There's now an English translation of the enjoyable car-enthusiast magazine Carzy (http://www.karzy.net/en) wherein lies a morsel of a story about the discovery of the 2nd Toyota 2000GT cabriolet prototype. The pictures show a well-executed chop being carefully reassembled. More documentation will be needed to substantiate the claim, of course.

Tall tale, or million dollar discovery? Can't say for sure based on the story and photos, but I can't wait to hear more! Anyone have more details as to the validity of the claim?

Sorry, correct URL is http://www.carzy.net/en

IIRC, according to Shin Yoshikawa's book on the 2000GT, the only convertible close to a factory car was the roadster in the James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice.

The book also has pictures of three or four convertibles in the US built or commissioned by private owners. Perhaps that is what is on that Carzy site (I could not get in; requires registering, etc.)...

Yes, there are at least 2 cut US cars which are LHD, with long term owners. There were also believed to be 2 pre-production spyders made for the movie by Toyota, although no one has ever seen a picture of both together, leading some to consider that only 1 was ever made, and is now in the Toyota Museum. Perhaps this is indeed true.

The pictures in the article show a very well executed RHD car being re-assembled. Granted, anything can be altered during restoration, so who knows what has transpired to bring the car to its current state.

Any connection to Yamaha doing the conversion which can be established would certainly make this car one of the most valuable cars to come out of Japan.

This looks real...

Those are both cut cars done by private individuals. One is owned by Zinn, the other by Maine Line Exotics. The race cars are the real cars, though.

That was a fun day - we did parade laps around the track, had the photo shoot, and then hot laps again Saturday.

what about the middle one in the front 'Targa'?, is that a cut one, or is that an original?

No, it was made by an enthusiast to resemble what the prototype targa was to look like for the Bond movie. A nice car with a very cool A/C modification (no pun intended).

Do you have more pictures of that day?
2000GT's are always nice to look at...

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Google Toyota 2000GT Laguna Seca for more pics:

Here's one:
http://partywave.deviantart.com/art/Toy ... a-70575453

One from another day...

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.