Auction Watch: 1974 Fiberfab Aztec GT With Subaru Power
Find this 1974 Fiberfab Aztec GT With Subaru Power here on eBay offered for $28,500 buy-it-now located in Chicago, IL.
From eBay listing:
Item specifics
Condition: | Used | Year: | 1974 |
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): | 1142096702 | Mileage: | 565 |
Vehicle Title: | Clear |
Very Modern, high tech build on a NOSTALGIC 1968 AZTEC GT., it took 5
years to complete, 565 Miles since ,very sleek, exotic sports car with
unique lift up canopy, an air lift raises the roof by remote. It has the
most beautiful candy red paint with red metallic stripes, brand new
polished wheels, new tires, the rear of the car tilts back to show off
the polished 2.0 turbo charged Subaru motor with 275 HP. the highly
modified chassis is also polished & painted, has coil over shocks,
independent suspension at all 4 corners as well as disc breaks, the
performance motor was $6,927, has HD, 4 Speed with hydraulic clutch, the
interior features tubular frame work, back up camera, racing seats and
digital speedo, heat and A/C. the motor compartment is a work of art and
it a blast to drive too. FREE SHIPPING WITHIN THE U.S.A.
I'm waiting for the mythbusters or whomever guys to take a turd, then freeze it, then slowly chilling it in ever colder baths (to ensure it doesn't crack) until it comes out of the liquid nitrogen, then gently attack with orbital buffers, periodically refreezing the fecal bullet, to prove that you can in fact polish a turd to a sheen the owner of any Pebble Beach Duesey SJ would be proud to have.
This comes very close.
I am asking the next question in all seriousness. Growing up in Detroit, we built cars from the ground up from the time we were kids. It's just part of the culture.
So when I see a hot rod, or a go kart, or a kit car, or a 'glas race car (ie, a car with a roll cage body, suspension designed by the builder, and whatever fiberglass bodywork on top), I don't see a real difference. Each is built by a gear head who is just having fun with their hobby.
So I've never quite understood the vitriol aimed at kit cars. Yes, I can understand the hatred/disdain towards lambo-wannabees. Or faux-rarris (ie, pretending to be something you're not).
But this is not the spirit of most kit car builders. They do it for the fun of building and driving something they built themselves. They're not in it to fake out others.
I say this as someone who owns 2 kit cars (A Manta Mirage, built by a race car designer, not me), and a Manta Montage (again, built by an engineer, not me). Both have been meticulously constructed, albeit with different goals. And I've gone through both, from suspension to engines, so that I'm intimately familiar with them. Strike that– I'm *still* going through them, because I want to know them like I'd built them myself.
Caveat Emptor certainly applies to anyone looking at buying a kit car they didn't build themselves (I'd liken it more to a death wish). Especially when testing the limits (not something I do anymore really, I'm getting too old for that sh*t).
But why hate on the builders? Some of these guys build race cars for a living. Others have always wanted to do this, and it's a learning experience.
They do this for fun.
Don't worry about hurting my feelings. If you feel strongly that all kit cars are polished turds, then I guess I'm asking what makes them different from anything else that's more than 20 years old and still on the road? I've been in some very fine looking turds, all American (or Italian) that had been cared for terribly, ran poorly, were death traps, but looked mighty fine.
What makes kit cars any different?
Sticking my neck out…
-Stan (the *other* Stan…)
There's definitely a bunch of money in this car, but I see no pics of the front suspension, the rear looks VW-derived but with a bunch of fabricated parts, it's running around on and apparently being sold with little all-season tires, who cares about a pic of the starter motor?
Making me think of a conversation I had with Vince not long after I met him. I was asking about engine swaps, how safe or reliable they could possibly be, changing as they do the carefully engineered characteristics of a car designed for high-volume production, litigation avoidance, etc. (I make no claim to serious gearhead cred) and that I'd be wary of borked driving dynamics. But then I said I would totally build and fly a small plane. Vince was all, "whaaaat?"
@ Stan.. I'm with you on this and have thoughts. My background? I have about 30 cars, Ferrari 430, a 67 a bright yellow VW bug, Studebacker silver hawk, mezzeesmidt, Alfa Montreal, edsel Bermuda wagon, and a low rider.. Just bought my wife a 55 austin healey 100.. Lots in between. Currently having a c4 vette being modded to a look like speed racers Mach 5. We race lemons and just have a blast w all of them… Drive them all. My one boy car is in the Frist museum car exhibit starting this last weekend in Nashville, Currator by Ken gross.. So I like cars and am gonna dept to your question w my 2cents.
1 – My best friend and I were almost killed in a Bugatti/ VW kit car.. He a broken arm, me big gash on forehead, last I saw the engine it had actually left the car and kept rolling down the street ahead of the car.. A site. Now granted it was an old one, cheap, and seriously janky kit conversion.. And wreck due to a mechanic not tightening the steering box right… But the car was always not right. Yet.. 6k for a ton of fun… We thought we'd won. And luckily we are ok today. But weve swore off glass kit cars.
– you like the car you buy it you enjoy it… That's that. All serious car guys I've met have lived by that. We all have different tastes.. Some don't even drive them.. My tastes have changed and I fall out of love with some and they get sold to Someone else to love… So the more different types/kinds/shapes, whatever the merrier…
– Some cars are out of reach or simply unavailable. Having riddien in one as a kid.. In in the market for a ford gt40 mk1.. And a tad short 6mill and don't want the infinitely hard ride of an original. Soooo I'm looking for a used superamerican or other (pro built kit / tribute) And btw I'll add air conditioning, smoother suspension and stereo too. Don't like my choice? Then enjoy your own original gt40 mk1, or thunderbird or whatever you got. Happy for you. It's America you know?
– again a kit almost killed my best friend and I.. Soo I would ONLY buy one after driving it.. Aaaaaand having several great racing mechanics check it out. They are used to weird suspensions and mods. Then id track it.. Or have a serious racer take it out to QC it.. Then I'd love it.
– the faux-rari I is not my favorite.. This advertisement oddly shows the correct car and a front corner view of a real Ferrari. They don't even look the same. So I don't like false advertising..
Else wise- You want a copy car? Go for it.
And as my big boy/pebble beach car collector friend says – "drive the wheels off of it !!"
Peace – Jim
Jim & Stan,
Here are my thoughts on the kit car world — and please don't take any of it too seriously because I certainly don't!
My thoughts regarding kit cars over the years have evolved, but the straight copies of another design (GT40, Fauxrrari, Lambo) are nice because it means you can drive to the grocery store with a good looking classic without selling your kidneys, but the fake Rolex quality of having a straight-up copy leaves a bad taste in my mouth…maybe a taste that could be cleaned up with a few good drives down the California coast in a Cobreplica — who knows!
Regarding build quality and loose steering boxes — I am a mechanical engineer with considerable experience in the automotive industry working for various companies including a tier I supplier (turbochargers) and I can tell you this — nobody puts a car together better than the factory. Nobody. This goes for not just kit cars, but also completely disassembled and rebuilt cars, you've got to work in a high volume OE environment to understand the thousands of man hours to go into ensuring that any (and every) component functions per the requirements. When OEs talk about quality defects from a supplier, they talk in parts-per-million, and they expect that if you sell them some sub-assembly that defects will be less than 2 parts per million. I can't say the same about my own wrenching capabilities, and there is something oddly comforting about getting into a late model economy car and knowing that it was put together extraordinarily well.
When somebody puts together a car in his/her garage, it is a very different story to the car that was assembled in a factory to meet requirements for safety, durability, quality, from multi-billion dollar companies, who YES take shortcuts (Cobalt ignition lock cylinder?) but for the most part are so concerned about liability/warranty that they do things conservatively. However, you don't need to start your own conglomerate to build a fast/fun/reliable kit car — you just need some time. Mile zero to 100 are going to be sketchy, but after a few thousand miles I'd expect the teething issues to be gone and the kit car to be perfectly reliable as a driver.
Does this mean that you'll die the first time you drive around the corner in a Fiberfab Avenger — no! But it does mean (to me) that the value of homebuilt (particularly home designed) car has to be carefully weighed against the next best alternative, which is usually a factory built car that isn't as fast or pretty. I've never owned a kit car, but I wouldn't hesitate for the right price-to-condition ratio. Some of those Manta kits from the 70s with V8 power sound like a great way to have something with an insane power/weight ratio without robbing a bank.
Just my $0.02.
-Vince
DT Editor-in-Chief
Gentlemen (and those who prefer to be addressed by other titles),
Thank you sincerely for your thoughts on this. I very much appreciate it.
Mrkwong- The seller mentions coil over shocks. I'd guess he's using adjustable Konis (or something similar) in a VW set up, as many of these kit cars do. Not sure what kind of brakes, but if they are Karman Ghia disks, the car is vastly overpowered for them with its Subaru mill. I agree that the seller posted more fluff than substance, typical of a person who owned– but did not build– the car. A builder would have included shots of the suspension, brakes, engine, etc.
Not sure if you've ever driven a well sorted VW kit. At 1800 lbs w/120 hp from a VW mill, using the VW suspension and KG discs, it's a blast to drive. And no scarier than a VW/KG, if everything is tight and sorted. Best way to insure this is to do it yourself. But hey, I'm a control freak. 😉
Kaibeezy- Cool to read about your convo w/Vince on this. Both my parents were private pilots. No finer group of people to hang out with at the pancake house on a Saturday morning than 20 fliers, before each winged their separate ways. Great, great memories for me.
Vince, I agree w/you on how well factory cars are put together–after the 1970s. Prior to that, I've been in some pretty hinky vehicles (some of which were new). From what I recall (living in Detroit at the time), Detroit’s unreliable and underpowered/overweight 70s cars opened the door for Americans to start looking at Japanese cars. And the rest, as they say, is history.
From a crash safety perspective, cars built in the last 5 to 8 years are in an entirely different league, in my opinion. Again, just my opinion. I still love driving old cars. Just not over, say, 35 mph. Not worth the downside risk for me.
Jim- Glad you are alive and well. And I can see how that would be a *very* sobering experience. I realized a few years ago just how dangerous fiberglas body cars are, which is why I don't race them anymore. Having a family (and getting older/taking longer to heal) has made me more cautious about racing in general.
I consider the Mclaren M6GT the most beautiful car ever made (not looking for a debate, just sharing my feelings). Considering there was only one "real" M6GT (the test mule that Bruce Mclaren was sorting as his daily driver when he died at Goodwood), I don't ever expect to own, or drive, that one. Nor would I want to. While Bruce was not killed in the M6GT, it does share the same design flaw as the M8 (engine cover flipped up/blew off at speed) which killed him. For me, the overall design of the M6GT takes me back to a day before computers and wind tunnels, when swoopy/doopy streamlined looks were what car designers went for, because (they thought) it meant faster cars. Just looking at my Manta Montage is a huge thrill for me, kind of like looking at a sculpture. Hope that makes sense.
My Manta Mirage was built by Ken Wallis (the man who designed the first turbine powered Indy car for Andy Granitelli and Parnelli Jones back in 1967). Ken built the Mirage as his personal street car, and put just shy of 5,000 miles on it. It is well sorted. Ironically, while I enjoy the car, I do not race it.
I've probably owned more than 100 cars in my life, and loved each and every one. Some I had for many years, others for just a few days (while we parted them out). Like you all, I've had crazy things happen, and survived to tell the tale. Part of the fun of being a car nut. As I get older, I find I spend less time building/tweaking/racing and more time just driving. I’m currently on a road trip in France (for the next 3 months) with a brand new Peugeot 308. With the fam, so no crazy stuff. But a lot of fun. Prior to that, spent a month in Italy driving through Tuscany in some econoboxes. Troppo divertimento!
Very much enjoy reading my daily dose of DT.
Thanks again, to all, for responding.
Cheers,
-Stan Beyerman (aka, the *other* Stan…)