Imitation...The Greatest Form of Flattery? Kit Cars

[StanAE86]

I'm not an expert, but some kit cars look pretty good to me, until you get into the details and the motor. It makes me wonder how many people I've given a thumbs up to...are actually driving a kit car? This past weekend, I saw a young guy in a Diablo Roadster and gave him a thumbs up...was it real? He was really young...but in the Bay Area, there's techies, and a young millionaire isn't out of the ordinary...but still...

I'm not talking about kits like this one, which claims to be "the best Diablo kit around"...ummm...around Jupiter, maybe. Can you please yell "FIERO" with me?

http://www.americandreamcars.com/1995lamborghini.htm

I'm talking about something like this...where you can get tube framed chassis, etc. It's impressive at the very least. Look at the gallery:

http://www.naerc.com/

[Mopsdrops]

LMAO !!! 'Probably the best diablo kit around' looks like he only could pay for the cheapest rear diablo kit, front looks the same I hate replicas imo :fist: but that second one looks very exact

[nthfinity]

i'm going to have to disagree that this doesnt even look like a diablo... sure the Fiero kit is 1000x worse.... but after looking at the gallery, the lines are very wrong, and actually looks like shit. no matter how good the tube frame may or may not be... this is 100% the wrong thing to do, and done extremely poorly IMO. and WTF is with the fake engine covers? :roll: "see, its a lambo... i have the heads and intake runners made of plastic!"

this isn't flattery, its posing as something you arent... and taking away from the madness that the diablo is.

kit cars are one thing that i appreciate... but people running kit car cav 40's, cobra's, and daytona's are incredibly fast that dont take a thing away from the originals... and cirtainly dont try to be the originals.

there are good reasons why most real enthusiasts dont ever concider trying to make a lamborfaky, or fakerari etc.

[Lambofighter]

Hate kitkars!!!

[r2r]

I Hate Kitcars as well.

[ZfrkS62]

i'm just reminded of that godawful CGT kit that was posted here sometime ago. Kits that make a car look like another are hideous, and probably the WORST example of poser you could ever get.

Now if you're getting a DIY kit to make a completely unique car that doesn't pretend to be something else, which isn't the point of this thread of course, then fine. That's tolerable.

but for fucks sake, leave the collectibles alone

[StanAE86]

I dunno. I'd have to see a real one side by side. But just from the pictures...you could fool me...I must not have quite the same discerning eye that some others have...but I still know, I couldn't get away with driving one, knowing it was fake...I wonder if those buying these kits would fess up that they're fake, without cornering them on it and forcing them to admit it?

I think Cobra kits are different because you can't get a real Cobra anymore...so it's socially acceptable to get a Cobra Kit. These more modern type cars definately don't get the respect Cobra kits get. Is that because no matter the motor, it can't perform like the real ones?

I don't know what the stigma is, but I know I couldn't give the same respect to a kit car, even if it was done very nicely...it's just not the same. Maybe it's knowing they didn't "earn" it. Then again, after pricing out the "upgrades" on that nicer kit....you're looking at the cost of a used, early 1990s Diablo...which I'd rather have over a new style kit car. Then again, it'd probably be easier and cheaper to insure the kit car? I dunno.

I know I would totally go for a Noble, which is sold as a "kit car" in the US...because it's sold without a motor...that would be pimp to have. Especially since it's not a real "kit" car....

[Banchi105]

From Slantback.com

2000 Diablo Kit Car: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My first, and only, kit car. Over $85,000 was spent to make this vehicle as close to the look of a Lamborghini Diablo as possible. The body is an IFG body, on a partial Fiero chassis, with the stock Fiero engine. Everything was done right though, wiring harnesses where they should be, proper grounding, etc.. Too many kit cars are just junk that a backyard mechanic put together. This one was done right. The interior is done with custom made ostrich leather! The dimensions of this car compared to a true Diablo are nearly identical. The engine was also stripped and rebuilt from scratch to ensure everything went smoothly. It's truly a fun car. There is also a top, but it's rarely on. After selling this, folks will ask me if I will ever do a kit again. No way. Buy a 1992 Diablo for the same price a truely complete kit costs.

This kit would confuse me if I encountered it in reallife. Not being a Lamborghini expert I would definately think it to be the real thing.

I guess as far as kits go it depends on what you believe an exotic car to be. If the car is just a symbol of money & success then a kit car will satisfy you. But if your a real enthusiast who cares a little more about driving then they will never do.

Originally Posted by Banchi105 From Slantback.com 2000 Diablo Kit Car: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My first, and only, kit car. Over $85,000 was spent to make this vehicle as close to the look of a Lamborghini Diablo as possible. The body is an IFG body, on a partial Fiero chassis, with the stock Fiero engine. Everything was done right though, wiring harnesses where they should be, proper grounding, etc.. Too many kit cars are just junk that a backyard mechanic put together. This one was done right. The interior is done with custom made ostrich leather! The dimensions of this car compared to a true Diablo are nearly identical. The engine was also stripped and rebuilt from scratch to ensure everything went smoothly. It's truly a fun car. There is also a top, but it's rarely on. After selling this, folks will ask me if I will ever do a kit again. No way. Buy a 1992 Diablo for the same price a truely complete kit costs. This kit would confuse me if I encountered it in reallife. Not being a Lamborghini expert I would definately think it to be the real thing. I guess as far as kits go it depends on what you believe an exotic car to be. If the car is just a symbol of money & success then a kit car will satisfy you. But if your a real enthusiast who cares a little more about driving then they will never do.

Sorry but can you not see how out of proportion and just wrong the car is from the windscreen foward particularly?? thats one of the more obvious ones IMO Maybe if it flew past me but thats unlikely as it would probably have some 2 litre 4 pot

[MIHALS]

^^^ ugly piece of crap

front looks too narrow, the engine cover is and the rear wing too high....

"The dimensions of this car compared to a true Diablo are nearly identical" > I NEARLY bought an SL 55 AMG - I was missing just 89.000 GBP

I'd love to see these guys faces when they try to resell their baby. Like the tards who spend £30000 on a nova then wonder why they get £5000 back

[graywolf624]

but a very different thing are the replicas of the GT40 or Cobra - the good ones I mean, which are as close to the original as possible. Those are fucking expensive since they try to be as accurate as they can be, and this is never cheap

The difference? The good gt40 and cobra replicas are ground up. Im left wondering if a good replica of a lambo or a ferrari might be possible by the same means(not now, but say in 30 years when the materials are cheaper to produce)

[StanAE86]

That yellow SV shouts at me as a replica because the front looks so wrong. The link to that North American Replica Cars strikes me as much more accurate. Then again, I notice that all of the shots are from angle and not dead on...which might give away the inaccurate proportions.

[StanAE86]

This is impressive:

http://www.drautos.com/search/srDeta...930&sessionkey

[Banchi105]

Originally Posted by dani_d_mas ... but a very different thing are the replicas of the GT40 or Cobra - the good ones I mean, which are as close to the original as possible. Those are fucking expensive since they try to be as accurate as they can be, and this is never cheap

Agreed. Although, its not a personal taste of mine, I do respect the Cobra/GT40 kits. Maybe for me its because its almost impossible to get your hands on an original even if you do have the money so its alright to have kit cars. But a Lambo kit car is only if you don't have the money to purchase a real Lamborghini, but still want to pose.