TurNkey-Minus Program

Not everyone has the time, skills or space to build a car from a kit, yet the allure of our cars is undeniable. So, we developed the Turnkey-Minus Program to provide potential owners the fastest, easiest and lowest risk approach to owning one of our cars.

A turnkey-minus car is a car that is built to customer requirements, including paint, interior, wheels, tires, battery – essentially everything needed to have a complete, running car ready to turn the key and go – except for the drivetrain (e.g., engine, transaxle/transmission and ECU). Federal laws prohibit us and other kit car manufacturers from selling completed cars that are intended to be registered for the street. But we can provide a car that is complete except for the drivetrain. Such a car can be easily and quickly finished by you, or by a third party because the tedious work is done, and only the relatively simple work of installing your selected drivetrain remains. You or your selected third party can finish the car in as little as a weekend or two after receiving your turnkey-minus car.

The Turnkey-Minus Program offers the following benefits:

Time

Its common for builders to take years to build a car, regardless of how easy or hard it is, because life can get in the way of any long-term project. We have the luxury of focus, we build these cars every day, and we know them inside and out. We have the jigs, tools, experience, and skills to do a better job than most. We can build cars to the turnkey-minus stage in as little as six months after receipt of order. There is probably no faster way to get to a complete car than with this program.

Completion

Far too many car kits are sold for pennies on the dollar because the builder lost interest in the build (not the car, but the build process), or found they underestimated the skills needed, or the space, or their ability to find time to work on and finish a long-term project. The Turnkey-Minus Program removes all those risks and thus preserves your investment in the car.

Quality

It's easy to want to do the best possible job, but sometimes even the best-intentioned builders find themselves taking shortcuts. Owner-built cars can range from the most incredible builds, to the frightening. All of our products are high quality and we jointly specify the level of finish in the build agreement.

Single Source

We become the single source of responsibility for the car (less the drivetrain). If there are problems, there is one place to call and that place knows the car better than anyone. It's comforting to know that if you have questions or problems with the car later, you can get help from the people who actually built it. That's not always the case when you self-build the car, and have one shop doing the bodywork, another doing the paint, yet another for the electrical, etc. We manage the entire process under one roof, and we take ownership for the work we perform.

Cost

Perhaps an unexpected benefit of the Turnkey-Minus Program is that it can actually cost less, particularly if you put any value on your time. Because your cost is fixed in the build agreement, you know exactly what it is beforehand. You are insulated from labor increases, material/part increases, parts that don't fit, mistakes (we make them sometimes too), and material waste (buying a 4' x 8' sheet of something because that was the minimum size when you only needed a 2' x 4' piece). Lastly, you don't have to pay for someone to learn on your car.

Summary

Building a car from a kit by yourself can be a rewarding, fun experience that will generate memories that last a lifetime. For many it provides a pride that can't be purchased at any price. But if you just don't have the time, or the skills, or the space to build, the Turnkey-Minus Program may just be the ideal way to get the vintage car of you dreams! 

Pricing varies tremendously, based on individual requirements (single stage paint that replicates the colors and paints of the past, or a three-stage paint with pearl highlights and painted stripes, for example) so please contact us to discuss your requirements.