Pag« 11
Turn a Bug in to a M e rce d e s
A 1929 Mercedes Roadster
SS is an unusual sight on
America's highways and
byways these days. That’s
why Bob M iller and his wife,
Donna, got more than their
normal share of attention
while they were driving
across the United States last
summer.
Everywhere they went
folks wanted to talk about
Miller's car. “ But they were
really impressed when I told
them I built it myself.”
Miller, a purchasing agent
with General Electric in San
Jose. Calif., is one of the rap
idly growing number of “kit
car ’ or replicar builders
who are paying anywhere
from $4,500 to $6.500 for a
basic kit — exclusive of the
engine and chassis. His 29
Mercedes replicar is also
known as the Lance, manu
factured by Motorcar Clas
sics of California. Its fiber
glass body is mounted, like a Two kit ca rs’ — a 1953 MC»TI) replica, foreground, and a
great many replicars, on a 1929 M ercedes SS replica, background.
Volkswagen chassis and en
gine.
style sports cars The first g ra v ity and widens the
There are few statistics
auto show devoted entirely wheelbase At the same
relating to this comparative
to replicars was held recent time, the kit cars’ fiberglass
ly unregulated industry, but
ly in Long Beach.
bodies are up to 25 percent
manufacturers insist busi
“ I ’d always been a Chevy lighter, which accounts for
ness is booming. While
man before this project,” their better-than-average
Chrysler and Ford show
M iller says, adding that he’s gas mileage.
rooms are closing th e ir
worked on his own cars for
‘They’re not only better
doors, replicar dealerships
years, including rebuilding looking than most cars com
are springing up virtually
their engines. "I didn’t ex ing off the assembly line,”
every day.
pect the finished project to says Motorcar Classics pres
Kit Car Guide, one of a
turn out as well as it did. For ident Tom Piper, "they’re
number of auto magazines
one thing, it doesn’t drive better built — and cheaper ”
devoted to the replicar in
like a VW, it hugs the road
A hallmark of the present-
dustry. featured 130 differ
like a sports car But we still day replicar industry is the
ent models in its annual re
got 31 miles per gallon on growing experience in de
view. ranging from old clas
our long trip.”
sign, workmanship and engi
sics like the 29 Mercedes to
That’s because the conver neering
the most futuristic Italian
sion lowers the center of
For example, Motorcar
Racing te c h n o lo g y
helps re g u la r cars
Americans who are con safety — and saved on fuel,
cerned about adding more vehicle life and tire costs.
years to the lives of their
Pirelli Tire Corp, a subsi
cars and getting more mile
age from their shrinking gas diary of Societa Pneumatici
dollars are discovering that Pirelli S p.A has been work
equipping the family auto ing on the low-profile radial
mobile with fuel-efficient tire for several years In
tires is a great way to con early 1980. they introduced
the worlds first standard
serve gas — and money
Steel-belted radial tires performance fuel-saving tire
offer about 6 percent better which combined low friction
gas mileage than regular m aterials and advanced
bias-belted tires. They do tread pattern to reduce roll
this by reducing rolling re ing resistance by as much as
sistance. a major factor af 20 percent. This results in
savings of 4 percent in fuel
fecting fuel efficiency
The wider, lower radials consumption per car
put more tire tread on the
It also offers better per
road Handling, responsive formance and a quieter,
ness. comfort and mileage more comfortable ride If a
are all improved The radial majority of American driv
tire also gives the average ers were to opt for such a
driver the bonus of a safe radial, U S fuel consumption
ride
could be cut by 30 million
Most Americans now real barrels of oil per year
ize the importance of high-
The development of the
technology tires for every
new tire technology by
day driving
In a recent survey con Pirelli has been enhanced by
ducted by the Bekaert Steel an involvement in interna
Wire Corp, of Akron. Ohio, tional motor sport activities
supplier of steel for radial
The company supplies
tires. 77 percent of the fleet tires and technical assist
operators questioned be ance to teams competing in
lieved radial tires improved several forms of racing and
strength, handling, ride and rallying worldwide.
Classics' latest model, the
One thing is, you’ll never
Seneca, a remake of the 1953
lose money on these cars,”
MGTD is the first of its type
says Quiel. "Of course, I
to use a custom-engineered
build them for the fun not
frame with a front V-8 en
for the money, but even fig
gine. Its pre-wired dash and
uring your labor, you’ll come
custom wiring harness are
out ahead "
engineering innovations in
It also provides a reward
the replicar industry
ing
challenge for an individ Gresham 8 Sandy
An added advantage is the
ual. Jeannie Atkins, a for
ready availability of parts
mer grade school teacher, is
for most replicars because
building her first Lance this
most of them are designed
summer
for standard engines
"Jeannie and her brother
But Piper warns. “ Before
have always worked on cars
you buy a kit, you should
together,” says her father,
carefully evaluate the parts
“ but she saw this one and
which are included in the kit,
just made up her mind to
and figure out what other
build it herself.”
A ir C o n d itio n
parts you are going to need
to complete the car to your
Special
I just read the directions
specifications.”
a few times.” said Atkins
’ 19”
It can take approximately
from her Livermore. Calif ,
(Rechorge)
80 to 200 hours to put togeth
home "I figured I could do it
er a kit. Most work on them
just as well as somebody
Tune-Up Special
is done in back yards on
building it for me Now I ’m
2 0 o Off Ports ft Labor
weekends and summer even so pleased I started it."
C om pulerued Printout
ings
Included
Quiel,
meanwhile,
gets
a
‘ The only thing I wish is
sweet
kick
out
of
the
reac
that I had more time to
W heel Pack Special
tions from valet parking at
» c m
work on them,’’ savs Ray
0
a pr.
tendants when he and his
Quiel. " If we could just work
(
W
o
n
car»,
4 wheel drive
wife go out to a restaurant
every Saturday for three in their Lance.
•« Iro )
months, we’d have them all
In fra re d W heel
"They always put mine up
finished, but we don’t have
by the front door where the
enough spare time.”
A lig n m e n t
Quiel is a one-man ad folks are always crowding
*19”
vertisement for the joys of around to take a look The
Most Cor», Mag» Air Extra
kit cars. His original 29 big $20.000 cars go out in
A im Head Lights
Mercedes replicar was one back My little investment of
of the first to appear on Cal $4.000 gets a lot of recogni
2 ‘ 5 .0 0 4
*10.00
ifornia s roads in the sum tion.”
mer of 1978.
For more inform ation,
The following winter he
send $3 for a four-color cata
JIM VILLANUEVA’S
built a 1927 Bugatti, which
log and a consumer informa
GRESHAM UNION
he has since sold to an oil
tion guide to Tom Piper at
985 E. BURNSIDE
man from Oklahoma Quiel
Motorcar Classics. 6875 Tu-
GRESHAM. ORE.
doubled his original invest
junga Ave., North Holly-
ment of a p p ro x im a te ly
wood. Calif. 91605, or call
$4.000.
(213)980-5822
Classified:
667-6633
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