Kit Cars
Roaring ‘20s Throwback: 1978 Excalibur Phaeton
The Excalibur automobile was conceived by Brooks Stevens in the 1960s. Stevens was head designer at Studebaker in those days and he started up a company in Wisconsin to build the Excalibur, which was a replica of the 1928… more»
Hemi Pickup! 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8
The Charger nameplate returned to the Dodge fold in 2006 using the LX platform. Unlike the Chrysler 300 (also an LX), it was a performance machine and could be equipped with a 6.1-liter Hemi V8. And like the 300,… more»
EV Kit Car! 1981 Bradley GT II Electric
Bradley Automotive was a 1970s manufacturer of kit cars largely based on a Volkswagen Type 1 chassis and drivetrain. The GT was perhaps its best-known product, which could be purchased as a kit or a fully assembled car. The… more»
No Reserve: 1965 Fiberfab Banshee
We’re no strangers to unfinished projects at Barn Finds, with some showing greater promise than others. However, when it is a kit car, opinions can be divided. This 1965 Fiberfab Banshee is a perfect example of the breed. The… more»
’70s Cool! 1970 El Lobo Dune Buggy
By the time 1970 rolled around, it was clear that two things would survive an atomic blast: cockroaches and air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles. The indestructible little People’s Car became the underpinning for a variety of interesting kit cars and low-production… more»
Close Enough? 1957 Porsche Speedster Replica
Kit cars, even after all these years, still seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of automobiles. They just don’t get no respect. Is that a fair attitude to take? The majority of them were built to replicate famous vehicles… more»
Build it Your Way: Kellison J5 Body + Chassis and Rear End
Occasionally, a blank canvas project candidate appears that is worth more than a passing glance. Such is the case with this Kellison J5 kit car. The included parts list isn’t extensive, but they could hold the key to creating… more»
1-of-284: 1987 Ginetta G26
We’ve seen a recent influx of kit cars at Barn Finds, and this 1987 Ginetta G26 is among the more unusual. Hailing from the UK, only 284 of these classics were produced. It looks exotic, but with most of… more»
Porsche Turbo Powered: 1975 Sterling Kit Car
Kit cars offer buyers the best of both worlds. Most are exotic-looking vehicles that can’t help but turn heads. They achieve this feat while the svelte body typically rests on pretty humble underpinnings like those provided by a Volkswagen… more»
Meyers Manx? 1972 Volkswagen Dune Buggy
Dune buggies were all the rage in the 1960s and 1970s, at least along the beaches in California and Florida. Most were fiberglass bodies affixed to a Volkswagen chassis and using Beetle power. Perhaps the best known was the… more»
Fiberglass Kit Car? 1957 Ford Thunderbird
This is one strange bird. It’s registered as a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, but is it? Well, looks can be deceiving and this one is a bit of a Frankenstein. This T-bird is actually a Dofral kit car and my… more»
Tubular Frame Replica: 1984 Lamborghini Countach
I’m pretty sure that every Barn Finds reader has seen a vehicle where the builder has tried to create a replica of some outrageously expensive exotic. They are typically based on pretty mundane underpinnings, meaning that the dimensions are… more»
American Gullwing! Fiberfab Banshee/Caribee
In the 1960s and 1970s, the automotive world had a love/hate relationship with kit cars. On the one hand, the varied body kits offered dreamers the chance to build an exotic-looking car with their custom touches. On the other… more»
Unfinished Vintage Kit Car: 1953 Allard J2X by Elite Enterprises
Allard Motor Company, founded by Sydney Allard in 1946, made just 200 cars in its dozen-year history. Jerry Knapp was four years old when Allard produced its first car. He was born in Minnesota but eventually settled in California…. more»
Jack Stand Find: Custom Coach Builders Sebring
Is it a Sebring, a Nova, a Sovran, a Cimbria or a Sterling? All three are very similar-looking component cars produced in the 1970s and 1980s by various companies, most of which were based on the venerable VW Beetle… more»
Volkswagen Power: 1953 MG TD Kit Car
The TD was part of MG’s T-Type sports car lineup built from 1936 to 1955, with Its run between 1950 and 1953. The seller has a kit car replica that’s been in a barn for the past 20 years…. more»
