One of the interesting things about Barn Finds is that I stumble upon various models I had long forgotten about, only to be reawakened with an, “Oh yeah, I remember those”. Today’s discovery, courtesy of Tony P. is one such example, specifically a 1976 Bradley GT. This model is actually a GT II, first offered in 1976, and according to www.bradleygt.org, it’s one of only 500 GT IIs produced! This resident of Roanoke, Texas is rather forlorn looking but regardless, let’s see what it has to offer.
So, what is a Bradley GT? It’s a fiberglass kit car that bolts to a VW Type I chassis and uses the Bug’s running gear. Bradley Automotive, started in 1970 and domiciled in Plymouth, Minnesota, produced the original Bradley GT through 1981 and realized sales of about 6,000 copies. The GT II is a similar ride though the front clip, with its less cumbersome hideaway headlights, seems to aesthetically flow a bit better than the original GT. Several different research sources all echo the same warning about GT II parts scarcity today – they’re tough to find. A lack of manufacturing expediency and the dreaded undercapitalization impediment ended Bradley Automotive’s further quests in 1981.
When it comes to boogering stuff together with duct tape, I’ve got cred but even this car’s so-inspired windshield seal is star-quality work. The seller tells us that this GT II, which has been in his possession for twenty years, is perched on a Karmann Ghia chassis. To cite the obvious, there are a lot of missing parts, trim, etc. and the driver’s side appears to have had a recurring date with a bucket on Bondo. The seller claims that he has most of the parts to complete this car but the word “most” can be open to interpretation.
The non-installed engine is a 2.3 liter flat-four and is not assembled so this one will be a do-it-yourselfer. The list of internal components sounds impressive, including, “CB Performance Part Number 1159 White Rhino Aluminum Super Case with bronze lift bores installed, 84mm crank with Chevy rod journals, 5.7 inch H beam rods, CB 044 heads, bearings, seals, several camshafts, lifters, rocker arms, etc.“. The four-speed VW transaxle is holding up this GT II’s rear end and a five-speed version is available with the sale.
The interior is mostly gutted and the seller suggests that it will need to be “redone” along with wiring. It’s not stated if he has all of the parts to facilitate the needed redo. One thing to consider is the titling matter, one from Washington State exists for the 1970 Karmann Ghia platform, but nothing is in place for the Bradley part of this mashup.
We often make fun of projects such as this Bradley GT II with snarky comments about “assembly required” or “no instructions included” but this undertaking does include an assembly manual so that should be of some assistance. So, pluses and minuses abound here, it’s a rare sports car with a low production volume (a plus) but then there’s everything else to consider (a negative). Interested parties with find this worker of kit car project, here on craigslist where it’s available for $4,200 or $2,500 for just the car, or $2,400 for all (most?) of the parts.
Certainly a better looking car than the first series. There is enough stuff here to build a fun car out of.
Car only for 2400- plus an electric swap?
Unfinished though it may be, that’s the most complete Bradley I’ve ever seen. Most of them are just the fiberglass shell sitting in a stand of weeds.
I sent a letter of interest to the Brady Corp in 1976 and got an actual call back pitching me on the GT II. They didn’t know I was a 15 year old moron who just thought the lines on the car looked really cool. I still think they look sexy and I’m really tempted to go after this project. Build a very stiff racing chassis, similar to the ones put under Cobra replicas, and jamb an LS in the front or mid-section. With the nonexistent weigh of the body – it could be pretty chippy.
Somewhere, Red Green is smiling about that windshield job.
Time to call Safelite.