Toyota 2000GT Replica??

Anyone have any info about one of these? This is a massively icon car and one of the few japanese cars that the F and L car collectors appreciate. Anyway, what do you guys think, is this something that would sell in the market? I am considering being in the ranks of FF Racing and Exomotive. Updated with current suspension/steering, an NA 2JZ, and a modern IRS. This seems to be something that no one has done and I can't determine why. Is there a market for one of these with good molds, semi-easy build, and under $25K price tag?

If Warren and the gang at exomotive see this, please chime in. I love your stuff and would love to be one of your peers.

I have some friends who did the Alfa TZ as a replica. I even drove it. Even with a simple chassis, they couldn't sell them for less than $35k.

TZ and the 2000 are very similar in size.

That, and they didn't sell very many. For the 2000, potentially, the audience is larger who would buy. But, well, it's still a replica.

Like Eric said - economy of scale will be your friend...or enemy depending on which end of that scale you end up on. Dont get started unless you can afford to make a considerable number without any cash coming in for a number of years. Youll need to have enough startup CASH on hand to pay the rent, your employees, your lawyers, and your suppliers for long enough to grow your customer base. Im seriously talking having well into 6 digits of liquid cash on hand.

Thats basic new business startup strategy - you need at least 5 years worth of expenses on hand as liquid cash before you even get started. If you dont have it, you need to rethink your business model to either increase startup capital (find more investors or some other form of liquid currency), or reduce the total estimated costs for those 5 years (scale down infrastructure like payroll, overhead from leasing buildings, etc).

Unfortunately, Id say that in the enthusiast world, that timeframe needs to be more like 7 or 8 years, as the gap between costs and returns will likely be larger than a mom and pop small retailer or restaurant or the like due to the density of your customer base (people per area willing to give you their monies for your stuff).

Now, all that said, there may be an untapped market for 2000 enthusiasts...it may take off like crazy. There probably are a good number of folks with funny money looking for a classic GT repro-car to build and leave in a pretty museum of a garage. But Id be VERY careful about how you plan this venture...The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. That 5 years worth of cash under the mattress is your safety net should business be slower than you guess.

Econ 101 was a great class...boring, but eye opening.

I saw the team race SCCA at Stuttgart, Arkansas airport circuit in 1968. Scooter Patrick won C Production.

I'd say the first thing to look into is whether Toyota would allow a replica to be sold. This is much different than trying to copy the Cobra or an old model of some obscure manufacturer that no longer has much presence in the US, regardless of the fact the car was never sold here.

Its an awesome Toyota but a replica Toyota would be a hard sell.

In reply to Ian F:

This is my main worry. I know that Ferrari does not take kindly to replicas and neither do their lawyers.

Replicas sell because it makes people think you're driving something special. For people to think that, they have to know that the thing it is replicating is special. IMO, not enough people admire the Toyota for a replica to serve that purpose.

singleslammer wrote: In reply to Ian F: This is my main worry. I know that Ferrari does not take kindly to replicas and neither do their lawyers.

In fairness, that's probably because the replicas are better cars...

In reply to 4cylndrfury:

Given the way that my experience with startups has gone, I shouldn't even try. However, by your plan, I would need something like 500k to even think about it. I don't believe that is necessary. I will need enough money to develop the molds (would use a vacuum system and plastic body) and source the parts to manufacture a working prototype. At that point, each car is built using the customer's down payment and parts are purchased as we go. As things progress then you start working on developing chassis in batches to reduce cost. There will be no employees and no warehouse (My basement is plenty big). It would be me and my co-founders running alone until we get to the point where we can justify someone else.

In reply to DILYSI Dave:

Ha ha. I doubt it on the fiero versions but I totally get what you mean.

In reply to DILYSI Dave:

I think that there are more people out there that love the 2000GT than you think. It is a gorgeous car and highly collectible. I think the fact that it is a Toyota isn't a big deal. This would be an enthusiast car first and a replica second ala JBL Cobra.

http://www.jblmotor.com/car1.htm

Couple of things to add that need to be first- can you find an original, and can you talk the owner into making a fiberglass plug of it?

On the TZ I posted above, the makers were friends of the owner who let them take the fiberlgass mold from.

So many things- can you get the body, and then will Toyota let you, and THEN you look into the business parts.

At least get through some of the steps. Contacting owners and Toyota should be pretty nominal.

Aren't those cars sort of small inside. I read somewhere the reason they made the 2000GT a convertible in You Only Live Twice was because Sean Connery could not fit in the car. Could be an urban legend.

In reply to alfadriver:

This car would be made in the 21st century format. No fiberglass molds. Most likely with a vacuum formed body and built using 3d mapping (cheaper than you think). I imagine that we could get a museum to let us LOOK at the car (with lasers) for a couple hours.

It is also entirely possible that I am Pie In the Skying this and I am just having a fun brain exercise (in case no one has figured out, I am trying my damnest to come up with a viable business idea).

GTwannaB wrote: Aren't those cars sort of small inside. I read somewhere the reason they made the 2000GT a convertible in You Only Live Twice was because Sean Connery could not fit in the car. Could be an urban legend.

Yep, confirmed in the Top Gear Special for James Bond:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbeW4FtoZNk

I love those cars, but it wouldn't be an easy sell.

Doubtful that you could make anything that was as good as the original for any reasonable (grassroots) price.

Those who admire the original would not buy it. Those who have not heard of the original would have to reason to buy it. It would be a hard kit to build with no single donor if it stays true to the original; windshield glass along would sink this.

I say go for it.

I have never lusted after an original 2000GT, so I guess I wouldn't be the target market for a replica.

Except for people in Japan and the dorks on this site, no one knows what a 2000GT is, so that would be a HARD sell. I like the 2000GT, but even for me, if I were to do replica of the obscure but cool car, I would rather get something like this.

Now that is sexy enough that even the people that don't have a clue what it is can appreciate.

I'm a big Toyota fan, but I prefer the straight lines and angles of other Toyota's myself.

I love those too. Pictures do not do them justice. They are a great looking car in person, and much smaller than they appear. To correct something earlier, they were sold here in the US, but not many sold. They were very expensive, more than a 911 and E-Type, but weren't as fast in stock trim.

As to the replica, you might sell a few, but you'd have a limited audience I'd think. It might be a good add on to others if you could share parts, but if it's your only product, it's going to be tough to bring it in at that price.

We had a Lotus 7 kit made not far from me here in Huntsville, which i drove at one event for the guys building them, and they had issues and eventually went out of business. It wasn't that they didn't have any customers, but they had engineering issues and i think had trouble actually making money. Keith built one I believe.

It's a tough business even when you have a popular product, much less one without a lot of recognition. Great idea, but do your homework.

I would rather a tube framed kit of a Bugeye that uses a single Miata as donor.

singleslammer wrote: In reply to alfadriver: This car would be made in the 21st century format. No fiberglass molds. Most likely with a vacuum formed body and built using 3d mapping (cheaper than you think). I imagine that we could get a museum to let us LOOK at the car (with lasers) for a couple hours.

Unless you are happy making that body from pictures, you'll still need a donor car to scan.