Next project-just bought 58 Kellison J5 coupe

[john chesnut]

I've been looking for a new project. My cobra is done. My original Spyder is done. Those are both roadsters. Now I want a coupe with all of the creature comforts!
You guys have helped me out alot in deciding on the next car to do. Thanks Tommy for suggesting the Kellison J5 coupe. I fell in love with it right away and thought that I could do some custom body work, use one of my frames with new C6 Corvette drivetrain and suspension. I found an abandoned project with a great body on a custom frame with C4 Corvette suspension and custom wheels and tires. The car is an unfinsihed roller.
I plan to add fender flares, make the front end a full tilt, change the windshield from Studebaker flat glass to curved glass, I think make the doors gull wing, and maybe some other changes. we'll see how it goes.

[tkb289]

John,

Congratulations! Tommy's suggestion of a Kellison is an excellent one and your transformation of the car with C6 components will be exciting to watch. I like the idea of the tilt front end ... keep us posted!

[twobjshelbys]

Kellison photo. Owned by the brother of a friend of mine. This is an original.

[vector1]

i think i know what these cars remind me of but can't think of the name.

in the early 70's there was a car with similiar body style that had a chrysler 440 stuffed in it. neighbor had one whose dad had bought it new, can't think of the name though. don't think it was a chrysler body and i know it wasn't a mass produced car. must research more, anybody know what i'm thinking of?

[Buzz]

Originally Posted by vector1

i think i know what these cars remind me of but can't think of the name.

in the early 70's there was a car with similiar body style that had a chrysler 440 stuffed in it. neighbor had one whose dad had bought it new, can't think of the name though. don't think it was a chrysler body and i know it wasn't a mass produced car. must research more, anybody know what i'm thinking of?

Quite likely you are thinking of the Jensen CV8

[Tommy]

John,
You're welcome. Please post lots of pictures as you go along. ... I've been wanting to do a Kellison project for some time, but my finances aren't up to it right now. So I'd like to do it vicariously through your efforts. It's the same thing I do when I get the urge to do carpentry. I watch Norm Abrams on the New Yankee Workshop. It's always fun to watch a craftsman at work.

[vector1]

Originally Posted by Buzz

Quite likely you are thinking of the Jensen CV8

yup that's it!

[vector1]

here's the newer version

[FWB]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Kellison photo. Owned by the brother of a friend of mine. This is an original.

very very nice.....i love the j5's and j6's.... looks like he angled the dash better to be able to actually read the gauges....
i want to get in line .......if you ever want to sell let me know, it would be a great friend for my stallion........

Fred

[xlr8tr]

sweet!! Keep us posted, I'm sure it will be cool. Would it fit on one of your frames once you have revised things?

[Clois Harlan]

Good to see you put your passion to work on something with wheels again. Please keep all the pictures coming as changes are made. I would appreciate you telling us how you made your mods if you have time. Good luck John and if there is anything I have let me know. I am going to have a BIG garage sale this spring. I have a lot of stuff for Cobra's, Coupes, and maybe some GT 40 stuff too!

[john chesnut]

Thanks for the support! I am going to take some time to do this project. Since it's just for me I am not under a short deadline. My youngest son graduates high school in June of 2012. My plan is to have the car done by then. At that time I will be looking to be spending most of my time in a warm climate!

I plan to build a version of the frame that I have developed. The performance of it when combined with the new Corvette parts, to me, is pretty spectacular. I Hope to have the money to use new C6 parts. But, I may use C5. The geometry is basically the same and I have a set of C5 stuff. I am debating with myself whether to keep the car retro looking or keep the same styling theme and try and do a modern interpretation of it. I found a few pics of a concept Ferrari that I think has some of the same look as the Kellison. It's kind of interesting. I will make posts as I work on the project.

Clois, I will be in touch!

[Tommy]

John,
Here are some thoughts about the matter of choosing between retro and modern. It seems to me that the biggest difference in external appearance between modern cars (like the Ferrari) and retro cars (like the Kellison) is aerodynamics. The old cars were intended to look fast without having any actual aerodynamic data to back that up. The new cars with computer designed air dams, spoilers, difusers and belly pans really are fast. It would seem to me that to do a modern interpretation of a Kellison style car, you would have to either do a lot of aerodynamic study, or add on some aero gizmos to give the impression the car was well thought out aerodynamically. My concern if I were to do that is that the finished product would either look too busy or just look strange. I personally think a retro car design on a modern platform is more appealing than a car that looks modern but doesn't really have the engineering behind it to be in the same class with truly modern cars like a new Corvette.

[tkb289]

John,

I'll echo Tommy's comments ... old school looks with modern foundation would have broader appeal. Many Cobra replica manufacturers take this same approach.

The tilt front end, gull wing doors all would add to the custom look of the car, as these were also mods that were done back in the day ... but xenon headlights, carbon fiber winglets and other 'modern' do-dads would look out of place on such a classic looking car, in my opinion


- Tim