Saw this thread and I couldn't resist. My friend Keith Knapp was partners
in Modena Design & Development and they built the car that was used in
Ferris Bueller. I called him and he said that not only were the tail
lights MGB, but the front bumper, trunk lid, & handle, license plate holder
and hood hinges. All bought from Moss Motors. The windshield and glass
hardware were from a Fiat 124 and the back bumper was from a Karmann Ghia.
I asked him why Smiths gauges were used and he said the the original
designer (Mark Goyette) was a british car fan and wanted british gauges.
Doug Gaither
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Gardner [SMTP:gardner7@pilot.infi.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 1998 5:37 PM
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: Kits based on MGBs (and Ferris' Ferrari 250 California)
I just read a message talking about the Ferrari kit used in "Ferris
Bueller's Day Off", someone on the list asserted that it was based on
the MGB. As much as I would LOVE for this to be true, it isn't. The
kit is made by Precision Design and Engineering
(http://www.calspyder.com), and is based on a custom-built tubular
backbone/spaceframe. In the Kit Car Magazine catalog (September
1997) it lists no MGB components in the write-up on the 250
California (Although I have to agree about the taillights being an
almost dead-on match.) In the movie, the kit did use Smith's gauges,
but Precision D&E custom builds each car, and the owner probably
specified Smith's gauges for his own reasons.
The catalog only lists two or three MGB-based kits, and none of them
are particularly inspiring.
Scott
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