Designer's Sketchpad - Taking on the Jamaican, plus a controversial Cat
This edition of the Designer's Sketchpad begins with some ideas for custom versions of the fan-favorite, golden-age kit, the Fiberfab Jamaican. The original was designed by the Beebe brothers, Russell and Chris, in 1967 during their short stint at Bud Goodwin's storied kit maker. It was initially designed to fit on a selection of British roadster chassis from MG, Triumph, and Austin-Healey but later added a VW-based version and a bespoke frame, with mounting provisions for an American V8. The author's ideas for customizing this classic design include a modern version and one with a more retro flavor.
The modern take (see above) plays on the more than passing resemblance the Jamaican has to the Ferrari 365 GTB-4 Daytona. However, it employs more modern themes from their design house of choice, Pininfarina. The hood line is sculpted so as to be lowered and pop-up headlights give way to more modern, glass covered units. The wheel arches, shoulders, and fender lines are 'beefed up' for a more muscular appearance. Aerodynamic modifications include a modest front splitter and side skirts.
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The more retro versions of my proposed modifications to the Jamaican continue to leverage the Italian flavor of the original with their front fascia's recalling DeTomaso's classic Mangusta, with its partially concealed headlights and narrow grille at front. However, another contemporary car of its era influences them as well. Recalling the Greenwood Corvettes and the various fiberglass bits from the Eckler's catalog, these 'retro' versions have extremely flared wheel arches, a deep front air dam, and pronounced side skirts to round out their brutal style.
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Both of these treatments could be accomplished with a moderate level of body working skills, with modifications performed using the classic method of using pre-cut cross-sections and either expanding foam or plaster and chicken-wire to build up surfaces in areas of the original shell being modified. The retro version could even utilize body kit parts for the C3 Corvette.
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The second subject for consideration is a one-off, custom spec Caterham CSR called the "CSR GT". Your author knew this car would be polarizing but was not fully prepared for the amount of hot venom that spewed forth on it, from the kit car community on Facebook. Fans of the Caterham and Lotus 7's were apoplectic. It was surprising because, even though it wasn't my cup of tea, the car was an audacious and truly modern take on the 7.
From what your author could surmise, the most trigger-worthy aspects of the CSR GT were its oddly upright greenhouse and almost brutalist simplicity. So, yours truly decided the funky roof had to go and some revised graphics were required to give the design a bit more cohesion. The addition of a rollbar and a fairing, added behind the driver and passenger headrests, round out the modifications.
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| A reworking of the custom spec Caterham CSR GT, at rear |
The whole exercise proved to your author, at least, that the overall design of the original was better than the commentariat gave it credit for. The changes were really very minimal, from a styling perspective. Lopping off the roof made it feel much more like a "7".
So ends this installment of the Designer's Sketchpad. Look for another edition of this regular feature soon. Thanks for checking it out and be sure to check out Rare Component Cars on social media, links are below.
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