No Nonsense High Performance
Dragon Motor Cars has been producing quality light-weight High Performance original design sports cars since 2001. Using race-proven stock Corvette C4 or C5* aluminum suspension components in a dedicated race quality chassis with a vintage-styled original fiberglass body and small block engine, the result is stunning in appeal and capable of world class performance on the track. Click on the links below to see specific information and pricing on the various body styles available. *(C5 suspension can be used in a LWB SeriesII Dragon)
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Dear Kit Car Enthusiast, Thank you for taking the time to check out our original design car, The Dragon Roadster! Dragon's first Kit Car Magazine Feature artilce on our "Fire Breather" Prototype appeared in the July Issue of Kit Car Magazine. The prototype, which was raced to victory in KCI's Run & Gun 2001, was a winner right out of the box. Skip directly to: FAQs Body Construction The Frame The Suspension The Engine and Transmission How Does the Car Perform? What is included in "The Basic Kit"? How Much Does it Cost to Build? Terms and Conditions Why Did We Develop the Dragon? The Dragon is an original design patterned after the late '50s and early '60s racer specials. Look closely at the Dragon and you will see influences from the Lister Knobbly, Cobra, Daytona Coupe, Jaguar, McClaren, and Ferrari. But it had to be more than just a good looking body, it had to have world class performance capability, be light in weight, and easy to build. Not every car enthusiast has a fully equipped garage, and neither do I, so it was VERY important that the assembly require no really special tools except for an engine hoist.
Body Construction The first Dragon bodies, now known as SeriesI Dragons, were shaped by the accomplished hand of Bill Hough, a mold-maker and fiberglass/composite expert who helped translate the Dragon vision into final form. Bill is well known to kit car manufacturers, and has been instrumental in developing several bodies which are currently on the market. Our body is non-stressed, meaning that it is not a structural part. This reduces the chance of stress cracks. Anything structural on our car is bolted to steel, not fiberglass. The hood is one piece, tilts forward to provide easy access to the engine, front suspension, etc. It comes off by removing the two hinge bolts. The main body consists of an inner tub that has the footboxes and seats molded into it. This tub is bonded to the outer skin forming a strong, rigid body. By removing a few bolts, the entire body can be lifted off the chassis! For ease of service and building, we made the tops of the footboxes removable. Headers, sparkplugs, pedal assemblies, carpeting are all easy to get at. The dash is removable, making installation of gauges, wiring, and switches a snap. We even have a fuse box mount pre-formed. Even the transmission cover is removable making work on the shifter, tranny and driveshaft simple. Our body is hand-laid fiberglass using vinylester resin, and is finished in sandable gel coat. Finally, when you receive your kit, you will find that the doors, trunk, hood, inner liners are already installed. No fiberglass work is required.Back to Top
The Frame We are very proud of our frame. It's strong and beautiful. For its construction, Dragon used the services of Fred Rosner of Rosner Race Cars. Fred has been fabricating winning chassis for 40 years! And is a recipient of Nascar's Prestigious Fabricator of the Year Award. Constructed of period correct round tubing, our 4" round tubes form a perimeter around the occupants. Running parrallel there is 1-1/2" round tubing 8" above the 4" Main Tubes. This forms an incredibly strong truss, which eliminates flex and provides protection for the occupants. Our car was built on scales. The placement of every component was carefully considered for balance and weight distribution. The result is a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Our frames feature: Full width roll bar Cowl hoop, to which windshield, steering and dash attach Aluminum floor pan under driver and passenger 5-point seat belt mounts drive-shaft safety hoop steering column mounts bolt-in suspension points sway bar mounts race-style battery box radiator mounts body mounts fuel cell mounts With our frame, you sit IN it, not on it, which results is a low center of gravity. And although it looks massive, it weighs only 260lbs. The frame comes painted with satin black chassis paint. Back to Top
The Suspension Let's face it, Chevy lovers have been largely neglected by the Kit Car world. Cobras and Fords dominate. Dragons use the stock suspension components from what is arguably the best American Sports car, the Corvette. The SeriesI frame accepts 1988 to 1996 C-4 Corvette A-frames, steering, and rear ends. These parts are used in their standard width so there are no modifications required. We did, however, change from monoleaf to coil-over suspension. This conversion is easy to do and we provide the necessary brackets to do so. They simply bolt in! Real sports cars have Independent Rear Suspension, and the C-4 Corvette's is arguably the best that is readily available. Also, those aluminum parts are light and very cool. Some people think that Corvette parts are expensive and hard to come by. This is NOT the case. Typically, you will spend about $1200-$1500 for a complete USED front and rear. Rebuild parts are readily available. For example, Autozone has rebuilt calipers loaded with pads for about $90.00, Rotors are ~$50.00, Steering Racks are ~$200.00/exchange. By the way, the standard Corvette rack is 2-3/4 turns lock to lock and can be used as a manual or powered rack.
Engine ZZ4 under the Hood In keeping with the Chevy theme, the Dragon uses Small Block Chevy power, with an all-up weight of 2000 - 2200lbs. It doesn't take big power to produce supercar performance. Paul's Blue Dragon with "only" a 355hp Chevy ZZ4 engine, won the Run & Gun 2008 Small Block Drag Event with quarter-mile time of 12.78 at 115mph. The ZZ4 is available brand new for ~$3,800, so it's not necessary to spend big money to get big performance. Of course, the combinations are endless. You are only limited by your imagination and pocket book!
Transmissions The frame has mounts for most popular transmissions, even automatics! The standard Corvette has a high 2's to low 3's rear end ratio, the most popular being a 3.07. To utilize this ratio, you need a transmission with a low first gear. The Richmond 4-spd typically has a 2.43 First gear. This is too high, which would require slipping the clutch to get under way. They offer a 2.88 which is better, but still not perfect. A better choice is the Richmond 5-spd, which has a perfect 3.27 First. The Fifth gear is 1:1 which, with the 3.07 rear is perfect. The Tremec 5-spd can also be used. Again it has a 3.27 First, but the Fifth is an overdrive. The standard overdrive is 32% which, with the 3.07 rear is too big a reduction. But, they have an optional 16% overdrive which works great with a mild engine such as the ZZ4. The Richmond 4-spd cost is ~$1400, the 5-spd ~$1900, and the Tremec is ~$2200. Back to Top
How Does the Car Perform? We took the prototype Dragon to Kit Car Illustrated's 2001 Run & Gun Event at St. Louis' Gateway International Raceway. Right off the trailer, the prototype Dragon was the fastest car in class. Dragon won the Autocross by over 5 seconds, and won the Road Race by almost 5 seconds. We probably would have won the Drags, but we broke a brand new U-joint which put us out. The updated Production Dragon looks even better, has more "user friendly" improvements for building it/working on the car, and handles like a slot car. The Ruby 427 Dragon repeated as Street Big Block Class Winner in both Auto-cross and Road Course at 2002 Run & Gun by even larger margins. The lower HP Blue Dragon was perennial runner up to the 427 Ruby, until 2008, when Paul Drove "Ol' Blue" to the Run & Gun Small Block Street Class Overall Championship with wins in Road, Autocross AND Drags! The Dragon handles like a race car, and yet the ride is smooth and compliant.	On the Roadcourse Run & Gun 2002
Comfort Our goal was to create a car that was comfortable to drive and ride in. How many cars have you checked out that looked cool, but were virtually impossible to sit in, let alone drive? Our seats are molded in and are very comfortable. Designed for myself, 6'2" and 230lbs, they lock you into place. There's an arm rest on either side, the steering wheel falls to hand, the gauges are in plain view and all switches are at your finger tips. If you are smaller, then pop-rivet our optional seat into place or build up the seat with memory foam. Once you slide into the seat, check out the leg room. Even drivers with long legs will sit with legs almost straight out, and the footbox is wide enough for proper pedal spacing. Pedal placement can be conformed to you, so whether you're tall or short, you can fit comfortably. Even if you're 6'6", the dash and footboxes can be modified to accommodate you! Because of the shape of the hood and height of the windshield, you will find the cockpit a comfortable place to be while driving. There is virtually no wind finding its way into the cockpit. Sit back and enjoy the ride! The Dragon can be fitted with heat and A/C. We have designed a built-in mounting location for the unit and there is plenty of room under the dash for vents. The Dragon can be fitted with a soft top for driving when it's wet. Back to Top
What Does a SeriesI Dragon Cost and What Do I Get? If you choose the Basic Series-I Dragon Kit at $17,990 FOB NH, this includes: The Painted Frame and full width rollbar The Assembled Body, temporarily mounted to the Frame, with hinges and latches. Steering shaft with rod end supports, U-joints and quick release steering wheel coupler Fiberglass Windshield frame with posts & supports Complete list of all parts needed to build and finish your Dragon, along with source and advertised prices for those parts. Back to Top We use readily available parts that can be ordered through Chevy, Summit, Jeggs, etc. Options: Over-the-Top Headers and Side Pipes $1050.00 Complete Interior Kit with Upholstered Transmission Tunnel Cover, Switch Panel, Snap-in Rear Headrest/Bolster, Carpet for Interior and trunk, Door covers. $1800.00
How Much Does it Cost to Build? To build your SeriesI Dragon using a ZZ4 motor and Tremec 5-spd Transmission, allowing $2500 for paint and $1500 for wheels and tires, and using our Basic Kit, you will spend about $33,000. This is using all new parts except for the USED Corvette suspension pieces. While this is not cheap, if you shop around, I think you will find that it's a very competitive price. And, I don't believe that you can match our quality or performance for anything close to that amount. Back to Top Is It Hard to Build? No car is easy to build. You need basic mechanical skills and a good assortment of tools. If you had auto shop, work on your own cars or like to build things, you can build this car. We have eliminated the need to do welding and fiberglass work. We recommend that you use a professional to do the body prep and paint. We've incorporated many improvements and changes into the Dragon kit to make it easier to build than most other kits on the market. Also, we are available 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday to answer any questions. Our goal is to make you happy. It's only by satisfying YOU that Dragon has a future in this business. You can build this car!
Terms and Conditions Our production is limited to approximately one car per month. To reserve a car, we require a deposit of 25% of the Kit Cost. Upon receipt of your deposit, we will send you a contract and confirmation which will clearly state the ship date. You have 10 days to review the paper work. If you change your mind for any reason, notify us within 10 days and we will refund your deposit. When your kit is complete, we will notify you. Once we receive the Balance Due, then you can pick up your kit or have it shipped(FOB NH). Upon receipt of The Kit, you have 30 days to change your mind. We will return your money, less a 10% restocking fee. The Kit must be returned at your expense in original, undamaged condition to qualify for a refund. -Crating Charge is $350.00. Freight is FOB Factory. We know that we're the New Kit in town. We're here to earn your trust and respect. We want to help make building your dream car a great, fun experience. We hope that you will seriously consider the Dragon! It has unique, attention getting style, race-car quality frame, Corvette suspension, Chevy Power, 50/50 weight distribution. It's 39" high, 74" wide, 169" long, has a 98-1/2" wheelbase, 5" ground clearance, and weighs between 2000 and 2200 pounds! If, like us, this is your idea of a SuperCar, give us a call. We'll build one for YOU! Back to Top	Dragon SeriesI Roadster Performance Package from $17,990 FOB NH ©2009 Dragon Motor Cars, LLC. Corporate Headquarters: 42 Jenkins Road, Lebanon, NH 03766   (603)448-1477 Disclaimer: Corvette C4 and Corvette C5 are registered marks of General Motors Corporation. Cobra is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. Dragon Motor Cars is not associated with Ford Motor Company or General Motors.