Road To Recovery! 1967 Kellison Astra X-300 GT
Kit cars have always been a fun subject when it comes to the DIY market segment of the auto hobby, with many of them hailing from the good old days back when you could find an inexpensive donor chassis such as that of a VW and then order fiberglass panels to replace all the factory sheet metal. The problem is that even after the cool factor was multiplied many times over in the looks department, most of them still operated exactly like the stock car the pieces were removed from. But decent performance isn’t an issue with this 1967 Kellison Astra X-300 GT, which has something adequately potent under the hood and isn’t lacking in great body lines either. Somebody saw potential here and wasted no time in snapping this one up, with Barn Finds hoping it was bought by an enthusiast who’s eager to get this one back on the road again as soon as possible.
While several of the kit producers did not endure long-term success, Jim Kellison’s company was an exception, and his background as an aircraft engineer and ex-war fighter pilot sure didn’t hurt his ability to help foster his performance visions coming to life on the pavement. That’s Jim in the black and white above photo posing with one of his J series cars from the early sixties.
The subject car here recently found a new home via Facebook Marketplace, and by all accounts it was a true barn find that the seller had previously acquired from his neighbor, who happened to be only the car’s second owner. Once that transaction was completed, the new caretaker intended to give the car a full restoration, but with other projects in the works already combined with a lack of space he realized that wasn’t going to happen, and a wise decision was made to get the Kellison into the garage of someone else who will have the time to bring the car back to its former glory. We don’t have any way of knowing what sort of a deal was negotiated here, but the seller did suggest a perceived value of between $25k and 30k in its present condition.
This one is powered by a 289, which we don’t get much more information on other than it’s running, but not very well due to a long period of inactivity and sitting. The only detail we’re told about the transmission is that it’s a manual, but even if both components need a rebuild this seems like a good investment to help get the car back to being a dependable driver.
Things inside are looking rather barren, but many of the gauges appear to still be intact although the dash itself could use some refreshing. It’s probably good that there’s no carpeting or mats so that we can view the floor, which overall looks solid and hopefully that also extends down to the platform below. I’m hoping whoever ended up with this 1967 Kellison Astra X-300 GT will have the time and skill set to give this one all the love it deserves, and hopefully return it to regular use sooner rather than later. Have you or anyone you know ever owned a Kellison? Any thoughts on a reasonable monetary amount for this one to have exchanged hands?
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Comments
A few Kellisons have shown up here before but the last X300 GT was one that Jamie covered a couple years ago-in MUCH better but unfinished condition. One of the great things about BF is the myriad of machinery that appears here and this one is no exception. From everything we read this should just about fly, no pun intended (the designer was a USAF veteran/Aerojet engineer).
All that being said, $25-30K for this one seems a “little” over the top considering it’s obviously spent some time outside. Too, with no photos of this one’s underside it definitely needs to be checked out up close and personal.
If it’s rebuildable it’d be incredible to get this up to speed-literally-with an updated motor (1968 style Hi perf 302, anyone?), gearbox and suspension.
If there is a lake in Woodstock, GA this car looks like it was in it.
No lake in Woodstock, but it has a really nice downtown area.
We are moving down that way and that town was on the list.
As bobhess said, when the top of the valve covers are rusted it’s NOT a good sign. I thought that Cheetah bodies are fiberglass but it’s like a Corvette. The body doesn’t rust, but every piece of metal that supports it can be toast. Be really careful of this one.
📞 1-800-the-hook 🛻 🪝
Do you think that anyone would ever license the patent and begin making the body molds again for kits like the COBRA or Daytona?
Superformance and Factory Five are already well established builders with well executed vehicles for Cobra roadsters and the Daytona Coupe.
Really neat looking car, beautiful lines and curves with the power to back up the styling. This one needs everything, but only if the horrible looking rust wasn’t caused by the car going for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean, because it looks like every square inch of the car other than the fiberglass body is covered in it. But I can visualize this one with a very high performance small block Ford with a 4-6 speed transmission, independent front and rear suspension and the proper size wheel and tire combo to fill up the wheel wells.
The issue I always have with cars like this is- I can only think about all the badass cars I can buy that need nothing but gas for the price this particular car is going to need to bring it back to respectability. But like I said, it is a very pretty car.
Looks like 1965 289 due to the gold-colored valve covers – and an early one with a road draft tube instead of a PCV valve. The shifter is a stock Ford 4-speed piece.
Focusing closely at the images, especially the engine compartment, this car spent some time partially submerged. No telling how much $$$ will have to be spent getting it back in shape, that much rust in the engine compartment leads me to believe that engine is frozen solid. The electrical is toast for certain, suspension and brakes are probably in really bad shape too.
It says right in the write up on this that the motor does run although not very well. So the engine is not seized it just needs to be rebuilt.
Value is the body only so $5000 tops. Get it tagged then throw everything metal away and build it! You are lookin at $50-100k
I would love to have this in my stable despite the potential for excessive rust. It’s just one of those “got to have it” cars. Over time and with patience and perseverance, this would be a build to be proud of. Much prefer this to a same old, same old corvette…
Some one needs to call the Count bc aka Danny from Counts Custums in Las Vegas that shop/ show did one a few years ago
LP posts my mind.
Find the opposite ina Panetera? (toasted body, mount this one?)
Probably not possible. BUT…
this guy had somea da best styled kit cars (body lines, ‘style’, looks)
to do it right it would definitely have to be stripped down to frame to see what is there, my shop has done something similar a 59 devon new tubular frame coil over shoock suspension etc easy 75 to 100 grand resto