Several years ago the restoration body parts business went to a whole new place when companies started offering complete bodies for our favorite American classics. 1969 Camaros were one of the first, and over the next few years other Camaros, Mustangs, classic trucks, and more were created and available to the public. There was a huge level of excitement and apprehension when that happened, as folks realized what was possible. Excitement because brand new bodies, that don’t need crash and rust damage repaired sound like an amazing thing. Apprehension though because while they are complete bodies, they are NOT actual cars.
This meant people had lots and lots of questions. How do you register one? Is it called what it looks like on the title? Can it be insured? All these, and more, are valid questions to ask in a situation like this.
One of the other questions that people asked was more philosophical. Should we be building completely new classics? Does it diminish the cool factory of the original? Does it devalue the originals?
Again, all understandable questions.
So when the Juncheng Vehicle Company showed up at the SEMA show with a whole booth full of awesome bodies for all kinds of your favorite import AND domestic classics, heads turned. The 240Z and AE86 Corolla bodies were two of the most talked about, and for good reason. They look awesome!
Sitting next to their classic Bronco bodies, Land Cruisers, Defenders, and more, these are pretty impressive. Check out the process of building these machines, as it really is cool, and listen to Larry Chen as he navigates through the impressive manufacturing process, and into the emotional side of things.
Video Description:
Tucked away in Baoying, China, is a behemoth manufacturing plant quietly reshaping the classic car market by producing high-end replica bodies and components for some of the world’s most iconic cars. Jiangsu Juncheng Vehicle Industry Co., Ltd. sits about three hours north of Shanghai by train, where body shells for Broncos, Defenders, 240Zs, and the coveted AE86 are brought to life. Larry Chen takes you inside the factory to show the entire process from start to finish and explores the impact this may have on car culture in the future.
