Description
Reluctantly I have decided that I have to let my wonderful Ginetta G21 go, I am trying to rebuild a G15 but have no space in my garage and so must sell one of my other cars.
The G21 was the first Ginetta model that was only available as a fully built road going car direct from their factory, sadly less than 50 of these gorgeous little cars were made due to the mid-seventies oil crisis.
This car has an interesting history, it left the factory with the usual Hillman Hunter 1725cc engine and four speed gearbox (overdrive optional), however following the tragic death of the young lady owner this car was left sitting in a field by her father for 10 years. When the car was eventually sold it underwent a major rebuild to turn the car into a 'track/ competition car'.
Starting with a new chassis, this was then strengthened and modified to accept a Rover K Series 1. 8 engine (non VVC) and a Ford 5 speed 'type 9' gearbox, similar to the set-up fitted to Catherhams and some Lotus models. The suspension and brakes were all up-rated appropriately at the same time. The car competed very successfully for several years. The engine is controlled by an Emerald Type Mk3 ECU which is apparently very easy to work with. See pic of the car in its competition days.
The car subsequently underwent another 'rebuild' this time to turn it back into a road car, well more or less! The body was resprayed (see pic of respray work), the 'race cams' and Webber carbs were removed and replaced with standard Rover K Series cams and fuel injection.
The bumpers were refitted to the car, the interior which had been stripped out was re-instated and new carpets installed. The car does however retain a lot of it's up-rated features such as the suspension, brakes, cooling system and still has the 'foam filled' safety fuel tank.
The chassis is still in excellent condition today, the fibreglass bodywork is excellent as is the paint although there are a few stone chips and a couple of scratches. All of the running gear is in excellent condition and I believe that the current mileage of 58k is genuine, I have every MOT for the car since 1991 when the mileage was showing as 22, 887. I have numerous pictures of the re-spray being carried out. There have been only 5 previous owners.
Current Spec/ Features:
Rover 1. 8 K Series twin cam engine (LAD big valve head)
Emerald Mk3 ECU
Ford Type 9 five speed gearbox
Rear roll cage
Atlas narrow rear axle (3. 75:1 LSD)
Foam filled fuel tank
AVO shocks
4 pot front brake calipers with 280mm discs
RS200 rear drum brakes
High performance alloy radiator
Spitfire alloy front hubs
Fully rose jointed suspension
Moss steering rack (31/ 4 turn)
Mazda MX5 seats (cloth)
During my ownership I have had the starter motor rebuilt (as with all K Series engines they suffers from being too close to the exhaust), I have replaced the small 'racing battery' with a larger one and I have replaced the distributor cap and ignition leads. I had the ECU re-mapped as I'm not sure that was done when the Webber carbs were removed and the report states that engine is producing 140bhp.
The car comes with lots of bits of history including all of the MOTs since 1991, 4 trophies, some letters/ receipts from past owners, a notebook with 'specifications & parts lists' plus the rolling road report from the recent re-map and a bundle of photos showing the rebuilds and resprays.
Throughout its life the car has had a number of personalized plates fitted but the current number is the original number that was allocated to the car when it was new, this has been 'reclaimed' for the car via the DVLA , this comes with the car and is not transferable from the car.
The G21 is a gorgeous looking car and this one looks wonderful in its red paint, it looks like a lovely sophisticated road car but looks can be deceptive! This car is a bit of a beast, with 140 bhp in such a light car it is very quick, the firm rose jointed suspension does bounce you around a bit and the side exiting exhaust makes a fine noise. Mind you, when I bought it I drove it 150 miles home including around half of the M25 on a Friday, so it is usable.
If you are looking for a 'classic' with gorgeous looks and a 'modern' ECU controlled engine that you can use on the road or take to a track day (or hillclimb) then you should give this G21 some serious consideration.
