Crappy Replicas thread

Andrew, do some research. Very few of these donor cars are not salvageable, they are just cheap. There have been many perfect 250GT 2+2's that have lost their drivetrain to TR or GTO replicas and because the 412 or 365GT/4 is as unpopular I am sure many of these cars are good examples too.

These replicas are not made by enthusiasts but by car salesmen that can see an opportunity to make a buck. They could not giving a flying fnck how many old Ferraris they cut up as they make their income.

The reality is $'s drive everything.

If they were really Ferrari enthusiasts they would buy engines from crashed 550/575's, burnt out 348/355 and 458s who are currently considered modern cars that nobody gives a toss about (and fair enough because new cars are replaceable ... heck if you looked hard enough you could probably purchase a 550 engine still in it's crate ... but that would be expensive).

There are many other engines that will produce the right enough sound, the same horsepower and weight, such as an Alfa Romeo 3 litre v6 (voted the best Italian engine ever produced by some Italian magazine) and there are thousands of 164's rusting away in wreckers yards all over the world.

Plus there are good Nissan and Toyota v6 engines and BMW v12's, etc. but they don't use those engines because the potential profit will not be as high ... again proving they could not care less about the driving experience, which is really why a replica should be built.
Pete

 

Lighten up dude!

There are a lot of rebodied Ferraris out there, including other marques. In the past it was customary to have custom made bodies fitted to existing chassis'.

In the old days,Rolls Royce supplied rolling chassis' to other 'body works,' since they didn't produce their own complete cars

 

Have to agree with Darrolls. PSk, you have been harping on about the same thing for years. Give it a rest mate. You just make me want to to go out and rip an engine out of a nice old ferrari and piss in its empty engine bay!

 

Geez!!!!!!! just spent an hour going through a cazillion pages here...what entertainment!. When you stop laughing you ask yourself what the hell were these builders thinking? Most don't even come close to what the real car even looks like let alone it's guts. What a total waste of time and $...how embarrassing to be seen in one of these crappy replicas. Cobra replicas, Ford Gt's, Speedsters and 550 Porsche Spyders they seem to have down pretty good and some are even better than the originals but that's about it.

 

I really don't know how many classic Ferraris are being gutted purely for the engine, but I can understand your frustrations over the fact, Pete.

As to the modern Ferraris... someone always cares about them. See my posts in the 348/355 section.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

There's a big difference between putting a body on a bare chassis and destroying an existing body.

 

Something like 30% of PF coupes are now replicas, and similar for 250 GT2+2's

Andrew,

I care too, but my point was that you can still buy new parts for a near new Ferrari, so if you remove an engine from a 348 or 355, somebody else can always fix that car if they really want to.

With some of these older Ferraris this is pretty close to impossible and there are people trying to restore original cars that cannot afford real parts because the replica b@stards are pushing the price up.


nct,

Fair comment. If that is how you feel, go for it ... but then don't turn around and consider yourself an old car enthusiast. Can't have it both ways mate .


Vizsla,

Exactly, but some will never get it. What they did in the old days is the same as somebody rebodying a 458 ... who cares, just go and buy another 458 as Ferrari are STILL making them.

Best
Pete
ps: I'll be quiet now so we can laugh at the funny reps ... but I'll never stop hating replicas that use old Ferrari parts.

 

Sorry Pete, but I feel the same way.

I like the 365 2+2 and 400, 400i series, but the cold reality is that they're dead in the water financially. If you take their engine and put it into a very cool recreation like the P4 then it will live on forever. Something unlikely to happen while it remains in the 400.

 

Bear in mind that there was a time when some of what are now pretty desirable cars were thought to have no future value.
Given proper care these cars will out last all of us. It is our responsibility to be proper stewards.

 

Very unlikely with the 2+2 cars of the Fiat age (seventies and up).

If that were the case, then how come Pete has no problem with ripping the engine out of a modern Ferrari?

You guys are applying a double standard and you know it. Either all Ferrari are sacrosanct and worth keeping or not. That's by your definition.

My rules are more what the market says: If it has no more value, do the best thing economically viable with it: Cannibalize it for pieces and build something new with them.

Go to any Ferrari event and you soon realize that you won't find many 365, 400 or even GT/4 anymore. Why? Because their market value is below what it costs to overhaul them to concours level (you also rarely see them at non concours shows btw). There are a few around for those who love them more than their pocket book (nothing wrong with that) and keep them alive. Good for them, but the majority of them will silently wither away. No problem IMHO to use them for parts.

Case in point: Look at the Fiat 124 Dino: There are barely any left because the 206/246 GTS crowd parted them out for engines. As did some of the Lancia Stratos replica fans I might add.

 

Umm, ditto.......!

Sparky

 

Here are a few pukey replicas

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-Pontiac-Fiero-testarossa-body-kit-/260678027753?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cb19f09e9

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/F-rr-ri-430-coupe-replica-/250710240151?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a5f7eab97

"only 1 in the world! totally authentic 430 coupe body mounted on a stretched 1986 fiero chassis. Chassis has been stretched 9" and reinforced, modded Cadillac 4.9 v8 drivetrain installed with magnaflow exhaust, power chip, K& N filter MSD ignition etc. etc. Enlarged brakes with drilled rotors. Car runs and drives flawlessly, everything works, just need to be finished and painted. The body is a totally accurate 430 coupe body, mounted reinforced and hinged. The car needs to have the exterior finished and painted and new interior installed, (assuming you dont want the fiero interior) C Blck (727) 505 5709 $13900 firm as is or will complete for you $29900 to spec check out the video!"

Stupid owner.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/308-Italian-Car-Inspired-Replica-/170552809575?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27b5bd5867

"HERE IT IS!!!!! 1980's Italian Inspired 308GTS

This is your chance to own one of the closest 308 Replica's ever built! It has all the correct emblems, paint code, rims, even a real manufacturer's rear wings, real horn, and many many more items to make this as close as possible even down to all the replicated interior, gauge package, gate shifter and glove box emblem.

The pictures tell the story......a lot of time and MONEY was put to this car"

Look at the Ferrari Shield on the next one. It is the 7th enlarged picture under the Description.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/308-Italian-Car-Replica-/140466037684?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item20b46da3b4

A Reventon

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Exotic-Lambo-Replica-Complete-set-Molds-/280574777718?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item41538f5976

Fieroarri 355 Spider

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1987-Ferrari-replica-/260678051925?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cb19f6855


Fieroarri 246 Dino GT: Look at the shields on this one, especially the one on the front end.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1979-Ferrri-Dino-Kelmark-GT-Replica-Only-143-Miles-WOW-/360310334875?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item53e42b659b

 

Is that red car in the back a Lamborghini Espada? Maybe a replica too..

 

Bobby Crawford of Riverside, Indiana has lusted after the Testarossa since its inception in 1984, when he was twelve years old. He cannot imagine a car costing $180,000, which is more than the cost of the house where he lives with his parents. Still, he has posters of the car in his bedroom, a collection of books featuring the car, and numerous models of the Testarossa and its evolutions, the 512TR and the F512M, all of which he has constructed himself. He has taped every episode of Miami Vice and all the other television shows he knows of that feature a Testarossa.

But he has never seen a Testarossa in person, as there simply isn’t anyone in or near Riverside who owns one – or any other Ferrari, for that matter.

One day, Bobby learns of the Acme Exotic Replica Car Company, which fabricates a body for the Pontiac Fiero that sort of – kind of – resembles a Ferrari Testarossa. The complete “kit” is only $3000.

A buddy of Bobby’s, Jimmy Lee Hawkins, has an old, beat-up Fiero that his daughter destroyed in an accident when she was in high school. The engine is seized and the body is trashed but the frame is good. Jimmy Lee is glad to get it out of his front yard, so he sells it to Bobby for $500.

Bobby tows the Fiero home, then spends a year sanding, prepping, and painting the replica body panels, cutting and “stretching” the Fiero frame, and fitting the engine compartment with a small-block Chevy motor.

When Bobby’s friends and neighbors see his new “Ferrari,” they all comment on what beautiful work Bobby did on this replica. Everyone knows that it’s not a real Ferrari, but in this town most everyone values hard work and thrift. They admire the hard work and dedication that Bobby put into having the car of his dreams, as well a the fact that the total cost to him was only $3500 – a lot of money to most of the people in his town, but not outrageous, like the cost of purchasing a genuine TR.

Of course, there’s always one naysayer in any community. One day, Bobby’s proudly showing off his “Testarossa” to an admiring group when Steve Nelson approaches.

He says, “Why? It’s still fake.”

To which Bobby replies, “Because, Steve, only 10,000 Testarossas, 512Ms, and F512TRs were ever made. Of those, not a single one is available anywhere close to us. And even if there were, the cost is at least $60,000. That’s more money than I have any hope of ever seeing in my lifetime, and that doesn’t even take into account the cost of maintenance, which is quite high. I’ve wanted one all my life, but like you, I work on the factory floor for $17 an hour. So a tribute really is the only other option to perpetual disappointment after a lifetime of wanting one.”

At about the same time, in Long Island, New York, Boyd Coddington IV has had a love affair with another Ferrari model, the P4, since he was about the same age as Bobby was when he fell in love with the Testarossa.

Boyd’s family is very wealthy. Boyd has a large collection of original, one-off, professionally handpainted diecast P4 models, original lithographs of the car in his bedroom and home office, and every magazine article and book ever published that makes any mention of this iconic car.

But he’s never seen one in person.

Thirty-four years later, he learns that Norwood sells a P4 “recreation” which kind of – sort of – resembles the original P4. Even though Mr. Coddington, having inherited the family business from his father years ago, has more than sufficient money to acquire a genuine P4, only three were ever made, and none is for sale.

So Mr. Coddington makes a bank transfer for about a quarter million dollars and soon he has his own “P4.”

When Boyd’s friends and colleagues see his new “Ferrari,” they all comment on how mucch it cost. Everyone knows that it’s not a real P4, but around here almost everyone respects wealth. They admire the amount of money that Boyd put into having the car of his dreams, and the fact that Mr. Coddington is so successful that he could spend a quarter of a million dollars without batting an eyelash.

Of course, there’s always one naysayer in any community. One day, as Boyd is showing off his “P4” at an exclusive Concours d’elegance to an admiring group, someone approaches and says:

“Why? It’s still fake.”

To which Boyd Coddington IV replies

All the best,

Bradley

 

I've got to say, Bradley... I love it when someone puts in so much effort and flair into expressing a difference of opinion.

It looks as though the high-end P4 replicas would have a level of performance not so distant to that of the original P4 cars and are aesthetically identical for those who aren't very keen experts, so I don't see any problem with them while they aren't doing anything to embarrass the Ferrari brand. You won't have the same history in the chassis, but on a technical level it is virtually indistinguishable and it boasts a genuine Ferrari engine. Many of the Fiero-based replicas look barely anything like the Ferraris they're imitating and certainly don't perform anywhere near the level of a genuine Ferrari. When they are mistaken by the uninitiated for a genuine Ferrari then they're surprised that it wasn't as quick as they thought it should be, or didn't sound as good as they thought it would - and that diminishes the Ferrari brand.

For me, the issue is not one of pressing noses into the posteriors of the affluent and paying reverence to demonstrations of wealth expenditure, it's merely that some replicas really are Ferrari tributes that can be driven with pride and some are merely tacky imitations that would make genuine owners cringe...

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Tacky Imitation Testarossa

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Tribute P4

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Tacky Imitation Testarossa

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Tribute P4​

Most low-end knock-offs simply lack quality. It's not just that they aren't genuine, it's that they are often driven about unfinished with trim hanging off, etc... it's horrible however you cut it. To make matters worse, for what people often claim to have spent on making them, they could have probably had a drivable 308... a real Ferrari.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

This thread is not about faithful tributes, it's about crappy replicas. That says it all.

It strikes me that most replicas for sale are not finished or incomplete. Wonder why that is....

 

Andrew,

I do see your point: The crappy replicas usually don't really resemble the car they are intended to replicate, they're often badly finished - or NOT finished - and they're based, in many cases, on cars that weren't much to begin with - like the Pontiac Fiero.

"Tribute" cars, on the other hand, like this P4 "re-creation," often exhibit careful attention to detail, careful finishing, and are of generally comparable quality to the originals.

I get all that.

However, in the end, they're both fakes, both made for similar reasons: The owner wanted something he couldn't have - whether simply a Testarossa because it was out of reach for him, financially, or because it was inaccessible for almost anyone, as in the case of the P4 "re-creation."

Arguably, it's even preferable to build a copy using a Pontiac Fiero and Chevy small-block engine, rather than to cannibalize a genuine Ferrari for parts.

So while I do understand the difference in quality between a truly crappy "Testarossa" built on a Fiero frame and the "P4" manufactured as closely as possible to original spec, I don't really see much difference with regard to why these cars were created.

My final word is that both the guy who wants a P4 and the guy who wants a Testarossa can do what they want. But, in my opinion, Bobby Crawford should have bought a 308, while Boyd Coddington IV should have bought a 512 Boxer, TR, 355, 360, or - for the same money as the P4 "re-creation" - possibly even a 430.

Then they'd both have real Ferraris.

 

+1

And somebody along the way has made some $'s, especially the tribute maker ... which is why these cars are made. They are not made as a tribute by the maker, just to make $'s.
Pete

 

Simply because a replacement is available. No other reason. Ferrari do make spare parts too .

No value to whom?

A 365 GT/4 2+2 apparently has no value, but many (including me) cannot afford one. As some are turned into cr@ppy replicas (Noble included, closer to a real one but that is all. Compromises made for tall people, etc.) the remaining get more expensive, thus making it impossible for many like me to ever buy one.

Again one persons rubbish is anothers prized possession/goal/dream.
Pete

 

Fair enough.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Gotta love you, Andrew. You could give certain other F-Chatters a lesson in how to disagree and do it in a civil way!

All the best,

~Bradley

 

By the way, has anyone else seen this?

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/05/breathtaking-ferrri-enzo-replica.html

It's not even a "replica;" it's a joke.

Apologies if it's been discussed already!

 

Same to you Bradley - and I look forward to our next disagreement. Hehehe

Oh dear... not good.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Not crappy but still a replica.
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I swear I still cannot understand why people would put that kind of money in a fake.

Damn beautiful engine.