Bradley GT-blast from the past

[Kruse]

Thought about putting this in the car section, but I think it would get more memories here.

https://ksu.craigslist.org/cto/d/manhattan-rare-1980-bradley-gt2/6985707047.html

Not mine and I don't know the owner.
Hitting my local Craigslist tonight and I saw this. I remember when the magazines had ads for kit cars. Lots of them besides the Bradley GT also. I never had one, but knew of a coworker who had a Bradley GT. I remember how the ads said that MPG was increased and top speed was INCREASED TO 100 MPH! Not worth the asking price (at least to me) on this one, and I'm not sure how $50K was put into it, but let the market decide.
How about some kit car owners on this site tell us your experience with the build and the actual drive when you finished.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

"Over $50,000 invested" in a car that will get soundly trounced by 95% of new cars in the sub-$25,000 range today in all performance metrics, and occupant comfort and convenience.

The Factory Five kit cars have always held my interest, especially now the 818 with a lightly-worked FA20DIT in it. All for half of this Bradley. To each his own...

 

[CT8]

You could buy something really nice for $50,000.00 You could buy something way nicer that a VW / Bradly for $18,000.00

 

[JC1]

Looks like a real pain to crawl into and out of. I hate getting into my wife's Civic because it's so low.

 

[Astro14]

Ah, the "Good Old Days"...1970s and early 80s...

They really had a lot of terrible cars, this one included.

 

[fdcg27]

I can't see how you could put 50K USD into one of these things although looking at the care with which this car was finished I guess I can see the possibility.
At least the parent old Beetle was built by a real manufacturer and did meet whatever federal standards applied at the time.
A glass body on a VW pan clearly doesn't.
Still, if someone really wanted this sort of car the asking price isn't too awful, although a close and complete inspection would be required to justify it and the seller will probably come down as needed if one of the half dozen or so serious buyers anywhere near Kansas stop by for a look.
Also, $18.5K will buy you also sorts of really nice interesting old VW drivers, for those with tastes that include Karman-Ghia, Thing and the various generations of van as well as pickup.
I guess I'm trying to say that the market for what might be the nicest example of this kit car available is probably very limited.

 

[JustinH]

I thought it has many styling cues of the 80's Corvette, side profile, front end and headlamps.

Overall a gross car however.

 

[Mainia]

Butt ugly "kit car"

 

[69GTX]

"Over $50,000 invested" should read......."over $50,000 poured down the drain." You can buy near perfect - barely used - low mileage Vette for that amount...or a Dodge Demon.

 

[BHopkins]

$50K??? How? Where?

If I recall correctly, the Bradley GT kit was only about $3k. How much could a VW donor cost? And even if you put a super nice performance kit into the engine, what, another $2k? I see he lists a lot of extras over the years. But still.

There is no way that I would drop over $18k on something like that. I paid less than that for my SL550. You could buy a nice little Cayman or even an older 911 Carrera for that much. It would be just as reliable, funner to drive, and much easier to sell when you were ready for a new toy.

 

[aquariuscsm]

When I was a kid I thought those were sweet looking cars. Buy why waste a cool kit car on a Bug powertrain? Why not mate it up to an American V8?

 

[skyactiv]

If I was to throw money into a kit car, it'd be a Cobra.

 

[Shannow]

Oz had the Purvis Eureka...go good with ring dings in them.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by Shannow
Oz had the Purvis Eureka...go good with ring dings in them.

I've heard riding lawnmowers that sound better than that!

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by Shannow
Oz had the Purvis Eureka...go good with ring dings in them.



Which rotary engine was put in those?

 

[Shannow]

They were dak-dak based, so were typically gutless, but people put early porsche, and kombi engines in them.

A lot of the owners in the '90s put the ring ding's in them...12A, or 13B

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Boy you guys are tough on this car. Easy worth 18K. if you are a bug fanatic.

Im sure it drives a good as most porsche of the era.

I help my buddy hop-up his bug and it went and handled great when we were done.
Very porsche like - beuse you know ...

This while was stuffing a 327 into a 74 Vega.

V8 ain't all that. Power yes but Pig weight yes. Real drivers here appear to be a minority.

Me, I rather have a Open Manx buggy for top off Summer fun.

Maybe the next Austin Powers movie in the series could feature this car.

 

[AZjeff]

Quote
All work was done by graduates of the Auto Restoration program at McPherson College in Kansas.


So they added up the hours and put a shop rate to it and got $50k. Poor body gaps, not detailed, nerf bars, white stripe tires? Still a nice effort by students, maybe someone will make an $18.5k donation to the school and get a free car?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Original FGlass body kit

What to do about the gaps? No way I would way glass and fill to make gaps nicer.

That perfomance bug engine cant be cheap.

Interior looks good. Who cares about 50 invested. Its all about the sale price.

I guess the car was already purchased or a Raffle Winner from the school -
So I imagine they wont be getting any of this sales proceeds.

Again yo guys are too tough on the lil ugly bug

 

[Win]

Quote
.. Real drivers here appear to be a minority. ...


Not sure what that comment has to do with a Bradley GT. There was one around here that I recall - might have pumped gas into it once or twice.

Poorly fit, amateurish looking, fiberglass body with a ton of metal flake, sitting on top of a Beetle.

No accounting for taste, I guess. Hard to imagine someone actually paying for that experience.