Stoneleigh was a non event for me this year ...didn't make it ...The setbacks with the framework taking longer than it should and the chassis we were intending to showcase the kit on not being ready , put me in a situation where the kit could only be displayed in a compromised state ....I wasn't prepared to do that ..so we didn't go ..

The first Formosa out of the blocks , incidentally , is being covered in a build thread elsewhere on this forum ...but is a fully restored , uprated Vitesse chassis with set back Vitesse 2.0 / overdrive powertrain with high build spec requested ...we have some really nice 72 Spoke Morgan wires , fully refurbed going on it ...lots of quality accessories etc...Im hoping its going to be something a bit special , which from a PR point of view for us , is fantastic ..

My own build , on the other hand , will be virtually the total opposite cosmetically speaking ..using parts I have around , second hand bits sourced via ebay ..development body , warts and all ...and a somewhat weathered look ...


I think it does stand out against these options ..as much as any similarly styled retro race car can .....The comparison with the original S*mmio ethos and the look a likeys and similar concepts that arrived afterwards is fine by me ...I am proud of the S*mmio idea and the cars its spawned , occupying the same category as those cars is just dandy ..

The retro market is huge , probably the only growth area in kit cars right now ...Established builders like DNA and MEV , who were building trendier , more modern offerings , have realised that ''RETRO IS THE WAY TO GO '' They are a little late to the party , but certainly wont be the first to leave ...

Whilst it is a shame you had to miss Stoneleigh, it sounds like you made the right call.

Hopefully, having the first two builds at different ends of the spectrum might help buyers to visualise their options.

MEV were selling the "Aston" moulds and jigs a while ago on Ebay.
They seem to be moving away from "Retro" towards "Hipster" with the Atom styled cars.

To be brutally honest, the MEV Replicar 'Aston' wasn't the prettiest shape. The styling just somehow missed the mark for me, while the driving position also looked rather too high (I'll add some pics later, Photobucket seems to be having a day off today).

I guess the fusion of modern mechanicals with dubious 'classic' styling didn't appeal to either customers for classic replicas or edgy road-rockets which would explain the sale of the moulds and jigs, although their website still shows the kit to be available from them.


http://www.mevltd.co.uk/kit-cars/mev-replicar

It always looked better on Steels than those shiney wires ....

Some pics of the Replicar as promised above -

Driving position looks rather too high to me (possibly just very tall driver though).
http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...pseu6c8odj.jpg

There's just something about the styling that doesn't look quite right to me. Maybe the width and length don't work with the height, or perhaps it's the bug-eye mesh front vents and Cadillac Escalade style wires RedRat mentions above.
http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...pso88lpimi.jpg

Interestingly, quite a few of the Gallery pics on the MEV website show parts of the car hidden behind tall grass and from very low angles.

Anyway, sorry for the thread hijack Gary, any progress on the Formosa?

I AM CURRENTLY PLAYING WITH SCREEN ANGLES , SCREENPOSTS AND SCREEN SHAPE ......I have fitted my body to Grahams car to help progress his on a bit with working things out but it also allows me to take the opportunity to get the screen sorted whilst its on there ...pics on Grahams build show screenpost angles and size but the screen shaping wasn't finished in those pictures ...I will add some more pics tomorrow.... Graham wants screen only , I will probably do screen and sidescreens on mine to cover both options ...

http://i66.tinypic.com/149tmph.jpg

http://i65.tinypic.com/2z6xxdt.jpg

The process of building Grahams car has given me the chance to develop as we go on the sundry items ...which is pretty cool from a suppliers point of view ...
so today , my friend John , dropped off a swaged aluminium panel for me ... I had given him a template for this and it's going to be supplied as standard with the full package option , but not compulsory for body only or body and frame only buyers who may choose to do something different ... ..I need to work out the ends and decide if they are going to be welded or supplied separate to the main section , but , hopefully , the following picture shows how the blend of Formosa and Triumph in the bulkhead section is intended to be transitioned .....


http://www.imageupload.co.uk/images/...5/26/BULKY.jpg

These can be bonded on ...I personally would bond it on using a stikall or tigerseal type product but also go around the perimeter with some evenly spaced rivets as well ....when painted body colour to match your bodyshell , it will blend well and the rivet detail will help with the illusion of a hand formed ally body ...!!

Nice. :cool:

Hi Gary, I really like the look of that :icon_razz:

Glan came back today and is helping me sort an area I haven't been happy with ...
The headlight cover moulds weren't as nice a fit as I wanted ..they were close but there's not a lot of room for adjustment with a moulded plastic lens ...so I want them right ...

Glan has cut them up , pieced them back together and added some filler to put a bit more curve into the front face - another area I kept looking at !!

Drivers side nearly finished ....passenger undergoing mods ...

http://i64.tinypic.com/2vhycgj.jpg