Kelmark and XTC

[D Morgan]

Heres a few pics of my Kelmark & XTC

[D Morgan]

I have the Kelmark disassembled at the moment putting floor pans and brake lines on and am going to put a different Vw engine in it. And it also needs repainted

[D Morgan]

Heres the engine and tranny Im putting into the Kelmark

[Sulley]

Morgan that looks like a great project!

[MKHYTEK]

Heres a few pics of my Kelmark & XTC

D Morgan, tell me about your Kelmark. I've see a few, since I can't seem to find a Montage, I'm looking at other designs, I've seen a couple the look like a decent price. VW cars, don't know if I might build a mid engine chassis and sell the VW chassis. Maybe I could do something with the car the way it is. Rotary, maybe? Porsche stuff is pretty spendy. Give me you input since you own one. I've also read about the Karma and Magnum as well.

[D Morgan]

Well, like you MKHYTEK, Ive been unable to find and purchase A Manta, but as a teenager in the late 80's and a lot of looking through KitCar magazine, i grew very fond of the Kelmark GT. A couple of years ago I found one on Craigslist (Basic Standard VW Model).. at a real deal and purchased it. The car didnt have a motor, and the floorpans and frame head needed replaced, along with new wiring, brakes, and everything you can imagine of a car that has been sitting for several years. I have the body off the car now and am in the process of fixing the necessary things to make it a driver. (Not a show car by any means) I have everthing to redo just a matter of taking my time and putting it back together. I havent even driven the car so I cant really give you any accurate info on the handling and driveability of it. I am just going to go back with stock VW components in which the car came with.. But I do work long hours and dont have very much time to work on it, but it will get done eventually...

[MKHYTEK]

It's been a long time since I have driven a VW based kit car. As far as a Montage, or a Dino replica, I figured if I could not modify the VW platform to my satisfaction, I would design my own chassis and mid ship mount a V6 or V8 with a 5 speed. I could add the space for real seats, etc. So if I come across the right body, I would skip the VW process. It just may require me to buy the VW car to get a body, so to speak. My last VW was in the late 90's, a 72 Ghia. Was not too impressed with the Ghia though. I had owned a 87 Fiero GT V6 5 speed, so the Ghia was a letdown. I had thought about modding a Fiero , rebody, etc. My heart is in the Montage. I think I could make a Dino pretty sick also. I'll keep the search on.

[MKHYTEK]

D Morgan, I'm looking at a Factory built 1982 Kelmark GT, VW based. Sunroof and A/C. The guy started restoring it and crapped out. It's been painted black. Everything's there though. Running 1600 DP single carb motor. Gonna be a 900 mile trip one way though. Thoughts?

[Blueovalz]

Go for it. Build it out one section at a time, replacing this for that, until you've replaced all the VW/OEM platform and other stuff with what you really want.

[MKHYTEK]

That's kind of my thoughts. I can clean it up, drive it, and figure out if I would be happy modding the VW chassis/motor, like a rotary, or? It is a IRS pan with lowered spindles, etc. I could also build a tube chassis and mid motor, 4.3 v6, or LS, or? Then lift the body, and slowly build the new car. It gives me options, and something to mess with. Also, it's pretty cheap, out of pocket. I can always sell off the VW running gear. I'm selling off my motocross bikes, I'm down to the last one. Then I'll pull the trigger. A bit of a drive though. 900 miles one way. At least I have a nice truck to tow with.:cool: Road Trip!

[MKHYTEK]

762Just for the update, I did buy the Kelmark. Owner kept the 1600 VW so I got it cheap. I bought a Subaru with a 2.2 FI motor and all electronics, so I have a good powerplant for it. Finished the suspension upgrades, all discs on the wheels new, getting ready to cut the pan and build a set of dropped seat pans/boxes to install real racing seats. It's fun and coming together. Building on a real world budget. If I had bought a manta, I'd hate to think where I'd be financially. At least I'm enjoying myself without guilt.

[Blueovalz]

Congrats, and glad you're having fun.

[D Morgan]

762Just for the update, I did buy the Kelmark. Owner kept the 1600 VW so I got it cheap. I bought a Subaru with a 2.2 FI motor and all electronics, so I have a good powerplant for it. Finished the suspension upgrades, all discs on the wheels new, getting ready to cut the pan and build a set of dropped seat pans/boxes to install real racing seats. It's fun and coming together. Building on a real world budget. If I had bought a manta, I'd hate to think where I'd be financially. At least I'm enjoying myself without guilt.

Nice! Im glad to see you got it. Wow, the paint even looks good in the pic. yea, thats what I need to do to mine is to build a set of dropped seat pans. , just not enough leg room.

[MKHYTEK]

Nice! Im glad to see you got it. Wow, the paint even looks good in the pic. yea, thats what I need to do to mine is to build a set of dropped seat pans. , just not enough leg room.

The paint looks good in pictures, but very amateurish.:( Lots of orange peel, no primer under it, just right over the faded gelcoat. Single stage enamel. I bought it over the internet, so yeah, that's what I thought too. Oh well. I'll deal with it later. Wife wants ma to keep it black, I was surprised. She liked the Kelmark over the 917, Mantas, etc. She liked the GT40s also. So do I.

I have found that all of these VW pan based GT cars all have the problem of not enough headroom, as well as legroom issues. The Montage, 917, Avenger/Valkyrie, they all have the same issues. Manta had cheap buckets in them at first, and without dropped pans, forget it. The 917 is the worst, I was looking at one before I committed to the Kelmark, You have to be laying down to drive it. Kelmark made 3 different seats trying to lessen the issue. I have the late model seats, they drop your butt down to help, but again you are laying back. Totally unusable for my autocrosser. Great for cruising though. I need to be upright to have control strength on the shifter and wheel. So I've cut the floor pan seat area out, and have a set of racing seats I'm putting in it. It's taking a 5 inch drop to get me the headroom I need with real seats. That has always been one of my biggest issues with VW pan based kit cars. Also, these seat are super narrow, to hold you in place. If you have a waist larger than a 36, forget it, you ain't getting in them. I'm 5'9" and 200lbs. Yes, I need to lose some weight! I'll start posting pictures when I get the pans fabricated to go in. I bought a Lincoln MIG so I can fab all my own parts.:cool:

[MKHYTEK]

763764I've got the dropped seat pans in, race seats, modded the roll bar for 5 point harness mounts, new brakes, rear disc kit, new KYB shocks, fat sway bar up front with new front suspension, dropped spindles, 295's on 10's in the rear, etc. Getting ready for the Subaru 2.2. Have a donor car, gonna go through the motor just because. I have the Kennedy parts ready to go. Gotta fab the front radiator mounts also. It's moving along, a little over budget, but not by much. Should come in pretty close to where I expected. Under 10k with paint. Including the new tires, etc. Poor man's solo 1 fun car. If anyone has questions / interest in it, I can post more. I have a build thread going at the Kelmark forum. Mike

[MKHYTEK]

Just updating the Kelmark posts. Got the doors fixed, the Subaru and adapter in, working out the exhaust details, just puttering along as budget allows.
878879880

[CoyoteX]

It already looks awesome! Great job!

[D Morgan]

13631364136513661367136713681369

[D Morgan]

Well after several years of putting off, finally had my Kelmark finished by a professional. Turned out Great!

[D Morgan]

1373137013711372