The car above is not a Ferrari, nor is it a Maserati, O.S.C.A., Cisitalia, Conrero, Moretti, Stanguellini, or Abarth. It is in fact, a home-built, constructed out of period-correct parts – save for the SOHC Datsun L24 under the hood – by a very crafty guy named Ron Lawless.
The level of craftsmanship displayed in that car is something most of us can only dream of, but that doesn’t stop many from having similar ambitions. The results of those ambitions can and do vary widely. And the thing of it is, a lot of them are attempted without a net… er, kit. That’s right, they put them together – frame, body, suspension, wires, and whatnot – without the aid of someone having done it before or at least laying out a road map.
What we’re looking for today are the best of those unique and individual dreams fulfilled. What are the best non-kit home-builts you’ve ever seen?
Image: ©2015 Hooniverse/Robert Emslie, All Rights Reserved
Hooniverse Asks: What’s The Coolest Non-Kit Home-Built Car You’ve Ever Seen?
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Although it doesn’t represent a unique vision of the builder, Ken Imhoff’s “Basement Lamborghini” has to rank pretty high among non-kit home builds.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/05/article-1083186-025A9468000005DC-762_468x314.jpg-
This is exactly where my mind went. 17 years. He’s the man.
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17 years?! It took me that long to decide upon actually getting a project car, leave alone any important decision in my life!
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How about some of the home built specials that competed against the big boys in the early 1950s and early 1960s? Specifically Ol Yeller 2.
http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/REZYOlYaller9HistoricLS.JPG -
I don’t have any photos, but back in 2003 when I was getting into AutoX in college, some guys showed up to the monthly middle GA SCCA Solo II meet with a home built car.
They told me it was inspired by, but didn’t strictly conform to the rules of, Formula SAE. It might remind you of an Ariel Atom, in 2/3 scale, with a single seat. No body work save for a foot well. All square tubing. 12″ aluminum wheels with some sort of racing slick. 80’s Accord DOHC mill right behind the driver’s head with 5 speed and sloppy cable linkage routed right next to the steering wheel. All of this was transported in the back of a Chevy G20 that looked cobbled together from several different victims and barely roadworthy.
It looked like a handful to drive, with neutrality found on a razor’s edge and run-ruining over-or-understeer waiting to pounce on either side. At least one bit broke during each run, and was repaired with a mig powered by a generator before the next run. When it finally completed a full run without breaking something, it was very quick. It beat the times of a Z06 and Viper GTS that had driven down from Atlanta to try out a less-crowded Solo II event. (But then, I only trailed those two by two seconds in my Saturn SL because the guys couldn’t manage their powerful beasts on a course designed by a guy running a prepped Pinto.)
Anyway, those guys and their home-built racecar on a nonexistent budget were definitely the coolest I’ve ever personally encountered.
Also, I won H-stock that day, and they gave me a trophy with a Camaro on it (which I keep at my desk, right next to my 3rd grade baseball trophy from 1992, the year we lost every game).-
I always have way too much to say.
I need a better outlet.-
Thing is, it’s usually worth the time to read it. Keep ’em stories coming!
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Thing is, it’s ALWAYS worth the time to read it. Keep ’em stories coming! 🙂
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Richard Bosley, a 21-year-old nurseryman in Ohio with no experience, built this Chrysler Firepower’d sumbitch in 1952.
http://www.americansportscars.com/bosley.html-
The usual view.
Both photos from http://www.americansportscars.com/bosley.html-
Today, it would have been more of a challenge to add the final piece: A license plate.
Very cool!-
I absolutely know what you’re talking about. Bureaucracy has killed automotive home craftsmanship in most of the western world.
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I’ve always been fascinated by the belly tank racers of the late ’40s and ’50s. With Dubya Dubya Two over, there was a plethora of surplus military gear. Lesser minds might think to buy a surplus belly tank and use it as a storage tank for fuel or fertilizer on a farm. However, greatness came when Bill Burke and the So Cal Speed Shop decided the discarded belly tank of a P-51 Mustang would be a great starting point for a lakester.
http://www.kustomrama.com/images/d/da/Bill-burke-p-51-bellytank2.jpg -
” basement Lamborghini” obviously takes the cake, look at this photo heavy article, very cool.
30+ vehicles made, all different. http://www.odditycentral.com/news/russian-ww2-enthusiast-builds-his-very-own-armored-division.html -
Ralph Watson’s Lycoming Special.
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff52/Tofeehammer/RalphSmith1955LycomingSpecial-Queen.jpg
Read the whole story here: http://ralphwatson.scienceontheweb.net/lycoming.html -
It’s got to be Chuck Lindquist and his scratch built Cobra Daytona Coupe. A meticulous, aluminum bodied exact replica that Chuck built in his home and documented on his web site. Fantastic.
http://www.chuckcobra.com/-
HOLY CARP ! I just spent the last 2 hours reading this build… and you know Chuck is going to hoon the fire out of this Daytona. Awesome find Manxman.
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Seen the news yet? …. Shelby America, breaking news hoons:
http://shelbyamerican.com/?topic=news&art=21535
bring a trailer, no wait, a wheel barrow full of cash
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“Bloody Mary” is a British hill-climb racer built by two teenagers in the 1920’s, using only hand tools.
http://theamazoeffect.blogspot.com/2012/03/race-car-of-day-john-bolsters-bloody.html
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6807042654_202869afcc_o.jpg -
The most beautiful homemade car I ever saw was the Paulussen Beradino. I saw the car at the Classic Days at Schloss Dyck. Here is the story: http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/fahrberichte/paulussen-beradino-im-fahrbericht-eigenbau-sportler-mit-porsche-technik-4368517.html
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Just Wow! That is beautiful!
Any chance of an English or French translation for those of us insufficiently multi-lingual ?
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Here’s another German scratchbuilt, the Interclassic Cinco Z, finished around 2001 or 2002. Originally the creator simply wanted to build a one-off car for himself and that’s exactly what he did in his garage (with the mentoring of the founder of German car manufacturer Bitter).
It was only when he was finished and had all the original molds lying around that he realized he could turn it into a business. The original as depicted here (actually for sale right now, price on application) is powered by an Audi five cylinder, but since then everything from Audi or Lotus straight fours to Audi V6’s or V8’s and Ford or Chevy V8’s has gone into subsequent models. -
One of my family favorites is the 1957 Monsterati Special, built by Bill Janowski while he was in college, assisted by my late uncle. Impressively the car is still around and has been raced in vintage events. Also pretty awesome that back in the day you could build a car in your garage and go SCCA racing with the likes of Ferrari and Shelby. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13755/Monsterati-Special.aspx
http://www.conceptcarz.com/images/Monsterati/57-Monsterati-Spcl-num35-DV-14-MH-05.jpg -
This doesn’t quite count because it’s technically a kit, but it’s close. This guy’s sort of a “beta tester” for the as yet unreleased Smyth G3F kit. It’s a Mk4 Jetta with the engine, trans and front suspension transplanted to where the rear seats were, the dash lowered, a Neon windshield, Celica headlights, Cobalt tail lights and a whole lot of fabrication. As seen at Columbus Cars & Coffee on the 11th.
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