ebay find of the day: 1960 La Dawri Conquest Roadster

The history of sports car is so filled with home builts that one could not possibly have heard of all of them. The west coast of North America seems to have been a hotbed for home builders who wanted to market their creation. So goes the story of the La Dawri Conquest.

From the ebay listing:
The LaDawri Conquest was designed and built by Les A. Dawes of British Columbia, Canada and is recognized as Canada’s first fiberglass sports car.

More of the story and photos after the break
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Cody Coyote replica on ebay

It has been a while since I’ve visited Shannan Larratt at Price Of His Toys to check out the coolness that exists in the world of kit cars. I’m so glad I headed over today, or I wouldn’t have seen this incredible replica.

Way back in the 80’s I loved the Hardcastle & McCormick show. Not because the show was anything special, but because the real star of the show was a Manta Montage that had been tricked out and renamed the Cody Coyote. This replica was professionally built and is powered by a 3.3 GM V6. At only 1900 pounds, it likely flies.

The auction ends tomorrow, so if you are interested in ponying up 60 grand you can grab yourself an interesting bit of history (well, it looks like history anyway) that should actually be reliable on the road. You definitely won’t see another one passing you on the street.

Super Cheap Super Car

kit-car.jpg

If you go to Joe the mechanic to change your oil, read no further. But if your friends call you “the wrench” and you have a few bucks to burn, then open the box to your very own, build it yourself supercar.
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Adventures in Innovation - Tom Procter

The voice was muffled, but the words were audible and ringing with authority: “Back out of there slowly and keep your hands in sight.” At the moment of that command, I was headfirst down the driver’s side well, with a flashlight in my mouth, my hands desperately trying to re-join the linkage of the accelerator pedal to the carburetor rod, and my legs sticking out above the driver’s seat. From the viewpoint of a passing California Highway Patrolman, the image of a bright red convertible parked by the side of the highway with a pair of legs waving like semaphore flags, may possibly have created at least a degree of suspicion.

It was 10:00 on a moonlit summer night, and I was on my way back from San Luis Obisbo to my home in Santa Barbara. The top was off on my custom built ’28 Bugatti Type 55, and the throaty exhaust of the modified Porsche engine in third gear was like a massage to my soul as we cruised under the bright light of a full moon through the pass on Highway 154 alongside the lake and stream, and eventually over the incredible historic bridge just south of Lake Cachuma. Just as I roared across the bridge, I felt a pop under my foot and the Bugatti instantly decelerated. I braked to a stop in a wide spot off the road and turned off the motor. With the help of a flashlight, I could see that the accelerator pedal had pulled loose, and since there were no doors on this coupe, I had to dive headfirst to the bottom of the well to repair the damage.
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