By Ray Lindenburg
“[sc:ebay itemid=”370792328361″ linktext=”What fresh hell is this?” ]”
Might be one response to the above photo. Or, “it looks like a 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 era Corvette.” Perhaps even a “Ferrari” or “Thunderbird.” But if you’re Hooniverse’s own Jim Brennan, the reaction is,
"It's giving me another stroke just looking at it..."
Fortunately(?) for Jim’s ongoing recovery, some lucky buyer is going to be able to pick up this fiberglass – not “cheap plastic crap they use now” – repli-kit-astico convertible for the low, low price of just $21,500. And what are you getting for just a few payments less than a 2013 cheap plastic Ford Focus ST? Let me dazzle your eyes with the bordello red interior for starters. Let’s face it, today’s car interiors are boring. Gray, darker gray, black and beige are generally all that you will see in your local showrooms. Sure, there will be a few colored fabric or leather inserts tossed here and there to keep John and Joan Public from dozing off behind the wheel, but they just don’t make them like this anymore.
There is of course the 2.2 liter 4-cylinder – 10% greater displacement than the Focus ST. We all know there’s no replacement for displacement. Backed by a 3-speed auto, the seller states that while it won’t win many drag races, it will net you 30 mpg on the highway, only 2 less than the Focus. Very competitive indeed.
Do keep in mind that this is a used car you’re considering. But it does only have 57,000 miles under those wide whites. And there is a long list of recent replacements including the WINDSHIELD, seat upholstery, convertible top and tranny and parking brake cables. The state-of-the-art sound system includes a CD changer and brand new speakers all the way around. And you thought you could only get brand new speakers if you were in for those extra payments to Ford Motor Credit.
Perhaps best of all are the electronically-actuated doors and the trunk screws. Your trunk monkey and his attendant odors and odd noises will be well-insulated from the passenger cabin, and the chances of his escape are practically nil. You can’t say that about the hatchback-equipped Focus.
So, if you’re a real person and have an interest in owning a unique, one-of-a-kind vehicle that you could probably charge admission just to look at, take a gander at the Craigslist ad and give the owner a call. You never know, it may have been owned by John Voight.
Check out the jpg versions of the ad below in case it disappears from the link:
Ray Lindenburg is a Ford Motor Company shareholder and an Associate Editor with Hooniverse.com, but he also contributes to his own site Hatchtopia.com. Head over there for all things hatchback.
Jeff Glucker
What in the world?
From the ad: "Odometer shows 57,000 not sure how accurate that is but it does not smoke or burn oil."
I never realized those last two issues were a concern with K-Car odometers.
I'm sure some of the vehicles in your fleet have odometers that smoke AND burn oil.
I assure you they are all within specification.
could you actually get this body specifically for the K-car? or was it just an avaliable body to put on whatever chassis you wanted? It is aweful and slab sided and squished together front and rear.
You know, I actually like this. I don't $21,500 like it, but it has a certain sense of style. It's well proportioned, and from looking at the thumbnails that I didn't bother to expand, it looks relatively well executed. If it's a one-off, I'm impressed.
Well, except for that WTF front over-hang, the ride height, and those wheels, I would say that it looks pretty good.. Only.. There seems to be a general off-ness that I can't put my finger on.
Windows and top (interior, too) appear to be stock K-car. That gives it an 80's shape above the beltline, while the rest of the car is trying to look Eisenhower-era.
This is truly a work of unique vision. I was feeling sorry for the optimist that wants $21,500 for this pristine K-car/Corvette replica mash-up, but then I noticed all the million dollar homes and figured that he probably isn't going to have anything other than his pride hurt when he learns that this is a car that might command a third that much if the ad is seen by everyone on the planet.
The interior makes me want to drive a Chrysler LeBaron convertible with Corinthian leather. I have many K-car memories, or at least H-body memories. Any initial promise was thwarted by quality and engineering issues. Still, these seemed like some of the most honest cars produced in the US after 1975. This one might not be so honest, seeing as it is wearing the body of a '57 Corvette with screwed on lids. The work done looks great though, and it seems like a happy car, if that makes sense. With some Mooneyes hubcaps and a massive price reduction, it might make the perfect parade ride for a local beauty queen.
"Hood and trunk lid open with screws" and then you jam the screwdriver into the gap because we didn't bother with hinges or springs.
Gas cap door opens with a light breeze.
Doors open above 35 mph.
Formerly owned by John Vette.
The Dodge La Vomit?
I see a little bit of Norseman in there. Too bad this one didn't sink.
I never give up on a car.
Maybe some better wheels? Lowered a few inches?? Lose the top?
Who am I kidding?
Kill it with fire.
From where I sit, the most beautiful K-car in my knowledge.
I really like it!!! 🙂
If you could find just the body, you could open up the wheel wells, move the front wheel opening forward a few inches at the same time, and drop it over a rwd chassis, then it wouldbe pretty OK… wait a minute. I just described a 56 Corvette replica. No, do the replica instead.
This has no purpose for being unless it were like $2000 so I could throw an SRT4 swap in it and get some hilarious sleeper kills on some exotics.
It wouldn't look so bad if the wheels (and the wheelwells) were a little bigger.
Sometimes, you see a car that just counfounds you. It makes you feel uncomfortable, even while sitting on your couch, on your own living room. Imagine the feeling of having a 20 page term paper due in a week, plus having just realized that you forgot your mom's birthday, plus staring at the first scratch on your new car, plus having to kiss Maria Shirver for 30 seconds. …. Yeah, this car feels like that to me.
Wow that's messed up.
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uXjrkzypbew/TqdHsNXGPPI/AAAAAAAAOFY/JCvZVcSF5bI/s1600/OfficeSpace_067Pyxurz.jpg" width=700>
Crackpipe
Go make your own one-off car and come back to us.
This is not the worst custom-bodied car, by far.
I think the only reason anybody ever tried to design a car was because they did it pre-interwebz.
Ol' Shel's got a point. I've seen far worse and this has a neat Kaiser Darrin-esque vibe to it. Why someone did this on a K car is beyond me but the red interior suits it. The front overhang is a bit much but some work on proportions and this is actually nice. Damn..must be the Friday "hatin' on everything until I get off work" bug.