Kit Cars

EV Kit Car! 1981 Bradley GT II Electric

Bradley Automotive was a 1970s manufacturer of kit cars largely based on a Volkswagen Type 1 chassis and drivetrain. The GT was perhaps its best-known product, which could be purchased as a kit or a fully assembled car. The… more»

No Reserve: 1965 Fiberfab Banshee

We’re no strangers to unfinished projects at Barn Finds, with some showing greater promise than others. However, when it is a kit car, opinions can be divided. This 1965 Fiberfab Banshee is a perfect example of the breed. The… more»

’70s Cool! 1970 El Lobo Dune Buggy

By the time 1970 rolled around, it was clear that two things would survive an atomic blast:  cockroaches and air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles. The indestructible little People’s Car became the underpinning for a variety of interesting kit cars and low-production… more»

Close Enough? 1957 Porsche Speedster Replica

Kit cars, even after all these years, still seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of automobiles.  They just don’t get no respect.  Is that a fair attitude to take?  The majority of them were built to replicate famous vehicles… more»

Build it Your Way: Kellison J5 Body + Chassis and Rear End

Occasionally, a blank canvas project candidate appears that is worth more than a passing glance. Such is the case with this Kellison J5 kit car. The included parts list isn’t extensive, but they could hold the key to creating… more»

1-of-284: 1987 Ginetta G26

We’ve seen a recent influx of kit cars at Barn Finds, and this 1987 Ginetta G26 is among the more unusual. Hailing from the UK, only 284 of these classics were produced. It looks exotic, but with most of… more»

Porsche Turbo Powered: 1975 Sterling Kit Car

Kit cars offer buyers the best of both worlds. Most are exotic-looking vehicles that can’t help but turn heads. They achieve this feat while the svelte body typically rests on pretty humble underpinnings like those provided by a Volkswagen… more»

Meyers Manx? 1972 Volkswagen Dune Buggy

Dune buggies were all the rage in the 1960s and 1970s, at least along the beaches in California and Florida. Most were fiberglass bodies affixed to a Volkswagen chassis and using Beetle power. Perhaps the best known was the… more»

Fiberglass Kit Car? 1957 Ford Thunderbird

This is one strange bird. It’s registered as a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, but is it? Well, looks can be deceiving and this one is a bit of a Frankenstein. This T-bird is actually a Dofral kit car and my… more»

Tubular Frame Replica: 1984 Lamborghini Countach

I’m pretty sure that every Barn Finds reader has seen a vehicle where the builder has tried to create a replica of some outrageously expensive exotic. They are typically based on pretty mundane underpinnings, meaning that the dimensions are… more»

American Gullwing! Fiberfab Banshee/Caribee

In the 1960s and 1970s, the automotive world had a love/hate relationship with kit cars. On the one hand, the varied body kits offered dreamers the chance to build an exotic-looking car with their custom touches. On the other… more»

Unfinished Vintage Kit Car: 1953 Allard J2X by Elite Enterprises

Allard Motor Company, founded by Sydney Allard in 1946, made just 200 cars in its dozen-year history. Jerry Knapp was four years old when Allard produced its first car. He was born in Minnesota but eventually settled in California…. more»

Jack Stand Find: Custom Coach Builders Sebring

Is it a Sebring, a Nova, a Sovran, a Cimbria or a Sterling? All three are very similar-looking component cars produced in the 1970s and 1980s by various companies, most of which were based on the venerable VW Beetle… more»

Volkswagen Power: 1953 MG TD Kit Car

The TD was part of MG’s T-Type sports car lineup built from 1936 to 1955, with Its run between 1950 and 1953. The seller has a kit car replica that’s been in a barn for the past 20 years…. more»

1934 Mercedes 500K The Classic Factory Replica

As one of the more beautiful cars of the 1930s, it’s easy to see why the styling of the Mercedes-Benz 500K has been copied so many times. The Classic Factory, operated by H.T. and Diana Price during the 1980s… more»

Unicorn Dune Buggy! 1969 Meyers Tow’d

You’re looking at a rare ride! This kit car is from Meyers. You might be familiar with their most popular model, the Manx. Meyers manufactured other bodies meant for VWs, too. This is one of fewer than 900 ever… more»

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