As a former Dino owner... it's hideous.
Nice work, This is a deon/ JH classics dino replica from the 1990's, i have one of their dino replicas that is more like an early prototype/ lemans 206 dino replica but like this dino pictured is not exact replica of anything although i believe the moulds were taken from a 206 and modified. The Brit company that now produces the dino replica has a more acurate body shape, i am half way through building one with a 3 ltr alfa v6 so my car will actually perform better and be more reliable than the original with low running costs. I was like most on here that disliked replicas, but the later dino replicas are a great fun car that can be used every day IMO.
Keep in mind that replicas aren't always exact clones of originals. IIRC, Enzo Ferrari himself was very against any sort of replica - close facsimile or not. Given that the Deon dates back quite a bit, and the comment of it being a copy of a 206 (although I thought there was little change to the body), you expect some differences. Based on that overlay, I still think this is a nice clone. Doesn't really matter, don't see this coming stateside anytime soon.
Yeh, those Kelmark replica dino's you have over there are horrific, over here they are known as karmas, i was surprised to see these cars still change hands for a few grand and they still get interest.
I think they took the idea from deon who they bought some liquidated stock from and improved the whole car, the chassis, engine & running gear were upgraded and the body is a more correct 246 type instead of the 206. Great if you don't have 80-100k+ sterling to pay for an original to spend most of it's time in the garage.
That would be me! Heck, if you could get a trashed Fiat Dino, put that engine into this replica, you'd have a damn fine toy! Again, fully realizing for what it is - it's NOT a Dino, but replicates the experience nicely. Not sure of the cost, or what one would pay to obtain one. I'd think I'd be more likely to acquire a 308 GTB (carb or QV), as pricing is sure to be similar, and it's a true F-Car.
I was seriously considering replacing the ford lump for a fiat dino engine in the Deon i have but reliability problems put me off, also a lancia thema 8.32 was an option to get the Ferrari experience but again i read these engines have over heating problems when idling. I have seen both engines going for around 3k sterling, all in with a rebuild and instalation would have set me back around 8-10k, less than a boy racer spends on his vauxhall Nova, HA! putting a Ferrari engine in a kit car is moving away from what the car is supposed to be ,a replica car that can be used every day and is CHEAP to run. Also i too was shooting for a 308 or a F355 before i picked up the Dino replica, buying the car i could have done, but as i have a large family i can't justify constantly spending the money the car would demand for as long as i would have owned it. The classic replica Dino i have half built has an Alfa v6 24 valve alloy block engine, so this right at the back of your head with the custom none cat exhaust gives off a very nice note and the standard 250 bhp would out perform the original and thats what sold me on the good Dino replicas is the fact that it's the only Ferrari replica that if done right is actually better that the original in SOME respects and you can put as many original body and interior parts on it as you wish as they all fit.
And some pics if poss, is yours a GTS or GT version ?? I nearly installed an original dino engine and gearbox in mine a couple of months ago, unfortunatly the guy selling them pulled out at the last min which is understandable as it was a bargain price for both. I also looked at buying a fiat dino to install the engine, but then you are left with the dilemma of what to do for a gearbox (fiat was front mounted). Anyway will keep mine for a couple of months and sell it when ive finished pottering around with it, as have to admit coming out of a 360 spider into the kit just feels wrong every time I drive it.
The Deon i have is a rare open top version they did with smoothed off arches, the unfinshed classic replicas dino will be the gts. As a matter of interest how much will you be looking to sell your replica for?
I run a company in the UK that will be producing very small numbers of tribute cars next year. I haven't seen a Dino on the road in the uk since I was 12 and I'm now 40. It seems, as they get older there are just more and more reasons to keep them in the garage, they need a great deal of attention to keep them running well on our busy roads in our damp weather and their values have increased so much in the last ten years, some are becoming coverted as investments. A curvacious car like a dino is flattened by photographs. Its only when you see one in the flesh that you understand why its considered to be so beautiful and the prospect of that is for most people now gone. I agree that owners of such cars shouldn't cross the line and badge recreations as originals and nor should producers because if they aren't comfortable saying I love it so much I wanted the closest thing I could afford and I love it even if its not the real deal, then they bought it for all the wrong reasons. Additionally it surely cheapens the memory if the only thing a father can share with his son is something that looks shoddy like some of the 355's we've all seen. The Deon replica above looks great, yes its shorter than the real car and the front and back do droop but regretably that doesn't qualify it to be closer to a 206 (althought they were shorter) its just because the moulds were made by men in sheds but they did a great job with the limited resources they had.
Do you mean you will be producing tribute Dinos? In the UK? What engine? What kind of body? How many?
I sold mine in the end, it was nice car but it just never felt right driving a replica. Just in the process of buying another 3600 as an everyday car
Uploaded some vids of mine on you tube when I had it .... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dvjoi6n1f4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I9F0ww5Qww http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKDdfH5OySQ
Think it went for around £13500 GBP, which was what i paid for it a year earlier, but i spent a few thousand on some extra bits so pretty good deal in the end
What we really need are automotive "stem cells" to reproduce those impossible-to-find original equipment pieces---Dinoplexes and various lenses come readily to mind. Fred