When "Kit Cars" become "Real Cars"

[cobrashoch]

Today I meet some folks driving their Unique Cobra for the first time. I felt odd when at first I talked to them and I wanted to know the manufacturer of their car. Sorta made me feel like a "rookie" asking all the dumb questions we all hear. Still, it's a valid question, though it flys in my face against everything I believe to be true of these cars. Point is, somewhere along the line a "Kit Car" transcends kit status and becomes a real car. Or does it really? If we are talking about a 32 glass high-boy completed car (kit) the public in general would not ask if it was a kit car, now would they? But a Cobra? Why is it any different? I know better. But I still ask the same dumb question. And I'm betting that at least some you folks feel awkward asking the same question. Knowing full well there is a full range of what is "complete", from raw kit to trophy cars doesn't help.
Or am I biased against "Kit Cars" too?
Cobrashock

[Excaliber]

I have found myself looking at Hot Rods and wondering if it's a steel body or glass. Most of the time I don't ask, sometimes I do. Hmmmm,,,it is an interesting question. Seems like EVERYONE asks about Cobras. Gotta have something to do with Shelby I guess, or the rareity of the "real" ones.

After all, you see a LOT of Hot Rods and darn few Cobras. Were special.

Ernie

[RACERAL]

Ernie is right on... everybody in his brother knows what a 32 ford is. Although "we" think everybody knows about Cobras.. The truth is, only a small % of the general public knows what they are.
Even a lot of "car guys" don't know what Cobras are.
The only gripe I have is the street rod crowd doesn't want to give our cars any respect.. I mean, they all start out with a frame , add suspension, wiring, body, paint... they put there stuff togather just like we do, well, some of us anyway...

[CowtownCobra]

No matter if they are replicas or Counterfeit or whatever, I tend not to think of many of the newer Cobras as "kitcars" period. What they are (to me) are hand fabricated racing chassis' with the best off-the-shelf racing suspension, engine, components etc, and by the way, a copied Cobra body to cover it all up. These cars are more closely related to NASCAR than to your average production car. Maybe we should start calling NASCAR cars "kitcars", after all, they are made from hand fabricated racing chassis' with the best off-the-shelf racing suspension, engine, components etc, and by the way, a copied ? body to cover it all up.

[mr bruce]

When the MFGs and owners quit callin' them "KITs" they will gain some respect.Like it or not, most people still think they aint nuthin but a chunk of fibreglass bolted on top of a VW floor pan.

[RACERAL]

Mr Burce is kinda right.. there is a guy here at work that ask me how my volkswagon is doing....
How should the Mfg. market there"kit cars...
Maybe Kit Car Mag.. should change the name of their mag.

[cobra427mnsi]

At one time there were two Kit Car magazines publishers. The one tried to change its name to Specialty Car (or something like that), but sales fell off so they renamed it back to Kit Car again with the sub title of Specialty Car. I could look up the actual names in my files if someone really needs the info.

Paul

[BANDIT 1]

There is a gentleman driving around the area in a early 1980's "kit car". The car is a disgrace, it has a roll bar that covers both the driver and the passenger. The roll bar looks like a "fence post", because it is! The chassis is a joke and pretty much the rest of the car. If ever I saw a car that shouldn't even be allowed on the road, this is it. The point is that most early "kit cars" are junk and that the "kit car" companies now are unjustly still paying for the early Cobra's. There are also people that know about the various Lambo. and Ferrari "kit cars" riding on a Fiero chassis. I agree with others on this sight that "kit cars" now should be concidered hand built "race cars". What else do you call a hi- performance chassis with 400 - 700+ horsepower, surely not a Fiero!

[Ron61]

I subscribe to the Kit Car Magazine and have wondered for some time why they don't change the name to something like special constructed vehicles or such. They cover several other cars besides Cobras and I know of two street rods here that are all fiberglass kits that were ordered from one of the manafacturers but no one ever asks them if their cars are kits. I just ask them if their cars are steel or fiberglass and so far none of them have gotten angry about it. In fact the one guy with the kit one was very happy to show me everything about it right down to the frame he used. He then came over and looked over my replica Cobra and told me he really didn't like the term kit for any of the cars now being built by individuals.

Ron

[Cobra20646]

I don't mind someone calling my car a "kit"....... but I do take offence to someone calling my 21 year old Unique "JUNK".

Thanks for your support Bandit 1; quote
"The point is that most early "kit cars" are junk and that the "kit car" companies now are unjustly still paying for the early Cobra's. "

- Jim -

[Excaliber]

Surely it wasn't a reference to the Unique! I don't kow if "most" of the early kit's were "junk", but to this day (old or new) "some are". That also applies to 32 Fords, I have seen some butchered ones out there. But that's the "exception" not the "rule". I think that applies to Cobras as well. The BIG difference is:

FEW people are driving their 32 Ford a 100 mph. MOST Cobra owners will.

Ernie

[Roscoe]

You mean that 32 Ford on the custom chassis and Chevy 350?

OH well!

Anyway, next to the Kit Car Magazine on the newstand is Kit Planes. Now these planes are not cheap and have a tremendous amount of respect in the flying world. So why are kitcars a scourge?

Roscoe

[Jmar]

I think most people that have the idea that our cars are of lesser quality are not educated in our specialty. When somebody asks if it is a kit car I tell them yes and show them around the car to educate them. I also explain to them that this car was built using combination of techniques from the hot rodding and racing world. I usually tell them that it's no different than the '32 Ford with the Chevy engine or the 1970 Dodge that had the slant 6 replaced with a crate Hemi.

I think they show a little more respect when they see the amount of work invested in the details. I have one or two friends in my club that have poorly constructed kits and they really get it from the other members that put in a lot of effort to finish their cars well.

[cobrashoch]

So, I'm I reading you guys right that it's not the term Kit Car that bugs you but rather the negitive conotations that seem to follow the term? That's how I read it to, but I to feel Mr. Bruce is right that this will not change till a new term is in common useage.
Hmmm,,,, lets see. How about a "Component built Cobra" to describe a Factory Five? Nope. All cars are component built at the factory. Hand built? More correct but no cigar!
Jmar - Your approach is correct but I really doubt if it has any effect. The same guy you schooled today will be talking about other kit cars tomorrow with scorn. It don't seem to make any difference either if indeed they are somewhat car smart.
Raceral - I disagree that only a small % of folks know what a Cobra is. They know the car, but what they don't know are the facts about them. Enter the kit car stigma at this point and we all know the rest.
Do you guys feel odd about asking about who the manufacturer of a Cobra is too? It sorta negates or looks past the guy(s) that put it together doesn't it?
O well, just another sunday afternoon in Indy.
Cobrashock

[King Cobra]

I have not secured my kit(notice I use the term kit) as yet, but decided to build a 16x20 shop inside my warehouse so I have a good place to transform the metal and fiberglass into the Magical Beast .
A friend came by and asked what I was building the shop for? I said I'm going to build a Cobra! his response: A real one or a kit? The question puzzled me I didn't know whether to make fun of him or educate him a little. I opted for education.
I explained that my name wasn't Carol and we wern't in 1967 so I couln't build a real one but rather a REPLICA maybe not an exacting but a good facsimile. Then I proceeded to tell him in my opinion Kit car
is a very broad term that includes a number of different types of cars, ie. rebody's,ground ups,custom frames, donor cars ect.
I think the general perception of the term KIT CAR is not a good one but with a little education people will understand the differences in build level because as stated before there is a lot of poor quality cobbled together crap out there giving a good industry a bad name.

[Cobra20646]

Originally posted by cobrashoch


Do you guys feel odd about asking about who the manufacturer of a Cobra is too? It sorta negates or looks past the guy(s) that put it together doesn't it?
Cobrashock [/b]

Ron,

I've never thought about it.... mainly because I've had to answer that question many times from other Cobra owners while we look over and talk about each others car. It just seems natural to ask, "so, what manufacture is this?", or if it's obvious in some way, say "this is a Classic Roadster, right?" You have to remember that this finished product started off a a pile of parts. What we're looking at is usually the result of a lot of someones sweat and labor. The builder is probably more proud of his work than to be insulted because someone asked him who the manufacture is. Even if the car is a turnkey minus like a Superformance, I wouldn't think it rude to ask what it is. I could be wrong....... wouldn't be the first time

- Jim -

[cobrashoch]

Jim- That's because your car can lay claim to the the name Unique. In my case the car is just a collection of parts and self fabracations. I have a no name car. The only thing my car can stand on is my fabrcation skill and possibly some parts I selected to use.
cobrashock

[Excaliber]

Hey Brent has one of them "no name" cars, and HE started the Club! So your in good company! LOL

I am never afraid to ask about manufacturer of a guys Cobra, it might be HIM!

"So, are you building a "real" one or a "kit"???? Ha ha,,,,,,,now that question takes the cake! I would be truly puzzled where to begin to answer that!

Ernie

[Cobra20646]

Ron,

If I were you, I couldn't wait for someone to ask "the" question, just so I could answer "me". You certainly have more to be proud of than someone like myself who came upon an already built vehicle, or someone who has built a "jig saw" puzzel car...... one with all the parts and a book telling how to hook them all up

Good on Ya!

- Jim -

[Wayne Maybury]

This thread is producing some interesting points of view. I don't worry as much about the word "kit" as I do in the way the word is used or the tone of voice or whatever. You all know what I am talking about. One individual comes up and says "Is that real or a kit?" in a sarcastic tone of voice. Another person comes up to you and politely asks "What make of kit did you use?". Big difference.

I think that what bothers me about the kit word is the implication by some that the car is inferior in some way. Most people look at a kit as some parts that come in a couple of boxes like a gas bar-b-q. Open box, insert part A into part B, tighten bolt, etc. Lets face it, for many people a kit car is one of those one-piece dune buggy bodies that were bolted to a VW floor pan years ago.

When I explain to someone that my car looks like a Cobra but the chassis was made by a company the specializes in the production of asphalt stock cars, they tend to then take the car more seriously.

I prefer to use the term component automobile or something similar instead of kit. As far as names go for these types of cars, look at the name of the group that puts on the Knotts car show, Association of Hand Crafted Automobiles (or something close to that).

Why does no one ever ask the Rodders if their cars are "kits"?

Wayne