Just as the promise of a new year brings hopes and dreams for the next 12 months, the true beginning of the kit and replicar year can be measured by the industry's two national events: known to everyone simply as Knott's and Carlisle.
But when Walter Knott opened his berry farm to the masses back in the mid-20th century (less than 10 miles from Walt Disney's new theme park), he could never had envision what the mere mention of his surname would mean to kit and replicar enthusiasts.
This year was the 26th time the Association of Handcrafted Automobiles (AHA) has organized the annual show on the grounds of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. A gathering of manufacturers, builders, and spectators take advantage of the West Coasts' largest replicar event to showcase what they've been working on for the past year.
Last year's 25th Anniversary meet was a high-water mark in the event's history, but a different sort of high-water mark made its presence known in the form of a torrential downpour that, for the most part, washed out the second of the two-day show (an occurrence that was so rare that no one could remember when it happened last!).
Though the threat of rain may have deterred some from attending the show on its first scheduled day, Saturday, it didn't diminish the enthusiasm for those who did show up. And this year saw a whole new group of manufacturers tending their sales booths alongside those companies that have done so for years. The "Lambo crowd" was well represented on one end of the lot with businesses such as Chassisworks, Italian Designes, American Supercar Concepts, Wild Rides, North American Exotic Replicar, and I.F.G., all of whom had impressive displays and vehicles.
Chassisworks, from Las Vegas, Nevada, had their latest high-tech chassis on display that shows just how far kit chassis have evolved. Jim Michaud, who was showing three vehicles (two of which have won Best of Show at past Knotts shows), was busy describing how his center-steer (think McLaren F1) Lambo worked. Later, Michaud would go on to win multiple awards with his car, including this year's Best of Show. North American Exotic Replicar had a new suspension system on display, which allows Fiero owners to throw out their IFS or IRS and update it with C5 calipers and 13-inch rotors, adjustable control arms, a proportioning valve, and improved geometry that eliminates bumpsteer. Available as an update for stock Fiero suspensions or with longer control arms for the replicar industry, their setup is guaranteed to improve the drivability of your ride.
Another large faction for the Knott's show of late has been the Porsche replicar group, and they were represented in part by companies such as Intermeccanica, Thunder Ranch, and JPS Motorsports. Intermeccanica, based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, had several sharp looking convertibles on display; Thunder Ranch had their recently debuted 356-inspired roadster along with a Porsche 718, which really had people stopped in their tracks.
Some manufacturers, such as Cutting Edge Replicas (Manteca, CA), a company that debuted at last year's show, had a very nice booth with a full display of their cars and products for sale under their large tent (which became an impromptu gathering spot when the rains eventually fell). Other shops, such as Wire 1 Hotrod, who makes wiring kits for replicars, took the opportunity to showcase their products to the public for the first time.