Convertible 1990 Talon TSi AWD

Nowadays they crush prototypes. Completely gone forever.

Just so you guys know, that absolutely is the same prototype car. It just had a real convertible top fabricated for it. So it's not just for looks.

 

...i normally dont bring back a somewhat old treads, but...Any info on what happen to this? Who bought it, where did it go?!

Edit-

So someone on facebook found it, again. still for sale, for cheaper. Yea, the top is ehhh...but damn, how has nobody bought this?!

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/3929914190.html

 

Yes, I'm wondering the same thing. For such low mileage and a low price, looks like a steal. Yet the details are still a little fishy... anyone have any updates on this?

 

It would be a hard sell with a top that really cannot be replaced, but re-custom made. That is probably what is hurting the sale of this car. Not everyone had the means of keeping it indoors virtually all the time. Not going to lie, if I had the garage space, I'd go look at it!

Regardless, very cool car.

 

I seen this post and have debated on posting to it. The car is real. It was built by Bob Kaiser aka Dar convertibles and shown in 1990 at the Detroit auto show. The person that had it was Robert S. He and his brother contracted though Mr Kaiser to make the concepts functional not just a blank car. The car when it was shown at the auto show for the release was empty under the cover there was no actual convertible top. Robert and his brother made a functional top using some hand made and some Chrysler seabring parts to make it functional they needed to use as many exchangeable parts as possible. And work. Bob passed and Robert bought the car to keep it. He was paid for his work and turned over the specs to Dar which he believes was used for the eclipse convertible later. His son listed the car for him and it had to have a price so they made one. He put it might be a 1 of 2 made to keep from being flooded with calls and he left the stickers and labels off the internet inside the drivers door so no one knew it truely was a 1 of 1 and was the actual car from the auto show because as someone posted all ready it normally would have been destroyed for liability reasons. But Robert managed to get the title from american motors somehow and it was titled in michigan as a 2 door not a 2 door hatchback. Now I know the internet is a hard place so ill explain what happened and why the car was not sold in 2012. Robert took 3 calls on the car before he stopped answering the phone regarding the car and told his son to remove the ad.
1st call was he was trying to rip someone off no way was the car legit but they would take it for 3k dollars for the motor. This promptly was replied by him hanging up the phone.
2nd call was someone who wanted to pay his full asking price but only wanted the motor and drivetrain. Again he just hung up.
3rd call was a famous track racer that was more that willing to pay more than his price but wanted to convert it to race car basically destroying it from what it is a 1 of a kind concept made by a well known builder and himself which he and his brother are known in the car area. Robert told him thanks for the offer but he wanted the car to stay complete not tore apart. The argument started about well we have a deal im willing to pay and you should let me take the car. Robert just said no it is no longer for sale at any price to someone who wants to ruin it.

See to Robert what the new owner wanted to do with it was way more important than money. He and his brother worked with mr Kaiser for years on convertibles for the big automaker's. When Mr Kaiser died they stopped making the concepts period. And the talon was one of the last he ever made so they kept it in their shop beside there skyranger which was an actual produced vehicle 14 was made they have #3 still. I will stop here and continue with how I Purchased the car from him.

 

In 2018 I was in his shop to purchase 2× 1953 mgtd originals not reproductions. 1 red 1 black. As I was walking around the mgs I noticed the eagle badge showing from under a covered car. Curiosity got the better of me and I walked over to it so see it and was promptly told do not touch the cover those are the cars your looking at. I went back to looking at the mgs and was getting them for my friend who wanted them but did not know if he could get them going as they had sat for a while. I told him what needed to be done and I could get them both running within a few days and 1 road worthy within a few weeks if we could get parts quickly. We was going to use the red one to drive as it was clean and had been restored body was very well and use the black one for parts if needed. We got the car deal done and I asked about the eagle badged car. He then pulled the cover off and I went well that's odd never seen a convertible one before he smiled and went well she is one of a kind and smiled. And said but she still runs like champ. I then asked if it was for sale and was promptly told no it is not. I left it at that I respect someone wanting to keep something I personally had a 1970 mustang that was like that I had kept it for over 14 years before a over the top offer finally got me to sale it. Now I took the car home got it running within 20 minutes and got it running smoothly after a tank and fuel line cleaning adjusted the clutch and my friend took off in his new toy. I took pictures sent them to robert he was happy to see it on the road. We went a few days later and picked up the black one. Same thing little cleaning and maintenance it fired right up. But it had a lot more aggressive motor than the red one so we decided not to use it for parts but keep it as an unrestored 53 mg to show together. Picture of the red one with the spare we loaded on the trailer.
So this is how I seen the car and was introduced to Robert and I told him I was very interested in the Talon. Next post to explain the buying and actual proof of the car.

 

Roll forward to 2020 I kept in touch with Robert over the years but never pushed the issue on the Talon. On July 30th 2020 I asked him would he ever sale it. And his response was what are you going to do with it.I said i want to show it and drive it around once in a while. He then gave me a few stipulations on if he sold it to me. And I agreed and we settled on a fair price for it as I was no longer in michigan but texas again which is where I was from I only lived in Michigan for 2 years. And that was a factor. I picked up the car. He drove me around in it all over Wayne Mi. We did the deal exchanged the paper work. Then he went well your turn to drive and off we went. He of course told me I drove like a grandma. We returned and he had to step away for a minute and I was informed that I was only the 2nd person to drive it. Robert did not even let his brother drive it. And told me no matter what happens to take the car. Robert returned with all the parts took out of the car to build it and a few copies of the custom parts in case I needed them later. We took a few photos of my buddy and them with the car along with the skyranger and then Robert asked to buy the car back. I think his brother knew this was coming as I had all ready been warned. I said I drove 1600 miles for it I want to take it back to Texas. He then asked me to drive her to my friends house instead of trailering it and his brother told me no please trailer it no point in risking the car. We tried to start it and it would not start. Robert said well she does not want to leave and we tested a few things. Then push started it and drove it on the trailer. It turned out to be the clutch safety switch and she fires up just fine after unplugging it.

See I knew the car was real and it was the 1 of 1 concept I seen the pictures in his shop of it along with a lot of other vehicles that this guy knew his stuff and was not just a regular car guy he was a car builder that was sub contracted for a long time to build these things.


Below are pictures of the car. With the property of Dar label still in the door after 30 years and the skyranger the car also still has the section and slot number it appears on the door from when it was at the Detroit auto show. But that I will not publicly post photos of.

 

Glad it’s still around. Really cool!

 

Amazing story. I've been around these for nearly 30 years. Seen several prototypes in person. Dont remember this one but seriously neat.

 

I troll CL daily and remember coming across that car back 7-8 years ago on there. Man, I was on the fence. Ultimately I didn't try to snag it because at the time I didn't have a proper storage place for it. Woulda Coulda Shoulda I guess. Cool to see it ended up in proper hands.

As for the Sky Ranger, I recall seeing that on Detroit CL [or maybe it was a different one, but same thing] also maybe only half a year ago for low 20k's!

 

We seen a few with high miles for 33k but none with as low of miles as the #3 they kept and they was all different colors so no 2 was the same. As for the car it self it was the first concept because it was at the release show. So it was not only a concept but the first and only convertible contracted by Chrysler. The original black key set has the contract number on it. And it was odd how the title was actually gotten but that is a oddity as he also said getting a title for these concepts was not easy due to no crash testing and modified safety items most of the time. But it passed Inspection so I have no problems. Most of these concept cars are required to be not on road cars never to be registered or flat out destroyed after building. This one had no such restrictions but I do not think GM or Ford today would even risk one being used on road. They would without question require return of vehicle for them to store or despose of.

 

The skyranger they own has never been listed below was the flier promo for them i think each one has its own colors / stripes no 2 was alike. At least what I seen of them. But 20k for a 30 year old 6 cylinder ford ranger is still pricey.

 

I will post what is done with the car as just the cover over the back will remove the visible things done required to make the car it self. The back lift the top goes under is being repainted in high gloss black but it will have to be repainted again due to the convertible top slapping it when it is up. The body it self is just old paint style with no clear coat it dulls easy but shines up like a champ with a little buffer work. I was thinking to repaint but was informed by 2 auto body shops the defects do not warrant a repaint and it would defiantly not look the same after due to modern paint not curing like old style paint.. I take that with a certainty they are both correct because who refuses to be paid to do what they do. Both agreed the top lift needed to be repainted and cleared over to maybe make it last longer. I asked Robert what color the lift was painted for the show. I was told it was farm tractor flat black from a spray can that they buffed the hell out of with compound and wax to make it shine. Because they knew a top was being put on it later that would beat it up while driving anyways. Im working with an top maker to make me 2 covers for the back 1 tan for show and 1 black for driving so no one sees the defects from adding the functional top to it I think in the end it will all be fine as regardless it's a low mile gen 1 with a hell of a story and the proof it is what it is.

 

Thanks. When I found this posting I knew the car all ready but did not own it yet. So I did not want Robert's privacy invaded knowing he had no actual interest in selling the car openly ever again. And the internet is harsh now a days.

 

I'm reasonably close in okc. If you ever bring the car this way I know several old timers that would like to see it.

 

Im in the wichita falls area i have to go to Norman my uncle lives there labor day. Im having some clear vinyl spots made for it to cover the dar tag and auto show parking section stickers. It needs the cover made to look great right now it is slightly rough because it was in between completion steps on no top to functional top. Normally i would say they would use a completely different vehicle but in this case they went to the next step with same car.

 

It’s weird that the first convertible dsm was a eagle talon considering when they did get to making a convertible in 96 it was only as a Mitsubishi Eclipse

 

Actually that would be true that the first production model was 96. I believe if mr Kaiser lived till the gen 2 and 3 he would have made one for them as well. But He was a US car company guy like Robert. I only seen gm and ford cars not other manufacturers.
And there very well have been a 90 eclipse concept but it was not contracted to Dar.

 

Still got to clean engine area. But rest is coming along nicely. I got her cleaned not even polished yet and she is shiny again had the decals covered with clear vinyl so they do not get damaged more from opening and closing door. Any request for pictures I will try and take. The black on the back was the most dull and it came right back without compounding.

 

Will let you know for sure

 

Took it to a tire shop today to get the tires checked over and rebalanced. Found out the date code and year was 11/89 so the original tires vr not zr are still on the car. I found another set of eagle talon rims there that are the exact ones I have and am currently going to order a set of run flat zr tires. I also now know I cannot get the same tires for it as they changed from vr to zr now by goodyear. But they are not weather cracked at all and I thought there was a risk of a belt breaking since they was 30 years old. We went over it a few times again front to back with another set of eyes to look for any damages or problems that may arise due to the age (seals boots and rubber items) and found none. Robert took extreme care of the car. We are currently looking at how to complete the car to make it look less like a concept car because it does have some visible eye sores that are normally covered up. But my friend said its not a production car it is a concept/prototype just relax and enjoy it. When I mentioned for show. He just cut me off and went who cares they will not know what it is anyways they never seen one this is the only one.