Miami Vice Daytona Replica | FerrariChat

Miami Vice Daytona Replica

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by Yamaric, Jan 8, 2009.

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  1. Yamaric

    Yamaric Karting

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    #1 Yamaric, Jan 8, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Flame Suit On and in Check.

    We Currently have in our shop the original (1 of 2) Mcburnie Daytona Replicas used in Miami Vice Series. the car has been sitting in a museum for the last 12 years and is in need of some attention. We only work on Ferraris and nothing but Ferraris from Service to Sales and Restoration, but have decided to take on this progect strictly due to the condition of the car and the history with the show.

    For anyone not familiar with this car, it was the first Daytona Replica produced by Tom McBurnie built on a 70's Corvette chassis. The car resembles a Daytona from 30 feet away, but being his first car built, and for the fact that 1. it was used in a TV show where mostly the car was seen from a distance, and 2. the general public wouldn't know the diffence between a Daytona and a Corvette there was not a lot of fine detail done to make this car look authentic.

    We are contemplating about 3 different approaches to the restoration of this car in order of $$$ to be put into this car to the value of the finished project.

    1. Would be a mechanical overhaul, brakes, seals, tune, block and paint, and an interior freshen up. this of course would be the least $ spent and the lowest ROI

    2. Would be all of the above with a total engine ovehaul, coated exhaust, a thoughout block, gap, paint to fix all of the imperfections from the mold which was used to create the body, and make the car appear more of what it was meant to potrait.

    3. Finally the Whole Deal, a complete rebuild from front to rear making the car seem more like the Daytona it was meant to portrait, thought was also given to possibly utilizing a 400i engine and drive train( measurements have not been taken yet to verifiy the possibility of this yet ). It will still be registered as a replicar and absolutely no attemp will be made to register it as any form of ferrari whatsoever.

    Any Useful feedback would be greatly appreciated.


    The other Miami Vice Daytona has been listed for sale (no affiliation with us what so ever) @ $139,000.00. and has been altered from the original state but is still a far cry from being as it was on the show, nor as a good replica of the Daytona.

    Please remember we are not a kit builder, nor would we have concidered taking on any replica car if it was not for the historical aspect of the Car being the Original Miami Vice car
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  2. 348_Spiderman

    348_Spiderman Formula 3

    Feb 16, 2004
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    More pics!

    Very interesting restoration prospects. I think that by making significant modifications (I like the idea of mating a 400i V12, however, I think leaving the original 350 V8 (I believe it is a 350ci, right?) might be the best approach for this reason and this reason alone. Many a year ago, I purchased a model of the Miami Vice Daytona Replica and when I built it, I was surprised that they were true to include the V8 with the aircleaner on top. I think you should keep it as close to the way it was on the show as you can to elicit top dollar. That is just one non-expert opinion.

    I think taking a non-Miami Vice authentic vehicle and putting a Ferrari 400i engine and transmission is very interesting. Good luck with the project
     
  3. 328gtsfan

    328gtsfan Formula Junior

    Aug 7, 2004
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    Its a prop from the show, that is one thing that makes this car unique.
    If you rebody it, it may end up looking more like a Daytona, but then you just have a better looking Daytona replica and not the "car from the show".

    It depends what the owner (you?) want at the end of it really...

    By the way.. do you know which car they blew up during the series?
    A 3rd shell?
     
  4. APA#1

    APA#1 Formula 3

    Nov 5, 2003
    1,311
    Central Florida
    Is this one that just was at the Kruse Auction in Boca over the weekend?
     
  5. Yamaric

    Yamaric Karting

    Apr 7, 2007
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    Richard Dalgleish
    I believe it was a 3rd shell.

    Yes, this is the same car.
     
  6. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    I think one should leave it like it actually is. Make it safe for use/driving if that is what a person wants to do with it, but otherwise leave it alone.

    Granted it's a kit, and the fit and finish are not perfect or what it could be, but in the world of TV history and even automobile history this thing ranks up there with legitamate (non-kit) cars. For myself and I suspect many others, this car is an important piece of TV & Pop culture history. Switching out the engine, moding the body, changing the wheels...anything major like that, IMO would be destroying the car and it's history.

    Why would a collector want to buy the car in an altered state from what it was on the show? That's is it's whole appeal...it's as is/was on the show and the mold relase lines and ripped seats where DJ did something is it's patina.

    I say make it safe, but otherwise leave it.
     
  7. finlandese

    finlandese Formula Junior

    Jan 1, 2006
    257
    Finland
    IMVHO,

    Option 1 wouldn´t probably make much business sense. You´d be a used car dealer trying to make a profit from a re-sale.

    With option 2, the car would be the ultimate Miami Vice memorabila item in perfect condition. Historically "correct", but without the blemishes..

    Option 3 would make it just another Daytona replica, that happends to have a lot of parts from te tv show car. A lot of work for diminished returns.
     
  8. DennisForza

    DennisForza Formula 3

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    I would think Option 2 is the ONLY option. Clean it up, make it mechanically sound, visually restore it to the appearance of either the pilot episode or how it looked as they blew up the prop.

    As stated by others, it is a piece of true American cultural history.
     
  9. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 26, 2005
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    I concur. It is what is -- and it's not a Ferrari. I think it's interesting to see the inaccuracies, and how it was made. Just fix what deteriorated during storage. Leave the original imperfections.
     
  10. DennisForza

    DennisForza Formula 3

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    Great point about the miami vice model, I built my own way back in the days when the show was still a top ten hit for NBC. Monogram used a Vette chassie that they already had the molds made for, but the interior was a pretty good 365 GTS/4 replica(atleast for the $4.99 the model cost at the time) the exterior looked the part, but does anyone know if they used the replica or a real Daytona for the body's prototype?
     
  11. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran
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    The only true value of this car is to make another movie needing a Daytona prop.....
     
  12. Drive550PFB

    Drive550PFB Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I pick #2. I actually resent kit cars, but Miami Vice was cool. Keep to the original as much as you can.

    Can't imagine a price of $100+, though. Hell, you can get a real V-12 ferrari for that and put a miami vice tag on the car.
     
  13. chris marsh

    chris marsh F1 Veteran
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    #13 chris marsh, Jan 8, 2009
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2009
    One of these cars was on ebay a couple years ago. Said it had holes drilled in the body to mount cameras. Bidding was still fairly low around the 40K mark when they yanked the auction. Was that a hoax or was it this car and has the body been repaired?



    $139K sounds like a lot, how much do these kit cars go for?
     
  14. thecarreaper

    thecarreaper F1 World Champ
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    agree 100%. make it driveable and safe, and leave it as is. i have always liked the looks of these, and i detest corvettes after having several, but have always wanted to have one of these things.

    i would love to see more pics of the car as well, we all know its not a real daytona, and i grew up with the show on tv .
     
  15. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
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    #2 would be best I believe.
     
  16. Gazza

    Gazza Rookie

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    #2 and please post pictures of the project
     
  17. Neonzapper

    Neonzapper F1 Rookie

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    1. Would be a mechanical overhaul, brakes, seals, tune, block and paint, and an interior freshen up. this of course would be the least $ spent and the lowest ROI


    I wouldn't change a thing on the body. It is what it is: a television prop. I would give the exterior a good wash and wax, but not deter from the series car that it was.

    It's not a Daytona, so no need to change anything about it externally.
     
  18. open roads

    open roads F1 Rookie

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    It is my understanding that there was a real Daytona. Was there not? And then the stand ins for when the real one was in the shop with carbon on the plugs. Producers are not understanding or OK with waiting for the car to reapear so that they may resume shooting. At least that is what I heard.

    Do #1 or 2 at most. From what I see I would remove the rear side marker light and put a real Daytona exhaust on it. Is that a Corvette windshield? It looks like one. I am surprised at that. That is usually the dead give away for me. Ahh... what the heck. Keep it.

    Don't be spending a bunch. It won't make a difference to anyone is my guess.
     
  19. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    The McBurne kits and all others made to fit 68-82 corvette retained the corvette windhield (firewall, cowl area etc). That of course throws off the the whole visual (rake) of the car, but that is how it was done.

    A few kits were produced to fit the C4 corvette chassis, but those look even worse (because the rake obviously too much) than the 68-82 based cars.

    To the best of my knowledge there was never a real Daytona used in regular shooting/production of the series. I have the first two seasons on DVD, and I swear that for a breif momnet in one of the very early episodes, I saw a real Daytona. Crocket was sitting in it, or it was a still shot of the car on the street, but for a breif moment/glimpes/shot I could have sworn they were using the real deal. When I'm retired, I'll search the series for that =).

    Later in the series when they switched to the TR, they had a real one and IIRC, 2 stunt Panteras' fitted w/ TR body panels for the action shots....that is what you may be thinking of.
     
  20. Dr_ferrari

    Dr_ferrari Formula 3
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    Information I had was that the original show daytona`s (the replicas) were destroyed. One was blown up in the season finale, and any others were disassembled and destroyed. From what I understand they had to be due to a settlement of a Ferrari lawsuit. The TR`s were supplied by FNA to the show.

    I wonder if the car you have has actual documentation that verifies the car was used in the show.



    Regards, Jim
     
  21. the_stig

    the_stig F1 Rookie

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    Actually the other way around according to one web site - 2 real cars and 1 Pantera re-bodied. Site says that the cars were delivered in black but later repainted white. One of them was in Preston Henn's hands at some point.
     
  22. vvassallo

    vvassallo F1 Veteran
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    I actually like these cars, but only when they are done right, not overdone and not pimped out. Priced right they are decent toys. They will never be the collector cars that say the Italia will be/is. I did see an interesting redo of an Italia that Bobileff had in his shop. They modified the body to remove the sharp curves and make the car look more Pininfarnia than GM. Then under the hood they had a custom intake manifold made that mounts 3 2-bbl Webers! How cool it looked! So, maybe this car could get similar treatment by an owner. I certainly would not hold any hopes for collectibility and the $$ that goes with it.

    Now, has anyone seen any Modena's recently? That's the 250 Spider recreations on Datsun and Mustang chassis' made famous in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
     
  23. Dr_ferrari

    Dr_ferrari Formula 3
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    The info on the Tr paint is correct. Two Tr`s were delivered both black. the show producers complained that the car did not show well in the nite shooting so they decided to paint them white.

    I believe preston does have the one he owns on display at the Swap Shop.

    Regards, Jim
     
  24. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    Sometimes I think people don't give Miami Vice enough credit....

    The series influenced a generation. It blened music/acting/drama/fashion and major players from all of those real world walks of life into a single entertianment product. IMO, MV influenced many aspects of real life from music videos to the way in which people percieved "success/wealth."

    There are millions of (mostly guys) out there (like myslef) 36-42 YO, that were greatly influenced by that series as we went through our formative years.

    Many have become Ferrari owners simply from the exposeure to the series 20+ years ago.

    The cars, the girls, the boats, the $, the fashion, the glitz, the glam, the architecture, the sexy rockstar lifestyles that were protrayed in the series made a lasting impression on millions.

    I'm sorry, but to destroy/modify one of the actual tangible itmes from that period in time of POP Culture is near criminal.

    Yes, it's an arguably crappy TV prop, but it is also a major piece of american pop culture history, and these days we don't seem to have much to put in the historical vault. Please keep that in mind when deciding what to do with this car.
     
  25. climb

    climb F1 Rookie

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    That car was in the Volo museum and on display at the Chicago auto show for the last couple of years.
     

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