teflon_jones

i'm selling my 996 and need to find a replacement car. i've always loved the way a 356 convertible looks (don't we all!) and would really love to get one. i no longer need a daily driver since i take public transportation to work, so it would be mostly a weekend car and something my fiancee would drive to work on nice days. i don't want to spend the money required to get a genuine 356 convertible, and have been looking at replicas (NOT a replica! )

my question is, am i crossing a line here? is it ok to buy a replica car? i have never considered it before, and i can't think of any other car i would EVER buy a replica of, but the 356 replicas are generally well respected as far as i can tell. if i had a genuine 356 i think i'd probably be neurotically nervous about it, whereas with a replica i won't be as concerned if something happens to it (door dings, etc). so, what's are other people's feelings on this? no flames please!

one quick question too: any tall 356 drivers out there? i'm 6'4 and i don't know if i'll fit in the car!

RJT

Hmmmmm.........To answer your last question first, I'm 6-4, and I've got two 356s, a 55 preA Coupe and a 65 C Euro Coupe. I have more leg room, headroom and arm reach in the 356s than I did in my 993! A 356 is a little narrower in shoulder width but not much.
As for replicas.......This can be a pretty touchy subject to some Porsche purists. And I guess I would definately place myself in that category. This might sound a little hipocritical, but here goes. There are replicas and then there are replicas! Two Porsches come to mind, the 904 and the 550, that have been replicated by a couple of different companies. The 904 is arguably one of the most beautiful Porsches ever designed, maybe of any car designed. The 550 was and still is a work of art. If you can find a real 904 or 550 for sale, you would be looking at 500 to 750 thousand bucks. I know a couple of people that own these cars and they RARELY ever drive them because of the value. When they do drive them, it's usually on a track. A replica of a 904 or a 550 is not generally "looked down" on by the so called "purists" because there is only a handful of people that can afford the real cars.
A 356 replica is a different animal though. They are for the most part, basically junk. I'm sure someone out there has spent some serious bucks and built themselves a nice replica, but what's the point? REAL 356s are affordable, and most all 356s are going up in value. Which is a valid reason to buy a REAL one. Nice B coupes are around 15K, and will be worth more a year from now. A replica is worth maybe 15 and will be worth 12 a year from now, probably less. It can be frustrating when you are at a light and the guy next to you asks 'if that is a replica'? And you feel you have to explain that it's a REAL one.
If you ever drive your replica to a 356 Registry event, most people will probably be polite, but laugh their *** off!

Of course this is just my opinion, and I may be right!!!!!!

Craig

I agree with Robert, tho I went through the same thing about a year ago. The best replica manufacturer I could find was Intermeccanica out of Vancouver, BC.

I've come to believe that for a few thousand dollars more, you can find a nice "real" 356 that will go up in value.

My search for dollars and cars continues. As I was telling my wife (who is wonderful about this passion of mine), I think that the real joy is in the search. I don't know what I'll do when when I find one I have to purchase!

Craig

Irishdriver

Check out www.pgo.fr their speedster is cool.

I don't think you're wrong to go for a replica as you could have a car that you can drive like you hate it and not feel guilty.

teflon_jones

i really like that expression/quote.

i've had a chance to look around a lot more extensively in the last week or so and i found a few 356 speedsters for around $35K. they all seem to require a little bit of work in one way or another.

price question:
in my search, i found a numbers matching '56 (?) speedster that sold for $37K or something like that. that seems like it went for about 1/2 of its market value. am i way off here? the car was pretty much fully restored about 10-15 years ago if i remember correctly, and looked very nice, though the paint wasn't all that great. i don't know if it was repainted or not as part of the restoration. oh, almost forgot, it was also an super 90!

RJT

You found a FEW 356 Speedsters for around 35K????????
Are you talking about REAL 356 Speedsters or replicas?
If they are REAL ones, I'll tell you what, you buy them at 35 and i'll give you 36!!! You can make a cool $1000 bucks each.
The average 356 Speedster that needs total restoration is going for 50K. Freshly and professionally restored 58s are going for 100 Grand and UP!
Please.........post some pics and serial numbers of these Speedsters you have found for 35K.
I am not doubting your word, but if these are genuine Speedsters, 'someone' doesn't realize what they are actually worth!

And BTW.....personally I would much rather drive a car I love and not hate!

teflon_jones

this one sold for $25K:
http://www.cars-on-line.com/60porsche11972.html

i'm guessing that the drivetrain isn't original since it only went for $25K. if it wasn't already sold i'd sure be calling the guy to find out about the car right away!!!!

this car has the original drivetrain and sold for $30K:
http://www.cars-on-line.com/60porsche10611.html

both of these seem like EXCELLENT prices for these two cars, even if the first one doesn't have the original drivetrain.

RJT

BRO.........Those are NOT Speedsters!! They are Cabriolets.
Speedsters are Speedsters and Cabs are Cabs. Speedsters were made between 1954 and 1958 only. Cabs were made in all the years. Cabs do not have near the value of Speedsters.
Take a look at www.europeancollectibles.com
They specialize in 356s. You will see the difference between the models, Speedsters, Cabs, Roadsters, and Convertible D's. The black 58 Speedster just sold for 110K. Conv D's are in the 60K range. Roadsters are 50 to 60 and Cabs can be anywhere between 30 to 50K.

Good Luck!

teflon_jones

thanks for the info robert! i have to admit (as you can tell!) that i don't know a ton about 356s.

Zeke

I think you just negated your first reply about replicas. When cars reach 100 grand, they are too expensive to drive. So they end up being just like your 904 example. I see nothing wrong in theory with picking up a replica from someone who is all done and having it for a driver.

That having been said, you didn't address the mechanical and performance aspects of the replicas. If a replica owner starts messing arond with the VW motor that will invarilby be in a replica, he might find himself in the financial area of a real 356 motor. I wouldn't want to see anyone spend a bunch of money on a VW motor that is bolted to a VW pan with a fiberglass body on top. But, they do. The thing is, if you buy a replica, treat it as one. It's not a Porsche, never will be and you only want to spend what you have to in order to have fun.

Irishdriver

I think you missed the point of my comment......

I love my Porsches - therefore I drive them with care and consideration..(most of the time).

However there are times when I want to drive the very hard and fast. I did this once in my 356 - and the engine promptly expired. I came home on a tow truck. I felt pretty guilty for pushing her so hard.

Now if I had a replica.... I could drive it like I hate it and I wouldn't worry about killing it as the mechanicals would be modern, and even if I did kill it - what the hell - it's only a replica.

kpr

what was the cause of the expiration? How hard did you drive it exactly? Just trying to assess whether there was a looming issue that caused it or just the hard driving.

RJT

Irish.......Maybe I did miss your point, sorry. I've just never owned a car that I hated. Hope I never do! I have driven, and still do drive my 356s hard, fast and straight down twisty mountain roads. That's what the cars were built to do. Not sure what you mean by "modern mechanicals", unless you mean a 'new rebuilt' VW engine in a replica. A new rebuilt 356 engine isn't that much more $. I know a guy that has a Beck 550 with a VW motor. Every time he drives it, something breaks. Point is, whether it's a VW or Porsche motor, if it's not maintained, you can't really drive it "hard and fast".

Zeke......I re-read my first reply. I don't see where I negated anything. My examples were a 904 and 550 that are worth 500 thousand to 3/4 million bucks. I would definately feel nervous driving these on the street.
It's a little frightening to say, but $100K cars are becoming pretty common these days! A new Porsche GT3 is 100K. A turbo is 120+. And I know people that use these as daily drivers.
I 100% agree with you on "if you buy a replica, treat it as one". I guess my pet-peeve is people that represent a replica as being real. I asked a guy (with the above mentioned beck 550) what kind of Porsche he had at a club meeting. He responded...."57 550". REALLY????? Well, no......it's a replica. Other people might not have said "really?" and he would have let it be a "57 550". Can we all spell the word POSER?
If a person only has, let's say, $15,000 to spend on a replica then fine, buy it. He will have fun in it. My point was, he could have a real 356 Coupe for the same money.
I think a big part of the real enjoyment in owning the cars are the people. Being at a Registry event, with 200 or more 356s , and all the people there having one thing in common, the 356, is a very special experience. In all the years, I have never seen a replica at one the the event shows.

Irishdriver

Hi Kpr,

The cause of the expiry was not exactly the driving but 40 years of gunge in the air cooling system. When I pulled the motor the finns of one cylinder were full of a lovely black mixture of oil, dust, dead leaves and whatever else you pick up over the years.

This meant that this cylinder ran hotter than the others, the excessive heat transfered down the conrod and the result was cylinder damage and one over cooked bigend bearing.

I was pushing the car hard on the autobahn which is flat out driving. This is higher risk than driving hard in the mountains where the revs continually vary. I was simply flat out for too long.

Rjt,

I don't agree on your money point - a "new " VW engine costs 30% of a "new" 356 engine. with the VW stuff you throw away the dead engine and buy another. With the 356 you rebuild and it still is expensive.

e.g I can get a VW motor complete for 2000 Euro and a 356 engine for 10000 Euro. rebuilding the 356 engine costs 5000 Euro if you have crank damage and do the valves at the same time.

Also I've never owned a car I hated - I just drive then some times like I hate them. Actually there were some cars that I ended up hating - I did love them when I bought them..... but that's another story.

Rico

Guys,

I wasnt going to reply to this thread, however with the critisism going on,
I felt compelled to. I have owned many Porsche's in my day and I would
have to say I love my 550 replica. It performs like or better that the original,
it attracts unbeliveable attention, and I truly enjoy it immensely.
I just had the experience of restoring a 61 356B coupe and it sucked.
So Teflon, I would say to you to get your replica for your own enjoyment and nostalgia, when asked, just confirm it is a replica.