Aircooled VW South Africa

Heh, it is a replica. That's a pic I took (gotta love copyright on the net). It's a Hayden Dart with a Toyota engine made locally (kzn) around 2002.

My granddads got one,...It looks shit.

Based on the 1400 Nissan champ chassis and engine,as far as I know.

The Dart was originally built in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town.

This was the first South African Sports Car.

They also developed some special (for the time I imagine) rear suspension.

Based on the 1400 Nissan champ chassis and engine,as far as I know.

The replicas up here are based loosely on a Escort chassis running various engines including Kent 1600. There were a couple for sale recently in CT.

This was the first South African Sports Car.

If you exclude the http://motoring.iafrica.com/classic/963839.htm although they didn't make very many of those.

A couple of pics of an original Dart at Cars in the Park, PMB. There were 2 at the show as well as 5 replicas.

If you consider the Dart and Flamingo history, there are a suprising number of originals left. I saw the doccy on it, and how the first one ended up in the UK, with no interest from the Brits, (speaking under correction here) raced and left there.

There are a few still rambling about. I see one of them often, about once or twice a week here in Montague Gardens.

Thumper, thats probably Peanuts Forche that you see driving around

Thumper wrote:If you consider the Dart and Flamingo history, there are a suprising number of originals left. I saw the doccy on it, and how the first one ended up in the UK, with no interest from the Brits, (speaking under correction here) raced and left there.

They made about 150 Delta's in England (about the same number of Darts and Flamingos in SA) but I think only one Flamingo every went before the company went belly up.

As I read it, there is somebody that still makes new Darts? What would say just a shell cost?

Watercool wrote:As I read it, there is somebody that still makes new Darts? What would say just a shell cost?

Rolling chassis with body was about R40 000 if I remember correctly. You can put almost any engine in. I know of ones with: Mazda rotary turbo, Kent 1600, Toyota 4AGZE Supercharged, BMW 318 and more.

It's a replica but it's a lot of fun and they're being raced quite successfully.

Here's the Hayden Dart register site http://haydendart.info/