Regular readers of this magazine will know that for some time now weve been verbally gazing into the old automotive crystal ball and asking the magic eight-ball questions as to the future of our business. Lets face it, we are getting older and much more set in our respective ways. And frankly, this businessas does the street-rod businessneeds an infusion of new blood. As with any business, we need to always look to the future to see where we are going, but maybe even more importantly, how can we attract new customers, readers, and suppliers. In short, what new products might be out there to attract those we may not have reached before.
It doesnt take much forecasting to see that tomorrows hot rodders are already among us. Were talking about all those kids (that we call them kids is testament to our need for some new blood) who are hopping up Japanese and European sport compact cars. Their legions have become so important that virtually every auto-maker is trying to find ways to tap into that big audience. We think those guysat least some of themmight just become kit car builders. After all, they are tuned in to highly modifying their cars, they know how a few fiberglass pieces can dramatically alter the look of everyday commuters, and they embrace the idea that cool cars are what life is all about.
Our thinking is that once these guys have bolted on every body mod available and tuned their engines to the breaking point, they might just be ready to rebody their compact or use a bunch of the best components to create a hot, mid-engine, tube-chassis car with an awesome roadster body.
So imagine our delight when we discovered this Vitessea cool little sports car rebody based on that ubiquitous of all Japanese sport compacts, the Honda Civic. And a Civic hatchback at that. This is just one of several New-Age kit cars weve heard are heading toward the kit car pipeline soon, and were pleased to see them coming our way.
Designed by Tibor Lovasz, owner of Gulf Coast Motors, the Vitesse is an original-design rebody kit (basic body package $4,500) that neatly transforms the Civic from a hatchback into a convertible with eight easy fiberglass pieces. Gulf Coast also offers a Deluxe kit ($5,900), which additionally includes headlight assemblies, turn signals, side marker lamps, taillights, reverse lights, and convertible top. To begin, all you will need is an 88-91 Honda Civic hatchback and some ambition.
Constructing the Vitesse requires removing the hood, the rear hatch, the front fenders, the headlights, the taillights, the rear quarter glass, the bumper covers, and the bumpers. The rocker panels on each side are then sliced open, and steel beams are inserted and welded in place to give the unibody some strength before the top is cut off. Once the top is cut at the top edge of the windshield and the B-pillars, the donor is ready for bonding the fiberglass pieces in place.
The one-piece front clip is installed first. Its bolted in place using stock mounting points. Once the clip is in place, the headlights can be installed. The new hood bolts to the stock hinges and utilizes the stock latching mechanism. Like many rebody kits, the Vitesse has fiberglass door skin panels that need to be bonded onto the existing doors. The new skins retain the use of all hinges, handles, latches, and window mechanisms.
The rear clip is bonded in place after shaving a little off the rear section of the car. A separate trunk lid uses custom hinges but employs the stock Civic latches. Gulf Coast quotes a build time of about 100 hours.
Once the components are installed and painted, and the original badge is planted on the front, its shopping time for performance equipment and interior goodiesif your donor hasnt already received the full-on hop-up treatment. The aftermarket is loaded with plenty of hop-up stuff for the engine, suspension, and drivetrain as well as interior components. For example, the car you see here was lowered with the help of H&R springs and Koni adjustable shocks. The engine was kept stock except for an improved Ractive Superflow intake and stainless dual-exhaust system. The car rides on 17-inch Konig Tantrum wheels wrapped in Yokohama Avid H4 rubber in front and Nitto NT501 tires on the rear.
Tibors interior was upgraded with MOMO Rookie seats and racing harness, a MOMO Top Power steering wheel, and a Super Anatomico shifter and pedals. He has also installed an Alpine CD head unit with Orion amps, Infinity speakers, and Lightning Bolt wiring.
We applaud Gulf Coast and Tibor for such a cool little kit car, and we welcome them to the specialty-car ranks. Were excited by this new breed of kit, but were also excited by the prospect of growing our industry and infusing it with new people and even more new products.