The 2006 Carlisle Import and Replicar Nationals

There are four things you need to make an event successful: weather, venue, manufacturers, and participants. Each has a big part in how the event is perceived, not only by the folks who attend the event, but also by those interested in doing so in years to come.

For the Carlisle Import-Kit/Replicar Nationals held annually on the spacious Carlisle Fairgrounds just outside Pennsylvania's state capitol of Harrisburg, it seems weather has more often been a curse than a blessing. Due in part to when the event is held (the weekend before Memorial Day), Carlisle has always meant rain; sometimes constant, sometimes biblical.

But while the New England area of the U.S. experienced devastating floods and record rainfall, for the first time in recent years it only sprinkled on one day of the three-day Carlisle show. It seemed the fairgrounds were the splitting point for the storm clouds that passed just to the north and south of the facility. That fact, coupled with temps 15 degrees cooler than normal, provided pleasant weather (except for occasional 30-mph gusts that threatened the strength of a canopy's tie-downs) all weekend long.

The Carlisle Fairgrounds--the same 82-acre site used by Carlisle Events as a location for their program of 11 events (including the incredibly popular All-Ford Nationals, All-Chrysler Nationals, Summer Bike Fest, and Spring and Fall Swap Meets) is a sprawling facility that provides ample space for vendors, swap meets, and show car parking.

Since this is an import and kit show, the grassy field for the show cars is broken up into different areas by vehicle make, with German, Swedish, Italian, British, and Asian cars, all with their respective plots of land, and a special section set aside just for Fieros (and there were many).

The kit and replicar section is set off to one side near two structures (one a standard four-wall building, the other an open-air pavilion) filled with kit and replicar manufacturers. Between the vendors and the swap meet is the Car Corral area, where kits in various stages of completion are for sale. Finished high-dollar Cobras ($95,000 on one windshield) to $4,000 Gazelles could be found, with motivated sellers hanging out and twirling their keys in their anxious hands willing to talk to any and all buyers looking for a new project.

But most buyers were more likely to be found in the kit car buildings, where dozens of vendors were set up to make their own pitch. The largest displays were manned by Factory Five Racing, which included the company's new GTM (reports say 100 cars have been sold and more than 50 delivered so far). Backdraft Racing, whose roadsters use BMW independent suspensions, utilized space in the building as well as a huge trailer outside to sell on a double front. Unique Motorcars of Alabama also had their line of roadsters shined up, and their newly debuted '36 Ford convertible, easily the nicest street rod at the show.

Connecticut's E.R.A. also manned an impressive array of finely crafted kits and showed off their new GT Spyder. Ford actually made a few GT40 roadsters back in the day for racing, but found going roofless made the car too unstable at extreme speeds. Dragon Motorcars also showed both new and old versions of their one-off design that incorporates a Corvette drivetrain and suspension under a sleek and slippery roadster (look for detachable roofs and coupes from the company soon). Superformance was on hand with a few of their made-to-order kits, and Power & Performance, who displayed a beautiful recreation of a vintage Cobra in their booth, also had a new aluminum 427 engine block for those who want light weight to go with vintage looks. B&B Replicars (with their '34 Ford coupe and tow trailer), Lone Star (with a candy apple red Cobra roadster), Regal Roadsters ('55/57 Thunderbird replicas), Exotic Illusions and D&R, both with new and old Lamborghinis, rounded out the main vendor building. Shell Valley Companies' display was large enough to take a portion of the main building and a 50-foot spot just outside with another trailer and more cars. Shell Valley's focus this year was their Cobra roadster, but they also had one of their Daytona coupes tucked in the corner for an added "wow" factor.

Outside the building newcomers DDR (featured on this month's cover of KIT CAR) and Gran Sport clone builders Mongoose Motorsports of Ohio were busy explaining to onlookers their new vehicles. EasyRods (with parts to convert your '90s T-bird into a '49 Ford) was also busy, and Blast From The Past Street Rods showed off its '41 Willys truck using an Active Power body made for an S-10 chassis (the same type of kit being built and featured in this magazine each issue).

Up on the hill under the pavilion Special Edition held a seminar where they built an entire Porsche speedster from start to finish in front of a crowd during the first two days of the show. Intermeccanica, the Canadian-based Porsche convertible builders, was well represented, while SpyderWerks had their '32 five-window coupe body alongside a finished Porsche 550 replicar. Southern California's Thunder Ranch showed their version of the 550 finished in classic James Dean #130 regalia and a "Little Bastard" paint scheme.

Another Porsche builder, Chuck Beck, was personally on hand and driving one of his speedsters, while Deman Motorsport (another kit builder from Canada) showed off their potent motorcycle-powered street racer. Kokopelli's Tom Rodgers, who already builds an MGB-powered Lotus 11 clone, also displayed his latest creation: another Lotus 11 with a Mazda Miata donor drivetrain and suspension.

Other companies such as North American Exotic Replica Cars (with a stunning lime sherbet Diablo) and Race Car Replicas (with a new Ferrari P4 and RCR-P prototype racer parked alongside their brilliant GT40 kit), represented some of the finest build quality the industry now offers.

So with all this going for it (good weather, great venue, and dozens of major kit and replicar manufacturers in attendance), why were there only 80 cars parked in the car show area at noon on Saturday afternoon? Carlisle officials admit the kit portion of the event has been shrinking the past few years (while the imports have gotten bigger), but you have to wonder if they can still call the show "the largest kit car gathering in North America," as they do in their pre-show literature.

Though scheduled as a three-day event, Friday and Sunday are poorly attended bookends to the hustle and bustle of Saturday. Many manufacturers only show up for Saturday, skipping the other two days altogether. Perhaps Carlisle Events should plan a two-day event in the future to better serve those who attend year in and year out, or at least keep the builders there for two complete days instead of allowing them to leave.

The event, still a must-attend for anyone contemplating building a kit or replicar, has everything else going for it except being able to attract car show participants, so we wonder: Can you still have a "national" event when only 80 cars show up? KC