So what is a Clenet?

My first introduction to the Clenet was from the car magazine that my brother Ron spoke of earlier and for me it was love at first sight. What I liked the most about the Clenet was the styling and the proportion of the body vs the chassis. What most people do not notice on the Neo-classics is that the radiator grille is supposed to be centered on the front axle, while the front fenders are supposed to extend quite far ahead of the front axle. The windshield attaches to the cowl via a frame which is usually not painted body color and the body/cockpit of the car must sit within the frame rails. Plant the occupants between the front and rear axles and with that you have the correct proportions of the Neo-classic car. At the time Excalibur and Clenet were doing this, there were many other Neo-classics that just got it all wrong and they looked awkward. The kit cars of that era had some proportions right but then lost it with the styling.

The Clenet is no kit-car. Not even close! The upscale car manufacturers of the 20's and 30's were essentially producing rolling chassis that came with a cowl, hood and grille; which was sent to a coach-builder who then built a custom body. Roadsters, sedans and coupe's were usually built on the same size frame; Clenet, copying this practice took a full size rolling frame purchased from Lincoln/Mercury and added a highly modified MG roadster body. He designed the rest of the car to blend these "store-bought" parts together with seamless grace. In doing so, he was able to conform to the State and Federal CAFE standards. The frame, wiring, engine/driveline were already engineered and thus were 50-state compliant, the bodies were already engineered with impact beams, hinged doors, handles, windows, etc., so there again he was able to save time and money too. With the Feds taken care of, he now had the artistic and creative freedom that he strove for.

Excaliburs have original frames and bodies and this is where some "purists" turn up their noses at the Clenet. I used purist in quotations because it is my firm belief that if they are going to snub the Clenet then they are simply the pot calling the kettle black. The Excalibur and the Clenet were both built with the exact same idea, build a unique car with graceful styling of the 30's but give it modern drivability. I like the fact that the side pipes on the Excalibur are fully functional and I wish they were functional on the Clenet; but I'll glady let that one go when the Clenet needs exhaust work! Another advantage of the MG body is that the parts are available and inexpensive, new body panels, new clips, gizmo's and do-dads are readily available from several sites. The chassis, engine, brakes, suspension, trans, wiring loom and more is all stock Ford, parts are available at any Ford dealer, discount auto store or wrecking yard. There are some very, very pricey unique parts on a Clenet. The crystal ashtray, hood ornament and assorted body emblems are impossible to find and have price tags to match when found. If we ever have the need for body work the fenders and faux exhaust pipes will cost as much as a brand new car!

Lincolns and MGs were what I drove most of my young adult years, now I have both makes in one car.

Mario

Seeing is believing...

I immediately phoned the Milwaukee, Wisconsin number found on the web-page where the car was being advertised. The lady who answered the phone told me the car was not located in Milwaukee, but rather just outside of Dallas, Texas. She explained that her company (Camelot) was consigning the car for an elderly gentleman who was liquidating his entire collection. Previously, she facilitated the transport of his other vehicles, including several Excaliburs, a Maserati and a stunning early 60's Caddy.

Their web-site displayed about twelve pics of the car and gave a brief history of the Clenet Coachworks company. What I didn't believe was that the car had a mere 1,427 miles on the odometer or never driven by the owner.

I gave her my contact info and asked for the owner to contact me. About two days later I received a call at my office from Texas, I immediately knew it was the owner of this Clenet. We had a 45-minute conversation and just as we were about to hang up, he wanted to fax the original title and bill of sale to me. Of course I said yes...and within minutes the pages appeared on my computer. Again, I couldn't forward those documents to my brother fast enough...who called me immediately and exclaimed that we needed to buy this car.

I phoned the seller and told him that I needed to see the car and how soon could I fly down to the Dallas area. I was on the Orbitz web-site making reservations while confirming the date we could meet at his estate. Nine days later on May 29th, my flight for Dallas departed Chicago. I would spend that evening at the Super 8 hotel near DFW on the outskirts of Dallas.

Early Friday morning I got into my rental PT Cruiser and drove 130+ miles eastward to finally see the car at his home. He met me at the front of his one-thousand acre estate and took me to a series of out-buildings where the family business had been run over forty years. What an interesting man. My mind kept saying "take me to the car," but my heart told me to be patient and let him show his life-long passion. After an hour passed, we finally drove up to the house where his stable of cars once resided.

There it was, Clenet number 229 of 250 seeming a bit lonely in a building that once housed at least five other cars. Memories hung on the walls where his other trophies of success were once proudly displayed. The car never moved from that spot after being transported from the selling dealer in Dallas since the Spring of 1989. He said they hadn't started it in over six years and it obviously needed some freshening and a battery. He put his best men to the task as I said, "hey, let's see if we can get her running." John with his son Paul and I jumped to action, somewhat like a pit-crew; Paul found fresh gasoline on the estate while John drove away to purchase a new battery.

I was now alone with the car. Seeing is believing and from what I observed, yes...this car traveled just 1,427 miles its whole life! What a shame that he never truly enjoyed this vehicle from behind the wheel.

I took in the immaculate red leather interior with grey lambswool carpets and burl wood accents. This car reminded me of how a Rolls Royce smells! I raised the trunk lid and found the same luxurious wool carpets. "Is this for real and what's the catch" kept running through my mind. I'm alone, my brother Mario could not join me on this expedition. We agreed that I had ultimate authority to back out of the purchase if the car didn't meet my expectations. I'm questioning myself...am I making the right decision? If I back out, will he be angry?

This car had not seen the light of day since 1989. The exterior wood accents are perfect. The paint has one minor stone chip. The exterior chrome and stainless trim are slightly discolored from the Texas humidity. I know it will come back to its full potential with chrome polish and lots of elbow grease. Then we raised the hood and there it was...an engine that hadn't been run in years. Oh my...what now...

I pulled the dipstick and noted full oil, slightly discolored. The radiator was half-full so we chose to top it off with just water. John returned with the fresh battery and we installed it. The car came to life with the ignition buzzer sounding and all of the lights were functioning. We pulled the distributor wire and turned the key. Hail Mary...the car turned over and sounded like any other Ford V8 from the 70's! We chose to turn it over for a few seconds at a time. After several tries, we decided to prime the carb and give it a go...it started and ran for all of 6 seconds. The small amount of gasoline quickly burned out and we added more. Again, Paul added a bit more gasoline and I turned the key...it restarted. We repeated this process several times without any knocks, clangs, pings or chatter. Just a solid rumble and a gasping carburetor wanting more fuel.

It wants to live...
rz

29 years in the making...

My twin brother Mario and I turned 16 in the Fall of 1979. About a year earlier as we had begun our Driver's Ed program at our Suburban Chicago High School, our Aunt Arlene purchased a magazine titled "Elite Cars" for us to read while visiting her. The magazine featured the likes of Rolls Royce, Aston Martins through Mercedes and Avanti. One car featured was the newly introduced Clenet Series I. We were both immediately drawn to that car! We would soon be driving and the cars we wanted spanned from Mustangs to the Mark V! The Clenet stuck with me ever since reading that magazine.

To this day, I have no idea why that Clenet has stuck with me. The other Neo-Classic vehicle of the era was the Excalibur, however for some reason, the Excalibur just didn't do it for us! There was something about the Clenet...that long hood, its low profile or perhaps the original prototype being built on a Lincoln chassis. We immediately recognized the Lincoln grill shell and the MG Midget cowl, however we saw the Clenet as a whole car...graceful in our eyes.

Fast forward to late May, 2008. I'm at home in Chicago catching up with some friends while on-line when my brother sends an e-mail to me. I open the message and I see a white Clenet (or what appeared to be a Clenet) for sale with just four words contained in his note: "Should we buy this?" I opened the ad and saw that the vehicle was a 1981. Knowing that the Series I production ended in 1979, I knew that the car depicted was not a Clenet...but perhaps a Corsair or other similar knock-off. It was listed in the upper $20's which kept my interest. For a week, I studied the ad, the pics and even called the seller to inquire, however it wasn't a Clenet and I wouldn't give up that easily.

While at his home is S.W. Michigan over a weekend, we discussed buying a Clenet and agreed that we'd somehow make it happen. Search after search on Google took us to a few later model Clenet's for sale, however we were adamant about finding a Series I. We found many that have sold over the past 24 months, however of the 249 Series I cars made, none were officially for sale. I started contacting the known dealers of Neo-Classic and Special Interest vehicles, all replied that none were available.

We agreed to give it a rest and would wait for one to come on the market. That next Monday as I returned to my home and job in Chicago, I sat at my laptop and put Google to task. I entered many combinations and phrases with the hopes of finding fresh pages and web-sites that might have a Clenet Series I for sale.

BINGO... Who knew that by entering the words "Consignment" and "Clenet" into the search engine would find the car of my dreams? There it was...waiting for someone to give it a new home! My heart was racing...I had to call my brother to tell him that I just found "the car" for us. I couldn't dial the phone fast enough...

More to come...
Ron Zarantenello