The "Why" is all passion. It’s a lot of work and a lot of bucks and a lot of fun.
I always wanted to build a mid-engine sports car. I remember when I was an adolescent pimply 12 year old boy, I was captivated by the FiberFab Valkyrie. I used paper route money to send for a brochure and wore it out. There was a FiberFab distributer in Buffalo which was 60 miles from where I lived. As soon as I got my driver’s license I drove there to take a look. One look and I could see that the execution did not live up to my worn out brochure.
Then I entered my muscle car period with a 1964½ 289 4 speed Mustang, 1966 396/375HP 4 speed Chevelle Malibu SS, and then one of the last V8 Dusters. These cars were fun in a straight line, but turning and stopping could be hazardous. Several of my friends were seriously hurt in their muscle cars of that era.
My next mid-engine heart-throb was the Manta Mirage. Kit cars had come a long way by then, but were still more show than go. The Mirage had a Chevy V8 but used a Corvair 4 speed transaxle and VW front suspension.
Then there was the Ultima GTR. This was a real mid-engine performance car. However it was built in the UK and was pricy by the time it made it to US shores. I spent many hours reviewing GTR builder's journals to see what was invloved. Then I saw a GTR at the Irving, CA Cars & Coffee event. It lived up to the brochure, but somehow I expected more for the money.
I always wanted to build a car from the ground up, and decided that I would have to make some compromises if I was ever going to fulfill that desire. So I choose a kit car that I liked, could afford and was within my skills. That car was the Factory Five ’33 Hot Rod. I enjoyed the build and learned a lot in the process. However, it was a front engine car.
Soon after the ’33 build, I felt that post-partum depression. Much like women after their first child, I wanted to push out another. Since I was happy with my FFR kit, I seriously looked at the GTM. I ordered the assembly manual to see what is involved. Then I had a chance to sit in a GTM at the Charlotte AutoFair. It really was not a bad car, except the cockpit was just too small for me.
The SLC checked all the boxes for me:
• Mid-engine V8
• Light weight race bred chassis and suspension
• Knock out GTP body styling
• Enough room inside to be comfortable