Twice now, I’ve encountered a summer car in my area that to my great gearheaded shame I can’t identify. The first time, the driver drove past me and parked and I had a few moments to look the car over, but it was dark. Today, he passed me on a two-lane road (and waved, since I was driving my summer car, too).
I have not spotted any badges or nameplates; it seems oddly unmarked. It’s all black and looks very vaguely like an early Z-car, but with a squarer tail and is a convertible. It has a square chisel nose a bit like an older RX-7, and two-bar stacked tailights (both red) a little like a Z-car’s. It might have a wood-rimmed steering wheel. Overall, it screams mid-1970s at me and from my first look I was sure it was a Scarab (Z-car conversion). Today… it’s not. The one remaining thing I know is it has a hell of a lot of engine, probably a big-block V-8, which narrows the field quite a bit. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the melds of a Euro body with an American V-8.
It’s not an Iso Grifo; it could be an Iso Rivolta but what I can find of the tail lights for those don’t match. It’s not any Jensen I’m familiar with. It’s also pretty big - maybe a tad bigger than a Z-car, certainly not RX-7 size.
So: a cross between an original Z-car and a convertible RX-7, on the bigger side, with a big-ass engine… any ideas?
No, I know Lotuses. Besides being ugly, Europa’s self-disassemble.
This was a handsome 70s-ish square-tailed wedge in the RX-7, Z-car, Daytona, 80s Vette mold.
I’m now wondering if it’s an old Z-car with a dual conversion - V-8 *and *convertible - and customized details like dark red tail lights and all the badging stripped.
Nope, I know III’s and IV’s well. Almost bought one until I found out the bad carburetor was going to set me back $600 (When 2BBL Holleys were $40).
Not an Avanti, either. I know most classic cars quite well, which is why this one is frustrating me. It’s not quite like anything I’ve seen, which is why I suspect it may be something heavily customized. It doesn’t look custom, just a very clean conversion of some kind. Or not.
Nope, more conventional front-engine style. I know the Ford racers, too. (Have one.)
Avantis never really lit my fuse, but I do like seeing them. My other favorites are Stude Hawk GTs and the one '50s model I’d love to own… a Kaiser Darrin. There was a beautiful model that showed up at the local concourses - it may be the light green one seen in many web images. Loved it.
Oh, you seem to know what you are talking about, so this may be a challenge. How about the Bricklin SV-1?TVR Tasmin? A few AMX/3s escaped into the wild, and you can now get a kit for it.
Not as wild looking as either the Bricklin or AMX/3 - aside, the row of AMXs will always get me to wander over at a lawn show.
Tasmin is close but the images I can find aren’t quite on… also very rare, not sure one would be here. but it’s closer than anything yet.
This one was running.
I loved the TR7/8s and wore out a dealer brochure for the latter… of course, the hot British chick draped elegantly around the car helped. But wow were they crapmobiles in most ways…
Which follows on nicely, because I came very close to buying not only a GT but a Buick 213 V8 - the aluminum V8 that was later sold to Rover and ended up in the TR8. I was going to chop the top, drop the block and… well, it didn’t happen.
Too small and a rounded tail rather than a square one.
Close again, allowing for some customization.
It occurred to me that I might know who owns it - new guy in town (explaining why I’ve never seen it before, and now have seen it twice) who was at the meeting where I saw it parked, and coincidentally contacted me about joining one of the committees. I pinged his email with a guarded query; haven’t heard back yet.
.jpg){kind=link}