[camerjeff]

I usually am not much of a Kit car guy, but I like Phil's latest purchase, 1984 Kalmark, it was a version that was about 3/4 finished at the Factory, front disc brakes, some sort of independent rear suspension (not the VW bug swing axles) Powered by a Porsche version of the VW Boxer 2.3 liter with dual Webber downdrafts.
These were made in mid Michigan so they have a bit of a cult following in this state. I was surprised by its sound at idle, doesn't sound like a VW to me until the Throttle is Blipped in the Video. It looks really good in the pictures & Video, havn't seen it in person yet.

What do you all think?

He is looking for Peronalized plate Idea's also, he has hated all 3 of my suggestions so far, so ideas are welcome.

https://youtu.be/jiNN1zLiheo

[mgarblik]

There were allot of kit cars starting in the late 50's and seeming to sort of end in the early 70's. The Bradley GT may have been the most popular. Used to see a fair number of them running around. Nowdays, I guess the AC Cobra kits are among the most popular with over a dozen companies making them. Their was even one for us Pontiac guys, a Devin? Very late 50's early 60's. Used 389 Pontiac power. The Kalmark cars had a pretty sexy nicely finished fiberglass body. But as seems to be the case with so many of these, the interiors always seemed to be crude and unfinished. With all the high power 4-cylinder engines around now, it would be pretty easy to build a really fast one.

[Simple Man]

notavw for a plate

[Lee]

Back in the 90's I spent some time trying to find one of the versions with the 455 Olds & Toronado transaxle for sale. Eventually gave up and went on to other projects. Always liked these!

[jerry455]

That is a neat car. I haven't seen one in years. That would be cool with a GM crate motor in it. from A turbo 4 all the way up to an LS.

[Stuart]

Kelmark.

Some of them had V8s, with a Toronado transaxle. There's a guy over on the BreakTime3 board who has one that he's prepping for competition at some of those one mile top speed contests.

[keith k]

For sure one of the better looking kit cars of its era. Would be fun to (re) build.

When I was a kid in the '70s I used to dream of getting a "Laser 917" one day -- it was a VW-based kit car knock off of my all time favorite race car, the Porsche 917. In the postage stamp sized ads in the bag of car magazines, it looked fairly faithful to the original, and then one day I saw one in the flesh. Hideous.

[400 4spd.]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Kelmark.

Thank you. That's the name I recognize.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

It looks pretty darn sleek.
Would need to be fast enough to back up its looks though.

[bird72]

****Like***** A nice Ferrari-like design. Great to find one so clean. I would vote a high winding, twin turbo small motor.

[b-man]

Neat car, I remember when they were marketing them back in the day.

Tell your friend that his engine is pure VW Type I with aftermarket twin carburetors. Quite honestly there’s nothing there even remotely related to a Porsche engine under that engine cover.

[Will]

Ditch that VW engine for a turbo Subaru. Popular conversion for the VW van crowd so probably not terribly complicated in this application. 300-330 HP and almost 400 ft-lbs torque isn't hard from those engines.

[GRNMTGOAT]

Nice looking ,almost a Ferrari Dino, or a 1970 Chevron B16.

[camerjeff]

Thanks for the Kind words on it, and correcting my Typo's on the name. I used to drive by the factory quite often back in the 80's and used to see the Bodies outside. I found this shot on line that looks like what I remember. He has a couple of bodies he has bought in the past one was a badly built Olds V8 car that the PO bought for the drivetrain to put in a Toronado. then let the body sit outside for 10+ years. He planed on putting a LS in that car until we really looked at the chassis, all that may be salavageable is the body on that car.
According to his G-tech the VW powered Kelmark runs 13.8 @ 101 mph in the 1/4 as is. Not to bad, quicker than I would have thought.

I will pass on plate ideas to him.

[66sprint6]

Wow 13.8 is pretty respectful. When I was a kid my friend’s older brother had a kit car I forget what it was but not a Bradley GT, I remember those.
I do remember his car being really rough around the edges, especially the interior. It also squeaked and rattled like a bugger.