For production cars, this is the time of year in which new models are debuted and older models are touted as new and improved. Detroit, Tokyo, and various automotive headquarters in England, Germany, and Italy can feel the competition, as kit and component car companies from across the globe also begin their new-car seasons now.
By presenting the '04 Kit and Component Car Buyer's Guide now, during the new-car buying season, we allow hobbyists to make their project choices at the same time they make their production-car selections. Also, by buying now, the kit car and component car hobbyists can begin the projects they hope will be finished in time for the spring thaw and that first romp along the highway can coincide with the first robins, first flowers, and first sunshine of the year, unless you live in the Sunbelt.
This guide is more than simply a kit car buyer's guide, as it includes component car manufacturers and builders of turnkey limited-edition models for your driving pleasure. With this as a background, KIT CAR magazine presents the largest and most comprehensive buyer's guide ever, with a whopping 245 different manufacturers and an impressive 433 kits and turnkeys offered on the kit, component, and replicar market. We removed some two-dozen companies from our previous Buyer's Guide, when we were unable to contact the manufacturer and verify its viability, but we also added 44 new companies to the list, showing good growth in the industry. This year's list shows a gain of 20 companies and 53 cars over last year's compilation...a sure sign of prosperity.
You may note that the kit car industry, while resplendent with Cobra derivatives (48 companies providing some 62 models and derivations of the Snake), is a cornucopia of designs, both original and replicated, for every automotive, performance, and artistic taste. From nostalgic and historical clones that have been faithfully reproduced or enhanced by technological improvements, to new prototypical concepts, to customized augmentation and innovative creations, the companies whose products appear within this guide may serve as blueprints for the production cars of tomorrow. We have already seen Detroit follow the course of our industry's successes with GT40, Humm-Vee, and several SSR-esque pickup truck designs, as well as the drawing-board concepts of production Cobras and Lotus inspirations. Even the donor concept is being copied by Chevrolet, as it prepares to offer "rebodies" to its standard chassis design of the future. It may not be long before the major production-car manufacturers copy us, and come up with their own models of Dragons, Jalapenos, Riots, Rodsters, T-70s, Cheetahs, and on down to the '32 Fords and '23 T-buckets.
What you see on the following pages is NOT an homage to replication; it is a cutting-edge showcase of design concepts and improvements on existing models. Feel the excitement as you browse through the hundreds of cars that beckon you.
Remember to use the following directory ONLY as a guide. It makes sense for YOU, the kit car buyer, to call the manufacturer, do the research, and enjoy the entire project from the investigation phase, to the finished buildup, to that first drive in YOUR car. Call the companies BEFORE you decide to purchase, as many have declined to list prices--which, in many cases, are negotiable and depend on the various customizations YOUR kit or component car will have. Additionally, prices are subject to change and may, in fact, have moved up or down since we went to print. Call your local kit car clubs, check out their Web sites, talk to knowledgeable kit car hobbyists online, contact satisfied customers (lists provided by the manufacturer), and talk to the companies listed in this guide before making any buying decision.
Enjoy your project and feel the pride and exhilaration created by your new kit or component car.
It looks like 2004 will be an exciting year in the kit and component car world, and we hope to see YOUR finished project on the pages of KIT CAR magazine in the years to come. Happy motoring and happy building. KC
Note: All addresses, contact numbers, Web sites, and prices listed below were accurate as of the time we went to print and are subject to change. Call the manufacturer to verify current pricing. Copyright 2003, Primedia Specialty Group
Allen Motor Cars
1204 Knob Ave., Dept. KC
New Albany, IN 47150
(812) 941-8550
Dealers for Alternative Sports Cars TG Sports '55 MG, and a dealer for Backdraft Cobras
AVG Engineering
P.O. Box 634, Dept. KC
Brisbane, CA 94005
(415) 467-6603
www.avgeng.com
Builds the P-40 Nitro Express trike kit, based on VW Beetle parts and inspired by the P40 Curtiss Warhawk airplane flown by the Flying Tigers
Backdraft Racing/Custom Cars
911 NW 209th Ave, #112, Dept. KC
Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
(954) 438-7701
www.BackdraftRacing.com
South African-based company manufactures Cobra 427 replicas, rolling chassis and turnkey-minus cars. American dealers are Custom Cars (Florida) and Tri-State Motorsports (Pennsylvania), Allen Motorcars (Indiana), Anthem Motors (Arizona)
California Advanced Vehicles (C.A.V)
4805 Fisher Cove, Dept. KC
Del Mar, CA 92014
(858) 342-3246
www.gt40cars.com
Manufactures '66 GT40 Mark 1 designed to accommodate taller drivers without altering look, style or exterior dimensions. Also manufactures new GT Spyder and builds turnkey-minus kits to owner's specs.
CanAm Exotics
Formerly The Chassis Shop)
8040 S. Madison, Dept. KC
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
(630) 455-5024; (630) 455-5025
www.canamexotics.com
Builders of Lola T-70 Spyder replica kits and turnkeys, and Mustang GT350 replica kits Lola T-70 Spyder and Mustang GT350 replicas: Kits and turnkeys - call for pricing.
Dragon Motor Cars
244 Walker Rd., Dept. KC
P.O. Box 795
Grantham, NH 03753
(603) 863-5272
www.dragonmotorcars.com
Manufactures the original-design 66 Dragon Roadster, a '50s-60s-style roadracer that combines some Ferrari with Lister, Maserati and Scarab, on a custom 4-inch round tube chassis and Corvette suspension 66 Dragon Roadster: kit - $13,900
Emerson Motorsports
3025 Twin View Blvd., Dept. KC
Shasta Lake City, CA 96019
(530) 275-0435
www.Beyondcobra.com
Builders of specially designed and outfitted, high-quality Cobra 427 replicas custom-built to customer's taste Cobra 427 replica: kit - $38,500; turnkey - $48,000
E.R.A. Replica Automobiles
608-612 E. Main St., Dept. KC
New Britain, CT 06051
(860) 224-0253
www.erareplicas.com
Manufactures Cobra 427 S/C and 289 FIA/USRRC replica kits and rollers on custom rectangular tube ladder chassis, and GT40 Mark I and Mark II replica kits and rollers on custom stainless steel monococque chassis Cobra 289 FIA/USRRC: kit - $17,900
Cobra 427 S/C: kit - $19,900
GT MK I: kit - $54,900
GT MK II: kit - $54,000
Factory Five Racing
9 Tow Road, Dept. KC
Wareham, MA 02571
(508) 291-3443
www.factoryfive.com
Manufactures 5.0 Mustang-based '65 roadster kits (Cobra 427 S/C replica), the new Mark II, Spec racers, a coupe (Daytona replica), GT Spyder convertible, and has, in the works, a mid-engine race car kit (GTM-2000 Supercar). All are based on custom FFR chassis. '65 Roadster: kit - $11,990
Indy Street Cars
544 North 9th Street, Dept. KC
DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433
(850) 892-7815; (800) 626-8912
www.indystreetcar.com
Manufactures street-legal Indy cars in one-seater and two-seater designs.
JPS Motorsports
11323 Vanowen St., Dept. KC
N. Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 985-8891
www.JPS-motorsports.com
Manufactures Speedster and SC, and Roxster off-road-inspired replicas Speedster: kit - $7,500; turnkey - call for pricing
Roxster: kit - $4,450; turnkey - call for pricing
MidStates Classic Cars & Parts Inc.
835 W. Grant, P.O. Box 427, Dept. KC
Hooper, NE 68031
(402) 654-2772
www.cobracountry.com/midstates
www.midstatesclassics.com
Manufactures 427 S/C Cobra replicas and parts on custom round tube and square tube frames Cobra 427 S/C: kit - $17,720; rollers - call for pricing
Pigeon Performance
1420 Rt. 125, Dept. KC
Ste-Julienne, Quebec, Canada J0K 2T0
(450) 831-2791
www.pigeonperformance.som
Manufactures hand-laid fiberglass AC Cobra 427 replica kits and turnkeys on custom 4-inch tubular steel chassis Cobra 427: kit - $8,295 (Canadian); turnkey - $60,000 (Canadian)
PISA Corp.
31 South 42nd Place, Dept. KC
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(602) 273-1616
www.pisafierohq.com
Manufactures Fiero body kits, including Jalapeno and Artero, interiors and custom parts
Artero: kit - $4,250; turnkey - starting at $15,000
Scorpion: kit - $4,250; turnkey - starting at $15,000
Jalapeno: kit - $2,750; turnkey - starting at $15,000
XTC/GT: kit - $4,250; turnkey - starting at $15,000
ZR-2: kit - $4,250; turnkey - starting at $15,000
Regal Roadsters Ltd.
301 W. Beltline Hwy., Dept. KC
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 273-4141
www.RegalTBird.com
Manufactures replicas of '55, '56, and '57 T-Birds T-Bird: kit - $15,995 (deluxe); turnkey - $44,900 Thunder: kit - $15,995; turnkey - $48,900 '57 T-Bird: kit - call for pricing; turnkey - call for pricing
Rocky Mountain Coachworks Ltd.
14 Acorn Crescent, Dept. KC
St. Albert, Alberta, Canada T8N 3S4
(780) 459-9517
www.tremormuv.com Manufactures the Tremor MUV, a Hummer-inspired military-type vehicle
Rodster Street Rods (d/b/a Caroselli Design)
128 Center St., Unit B, Dept. KC
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 322-2767
www.rodster.com
Manufactures and builds "newstalgic" '40 Ford-style body re-styling kits for first-generation Chevy S-10s. Offers the Rodster Open Roadster, Sedan Delivery, and Rodster Pickup Truck built on '83-'94 Chevy S-10 Blazer, or '82-'93 Chevy S-10 Pickup donors
Sedan Delivery: kits - $3,295; turnkey - call for pricing
Open Roadster: kits - $4,895; turnkey - call for pricing
Pickup Truck: kits and turnkeys - call for pricing
Shell Valley Companies Inc.
23119 287th St., Dept. KC
Platte Center, NE 68653-5055
(888) 246-0900, (402) 246-2355
www.shellvalley.com
Manufactures Cobra 427 S/C replica kits, Model-A Roadster hot rod kits; Cheetah roadster kits, '52 Jaguar C-Type Scuderia Corsa Tipo 166 kits, all on Shell Valley rectangular tube chassis. Manufacturing in conjunction with Team-C-Racing.com
427 S/C: kit - Starting at $7,200; rollers - call for pricing
Model-A Roadster: kit - $10,000; rollers - call for pricing
Cheetah: kit - $15,000; rollers - call for pricing '52 Jaguar Scuderia Tipo 166: call for pricing
Spycar Inc.
16A Highclere Ln., Dept. KC
Valhalla, NY 10595
(914) 682-8544
www.spycar.com
Importer and distributor of the SSC Stylus sportscar
Street Beasts/Innovative Street Machines, LLC
4350 West Sunrise Blvd., Suite 107, Dept. KC
Plantation, FL 33313
(888) 888-6645
www.streetbeasts.com/KC
Manufactures '66 Cobra Roadster, Stretch Roadster and Coupe replicas, '55 Porsche 356 Speedster, '33 Vicky, '34 Ford Cabriolet, '34 Ford Coupe and '41 Willys replicas.
All kits - From $129/month - call for pricing
Team-C-Racing.com
56 Veterans Dr., Dept. KC
New Britain, CT 06051
www.team-c-racing.com
(860) 228-3936, (866) TCR-KITS
Manufactures 427 Cobra replicas, Cheetah, '52 Jaguar Scuderia Tipo 166 racer and '34 Ford-A roadster, in conjunction with Shell Valley Companies, and builds the Venom 427 turnkey-minus Cobra replica, all on tubular steel custom chassis Kits - prices start at $15,900; turnkeys - start at $39,500
Thunder Ranch
1410 Pioneer Way, Dept. KC
El Cajon, CA 92020
(619) 444-1006
www.thunderranch.com
Manufactures various kits and turnkeys, from sports cars (Spyders, California 250 GTOs and the street-racer 718RSK), to nostalgic kits (Porsche 356A Speedster, 550 Spyder and 550A Speedster) to Humm-Vee replicas, all on 3-inch-diameter custom tube frame chassis, to ) to traditional rods (1932 Ford roadster) based on Ford rails, and the original-design Riot, based on VW Beetle Porsche 356A Speedster: kit - $7,750; turnkey - $19,995
Porsche 356 Type I: kit - starting at $7,750; turnkey - $25,500
Porsche 550A Speedster: kit - starting at $9,250; turnkey - $27,000
Porsche 550 Spyder: kit - starting at $7,750; turnkey - $25,500
718RSK Porsche - kit - starting at $10,250; turnkey - $27,500
718RSK: kit - $7,950; turnkey - $29,500
'32 Ford Roadster: kit - $6,500
Riot: kit - $2,995
Total Performance
400 S. Orchard St., Dept. KC
Wallingford, CT 06492
(800) 243-6740, (203) 265-5667
www.tbuckets.com
Manufactures 1923 T-bucket kit, Model-A chassis and Ford replicas from '23 to '34 Ford. Offers a select-and-build On-line option, its "Cyber Car." '23 Model T: kit - $3,995; turnkey - $22,000
Ford Roadsters: kits - call for pricing
Ultima Sports Ltd.
Unit 4 Cloverfield, Dept. KC
Hunckley, Leicester, LE10 1YD, UK
011-44 -1455-631366
www.ultimasports.co.uk
Manufactures the McLarenesque Ultima GTR kits as well as their Spyder, Sports and CanAm models-street-legal race cars
Upstate Super Replicars Inc.
P.O. Box 422, Dept. KC
Newtonville, NY 12128
(518) 783-1651
Manufactures Daytona Coupe replica; Cobra 427 dealer Daytona Coupe: kit - $24,999, turnkey - $66,500-$74,000
World Class Motor Sports
1518 Enchanted Ln., Dept. KC
Lancaster, TX 75146
(972) 227-7241
www.wcmultralite.com
Manufactures Lotus-7-inspired kits (Ultralite S2K) on custom-built chassis, powered by Honda S2000 240hp six-peed engines. Finished cars weigh in at a light 1079 pounds. Also serves as dealer for CARS Dio Tipo 61 Series 2 Maserati birdcage-type racers and builds Miata-powered Ultrabusa Clubman Ultalite S2K: kit - $18,750; turnkey - $34,750
Ultrabusa Clubman: turnkey - $26,750