THREE
OF A KIND
THESE CALIFORNIA
GTO 250s HAVE
ENOUGH HEART TO BE REAL PERFORMERS
By Michael Baranowski
The
early Datsun 240, 260 and 28OZ cars once enjoyed quite a reputation
in the kit car hobby. At one time there were about five different
companies building body kits for this Japanese product, and now
the only company that's still around. is the one that started all
of the excitement.. Although the project has changed hands, the
idea remains the same. The man who owns the former Alpha I GTO project
is Tom McBurnie, who's also responsible for the California Daytona
Spyder. And he's the same man battling Ferrari for manufacturing
the Spyder. What will be the final outcome of the lawsuit? It's
hard to say, but McBurnie feels confident he will prevail.
Way, back at the beginning of all this lawsuit mess,, Joe Alphabet
manufactured the fine little Alpha body package in Huntington Beach,
California. When Ferrari went looking for litigants, Alphabet bailed
out and Tom (begin page 54) McBurnie
assumed the project's reins. McBurnie was an asset: He refined and
refit the Alphas with a high performance ideal and renamed them
the California 250 GTOs.
Internal changes promoted Pat Butters, former McBurnie dealer, to
an Active role as operations manager. Now Butters handles vehicle
produc- tion and McBurnie will cover the R&D shop and floor
sales. Industry insiders have lauded the move, and we think it will
help restore the company to its proper top spot. In addition, McBurnie
Coachcraft has added a deluxe new shop. The work areas are large
enough to separate areas of production; no more sanding are right
next to final assembly, etc. This new setup allows closer detail
work, and the cars prove it.
The three models we feature are a combination of the talents of
Butters and McBurnie. The front and center red one belongs to Katy
Stone, and Butters and McBurnie built it. The silver and black ones
were individual efforts by Butters and McBurnie, respectively, and
together they represent a fine cross-section of their fabrication
talents. If you're considering building the GTO in kit form, under-
stand that your "sweat equity" in the finished product
will be substantial. During the last visit to the McBurnie Coach
craft shop, six turn-key 250 GTOs were under construction, and it
looks like turn-keys are taking over. It's easier to deliver a 240/260/28OZ
car and have it transformed into a 250 GTO for many people the extensive
amount of body work is foreboding.
While
hardcore bodywork isn't exactly Stone's cup of tea, she isn't afraid
to handle the rest of the maintenance on her bright red California
250 GTO. That includes tune-ups, oil and filter changes and just
about everything else the at-home enthusiast does in his or her
garage. Stone's GTO isn't just a "sunny days only" ride,
either. As director of recreation programs for the city of Long
Beach, California, she spends her days covering the assorted city
parks and school yards. And you can bet she gets more than a casual
glance when her car pulls up. Stone's GTO sees its fair share of
(begin page 55) use.
The car is based on a '78 280 and the attention to detail inside
and out is amazing. Yes, it's true the basic suspension and engine
in this 90inch wheelbase package is better than most. The MacPherson
strut front end features disc brakes, and the rearend (also MacPherson
strut) uses vacuum-assisted drum brakes. The six-cylinder engine
and four--ceed tranny are more than ample for providing real performance
in the form of seven-second zero-60 speeds and low- to mid-13-second
e.t.s in the quarter-mile. Ground contact at all four corners is
made with BFG radials wrapped around knock-off style Zenith wire
rims. The suspension is fully tuned with anti-rollbars and urethane
bushings for better handling.
Like McBurnie Coachcraft's Corvette-based California Daytona Spyder,
the GTO features unitized-body construction and requires fitting
of a new front and rear clip. The doors are reskinned and fitted
with new locks and latches, and the roofline is retained (except,
of course, on the convertible version, called the 250 GTS-it was
deleted altogether).
It required a fair amount of detail work to complete the project.
Geniestyle hood latches and fender-mounted mirrors are in their
respective places. Side-marker light installation is straightforward,
and the body moldings are quite nice. The overall look of the car
would benefit from headlight covers, but unfortunately, any type
of a cover is a no-no in many states. On the right rear quarter
panel is a quick-fill gas cap frenched into its own enclosure.
The interior required a lot of work to restyle. The dash and center
console were replaced by fiberglass bits and everything else was
fitted around them. To complete the transformation it's necessary
to redo the entire dash (keeping the Datsun gauges), center console
(including shifter gate) and the headline and door panels. The low-back
bucket seats are available in either leather or vinyl. A well-done
interior can make or break a car, and the California 250 GTO and
GTS have two of the nicest.
The overall fit and finish of the refined California 250 GTO is
excellent. The turn-key prices are quite attractive, and if you're
truly interested in driving one, contact the factory at 619/562-7703.
-Kit Car Magazine
Copyright
Notice.
This magazine article has been republished without permission from
Kit Car in the interests of Z car history. It will be removed if
the publisher objects. Please credit Kit
Car Magazine and the author, Michael
Baranowski in any reference you make to this conversion.
Only the conversion and online layout should be credited to my Z
PARTS website.
Eric
Neyerlin of 
|
Rear view mirrors are fender mounted, and the hood latches are an
interesting design. |
