Custom-built car a first in Canada
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Posted By Kelly McShane, Special to The Packet & Times
Updated 1 month ago
Reaching speeds of over 60 mph in only three seconds, Ed Konda's custom-built V-8 GTM is a head-turner well worth the more than 1,700 hours it took him to create it.
"It's not like something from Ikea that just snaps together," said Konda of his masterpiece. "It's literally building a car."
When Konda first decided he wanted to build a hobby car last year, he narrowed his search down to either restoring a 1970s muscle car or building something new.
"There are a lot of kit cars out there, but I had a specific performance, safety and visual in mind…and this was it," said Konda, who began building the car in August 2009, using a kit manufactured in the USA by Factory Five Racing Inc.
The GTM is a mid-engined, original design with a hand-crafted composite body and a computer designed steel tube frame chassis.
The vehicle is built using a Chevrolet Corvette and parts needed to complete the kit can be obtained from any 1997-2004 model.
Konda's version, which includes a Porsche 6-speed racing transaxle, may be the first built in Canada.
"I'm definitely the first in Ontario," he said.
"There may be another in Canada somewhere, but they're being pretty quiet about it."
The GTM kit retails at just under $20,000US, which Konda said accounts for less than one quarter of the overall cost to build the vehicle.
"It's high end, that's for sure," he joked, noting he would rather not reveal his actual investment.
Konda, who moved to Orillia from the United States 13 years ago when he was offered a position at a local manufacturing plant, holds masters in both business and engineering.
Though Konda's current management position is unrelated to his kit car hobby, he does have experience in the field.
"I put myself through school by restoring cars, but I haven't really done that kind of work in years," said Konda, who learned the ropes from his father as a youngster.
Konda said, over the years, he restored 50 or more cars – mostly antique.
"I was a bit rusty, especially because of the technology. There was definitely a big learning curve," he said, noting the kit only includes the fiberglass body, window glass and frame. The builder is responsible for everything else.
"It doesn't even come with locking doors. If you want doors that lock, you have to design a system that works," he said, indicating he documented the entire process, so that he can build the vehicle even faster next time – and he is taking orders.
"There's so much interest in it that I'm going to start building these cars for other people," said Konda, who recently launched his business Ontario Kit Car Builders, through which he assists kit car builders with the completion of their project.
"I should be able to turn one out as fast as I can get the kit and parts," he said.
Although Konda says he's open to building any kit car through his business, he would like to focus on the GTM, which he plans to bring to the Orillia Waterfront Festival in August, so that people can see his work for themselves.
The business is run from Konda's home in Severn Bridge, which he shares with his wife and 15-year-old son.
"He thinks it's pretty cool," said Konda of his son, who is pushing to drive his dad's supped-up sports car once he has his license.
"There's a simple answer to that question," said Konda. "No way!"
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