Yup. Most of the kit car mags spend half their issues each month covering the things. There’s a massive industry surrounding them. They’re being built in all points of the globe, it seems. There’s even an old MiG factory that’s been converted in Poland to making the things.
Wow! Can I get one with 20 mm cannon on board?
I think you might have some problems with Federal regulations, but they could probably hook you up. Of course, the owners of the company (Americans) said that they had one hell of getting the former MiG builders to grasp the concept of “quality” so you might not want one, even if you could sneak it past the Feds. (Did I mention that I was a machinist and for a not so small fee would be happy to build you a 20 mm cannon equipped Cobra?)
Yep. Sure am. But it’s no 240-Z. The 350-Z is a great sports car, but it’s 1100 lbs heavier than a 240-Z, and you just don’t get the same driving feel from a car that massive.
I’ve owned three 240-Z’s. They feel more like a go-cart than a sports car. The steering is so light and tight that just thinking about turning causes that car to swerve. The five speed transmission was dynamite, and the engine roared like a Ferrari if it was tuned right and had triple Weber carbs put on it. And, the car was like, $2400 in 1971.
THe closest thing to a 240Z in performance today isn’t the 350-Z - it’s probably the Mazda Miata, because it comes close to the weight and ‘tossability’ of the Z-car. But the Miata isn’t a real sports car. It’s more of a small boulevard cruiser. Too soft, not enough power. Put another 50 hp in the Miata, tighten up the suspension, and you’ve got a better approximation of a 240-Z.
The new ones are close, but not good enough - I demand chrome!
That was going to be my third choice! I love the looks of those things!
I was thinking about suggesting that one as well. Somehow I knew you’d suggest the Tucker! 
A neighbour in Lancaster had a couple of those. Nice! I called them “Bat Cars”, because they looked like little Batmobiles – or even like little bats.
I’d say the Miata is a sports car. It’s called “The MGB that works!” Remember that the MGB only had 95 horses and its top speed (without the optional overdrive) was only 103 mph. (Moss Motors has developed a supercharger for the MGBs, BTW; and some people bore and stroke the 1.8L MGB engine to about 2 litres.)
The current MG roadster is the MG TF. You can see one here. I consider the Audi TT to be the new Karmann Ghia.
Unfortunately, the MGF is not available here.
Yes, Nissan did sanction some restored Z-cars a few years back. They were done by a shop in California, rebuilt to new specs, and sold through dealers. (I thought it was amusing that Nissan’s design team had gotten so completely out of touch with that segment of the market that they were restoring old cars to sell…)
If they’d done the same thing with the old 1600 Roadster, I’d have been standing in line at the dealer, cash in hand.
My parents considered the Datsun 1600 Roadster, but they said it sounded “tinny”. The Jaguar E-type was considered, but mom needed a back seat (I don’t remember when the 2+2 came out, but the E-types she looked at didn’t have a back seat so they didn’t buy one.) That left the MGB. In 1966 you could have a convertible top or a stowable top. To keep the back seat space free for the kids, mom opted for the stowable top. (But what did dad drive? His new car in 1966 was a Navy blue Ford Galaxie 500 7-Litre with the Police Interceptor package.)
I saw a Datsun 1600 roadster with a “for sale” sign sitting out in front of a gas station several months ago. Nice restoration.
Which reminds me (as long as I’m typing): A couple of weeks ago on the 405N by LAX I passed by a red Sunbeam Tiger. Licence plate: “GT SMART”. It was in need of restoration.
A couple decent links and opinions in this old thread
When I was young and stupid I owned a Datsun 2000 Roadster, and then many years later, after I got married, a maroon 1600 Roadster. Mrs. R loved the 1600. Eventually it was wrecked (nitwit girl in a Charger), and we moved on…
But about three years ago, Mrs. R was gone on a trip for a couple weeks. When she got back, I had the Little Rs greet her, announcing with big grins that they’d washed her blue car. Did they mean they’d been washing her old reliable Corolla? But nooooooo–they’d been washing the 1995 Miata hidden in the garage that I’d bought her while she was out of town. Fortunately, she loves it.
Incidently, Ford is likely to re-discontinue the Thunderbird in the next two years due to low demand.
Interesting. I don’t agree with the write up. The only resemblance between that car and the original Ghia is that they’re both convertibles.
That thing looks nothing like a Ghia.
Sure it does, you just have to squint real hard after having a prefrontal lobotomy, and you’ll see that it looks just like a Ghia. The ghost of Harley Earle told me that.
Personally I dislike the PT Cruiser and the new Thunderbird as being lame attempts by Detroit to evoke nostalgia in baby boomers. I think great design creates its own aesthetic, it doesn’t mimic that of another era. I mean, if you want a car that looks old, get a real old car.
I don’t think the new Beetle falls in the same category because it strikes me as being a modern update of the classic look, not an attempt to hark back to an earlier time. Same with the new Mini Cooper.
As the insanely pleased owner of a Nissan 350Z, I say: don’t recreate past classics, make new ones. The new Z, as Sam Stone so correctly notes, is a GREAT sports car. It follows in the line of its illustrious predecessors, but doesn’t mimic them. The family resemblance is actually quite subtle (hint: look at side views of a 240Z and a 350Z, and note the rear roofline). It continues the traditions of the line while incorporating modern technology and contemporary design.
Sam: I’ve never driven any of the earlier Zs, but I’ve owned a Miata and a 944 Turbo (and driven them on the track). While I understand your point about the “tossability” of a light car, the 350Z is terrific on the track!
Do you still have a 240? Do you live anywhere near Washington, DC? Want to (briefly) swap rides sometime?