C2 Grand Sport replica kits???
02-20-2007, 08:41 AM
#1
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C2 Grand Sport replica kits???
Does anyone know where you can get Grand Sport replica stuff? . . .my buddy is getting ready to buy a C2 Vette and we wanna do a modern Grand Sport Vette!
02-20-2007, 10:05 AM
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02-20-2007, 04:18 PM
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Thanks for the link Valrico! I'll check it out.
02-20-2007, 04:20 PM
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Avoid D&D.
The best body/frame available is from Jeff Leech at Mid-America. I built one of his cars and recently sold it to another forum member, 'nowhat'. It's his new mistress!
Here's a link to my car: http://www.lateral-g.net/sidelnyk/
The best body/frame available is from Jeff Leech at Mid-America. I built one of his cars and recently sold it to another forum member, 'nowhat'. It's his new mistress!
Here's a link to my car: http://www.lateral-g.net/sidelnyk/
Last edited by Mecom Racer; 02-20-2007 at 04:23 PM.
02-20-2007, 08:57 PM
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C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
There is no reproduction Grand Sport from any supplier that is an accurate representation of the originals. If having a historically accurate Grand Sport is important, it will take a lot of effort and expense to craft one. If it isn't, then the price of admission is considerably lower.
Mid-America Industries has been in the business longer and more successfully than any other GS supplier. The advantages of a MAI body (and chassis, if you want the tube frame) are that it is an actual Corvette with a Chevrolet VIN tag and the passenger compartment retains all the birdcage structure of the original car. This means it will be easy to register the finished car and the doors will align and function correctly. If you don't want the tube frame, a MAI body has body mount points that will match up with the body mounts on a stock Sting Ray frame.
D&D Grand Sports are a whole 'nother animal entirely. They are fabricated from scratch and have relatively little structure to the passenger compartment. Getting doors to align is a crap shoot. Getting the fiberglass to fit, I'm told, can be a challenge. Furthermore, early D&D cars (before approximately S/N 38) have steering geometry and steering mechanicals that are, to be blunt, dangerous. Later cars are better in this regard, but still have some fit issues. D&D may or may not still be trying to turn out a body now and then; hard to say. D&D bodies sometimes show up on EBay.
A replica Grand Sport is a pretty cool car that draws a lot of attention and is a blast to drive, but building one takes a lot of determination.
Mid-America Industries has been in the business longer and more successfully than any other GS supplier. The advantages of a MAI body (and chassis, if you want the tube frame) are that it is an actual Corvette with a Chevrolet VIN tag and the passenger compartment retains all the birdcage structure of the original car. This means it will be easy to register the finished car and the doors will align and function correctly. If you don't want the tube frame, a MAI body has body mount points that will match up with the body mounts on a stock Sting Ray frame.
D&D Grand Sports are a whole 'nother animal entirely. They are fabricated from scratch and have relatively little structure to the passenger compartment. Getting doors to align is a crap shoot. Getting the fiberglass to fit, I'm told, can be a challenge. Furthermore, early D&D cars (before approximately S/N 38) have steering geometry and steering mechanicals that are, to be blunt, dangerous. Later cars are better in this regard, but still have some fit issues. D&D may or may not still be trying to turn out a body now and then; hard to say. D&D bodies sometimes show up on EBay.
A replica Grand Sport is a pretty cool car that draws a lot of attention and is a blast to drive, but building one takes a lot of determination.
02-21-2007, 06:05 AM
#7
Melting Slicks
There is no reproduction Grand Sport from any supplier that is an accurate representation of the originals. If having a historically accurate Grand Sport is important, it will take a lot of effort and expense to craft one. If it isn't, then the price of admission is considerably lower.
Mid-America Industries has been in the business longer and more successfully than any other GS supplier. The advantages of a MAI body (and chassis, if you want the tube frame) are that it is an actual Corvette with a Chevrolet VIN tag and the passenger compartment retains all the birdcage structure of the original car. This means it will be easy to register the finished car and the doors will align and function correctly. If you don't want the tube frame, a MAI body has body mount points that will match up with the body mounts on a stock Sting Ray frame.
D&D Grand Sports are a whole 'nother animal entirely. They are fabricated from scratch and have relatively little structure to the passenger compartment. Getting doors to align is a crap shoot. Getting the fiberglass to fit, I'm told, can be a challenge. Furthermore, early D&D cars (before approximately S/N 38) have steering geometry and steering mechanicals that are, to be blunt, dangerous. Later cars are better in this regard, but still have some fit issues. D&D may or may not still be trying to turn out a body now and then; hard to say. D&D bodies sometimes show up on EBay.
A replica Grand Sport is a pretty cool car that draws a lot of attention and is a blast to drive, but building one takes a lot of determination.
Mid-America Industries has been in the business longer and more successfully than any other GS supplier. The advantages of a MAI body (and chassis, if you want the tube frame) are that it is an actual Corvette with a Chevrolet VIN tag and the passenger compartment retains all the birdcage structure of the original car. This means it will be easy to register the finished car and the doors will align and function correctly. If you don't want the tube frame, a MAI body has body mount points that will match up with the body mounts on a stock Sting Ray frame.
D&D Grand Sports are a whole 'nother animal entirely. They are fabricated from scratch and have relatively little structure to the passenger compartment. Getting doors to align is a crap shoot. Getting the fiberglass to fit, I'm told, can be a challenge. Furthermore, early D&D cars (before approximately S/N 38) have steering geometry and steering mechanicals that are, to be blunt, dangerous. Later cars are better in this regard, but still have some fit issues. D&D may or may not still be trying to turn out a body now and then; hard to say. D&D bodies sometimes show up on EBay.
A replica Grand Sport is a pretty cool car that draws a lot of attention and is a blast to drive, but building one takes a lot of determination.
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02-21-2007, 09:02 PM
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You Should Check out GT Motorsports
There is no reproduction Grand Sport from any supplier that is an accurate representation of the originals. If having a historically accurate Grand Sport is important, it will take a lot of effort and expense to craft one. If it isn't, then the price of admission is considerably lower.
Mid-America Industries has been in the business longer and more successfully than any other GS supplier. The advantages of a MAI body (and chassis, if you want the tube frame) are that it is an actual Corvette with a Chevrolet VIN tag and the passenger compartment retains all the birdcage structure of the original car. This means it will be easy to register the finished car and the doors will align and function correctly. If you don't want the tube frame, a MAI body has body mount points that will match up with the body mounts on a stock Sting Ray frame.
D&D Grand Sports are a whole 'nother animal entirely. They are fabricated from scratch and have relatively little structure to the passenger compartment. Getting doors to align is a crap shoot. Getting the fiberglass to fit, I'm told, can be a challenge. Furthermore, early D&D cars (before approximately S/N 38) have steering geometry and steering mechanicals that are, to be blunt, dangerous. Later cars are better in this regard, but still have some fit issues. D&D may or may not still be trying to turn out a body now and then; hard to say. D&D bodies sometimes show up on EBay.
A replica Grand Sport is a pretty cool car that draws a lot of attention and is a blast to drive, but building one takes a lot of determination.
Mid-America Industries has been in the business longer and more successfully than any other GS supplier. The advantages of a MAI body (and chassis, if you want the tube frame) are that it is an actual Corvette with a Chevrolet VIN tag and the passenger compartment retains all the birdcage structure of the original car. This means it will be easy to register the finished car and the doors will align and function correctly. If you don't want the tube frame, a MAI body has body mount points that will match up with the body mounts on a stock Sting Ray frame.
D&D Grand Sports are a whole 'nother animal entirely. They are fabricated from scratch and have relatively little structure to the passenger compartment. Getting doors to align is a crap shoot. Getting the fiberglass to fit, I'm told, can be a challenge. Furthermore, early D&D cars (before approximately S/N 38) have steering geometry and steering mechanicals that are, to be blunt, dangerous. Later cars are better in this regard, but still have some fit issues. D&D may or may not still be trying to turn out a body now and then; hard to say. D&D bodies sometimes show up on EBay.
A replica Grand Sport is a pretty cool car that draws a lot of attention and is a blast to drive, but building one takes a lot of determination.
We use a Complete Fiberglass Body like the D&D, A State of the Art Tube Chassis, Fit issues are a breeze compared to starting with a retread tub from a beat c2 car?? I cant quote on the earlier D&D stuff but check out the website and photo's I will put our turnkey up against any GS Replica out there and feel confident it is as good or better than duntov or MAI
http://www.gtmotorsports.org
Let me know what you think
Bill
02-22-2007, 06:36 AM
#10
Melting Slicks
GT Motorsports is offering kits and turnkeys
We use a Complete Fiberglass Body like the D&D, A State of the Art Tube Chassis, Fit issues are a breeze compared to starting with a retread tub from a beat c2 car?? I cant quote on the earlier D&D stuff but check out the website and photo's I will put our turnkey up against any GS Replica out there and feel confident it is as good or better than duntov or MAI
http://www.gtmotorsports.org
Let me know what you think
Bill
We use a Complete Fiberglass Body like the D&D, A State of the Art Tube Chassis, Fit issues are a breeze compared to starting with a retread tub from a beat c2 car?? I cant quote on the earlier D&D stuff but check out the website and photo's I will put our turnkey up against any GS Replica out there and feel confident it is as good or better than duntov or MAI
http://www.gtmotorsports.org
Let me know what you think
Bill
02-25-2007, 08:33 PM
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Please send email to sales@gtmotorsports.org
You can also call 216-990-1932
Thank You,
Bill Mrklas
gt motorsports
www.gtmotorsports.org
02-26-2007, 07:06 PM
#15
Melting Slicks
Bill thanks for getting back to me, I will see you and your car at Carlisle for the Kit Car show. Some of the differences between your car and the early D&D cars, as you explained to me today, would be worth while to get out. Good luck
02-27-2007, 05:22 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
Are the differences top secret? I for one would like to see them.
02-27-2007, 02:04 PM
#17
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C2 of Year Finalist (track prepared) 2019
Early D&D Grand Sports
Early D&D cars were notable for a lack of body structure, most notably behind the hinge pillar. Clever fabricators would reinforce this area with a triangulated brace that tied back to the body support at the bottom of the firewall.
Another feature of early cars is horrendously bad steering geometry... one early car was measured as having 3/8" bump steer on the passenger side (the amount of bump steer was not the same on both sides.... passenger side was worse)
Relatedly, the steering shaft was mounted in such a way as to cause severe U-joint angularity.
Yet Another endearing quality was the use of rear coil-overs that had inadequate provisions for suspension travel and which were mounted in such a way that suspension deflection tended to bind and bend the coil-over push rod.
Engines in early cars were mounted kinda low..... crank pullies come pretty close to the #1 crossmember and oil pans and/or scattershields can be knuckle draggers.
In the plus column, however, the first design D&D bodies bear strong historic resemblence to the Real Thing. It's very clear that Dean and Dante had carefully scrutinized one of the originals up close and that they had good eyes for detail. Too, the first design bodies have a subtle downward rake to the front end that is missing on the second design bodies. My opinion, this rake looks really cool and might even help keep the nose closer to the ground at speed.
Weight data on the early cars is hard to come by, but I've seen evidence that the first cars tended to be about 75 lbs lighter than the later cars..... weights of 2470 even with an iron motor and a scattershield are easy to achieve.
Early D&D cars can have some real issues. If someone who is trying to build a replica GS were to fix the problems while keeping the good features, a pretty cool car could be the result.
Another feature of early cars is horrendously bad steering geometry... one early car was measured as having 3/8" bump steer on the passenger side (the amount of bump steer was not the same on both sides.... passenger side was worse)
Relatedly, the steering shaft was mounted in such a way as to cause severe U-joint angularity.
Yet Another endearing quality was the use of rear coil-overs that had inadequate provisions for suspension travel and which were mounted in such a way that suspension deflection tended to bind and bend the coil-over push rod.
Engines in early cars were mounted kinda low..... crank pullies come pretty close to the #1 crossmember and oil pans and/or scattershields can be knuckle draggers.
In the plus column, however, the first design D&D bodies bear strong historic resemblence to the Real Thing. It's very clear that Dean and Dante had carefully scrutinized one of the originals up close and that they had good eyes for detail. Too, the first design bodies have a subtle downward rake to the front end that is missing on the second design bodies. My opinion, this rake looks really cool and might even help keep the nose closer to the ground at speed.
Weight data on the early cars is hard to come by, but I've seen evidence that the first cars tended to be about 75 lbs lighter than the later cars..... weights of 2470 even with an iron motor and a scattershield are easy to achieve.
Early D&D cars can have some real issues. If someone who is trying to build a replica GS were to fix the problems while keeping the good features, a pretty cool car could be the result.
02-27-2007, 03:52 PM
#18
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02-28-2007, 05:59 AM
#19
Melting Slicks
Early D&D cars were notable for a lack of body structure, most notably behind the hinge pillar. Clever fabricators would reinforce this area with a triangulated brace that tied back to the body support at the bottom of the firewall.--------------- That is part of what I did to my D&D coupe. I also put a rocker channel in made from 3/16 flat stock bent to fit the bodys rocker channel. I tied the A and B pillar in to that steel channel. I also formed and bonded alum. round tubing into the winshield frame and around the tops of the doors. I had my body sitting in the sun one time and when I went to put it back in the shop the roof had sucked down due to the heat of the sun. I had to cut the headliner back out and heat the roof so I could push it back into shape. I then used foam to support the roof and vac. baged it. I did the same for the center of the hood. The car is now almost ten years old. And the guy that owns iit is a fourm member. we stay in touch all the time. The body is still as good as the day I sold it and still has no stress cracks. I also used an appleton rack in mine. If this guy fixed the body right I would buy and build another coupe. If he has such a good setup he should post it so we could see. Brian G.