it was never hailed as a GT-40 "replica" in fact to me they look more like a Lola, at best it is GT-40-ish, I am honest about it all.
My Avenger was actually 39 inches tall but was a GT.
That particular car you pick on belongs to a freind of mine, it was not built to be a GT-40 replica but was built to what the owner desired it to be, a fun to drive one of a kind street cruiser, of course it does happen to run 12's in the 1/4 mile which isn't going to happen with some poorly built hack job.
Another sad point is you missed the fact that every car you posted is very well built, very well finished and deserved to be praised for what they are not what badge they wear, did even one of those people tell you their car was a real "_________" ?
I doubt it.
I don't believe that in the world of car crafting and sharing camaraderie of the hobby whinnying about a badge on a kit car serves any other purpose other than making the person crying about it look jealous and bad.
On another thing you said, I have to ask, Did you drink whiskey for breakfast?
Not one of these cars looks like the cartoon cars of the movie you mention, no smiles in the grills no eyes looking at you, if you see eyes and smiles and hear cars talking, you need to consider help.
You have your battle ahead of you, I wish I had a nickel for every fake lambo or pseudo 4-R-E that not only wears badges but wears badges from the real car.
The people who are out there building kit cars that look a little or a lot like some mega dollar high end car, be them older or new are not trying to please you or me they are making themselves happy, if they call the car a replica, who cares? why bring negativity into it by crying about what badge the car is wearing?
Perhaps if you had a cool car you would not be so worried about what others are doing with their cars.
I believe you owe the owners of the cars in this gallery you posted an apology.
Cheers,
P.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/GrassRootsKitCars/
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tryingnottooffend 6:57PM (9/02/2008)
Cool, there is a rule book somewhere that says what is proper etiquette when customizing a car! I want a copy!!! Please post a link. I am putting my car back together and need to know the rules so I do not offend. Is it like in bowling where you have to yeild to the person on your right or is it left.
Kit car people are not purist any more than street rodders. If you are an antique collector then you think a 39 chevy business coupe chopped and channelled with a 454 hooked up to turbo 400 tranny with a ford 9" rear is a waste. And who would mix ford and chevy stuff on the same car. My kit car is a highly modified VW bug, and that is what I tell people that ask, and they do ask by the dozens every day I had it in town. And, mine looks like crap compared to the examples pictured at the show, that is why I tore it down for a complete rebuild. If I choose to, I will put porsche logos and trim on my car. I will still tell any who ask that it is a highly modified VW. If that offends them, too bad. In high school, a freind of mine put chome stacks on his stepside pick up. One day we came across a old mack truck in the junk yard. We took the bulldog off the hood of the mack and put it on his dodge. I guess that was wrong too.
You ussually get his kind of garbage from a wanna be that can't afford a car or his wife, mother,girlfriend, boyfreind or whatever won't approve of it. It is shamefull coming from someone who apparently if the bio is accurate, came from the auto industry.
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R. Stelmach 12:04AM (9/04/2008)
Cars inspired by original designs---
I get a kick out of people that think there is no place for
a car that might look a lot like an original.
Well---my car was parked next to one of the red ones
and it did't even make your so-called Gallery.
When someone asks what it is, my explination is [ it's a
rebodied Mustang that looks like 37 jaguar SS100.]
What I find pathetic is the poor slob that reads, studies,
wishes and dreams to be able to just drive, let alone own
a Ferrari, GT40, Mercedes 540K, Jag, Cobra or other desireable collectable and will never even come close.
Here's the point---When was the last time you saw a
Ferrari 250 ($2,000,000) or an SS100 ($750,000) or
even an original Cobra being driven down the street---We
drive ours every day!
Have fun,
Bob S.
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The13bats 12:29PM (9/04/2008)
tryingnottooffend & R. Stelmach
Thanks for well thought out replies,
You hit the nail on the head, but in the case of the person who started this thread sadly just because someone is alleged to be "into" cars doesn't mean they are "cool" or have the intelligence to know good car hobby manors or not.
It's not as "pathetic" as it is just a fact of life that many of us "poor slobs" who do study the real cars and do dream of owning one of the real ones in all likely hood never will and if we did I know I would be scared to drive mine for fear of wrecking a mega dollar exotic so in the spirit of true grass roots kit cars we buy something that is style like our dream car.
When was the last time you saw any mega dollar exotic being driven, we drive our cars.
One issue I have is the fact that this is on a public forum and the post is just being used to pick on cars that not even one of is trying to be passed off as the real deal,
I still believe this is motivated by the poster being jealous.
A person needs to go back to "Cars 101" if having or not having an emblem is the deciding factor in their decision if some exotic looking car is "real" a replica or has styling similar to some real exotic.
"Taste" is a very personal thing so it is not in poor taste to run whatever emblem you desire on your car if you like it.
It doesn't take a car hobby fan to see a few of the spotlighted cars are very nice "replicas" or if "replica" isn't a word you dig, they are well build customs.
Funny part is in a group of more than 20 cars I only see two wearing emblems and another one has a custom rear plate.
My Laser 917 came from Elite with "917" emblems, which is part of that car so do I not use them because my car isn't a "real" Porsche?
Perhaps I am missing the entire point of why it loads so much sand in the fellows Vaseline that sometimes We, the dreamers, the builders of customs , kits and replicas might use badges from the real car on our custom project,
Building a custom of any kind which is the heart and soul of car crafting is all about personal expression, be it a prancing horse logo on your Datsun rebody, Countach Scoops and wing on your Aztec 7 or even a Mack bull dog on your Dodge. it's about pleasing the owner.
Perhaps the poster of this thread rather than use his time to poke at a group of well built cars he should surf the net for the replicas trying to be passed off as the real thing,
I would love to see if he finds any at all.
Cheers,
P.
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Jmar 6:48PM (9/07/2008)
I'm offended by this title. Usually somebody that begins a verbal assault on these cars doesn't have a classic and has never really worked on a car, not to mention built a kit car. Several of the cars in these photos aren't replicas anyway. The Avengers pictured are not replicas nor is the Jamaican. They used elements of style that were taken from European cars in the late 60s & early 70s. You probably didn't notice the extensive body modifications made to several of these cars simply because you don't know the difference!
Several of the cars in these pictures have won many awards for workmanship and quality by competent judges at legitimate car shows. Most replicas (yes, that $85,000 Cobra you purchased from Superformance is a replica) are a tribute to extraordinary examples from the past. Most of the replicas are more durable and reliable than the original; they will whip the pants off the original when it comes to performance.
Did you bother to walk across the street and compare the finish of our cars with that of the original classic Corvettes? Why not offend the Vette owners by placing pictures of their unrestored cars on a blog? Maybe you have. I noticed that you didn't include shots of the Austin-Healey 3000s. Didn't you know that THEY were replicas?
Why not start a blog about rat rods? After all, they are replicas of real hot rods from the 50s. Are they bad? How about the fiberglass replica featured in Hotrod last year? The owner took the time to make the fiberglass car look rusty and weathered!
Why did you include photos of cars’ license plates? How about permission to photograph these cars & people for your use in a public forum? You didn’t ask to place my personal image in your blog. Isn’t your act an invasion of privacy? It is in poor taste and an act of cowardice to feign interest in any subject and post a negative blog later. You are an example of how NOT to use this wonderful technology .
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Kevin 9:07PM (9/07/2008)
Once again, proof that owning a computer does nothing for your intelligence. And your car, Bob?
Kevin
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Jmar 9:24PM (9/07/2008)
OMG! I just came across your "article" about "Foreign Invasions" that included one of our replicas. It included our kit car club banner in the background. I also spotted a Porche Speedster replica that you photographed cruising along Woodward. Didn't you know the difference? I'm positive that ONE of these replicas was built in the USA.
I think it's time to return to engineering!!! I sincerely hope you're better at CAD/CAM than journalism!!!
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52jaguarxk120replica 9:59PM (9/07/2008)
The cars you criticize are hand crafted vehicles built by skilled craftsmen that celebrate the styling of the original models, but have reliability and drivability that is far superior to the originals. You won't see any of the originals on the road; they are trailer queens. These cars, as with most customs and rods, reflect the personalities and taste of the owners. If you don't like them, build your own car. Did you consider all the street rods that are glass replicas? Take a look sometime.
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