MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas

058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 58
MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas
CRATE
Expectations
Complete Kit Car checks out a consignment
of fake Ferraris, from a classic 250 GTO to an
up-to-date 360 Modena, and asks the owners
why they chose fake Ferrari clothes for
their Toyota and Pontiac donors.
58 COMPLETE KIT CAR
JUNE 2007
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 59
JUNE 2007
COMPLETE KIT CAR 59
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 60
MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas
YOU PROBABLY HAVE an opinion
on Ferrari replica panel kits. It seems
everyone has something to say about
them, and many views are strongly put
forward at any given opportunity;
controversy follows these cars
everywhere they go. The haters can’t
stand the fakeness of it all, but those who
actually go out there and convert a
Toyota MR2 or, in the past, a Pontiac
Fiero with GRP panels, simply enjoy
driving something that looks exotic yet is
easy to live with.
We’ve brought together examples of the
three main false Ferrari candidates from
over the years – a Fiero based 308, an
MR2 Mk2 based 355 and the latest in the
line, an MR2 Mk3 based 360. A couple of
wildcards add to the mix, in the form of a
Datsun 260Z based 250 GTO and an ultrarare Fiero based F40. We’ll see what makes
these cars tick, and why the owners chose
such automotive deception...
Syd Edwards’
DNA 3Sixty
simply purchased DNA Automotive’s exdemo 3Sixty. Job done.
Despite being a life-long car enthusiast,
the kit car scene has passed Syd by: “I’d
never have considered a kit car, but I fell
in love with the DNA when I saw it at the
Autosport show.” Before stumping up the
necessary £28,000 to buy the car, Syd
asked the DNA team question after
question. Each one generated an answer
that made his choice to buy the car all the
easier – and consequently led to the
replacement of his beloved Jaguar XK8.
“I saw the time and effort that had gone
into the car,” says Syd, “and I was
3Sixty’s interior
benefits from a red
leather retrim.
MR2’s centre console
has been removed to
give a more genuine
Ferrari look.
Finding a privately built 360 copy proved
impossible, as it seems that today’s Ferrari
replica owner is more happy to let the
factory do all the hard work. Syd Edwards,
owner of the silver car here, is a perfect
example. When he took the plunge, he
This is DNA
Automotive’s ex-demo
car. Current owner
bought it for £28,000.
60 COMPLETE KIT CAR
JUNE 2007
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
I OWN THIS...
Owner: Syd Edwards
Age: 48
Occupation: Property developer
Favourite tool in your garage: A screwdriver or
hammer
Best thing about your car? The looks
Worst thing on your car: I can’t think of a worst
thing!
Fastest car you’ve ever been in? A Jaguar XJR, or
a stationery F1 car
Other car(s) you own: Mitsubishi Shogun
Lottery win car: Ferrari 360
First car you owned: Mini
impressed with the bodywork and finish. I
believe it’s as near to a Ferrari 360 as you’ll
16:54
Page 61
ever get with a kit car.”
At the time of our interview, Syd had
owned the 3Sixty for about eight weeks
but, being out of the country often, had
only covered about 600 miles in that
period. Not enough time to get used to the
attention the car draws. “Roland at DNA
told me everyone would look, take pictures
and want to speak to me, and I thought he
was exaggerating, but he wasn’t!”
Another great aspect of the 3Sixty is the
running costs. It uses half as much fuel as
Syd’s previous Jaguar, while kit car
insurance rates are low too. The
looks/economy balance is a major draw,
and a big part of the reason for Syd’s
choice. And what about the Toyota MR2
level of performance? “The power is not as
relevant as I thought it would be,” says Syd.
Hood stows away
neatly. Engine is in
there somewhere.
Owner Syd Edwards
replaced his Jaguar XK8
daily driver with this
3Sixty.
“I don’t miss the performance of the XK8.”
We had to push Syd to come up with
a criticism, and he had to nit-pick to
nominate the fiddly hood arrangement
which takes a couple of minutes to
raise and lower. Otherwise, he is positively
brimming with enthusiasm for his new
daily driver. He loves the fact that he has
something that’s practical enough for daily
use, fools most passers-by into thinking it’s
the real deal and is cheap to run. We have a
kit car convert in our midst...
OWNER RATING SYD EDWARDS (OUT OF TEN)
ON THE ROAD
Performance
Handling
Brakes
9
9
9
Overall quality
Smile factor
Value for money
9
10
9
Neil Prudhoe’s ‘Roy Kelly’ 355
Neil Prudhoe has been a kit car owner
for over 20 solid years. Tucked away in
the garage at home is a VW Beetle based
Kingfisher Countess (below) which he
bought fully built in the mid ’80s.
Without wishing to be rude about the
angular Countach lookalike, it highlights
just how far body conversions have come
in two decades. It also whetted Neil’s
appetite to build a car for himself, and
when he retired he did just that.
He spent two years researching the
market and eventually chose the kit
made – in a very low key way – by Roy
Kelly of the Italian Replica Club. Being
‘just’ 80 miles away from Roy’s base
(much closer than other makers at the
time) swayed his decision and, in July
2004, he collected the kit.
To kick off the build, Neil took
advantge of Roy’s ‘build day’ where he
visited Neil’s house and, together, they
loose-fitted all the panels to ensure
JUNE 2007
This 355 replica has
the import-only MR2
turbo engine.
COMPLETE KIT CAR 61
everything lined up. It was a 7am to 7pm
day’s work and well worth the money.
“Roy’s experience meant he could just
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 58
MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas
get on and start cutting away at the
GRP,” says Neil. “The day gave me great
confidence – without it, I don’t think I’d
have ever got it done.”
I BUILT THIS...
Owner: Neil Prudhoe
Age: 54
Occupation: Retired
Black leather interior
Favourite tool in your garage: The grinder
dictated the yellow paint.
Are you a member of the club?: Yes, the Italian
Replica Club and the Teesdale Motor Club.
If it was sprayed red,
Best thing about your car: The looks – it’s all
about the body shape!
would have had to retrim
Worst thing about your car: A small crack in the
filler at the base of the windscreen frame
for authenticity.
owner Neil Prudhoe
the interior in magnolia
Best bargain: A Ferrari shirt from eBay for 1p
Fastest car you have ever been in: I drove a real
Ferrari 360. What a car!
Lottery win car: Ferrari Enzo
355 replica was
First car you owned: Ford Capri
Neil’s first kit car build.
OWNER RATING NEIL PRUDHOE (OUT OF TEN)
THE BUILD
Kit quality
Factory back-up
Build manual
Ease of build
Ease of SVA compliance
ON THE ROAD
9
10
8
8
n/a
Performance
Handling
Brakes
Value for money
Smile factor
9
8
7
8
10
The entire construction was a learning
curve. For instance, Neil was happy to
learn to weld (“it’s handy to be able to
weld up brackets as you go along”) and
even painted the car himself. He’s willing
to point out faults on the car, and areas
he would do differently next time. For
instance, the paint suffers a ‘feathered’
edge where it was masked around the
windscreen. He now knows that for £35
he could have had the ’screen removed
and replaced after painting.
The yellow colour scheme chose
itself by virtue of the Toyota donor’s
black leather. If Neil had opted for red
62 COMPLETE KIT CAR
JUNE 2007
paint, authenticity would have dictated
a re-trim of the interior to magnolia
which would have added a hefty chunk
to the budget.
By September 2005, Neil’s car was on
the road at a cost of £9750 and he’s more
than pleased with the finished product.
His car is a turbocharged import and he
finds the performance more than
adequate without too much risk of getting
points: “There’s no point being a petrol
head without a license,” he says. For him,
it’s all about the styling and a Ferrari
replica fits the bill perfectly – so much so,
that he’s already planning another build.
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 59
Jeff Fulcher’s
SPM 308
Jeff Fulcher didn’t get off to a good start
with Ferrari replica ownership. He began
building an Auto Milan 308 replica but,
mid-build, the manufacturer ceased
trading and Jeff didn’t have everything
needed to complete the kit, so he sold
what he had.
Still keen to own a 308, though, he
sought one second-hand and, in 1999,
found the car you see here. “I wanted
one with good bodywork. You can sort
out anything mechanical,” says garageowner Jeff, “but the panels need to be
right. That’s the whole heart of it.” Even
now, the SPM is in terrific condition
bodily, and the 308’s lines have lost none
of their delicate appeal. Increasingly
classic looking, the 308 can’t be accused
of being ‘showy’, its modest size and
gentle curves harking back to Ferraris of
the past. This one’s immaculate, too.
After paying £10,000 for the car, he
knew there was work to do underneath.
“It was drivable, but the electrics were up
the shoot. On the way home, we were
flashing wires together to get the brake
lights showing.” Once he got the 308
home, Jeff totally re-wired it. He has also
replaced the dash with an aftermarket
one from the States (it’s Pontiac Fiero
based, remember), installed new VDO
dials, converted the brakes to vented
discs at the front, lowered the suspension,
fitted new shock absorbers all-round and
removed the catalytic converter. “There’s
not much that hasn’t been done!”
Jeff uses his SPM at the weekend,
primarily to go to kit and classic car
shows. Out on the road, the only
drawback is the blindspot to the right (the
V6 engine dressed up
to look a little more
‘Ferrari’.
I OWN THIS...
Pontiac’s left-hand-
Owner: Jeff Fulcher
drive retained with
Age: 49
308 replica.
Occupation: Garage owner/motor technician
Favourite tool in your garage: The air gun
Are you a member of the club?: Italian Replica Club
Best thing about your car: The looks you get
Worst thing about your car: Visibility out of the
right-hand side
Best bargain: Various parts from the States
Fastest car you have ever been in: Either a real
Lamborghini Countach or a Ferrari 512 Boxer
Other car(s) you own: A Citroën Xantia
Donor Fiero
dimensions suit the
308. No need for big
wheel spacers here!
car is left-hand-drive), but as he almost
always has a passenger it’s no big deal.
Unlike later Ferrari replicas based on
MR2s, there was no bonding of
bodywork or cutting of donor car panels
on these early Pontiac based body swaps.
The Fiero itself had a GRP body, so the
old panels were unbolted and new ones
bolted in their place. Also, there was no
need for the wheel spacers that today’s
replicas employ. The 308 itself was a
small car, making it the ideal replica on
the ideal donor. If Jeff can get used to the
idea of having big wheel spacers, though,
he might be tempted by a 360 build...
JUNE 2007
Lottery win car: Ferrari 360 Stradale Challenge
Favourite film: The Great Outdoors or Gladiator
First car you owned: A Mini
OWNER RATING JEFF FULCHER (OUT OF TEN)
ON THE ROAD
Performance
Handling
Brakes
COMPLETE KIT CAR 63
8
8
9
Overall quality
Smile factor
Value for money
8
9
10
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 60
MULTI TEST Ferrari Replicas
Peter Cuthbert’s 250 GTO
“It amazes me that so few Ferrari replica
owners get involved with the Ferrari
Owners’ Club,” says 250 GTO replica
owner Peter Cuthbert. He’s a member of
the Prancing Horse Register, the part of
the club you join if you don’t actually
own a Ferrari, and often visits club events
to rub shoulders with the real thing.
“There are a lot of nice people who own
Ferraris,” he says, “and I’ve built up quite
a rapport with them.” When asked, he
never denies his car’s Datsun 260Z
origins (“it can be appreciated for what it
is”) and reports plenty of favourable
comments from other club members.
Peter wasn’t actually looking to buy a
Peter Cuthbert goes
to many Ferrari Owners’
Club meetings in his
250 GTO replica.
So few people have
seen a real 250 that it
hardly matters that this
isn’t an exact copy.
Even replicas are a
rare sight!
Nissan Z-car
donor vehicle means a
charismatic straight
six engine.
OWNER RATING PETER CUTHBERT (OUT OF TEN)
ON THE ROAD
Performance
Handling
Brakes
8
9
7
Overall quality
Smile factor
Value for money
9
10
10
kit car when he
happened to see the
250 advertised. That
was ten years ago
and he’s proudly
owned his replica
ever since. “It had
done 15,000 miles
since being built
seven years earlier in
1990 and since then
I’ve only had to buy
new tyres, get an
exhaust made in stainless steel, replace
the handbrake cable and carry out
routine maintenance.” He paid £13,500
for the car and the last one to change
hands fetched over £20,000, so not only
has it been cheap to run, it’s been a good
investment too.
For six years, Peter ran a 355 replica
alongside the GTO but, in the end,
couldn’t justify owning two kit cars. “I sold
the 355 because, if I ever decided I wanted
another, it would be easier to find than the
250.” He’s also fonder of ’60s styling than
that of the ’90s. Peter will readily admit
that his car isn’t an exact replica, but so
few people have ever seen a real 250 GTO
that it hardly matters. It’s obvious that he
just enjoys driving an entertaining, good
looking car which opens doors to places he
wouldn’t otherwise have gone. “I’ve made
so many friends as a result of owning the
car,” he says, “and been to places I
wouldn’t otherwise have gone.”
Over his ten-year ownership of the
car, he has occasionally considered
64 COMPLETE KIT CAR
JUNE 2007
selling it, but pushing it out of the garage
on a sunny day is enough to convince
him otherwise. “If I was ever in a
position to buy a real Ferrari, I’d be
tempted to hang on to the GTO too.”
I OWN THIS...
Owner: Peter Cuthbert
Age: 63
Occupation: Retired
Favourite tool in your garage: Small socket set
Are you a member of the club?: The Italian Replica
Club and the Prancing Horse Register
Best thing about your car: The looks
Worst thing about your car: The front overhang is
out of sight when parking
Favourite supplier: Z Farm
Fastest car you have ever been in: A Ferrari 360
at Silverstone
Other car(s) you own: A Vauxhall Vectra
Lottery win car: A Ferrari Enzo. It’s nice to dream!
First car you owned: A 1935 Wolseley 14
058-065 Ferrari:CKC Edit Template
3/5/07
16:54
Page 61
Steve Rowe’s Xillion F40
There’s nothing like making things
difficult for yourself. Steve Rowe had his
heart set on buying a second-hand
Ferrari F40 replica, but they only come
on the market once in a blue moon and,
when they do, they’re snapped up
quickly. Just when he was about to give
up the search and go for his second
choice, a Diablo replica, a friend told
him there was an F40 copy on the
market. He was quick to hand over
£12,000 and get this wedge of ’80s
exotica on his driveway. It’s still got it,
the F40: to our eyes, neither the F50 nor
Enzo have come close to emulating the
visual drama of this hyper-Ferrari.
The Xillion is a French kit and this
one was built in America in about 1990,
before ending up in the UK and being
converted to right-hand-drive. Steve
bought it last December and has since
had the clutch replaced
(which didn’t require
removing the engine and
’box, as first feared) and
got it serviced. His local
independent Mercedes
specialist did the work
(he drives a Merc daily)
as he confesses he
doesn’t have the time or
skill to carry out anything
too involved. “I’m good
at tinkering and cosmetic
things,” he says.
Aesthetically, the
Xillion apes the F40 Le Mans racer,
which means it has an adjustable rear
wing (“I don’t go fast enough to need to
adjust it!”). Retaining the donor Fiero’s
roofline adds 2in to its height compared
to a genuine Ferrari but you wouldn’t
necessarily notice that. The toddler who
shouted, “Look! A space car!” wasn’t too
concerned by the finer details of this
UFO’s dimensions.
If there’s one thing Steve would like to
improve, it’s the performance (and,
interestingly, he’s the first person today
to say that). “It’d be nice if it was a bit
faster. It’s not bad considering it’s a 22year old engine. It has loads of torque
and is strong in first, second and third.”
For now, though, Steve is more than
happy with the Xillion. If ever he bought
another kit car, it would be that Diablo
replica that’s been on his mind... Lick it clean, Steve!
Being a replica of
I OWN THIS...
Owner: Steve Rowe
the Le Mans version of
Age: 52
the F40, this one has an
Occupation: Photographer
adjustable rear wing.
Favourite tool in your garage: My 2-tonne jack
It’s a French kit that
was built in America
and then imported to
the UK. At that point,
it was converted to
right-hand-drive.
Steve Rowe almost
Are you a member of the club?: Italian Replica
Club
Best thing about your car: It looks like an F40
Worst thing about your car: Replacing the rear
tyres. Retail price is abour £600 per pair!
Best bargain: The rear tyres I found for £269 the
pair
Other car(s) you own: A Mercedes
gave up his F40 replica
Lottery win car: A Ferrari F40 if just for the noise
search and bought a
First car you owned: A Hillman Hunter
Diablo instead.
OWNER RATING STEVE ROWE (OUT OF TEN)
ON THE ROAD
Performance
Handling
Brakes
9
8
7
Overall quality
Smile factor
Value for money
TO JOIN IN
Italian Replica Club, Roy Kelly, Stoneleigh, 50
Teal Street, Ossett, West Yorkshire WF5 0NY.
T: 01924 273619. E: royglyniskelly@aol.com
W: www.italianreplicacarclub.co.uk
JUNE 2007
COMPLETE KIT CAR 65
9
10
10