GTO Conversion on Ebay-No bidders

Bert you know I have the utmost respect for your project, but this is the point where I differ with you: I don't think details like the interior are about fooling people (it might be to some, but it isn't to me). To me this is all part of the reproduction effort.

Others might call this a kit car, but to me it is a reproduction. Maybe not a great one as it hasn't been stretched, doesn't have the right engine etc, but getting things like the interior right is to me part of paying hommage and respect to the original.

To put it differently: I'm not crazy about a Fiero kit car trying to look like a Ferrari. However if I see one where the owner even put the effort forth to mimick the interior I somewhat tip my head to that. It shows passion for the real thing.

 

You're probably right on all your points. But with the Boxer you also get the big maintenance bills...

What is brutal in the kit car/replica market are the falling costs of real Ferraris. Why spend all that extra $$$ to make a replica, when the real deal doesn't cost much more? I think it used to be different in the past, but it most be hurting these folks now big time. Yet they don't seem to accept it.

 

I knew once you pointed it out it would be clear as day. Your 100% right...looks almost like a euro valance that was reworked?? Mine doesn't look like that, it looks like the GTO's.

 

I think you have the Butch Hooper front spoiler, it has a much better, accurate shape, http://www.italianauto.com/page5.html . This is the same as mr Stuart (or Stewart) Chung has on his yellow GTB (fchat member)

 

I bought it from Jim Carpenter, I assumed he made it. I never looked too close at the pics on Butches sight (I bought the rest of my car from Butch), but now that I take a good look, the unfinshed valance looks like a correct one, the painted cars all look wrong. In speaking with Butch at one point he told me he has trouble with his fiberglass guy delivering....I really think Butch buys from Carpenter and carpenter has a new more correct mold. When I bought my valance he told had an original Ferrari valance for sale too, but it was twice the price if I recall right, so I just bought the copy....could be when the new mold came to be. Mine is GTO size, I had to flex it in an inch on each side at the wheel opening to get it on the car and if you look close at the front, you can see that it doesn't line up, the side it too long because I pushed it in, but it's close....I made the fender well line up pretty close because I thought that would show more, and took most of the mis-match hit up front where the bumper some what hides it. I may fix it when I repaint the car.

 

Where did you get the bumper from? Berlinetta Motors? Where did you get the turn signals from?

I'm trying to chase down Fiat 127 turn signals, which allegedly are like the ones used in the GTO bumper.

 

The bumper came from Carpenter too. I had to make adapter brackets to put it on though, so I'm guessing it is a mold pulled from a GTO without bothering to make the 308 mods.

The turn signals were a little harder. I didn't know they were no longer available unil I had the valance and bumper...I had some back and forth with Jim trying to actually get him to send the parts I paid for, and I guess as an appology he included 1 turn signal he had lying around (my guess is he didn't know they were unobtainium either). So I just bought some side markers at Napa I think, made a bracket and put them in. Not great, but better than nothing. Then, about 6 months later out of the blue, a pair of new GTO lights turned up on ebay...I waited until about 30 seconds left and bid $301.53, the acution closed and the winning bid was me, 301.53...second place was 301.50...I won by 3 cents. It seemed like a lot at the time, but in hide sight, I would be kicking myself to this day if I had gotten out bid. So I do have an extra right light that is missing the gasket and screws...I've keeping it just in case, but I might be talked out of it under the right conditions. I also have the side markers, which wouold be free to anyone who can use them.

 

Arrghh, so close, but no cigar:

I have the right turn signal and the lens for the left side, but not the gasket. I'm using all my European contacts to find the missing piece. Unfortunately Fiat 127 have become Unobtainiums themselves.

 

Dude, if you've got both lenses you're set. The housing and gasket can easily be cobbled togehter. You could make a near perfect one by pulling a mold rubber mold off another one like Verrel just did with a columb switch. I could lend it to you over the winter. Or you could find a similar housing and glue it to a machined face that matches the lens. You can cut a rubber gasket or buy oring cord to use. It's nicer to have the right pieces, but no one will ever see the housing.

 

http://www.martinwillems.nl/

This guy has the Fiat 127 lenses+housings for reasonable price, write him an email with picture because they are not listed on the site. I have a spare set of lenses from the wrecking yard, because I bought new lenses from him.

About Butch Hooper: He has the correct shape front spoiler for sale, the 2 incompleted GTO conversions he offers for sale are not equipped with his bodykit, he got them on a trade and they have a Jim Carpenter bodykit.