Another Fauxari

Meh....
It's a Tribute Automotive kit. Not the best quality kits and are not very sought after used.
Looks to be quite well built but it's hard to tell from a few (carefully taken) pictures. It has a voltmeter (which doesn't work) where it should have an oil temp gauge. People do that because it's easier.
I don't like the Z3 heater controls. Again, left because it's easier.
High miles, a less desirable M52 2.8 and a terrible MOT history would suggest the car underneath isn't very good.
The Tribute conversions don't fetch good money usually, so I would say it is overpriced for what it is. Looks to have been built to emulate a racer, sort of.

It's got all the right stickers all over it, but these are £1 each off the internet!

The main problem with these 250GT coupe versions is the roof. The car was a convertible and a thin GRP roof has been stuck onto it. The top of the windscreen is the only place the roof can be fixed and I know it is very very difficult getting them to fit and stay fitted. The GRP also flexes so they tend to crack at that join. I have seen some horrendous pictures of attempts to get the roof to bond to the windscreen surround (some including 3" nails embedded in the GRP).

The colour looks suspiciously similar to mine, although it doesn't photograph well so hard to tell.

All in my opinion of course.
 
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IRD said:
Do I gather you are not wonderfully impressed by this example Andy?😉
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It's OK for what it is. I've seen a lot worse.
I'm not a 'kit car' or 'replica' fan at all. So I ONLY like the ones like mine, as it was the shape and the overall look I did mine for. The ones like mine are not all equal, either. I have seen some pretty poor ones.
I have no desire to own a Z3, never have. Just so happens a Z3 is what these bodykits were made to fit. Again, there are worse cars to use as a base. Many older kits were based on Triumph heralds, or rusty Cortinas. At least the 6 cylinder Z3s have a bit of go, so they are not embarrassing to drive when your car looks like an Italian exotic racing car.

I really hope the seller gets near the asking price. It would show the market is still there for these things which is always a good thing.
 
Zedebee said:
I understand why someone would build one of these, but I can’t understand why anyone would buy one.
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Because they can't build one lol
I'd imagine the process is utterly horrific if you're not a competent mechanic or have have no experience.
I know I couldn't do it 🤦‍♂️
 
Steviejay01 said:
Because they can't build one lol
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Exactly that. Many people lust after a specific car but either can't afford the real thing, or can't build them. Pre-built 'replicas' are their only option.
I have a friend who doesn't know which way round to hold a paint brush, let alone anything else.

I was speaking to a chap at the weekend with a Sebring Austin Healey Replica. He wanted a Healey but couldn't afford one (and didn't want the hassles of a 1960s British car), and had no clue about practical stuff. So he got Sebring to build him one. It cost him more than a decent real Healey in the end but he is well happy.
 
Interesting insight pondy.
I just read the description, they really laid it on thick didn’t they.
 
I would have said that looks really good but apart from MR2 Fauxrarri and cobra kits I don’t know s**t from clay with kit cars so interesting to read Pondys take on it, which I don’t doubt for a moment.
 
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Steviejay01 said:
I'd imagine the process is utterly horrific if you're not a competent mechanic or have have no experience.
I know I couldn't do it
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I have no experience with building cars, or servicing them. The nearest I ever got is changing a set of brake pads on a Ford Escort back in 1989. It took me all day!
And yes the process is pretty horrific at times. I nearly gave up many times with mine. But one day there is light at the end of the tunnel and everything suddenly comes together. Then it was worth all the tears.

IMO building cars is a bit like women giving birth. It's horrendous at the time but easily forgotten soon afterwards. ;)
 
I've had a few kit cars in my time. Never built any of them LOL. I had the raffo belva prototype than I had a tiger super cat. After that I had a mev rocket , the mav rocket was the one I sold for my E86. I haven't looked back to be fair. Absolutely love my second Coupe.

Kit cars can be fun. I have to admit though, the only type of kit car I would be interested in these days if something like Pondy's or a cobra replica
 
Steviejay01 said:
I have to admit though, the only type of kit car I would be interested in these days if something like Pondy's or a cobra replica
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My original intention was to build a Cobra replica. There are two well known manufacturers near me; AK Sportscars in Peterborough and Gardner Douglas in Grantham. I visited both around 10 years ago to see what it all entailed. I was going to build an AK. Then I started to price it all up. I would have wanted a new LS3 V8 engine and a six speed Tremec. I got to around £80k and stopped counting. Too expensive for me. Plus they need an IVA which is a complete nightmare.

Then I saw the DNA video of them building mine. No IVA, much cheaper (ish) to build and no major mechanicals to build. I was sold.

Took another 7 years to find a bodykit, as DNA went out of business just before I was about to order my kit in 2016!
 
The only kit car I've owned was a Westfield X1 LE MANS, I absolutely loved it, it was build as a track car but road legal had hand-built alloy body and a rose jointed suspension set up, dry sumped lotus twin cam big valve engine with twin webber, quaif racing box , it was an absolute blast and extremely quick up to about 70 mph, only drove it on the motorway a few times as it was quite scary having lorries n coaches going past with your eye line at their hub cap levels.........it was very much done as a replica of the team lotus cars that raced in the 1955 Le Mans , l was just 19 at the time and every road trip was an adventure. The only thing that caused me issues was the small 10 litre race fuel tank that had no fuel level indicator, l used to carry a fuel can for the odd occasion l ran out of fuel and to help l made myself a little alloy dip stick to get an idea on fuel levels. I shall have a dig around and try n find some pictures. Unfortunately l had to sell it when l moved to New Zealand, l always wondered what happened to it? But as you know l still have a love for Lotus.....the Exige isn't quite a extreme as the XI and has the luxury of a roof, wipers, windows and fuel gauge!!!! The Xl in a rain storm had such good aero (as long as you were going over 40 mph ) that you stayed dry :)
 
The photos show the before and after my conversion to single seater le mans specification, but this car rates as my most unpractical vehicle. I quite fancy a Lotus 2 Eleven as this would be a similar concept but that's a story for the future hopefully ; )
 

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Steviejay01 said:
I'd imagine the process is utterly horrific if you're not a competent mechanic or have have no experience.
I know I couldn't do it 🤦‍♂️
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I've mentioned before my best mate at the age of 18 deciding to build an MGB roadster with a V8 engine. He purchased a donor car and an ex police SD1 V8, invested in a new MG heritage shell and off he went, his previous technical ability like myself was making wooden spatulas and toy planes at school! The police car was stripped of the engine and brakes, and then sent off to Oselli for an overhaul, the engine was finally built in his bedroom and it took three of us to manhandle it down the stairs when completed! Slowly over the next months he put it together in a small lockup garage, learning skills as he went along like welding engine mounts etc. Luckily most MG parts were still available and with constant trips to pick things up the car was completed and professionally painted in tartan red and could it shift! Sitting in the passenger seat as this thing flew along remind me of the wooden spatulas and my constant fear of what would happen if the car started coming apart (there was a socket set and a hammer in the boot just incase it was needed!). He went to a few shows in it, and it languished in a garage for about 10 years before selling it as other thing took over his life, his only regret... he should have done a Cobra!
 
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