zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
For $10,900, This Blakely Bernardi Is Your Kit And Caboodle
For $10,900, This Blakely Bernardi Is Your Kit And Caboodle-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:04

In British slang to get one's kit off means to get nekkid. Today's Blakely is a kit car, and while American, it looks all kinds of Jolly Old. Will its price however, have you ready to drop some cash?

I am shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that very few you shared my amusement for the kitschy-kitschy-ya-ya coolness of yesterday's . I mean seriously, you can't even say that name without a giggle. I dare you. Oh well, not unexpectedly, that custom 's price was also vilified, and it dropped in a decisive 92% Crack Pipe loss.

Today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe custom is so Miami Vice that it'll have you donning your Johnson

Yesterday's car was trying to be something it was not, a Ferrari Testarossa, or as we like to say, it was a prancing horse poseur. Today's 1982 Blakely Bernardi on the other hand isn't trying too hard to look like an MG TF, but it's pretty obvious that the British sports car was its inspiration.

Dick Blakely founded in 1972 in Love Park, Illinois, with the company's first offering being the Lotus 7 inspired Bantam. The larger Bearcat followed, and both of these cars leveraged the Ford Pinto as their source for mechanical parts. In each case those were bolted to a proprietary box-section frame and capped with jaunty fiberglass bodies.

The company was bought by Art Herschberger in 1977 and moved to Princeton, Wisconsin. At the same time the Bearcat was restyled and re-named the Bernadri, after Nineteenth Century automotive pioneer, Enrico Bernardi. The company offered both kits and semi-complete rollers for those who sought something different, at least they did until going under in 1987.

According to its ad, this was built by the father of the family that is now selling it, following his passing. That's kind of sad, but the car itself looks to be a fitting legacy for any auto buff. These cars were reasonably well engineered, and as they used a lot of Pinto parts, they have modern mechanical systems like dual circuit brakes with discs up front, and rack and pinion steering.

The drivetrain here is also Pinto-popular, being a 2.3-litre SOHC Lima four and four-speed stick. The ad says that the parent car was actually a Mustang II, but as that car was based on the Pinto, it's all a wash. The engine is claimed to have an Offenhauser intake and a Weber 2BBL, so perhaps it makes more than the probable 88-ponies it had when it left the factory.

Other attributes of note are the high-back buckets that will be a familiar sight to any Ford fanatic, and a fiberglass hardtop that I will bet is a rare accessory for these cars. Both the fiberglass and the paint on the car look to be in fantastic shape, and I'll bet you that you can peg the original source of the car's grille without too much effort.

The interior is pretty professional looking for a kit, and also seems to be in fine shape. With less than 10K on the clock, I guess it should. Along with the car you get the original manual and what looks to be the builder's notes on the car.

This is a very unique opportunity to own a bit of American automotive history, and one that would probably be a lot of fun to drive as well. I should note too that the Bernardi could swallow a number of different engines, and so if a new owner were not content with the Pinto popper, a 302 can also be squeezed in there.

How much for this neo-classic? The ad is asking $10,900, and yes that will buy you three Miatas that will each be a better car in many ways. Okay, you Miata people need to keep it down, m'kay? For the rest of us, what do you think about $10,900 for this Blakely? Should that price have buyers breaking down its door? Or, is this a kit that's priced with too much caboodle?

You decide!

Des Moines , or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
Oct 31, 2024
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
Oct 31, 2024
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
Oct 31, 2024
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
Oct 31, 2024
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
Oct 31, 2024
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
Oct 31, 2024
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved