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This Half-Scale McLaren Can-Am Car Is Absolutely Genius And For Sale On eBay!


This Half-Scale McLaren Can-Am Car Is Absolutely Genius And For Sale On eBay!

We always knew that Joe Grippo was the like Bruce Wayne of BS contributors. After all, who goes searching on eBay for vintage Can-Am race cars. Sure, he’ll try to tell us he was searching for a go-kart but we know what the story is. He managed to find one of the coolest things we have ever seen, a literal hand-crafted half scale running, driving, McLaren Can-Am car. Why isn’t there already a racing series for these cars? Can you see a half scale Lola T-70 or a freakin’ Porsche 917 or something along those lines. How would you race them? From the driver’s seat, dummy. This car will fit a “slender” man slightly over six feet tall. It is like a custom racing kart with the coolest hand made body of all time. We don’t know why anyone would build a half scale Can-Am car but we’re sure glad that they did. This thing is literally genius level.

This car is a mini version of the most dominant Can-Am car of all time, the McLaren M8B. In 1968 the McLaren M8 was a great car that often ran in the front of the pack but the McLaren team knew that changes to their powertrain and body would benefit them greatly. The ditched the spoiler that used to be on the back of the car for a big tall wing on the rear deck. They al redesigned the front wheel arches, and most importantly told their engine man George Bolthoff to knock some stroke out of their big block Chevy combo to free it up for higher revs. Bolthoff answered with a 422ci aluminum bow tie ass kicker, two actually. There were a pair of these cars on the race trail in 1969. Between the two of them (the second car was driven by New Zealander Denny Hulme) the M8Bs won every freaking race. All 11 of them. It was a sweep that no one could have predicted…n o one other than Bruce McLaren who won six of the races and Hulme five. Sadly, a year later Bruce McLaren would be dead as the result of  hard racing crash while testing a car in England.

Ok, so enough history! Here’s what the seller has to say about the little car –

Hello, This is 1/2 scale McLaren M8 high-wing Can-Am car. It was built by Putsch Racing (a vintage race preparation shop) utilizing modern racing kart components. The body work was molded in house from fiberglass as the original cars were and is not available anywhere else. This car is ideal fun for any age as it fits up to a 6′ 1″ slender man. The car features a cro-moly tubular frame, hydraulic disc braking system, suede steering wheel, aluminum racing wheels, slick road racing tires, and a 4 stroke overhead valve racing kart engine. Maintenance is very simple and is low cost. Parts are available and anything custom made for this vehicle can be ordered through Putsch Racing. A perfect gift for a young racer or a fun pit vehicle indulgence. Would be at home on a kart racing track too. Kart is running and ready to drive.

We have nothing more to say other than $12,500 worth of our organs will be showing up on eBay today. Oh, we should also mention that the seller has addition bodies if you want to bild your own!

Scroll down to see the photos and eBay link which has TONS more photos!

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eBay ad link: A half scale McLaren M8B Can-Am car


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10 thoughts on “This Half-Scale McLaren Can-Am Car Is Absolutely Genius And For Sale On eBay!

  1. Beagle

    Everything about those pictures except what looks like a Robin for power says “Stuck in the 70’s”. Eagle should be all over this any minute if he is worth his salt. haha.

    Excellent body, I’d like a matching T-70 and a 917 so we could have races around the neighborhood! Get them tagged as “Neighborhood Vehicles”

  2. GuitarSlinger

    Hey … i mean its kind of cool and all .And I am a HUGE McLaren CanAm fan . But errr … its more than a bit inaccurate [ very much in fact ] … and what the heck do you do with it once you’ve bought it ?

    So on Jalopnik’s ” Nice Price -or – Crack Pipe ” scale …. I’m gonna have to go ” Crack Pipe ” … reluctantly 🙁

  3. Sharkey

    we already have scale racing cars that road race their own series here in Australia…they are called Aussie racing cars , check them out on youtube.They are scaled down copies of our V8 Supercars and they run1300cc 6speed engines and can seriously MOVE!

  4. odd ball

    You mean they didn’t put a honda motor in it. That’s puts a wrenchin the cog. This could have molded to be any open wheeled car Ferrari Lotus and they want that kind of doe for it. You can by full sized cars that need a motor or body work done for the same price or twice the cash for one that needs a good garage to keep the birds from shiten on it. If you liver or kidney is up for grabs for this wtf.

    1. Beagle

      It looks like a Subaru-Robin, which I would put up against a Honda all day… although I’d want to pull aCR250 mill out of the discard pile, put on my Nerf suit, and go for it.

  5. Pamprin

    So then we have a world-wide bitchiness going on right now and it’s not restricted to the USA. Damn, it’s worse than I thought. The entire planet needs a pamprin?

  6. Mitch

    The engine is a Chinese copy of a 200cc Honda. Commonly called “clones” these engines are a cheap way to make decent power in a kart since the Briggs flathead is all but nonexistent. I vote for the cr250 with a 6speed tranny!

  7. McDesign

    I bought this baby – I’m a long-time M8-B fan; couldn’t pass it up.

    Gonna’ make a half-scale period open trailer and tow it to car shows, behind my ’59 Mercedes La Carrera Panamerica racer (2008).

    Will be a fun summer!

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