Craigslist: “Custom, Hand-Built Sports Car”

Having recently sold my Project Integra on Bring-a-Trailer (more on that later), I started casually looking around for its pointless replacement. I started with Craigslist, of course, and it again proved itself to be a complete win/fail. Right on the first page on my local listings was the pictured homemade jewel.

Based on a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix, this personal luxury coupe was turned into this track-worthy exotic. The front-mounted (or maybe it’s front-mid, who knows) Pontiac 400 cubic-inch V8 was bored .030 over, presumably for the purposes of increased power. The radiator, for reasons I can’t yet understand, was moved to the rear of the vehicle. It is being fed a with “functional” roof air scoop. And then there is the body…

From the ad:

2012 Custom, Hand-Built Sports Car – $6,000 (Holliston)

A bit Rat Rod, a bit Mad Max. Turns heads everywhere. This quirky ride is a one-off, hand-built custom. Street legal. MA titled as a 2012 “Custom”. Started life as a 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix, and transformed over the years into a shortened, lightened, 2-door, 2-seater sports car.
Pontiac 400 c.i. V8 bored .030 over. Auto trans. Functional roof scoop (radiator in the back). Too many other details to list here.
Named: “The Arachnid”
Reliable and well-maintained, no rust anywhere, always garage stored. I’ve had my fun with it. Time to move on to other projects and clear up the garage space.

Asking $6,000 or best reasonable offer.
Email with any questions, leave your phone number.

The exterior

Look at this vehicle from the side and tell me that you don’t see a bit of Aston Martin Victor in that design. And if you don’t, you need to have a few responsibly consumed alcoholic beverages and look at it again. It’s stunning. But that Aston will cost you nearly $3,000,000 whereas this, The Arachnid will only run you $6000 or the best reasonable offer. Seriously, only a complete idiot would choose the Aston.

The front fenders seem to be inspired by, or may actually be 50-gallon drums. The front-hinged, like on the Ferrari 275 GTB, bungee cord secured hood lifts up to reveal the mighty big block. In front are steel bumpers worthy of a locomotive. Neatly integrated between them is a grill that in some way resembles a rectal bulb syringe (Google it and tell me I’m wrong).

The rest of the body seems to be made of metal that was beat into submission. The doors have a Ferrari-esque air intake port that sure sends air to nowhere. Metal pins safely secure the doors. The short rear-end pays homage to the original Pontiac, retaining its taillights and bumper. The whole car seems to be painted in whatever paint was leftover in the shed.

The Interior

The driver-focused layout seems to be very well designed. Yes, the sheet metal gauge cluster seems a little crooked but it is functional. The center stack is made of random switches mounted on an angle but there’s a sweet aftermarket head unit. Look closely, and you’ll see grab bars superbly integrated into the console. The top of the dash appears to be wrapped in hand-stitched fabric of some kind, possibly an old L.L.Bean coat. The sides of the doors are trimmed in real plywood – even Rolls-Royce doesn’t do that. The door-pulls wouldn’t look out of place in a Porsche Carrera GT2.

Eff me, look at that glove box. Look. At. it!! The laser-cut lid has the name of the car is inscribed into it!

Two, truly functional cup-holders are attached to what looks like fabricated/welded sheet metal. Those will undoubtedly hold a Bud Light can really well, preventing the driver to spew the familiar “hold my beer and watch this” before performing death-defying backyard maneuvers. To keep the two occupants in place during those maneuvers are what appear to be legit Recaro seats, further enhanced by old couch throw pillows. Classy AF, my friends.

The Package

Not much left to say about this vehicle that can’t be told from pictures. It’s simply awesome, in all meanings of that word. The seller seems honest about this vehicle’s reliability and says there are too many details to list in the ad, which we find to be very likely. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind to the seller’s claim that the vehicle is a head-turner.

Source: boston.craigslist.org

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29 responses to “Craigslist: “Custom, Hand-Built Sports Car””

  1. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Six
    Thousand
    Dollars.

    The archetypical “See, I couldn’t sell it, need to keep it, honey”-ad.

    Also, makes me miss the Craiglist Crapshoot. Awesome find, indeed.

  2. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    Let’s just all admit that but for the absence of a few, mercifully rare, personality quirks all of us here in the comments section would have something like this in our mom’s garage.

  3. I_Borgward Avatar
    I_Borgward

    The product of one man’s vision, one man’s dream.

    It is for this I come to the ‘verse.

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      I read that as “The product of one man’s vision, one man’s scream”, which may be more appropriate. Needs more: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Edvard_Munch%2C_1893%2C_The_Scream%2C_oil%2C_tempera_and_pastel_on_cardboard%2C_91_x_73_cm%2C_National_Gallery_of_Norway.jpg

    2. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      I read that as “The product of one man’s vision, one man’s scream”, which may be more appropriate. Needs more: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Edvard_Munch%2C_1893%2C_The_Scream%2C_oil%2C_tempera_and_pastel_on_cardboard%2C_91_x_73_cm%2C_National_Gallery_of_Norway.jpg

    3. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Gonna take a while to find someone else who shares that vision, which is what you need to sell such a unique vision…

    4. outback_ute Avatar
      outback_ute

      Gonna take a while to find someone else who shares that vision, which is what you need to sell such a unique vision…

  4. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Six
    Thousand
    Dollars.

    The archetypical “See, I couldn’t sell it, need to keep it, honey”-ad.

    Also, makes me miss the Craiglist Crapshoot. Awesome find, indeed.

    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      Six point six thousand is a better asking price.

      https://www.autopartsdb.net/assets/images/ProductImg/D/DT325.JPG

      1. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        6.66 thousand?

    2. Wayne Moyer Avatar
      Wayne Moyer

      That’s when the wife turns around and has you drive it to the scrapyard and accept the $50.

  5. danleym Avatar
    danleym

    “Turns heads everywhere”

    He just didn’t say that all those heads are turning away from the car so people can try to forget they ever saw it…

    1. danleym Avatar
      danleym

      Also, “Always garage stored”

      To keep the neighbors from burning it to the ground.

  6. Victor~~ Avatar

    That masterpiece should be in a museum !

    1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      museum

      Is that an alternate spelling of “junkyard”?

  7. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    This thing showed up in my facebook feed the other day. I’m sure a lot of us are members of the same facebook groups.

    That $6k asking price has to be a joke. There is as much chance of it selling for a million dollars as there is of it selling for $6k.

    The only thing I can say positive about it is that the builder saw it through. “I’m going to build my own car” seldom amounts to anything, and rarer still is a finished product. Misguided dedication is still dedication.

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      I see some of my woodworking in this guys panel beating. Sometimes, you just need to be done, you know, 20% effort for 80% of the result.

    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      I see some of my woodworking in this guys panel beating. Sometimes, you just need to be done, you know, 20% effort for 80% of the result.

      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        Woodworking with an axe.

  8. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    This deserves a second life in LeMons but I just don’t know where they would put a rollcage and make it legal.

    1. neight428 Avatar
      neight428

      Put it on the outside, arachnids have exoskeletons after all.

    2. Fuhrman16 Avatar
      Fuhrman16

      Luckily Lemons does this road rally thing now that cars don’t require a cage for.

      1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
        Wayne Moyer

        Good point.

      2. caltemus Avatar
        caltemus

        That’s not racing though, this thing really belongs on a track……then right to a junkyard.

  9. neight428 Avatar
    neight428

    Let’s just all admit that but for the absence of a few, mercifully rare, personality quirks all of us here in the comments section would have something like this in our mom’s garage.

  10. Troggy Avatar
    Troggy

    Well it’s a project car that I’d actually buy. As one-offs, a project car has untold number of non-standard parts that are going to either deteriorate or get damaged over time, and require replacement. Unless the builder took meticulous notes and kept every receipt, you’re not going to match the paint, or know with absolute certainty that you’ve bought the exact right air filter. Forget about getting a panel fixed or replaced if they’re custom.

    This one, well, who cares? The panels are well within my limited metal- or woodworking abilities to fix or replace (huh, who’s even going to know if they get damaged?). If the engine’s legal, well that’s good enough. I’d like to know specifically what the engine is so parts and gremlins can be can be sorted where necessary.

    Also, it has shag pile carpets!

  11. Lokki Avatar
    Lokki

    Gentlemen, I would like to point out that it is easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize, when we should be cheering on the drunk who climbed into the arena with the lions…

  12. mdharrell Avatar

    If it were mine I’d have to do something about the headlights.