Cars for Sale - What's Going On ?

Peter D · 08-17-05, 02:45 AM

I wasn't sure where to post this as it covers multiple topics, so maybe here is a good start ?

Here in Oz, I noticed some ads in our latest Unique Cars magazine :

a) RF GT40 - "Coupe 2005. Blue. Automatic. 1 kms. Roaring Forties GT40 Replica. Rolling Chassis. 5 ltr au XR8 GTP sepec engine & reb auto trans & diff. Needs final assembly" VIC AU$45,000

b) XJ220 Replica. "Unfinished project, body chassis unit includes suspension, steering & other parts. This is possibly the only copy of this car in the world for the serious car builder. Ph Denis Bedford". QLD AU$25,000

c) DE-TYPE MK1 (Countach replica) : "Full original set of molds incl interior, seats, console, etc & chassis jigs. Suit Lexus V8, Soarer susp. Start your own business today" QLD AU$25,000

Does anyone know anything about these cars ?

(Denis, if my wife catches me looking at the XJ220 ad, I am dead meat) !!!

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

Craig White · 08-17-05, 05:53 AM

Saw the same ads in Unique Cars.

a) Don't know much about it, a lot of work left to do. Be interesting to see how much has been spent on it. If I'm not mistaken it's been listed on Ebay a few times already.

b) Yeah...very interesting and unique.

c) Hmm...don't expect there is much of a market in Contache replicas here, considering the players already in the market. Cobra kits seem to be selling really well though...

Lynn · 08-17-05, 12:28 PM

Peter,

As far as Denis' car goes, if I had a spare $25K sitting around, I'd snap it up in a minute. I think I have made it pretty clear how big a fan of DRB I am!

I'd also be interested to find out more about the automatic RF car. I've been thinking about an automatic GT40 for years now. There have been a few discussions here about how this might be done, but I don't recall that any of those made it to the build stage. I keep thinking that someday, someone will want a his & her's set of GT40s with her's being an automatic. Or, that someone with a disability might want an automatic GT40. Flipping a TipTronic would never work :-)

Do you think there is some looming technical breakthrough or an economic upheaval that is prompting these guys to sell their projects?

Regards,
Lynn

Ricky · 08-18-05, 12:39 AM

Lynn,
For what it is worth may be you are on to something. I wonder if compliance to ADR's is frightening people off completion of various projects. My personal view is that the DOT regardless of which state in Aus is doing their best to not only make it hard to build individually constructed vehicles but kill the industry off. Maybe I am just being sceptical?

It amazes me how so many of the hotrods around get licensed so easily however the ICV's get blue murder when it comes to licensing.

Again my opinion only.

Cheers,
RV

Pete. · 08-18-05, 02:07 AM

Rick, I'm not sure about W.A. but in QLD hot rods (street rods)can be registered under a category called "special interest vehicle", which is much less stringent than what is required to register a car as an ICV. A special interest vehicle has a lot of restrictions, I.E. You must be a member of a recognised club, can only drive it to and from meets, etc.
An ICV however must meet today's rules which seem to get more restrictive each time the bureaucrats and tree huggers
meet, but once your ICV has passed you have unrestricted use.
I am pretty sure, but not certain, that a replica GT40 could be registered under street rod rules if you wanted to go that route.

Brett James-McCall · 08-18-05, 05:12 AM

[ QUOTE ]
b) XJ220 Replica. "Unfinished project, body chassis unit includes suspension, steering & other parts. This is possibly the only copy of this car in the world for the serious car builder. Ph Denis Bedford". QLD AU$25,000

[/ QUOTE ]
Didn't this used to be up for about 33-35 with the molds and jig as well? Man I wish I had the spare money [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I'd love to do that, but make it like the Le Mans version.

Brett

Pete. · 08-18-05, 05:59 PM

You are spot on there Brett,you can bet anything that Denis
has been involved in will be first class.

Lynn · 08-20-05, 01:22 PM

Pete and Brett, couldn't agree more on Denis' stuff. But, I did a little digging around and am puzzled about the RF. From what I can tell (please set me right, if I am off) the XR8 is a front engine, rear wheel drive car with typical inline tranny and rear end, is that right? So, how in the world did someone fit a 5.0L, auto tranny and diff in an RF?? When I read this, I assumed that the gearbox was an automatic transaxle. I guess this proves the first part of the ass-u-me rule anyway [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Regards,
Lynn

Craig White · 08-20-05, 06:03 PM

Lynn, the RF is a bit suss, need a little more info I think.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in VIC you can no longer get that engine approved anyway. Well you already had to be signed up with an engineer by end of last year to use Windsor style engine. Definitely can't use it in NSW. And by the looks of it, you will be only be available to get that type of engine approved in QLD till the end of the year due to the rolling 5 year rule here. I'm guessing the other states might have similiar rules to QLD. Soon the only choices will be 4.6/5.4 lt Ford modular and Holden/Chev LS1/2 engines. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Makes that RF worth a lot less in my books, excluding the weird auto thing... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Glad mine is already approved, that's all I can say. This is one of the main reasons I decided against building GT40 this time.

For more info on Denis's cars, including XJ220: http://www.copycatcars.com/