CALIBRA REBODY KIT

[newlevel]

HI Guys.
For some time I'm planning to do my own kit car and now I'm ready to start. I decided to make a rebody kit for Opel/Vauxhall Calibra. The body design is mixture of tuner and muscle car. I would really want to hear your opinnion about the design. Here are some images and the link for the video. I'm looking forward for Your comments.






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wR2u5S41fI

[slomax]

oooh, really bold, striking and imposing. Good Job! Really like the front. One thing i would say though, there seems to be a large expanse of relatively flat surface between the rear wheel up towards the C pilar. I would be tempted to tuck in the shoulder line and carry it along the boot line and pull the side feature line down a little so the wheel arch looks like it has more flair on it. Other than that it looks good!! Always thought the calibra was a fantastic car apart from the design.

[Paul Drawmer]

Horrid

[slomax]

Paul Drawmer said:

Horrid

Sorry for my bluntness but that was pretty unhelpful....

[Paul Drawmer]

He asked for opinions, not help.

In my opinion it is horrid, chavtastic, ugly.

As a project it would never have a commercial viability due to the shortages of the proposed base car.

In my opinion the Calibra was a pretty good looking car. This re-work looks appalling to me.

These comments are purely about the design as presented and not in any way meant as a reflection on the personality of the designer. I am not, and never will be a designer. I do not have the skills to envisage the shapes required to produce a good looking car, nor do I have the skills required to transfer them to a medium in order to share my thoughts with others. The o/p appears to have plenty of skill in presenting his idea in order to share it with others, but to me the idea is what is flawed, not the presentation.

The thing about visual art is that once it is out there there is no control over what the viewer feels about it. However long it takes to create, whatever care is taken in the presentation, the recipient is free to express how it affects them.

[singlecoil]

I don't have a comment to make about the appearance, what one person likes another won't but that is an inescapable aspect of extreme car design.

What I have is a question, how is the engine going to fit under that bonnet, bearing in mind the donor is a FWD car?

[Paul.B]

I like the design. Maybe a little fussy in a few areas but I like the overal effect. As the OP says it is a mix of Muscle car and Tuner (Max Power!)

I can only assume the guy has taken measurments from the Calibra of the hard points. Wheel base, engine position, track A,B&C pillars etc to make sure everything fits.
My only problem would be the base donor car. I too really liked the Calibra when 1st launched but I'm afraid it is wrong wheel drive! A car that looks like that HAS to be able to able to walk the walk. I doubt any Calibra under pinnings could deliver the driving experience the car threatens. Even the Turbo 4x4.

Paul.B

[singlecoil]

Paul.B said:

I can only assume the guy has taken measurments from the Calibra of the hard points. Wheel base, engine position, track A,B&C pillars etc to make sure everything fits.

I would assume that too, normally, but looking at that side on view, I reckon the bonnet is touching the engine if not actually interfering with it.

[Dave^]

singlecoil said:

Paul.B said:

I can only assume the guy has taken measurments from the Calibra of the hard points. Wheel base, engine position, track A,B&C pillars etc to make sure everything fits.

I would assume that too, normally, but looking at that side on view, I reckon the bonnet is touching the engine if not actually interfering with it.

Edited by Dave^ on Thursday 4th March 14:18

[Dave^]

From the front, and from the back looks quite good...

I don't like the cutouts behind the headlights/on the front wings, and the profile looks awful... there's too much going on... too many lines, too many vents...

ETA - oh and the bonnet looks to be a little low and will intrude the engine... should be able to rectify that by lifting the front bumper up a bit, so the bonnet is less steep...

Edited by Dave^ on Thursday 4th March 14:22

[rhinochopig]

Personally I'm not keen - but then I'm not the indented market. My observations though:

• It'll be a nightmare to make - sharp edged compound forms in GRP are very difficult to form
• The donor pool is too small IMO. You'll never recoup your costs.
• It looks like a RWD car too much
• Have you considered a space frame RWD chassis instead?

[singlecoil]

Dave^ said:

singlecoil said:

Paul.B said:

I can only assume the guy has taken measurments from the Calibra of the hard points. Wheel base, engine position, track A,B&C pillars etc to make sure everything fits.

I would assume that too, normally, but looking at that side on view, I reckon the bonnet is touching the engine if not actually interfering with it.

Edited by Dave^ on Thursday 4th March 14:18

The ISP I am using at the moment isn't showing those particular pictures (probably thiks they are rude), so I can't see what they show.

[Dave^]

singlecoil said:

Dave^ said:

singlecoil said:

Paul.B said:

I can only assume the guy has taken measurments from the Calibra of the hard points. Wheel base, engine position, track A,B&C pillars etc to make sure everything fits.

I would assume that too, normally, but looking at that side on view, I reckon the bonnet is touching the engine if not actually interfering with it.

Edited by Dave^ on Thursday 4th March 14:18

The ISP I am using at the moment isn't showing those particular pictures (probably thiks they are rude), so I can't see what they show.

The profile of the kit design and the profile of the original Calibra, to back up what you said about the engine interfering with the bonnet...

[singlecoil]

Dave^ said:

The profile of the kit design and the profile of the original Calibra, to back up what you said about the engine interfering with the bonnet...

How very gratifying

[hairykrishna]

I like it. If it'll fit, as others have said....

[newlevel]

Thanks for the intertest you all showed for my project. I really appreciate your comments. Thanks for both good and bad critics. Ofcourse I'm not angry . There is no car in the world that everybody likes . I'm glad you pinpointed one of several possible problems of transforming this design into reality - this shows that I picked right spot for asking opinion. I designed this car using blueprints of the Calibra. I didn't had real one for referencing while designing. I'm looking to buy one now. According to the blueprints (that are not 100% precise, I guess) there should be no problem, but I'll see that after striping the donor vehicle. If necessary I'll make changes to the design but I'll try to make it as closer as possible to the design I showed you.
@ Paul.B: I'll use 4x4 Calibra. My first plan was not to tune up the engine, but if needed I'll tune it up a litle. I guess 204PS will be enough
@ rhinochopig: Building new space frame chassis specially for this car will rise the expences a lot since I'll have to test it if I want to make it road legal. Here where I live there are preety restrictive laws about self build vehicles. So this way I make my life easier
Thanks again and I expect more comments. I'll be glad to answer every other question you have.

[boobles]

It does look ok but reminds me of an Alfa 159.

[Paul.B]

boobles said:

It does look ok but reminds me of an Alfa 159.

I thought that with a bit of Audi Quattro thrown in around the rear 3/4 area. The design does need tidying though. I've looked again and it is just too busy. Angles, vents and scoops everywhere you look.


Paul.B

[andygtt]

looks like an update of the rieger bodykits of the 80's.

[rhinochopig]

newlevel said:

Thanks for the intertest you all showed for my project. I really appreciate your comments. Thanks for both good and bad critics. Ofcourse I'm not angry . There is no car in the world that everybody likes . I'm glad you pinpointed one of several possible problems of transforming this design into reality - this shows that I picked right spot for asking opinion. I designed this car using blueprints of the Calibra. I didn't had real one for referencing while designing. I'm looking to buy one now. According to the blueprints (that are not 100% precise, I guess) there should be no problem, but I'll see that after striping the donor vehicle. If necessary I'll make changes to the design but I'll try to make it as closer as possible to the design I showed you.
@ Paul.B: I'll use 4x4 Calibra. My first plan was not to tune up the engine, but if needed I'll tune it up a litle. I guess 204PS will be enough
@ rhinochopig: Building new space frame chassis specially for this car will rise the expences a lot since I'll have to test it if I want to make it road legal. Here where I live there are preety restrictive laws about self build vehicles. So this way I make my life easier
Thanks again and I expect more comments. I'll be glad to answer every other question you have.

Can I ask why the Calibra? You suggest you're not UK based; are there lots of this care where you live?

Personally I'd be going for an early Lancer Evo or Scooby based rebody as these are better cars dynamically, far more common, are more tuneable (for less money), and will give the performance the the body shape suggests.

Good luck though!