Kellison Astra Body

[frobead]

I have a Kellison Astra car in my collection, but have found very little information on the web about this particular Kellison. I am curious if anyone else has an Astra out there and can provide some information.

It is running and driving, and I will be giving it a new paint job next week!

[BL3Manx]

Here's an article about Kellison

http://www.kitcarmag.com/thehistoryof/0505kc_kellison_kit_cars/viewall.html

This is the part about it:

Astra VW-GT 2+2: A VW-based kit that vaguely resembled a Ford GT, but appeared to be roughly based on a Fiberfab Aztec. It was made by Allied Fiberglass, but I don't know if Kellison had anything to do with its design or production.

[Letterman7]

Designed by Kellison, marketed by Allied: http://www.kellisoncars.com/
Click the GT40 link.
http://thumbnails.homestead.com/files/9019.jpg

[redfarmer84]

[Lo Cash John]

Great body style!!


There's a race car builder/driver in northern Alabama that had a few of these and lots of other old kit cars and vintage race cars. I think his name is Dave something and I may even have his phone number somewhere.

His shop is an old church that's been converted into a race & fabrication shop. As I recall, it's along Hwy 157, northwest of Cullman.
_________________
www.LoCashRacing.org
More brains than bucks...Believe it or not!!

If you actually drive your VW, you need www.AirMapp.com

My boss told me I need to work on my mutli-tasking. So now when I use the bathroom at work I surf The Samba on my iPhone.

[redfarmer84]

[jspbtown]

I would say that it is rare. But don't equate rarity with valuable.

Looks like a nice basic kit. Just about any type 1 pan will fit (others with mods). Headroom will be tight and seat selection is sometimes difficult.

I don't know about the Astra but my Avenger's doors took hours and hours to make work right. Back then the doors were often just fiberglass shells that were in no way designed to hold the weight of the glass and the constant opening and closing. I probably added 10 lbs of steel plate to the hinge areas and 10 feet or square tubing per door to help stiffen them.

[drs1023]

There's also a nice VW place (if you count old cars around a dilapidated building as "NICE" like I do!) on US 78 between Oxford and Lincoln, AL - just off I-20 W @ exit 185. You can't miss the 50 + VW's lining the hill. I've been told he has a lot of experience in kit cars, though I never talked to him personally when I was there.

[whcgt]

Very nice Kellison Astra GT project. Here are some photos of my Kellison Astra GT project.

[whcgt]

.

[whcgt]

.

[whcgt]

.

[whcgt]

.

[Letterman7]

Nice lines! Different body GT or did you do some work to it?

[whcgt]

Yes it is an Kellison Astra GT, with unique bodywork. I bought my Astra GT, right here on thesamba. I bought last Christmas. I am currently doing alot of electrical work to it. It has a 2180cc dual port engine in it.

[oldSchoolRestorations]

..
The blue ASTRA is a nice looking ride....

As to the earlier posts...KELLISON HAD NOTHING to do with this car... Allied took a pop from the early Fiberfab AZTEC with the short front, and changed the rear window..otherwise it is a pure pop-off

.. We have had many Aztecs and Kellisons over the years.. and specialize in the mid-engine chassis that Fiberfab deisgned...


Website is[url] http://www.race-cardrivers.com/shop.htm [/url]and we can be contacted by email [url] [email protected][/url]

Dave Perry[/img]

[kitcarguy]

Kellison had nothing do do with the Astra GT? It has always been my understanding that Kellison/Allied where one in the same.

I am not surprised about the GT being a pop off. After all Kellison did that exact thing with a David Loring car called the Gezelle . Later renaming it the shark. Same car with a few tweaks.

[Letterman7]

That's what I had thought as well. Strange that the Astra GT shows up on the aforementioned Kellison link page above in their photo archives. And advertisements (under Allied)...

And this link confirms that Kellison and Astra were essentially one in the same, or at least shared a common parent company: http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/fiberglass-car-...affiliate/

And here: http://www.kitcarmag.com/thehistoryof/0505kc_kellison_kit_cars/viewall.html

So whether or not it was a copy of the Aztec, which it very well could be, doesn't make it any less an Astra/Kellison product.

[oldSchoolRestorations]

The ASTRA GT was a continuation of the Kellison J6, built under license, and the J6 was a Jim Kellison Design.... The ASTRA VW GT was NOT.

I have an ASTRA VW GT here, as well as several Aztecs, and have owned more than a dozen Kellisons..... The ASTRA VW GT is NOT a Kellison, Kellison never had anything to do with it,

and you will not find ANY advertising of it by the Kellison Company The ASTRA GT has caused the (Aztec pop) ASTRA VW GT to have been erroneously listed as a Kelllison on the Kellison site, then G Hacker picked up the same mis-infprmation and repeated it on Forgotten Fiberglass, and the error continues to circulate.......

If you believe everything you read on the internet, you will be often mis-lead, if you do not look for facts to back it up.
Lots of "facts" are just repeated rhetoric, and are not 'fact checked' by the poster..
.

[kitcarguy]

Not trying to stir the pot, but where do your facts come from? Im not saying your wrong but I would be curious to know there your info comes from. I always like correct info