Konrad

Greetings,

I went to the car GTC Sunday morning in Woodland Hills, CA, and there was a slate grey over burgundy leather roadster there. I'm not familiar with all of the variations of 356's and wanted to see if any of y'all know this car. It had a carrera script on the engine cover, Rudge's (or what look like them to me), Mobil flying horse decals on both front fenders, sport seats, a short windshield, black top, a rearview mirror that was "built in" to the top of the front fender and a yellow license plate that read 58 GT.

It was absolutely stunning and by far my favourite car at the gathering. I've never been so enamored by a 356.

Thanks.

RJT

Konrad...

Well you picked a good and $$$$ one to be enamored with if it is a real Carrera!!!! The Rudge wheels alone are worth over 20 grand!
Only in California. Time for us to MOVE BACK home!!!!

JoAnne

SandyI

Konrad--
A few weeks back, I was driving home (towards Topanga) when that same Carrera turned onto Mulholland Circle. He stepped on the gas and that thing ate up pavement like no tomorrow. That car is the real deal. I gave him the thumbs up. He flashed me a big smile as he ROARED past. And the best thing about it, he had his son in the front seat next to him. My kids (in the back of my 911E) immediately decided I should get a car like that so they could ride in the front with the top down. Just another Saturday morning in So Cal...

Freddy

Hi Konrad,

Is this the car you are talking about?

RJT

Ah Freddy.... You Carrera guys are killing me!!!!!!
Do you have a picture of the front of that car so I can see the driving lights better??

Drool...... drool...... DROOL.................

JoAnne

Freddy

Hi Joanne,

If this is the car... I am sad to say it is a fake one... I saw this car with the same eyes as you did, (as a matter of fact it is gourgeous) the issue is that the car is a fiberglass car assembled over a 356 VIN number and a 4 cylinder 2.4 engine from a 911 (911 engine minus 2 cylinders). A nice car to see, but not the real thing... The wheels are something else that look like the real thing but... see with your own eyes...

RJT

Yup I see..............

Wow. It does look good in pictures. Can't touch it and see that it's fiberglass or take the wheels apart in a photo I just assumed it was real since you posted the picture.....
Tricky, Tricky Freddy........
So is this replica Carrera in L.A?

That is exactly one of the resons we decided not to buy a Speedster. There are too many replica's out there. Why invest in the real thing only to have most people around here think that it is fake?

A little story:
There is a guy who just moved to Little Rock from Chicago or somewhere like that to Little Rock and he has a" 550". He was stopped the other day by one of our PCA members who also happens to be a North Little Rock Police officer. As the officer was question the guy about his car, he asked him if it was a real one. The guy went on and one about how it was real etc. Why would he lie to an officer of the law? The officer was so excited that he called us to let us know. After some further investigation, we found out that it was not real. We probably would have been able to tell had we seen the car in person, but this member couldn't. He was sort of ticked off that he was bold faced lied too. Don't think he'll let him off next time when he really deserves a ticket! JERK!!!!!!
That is the probelm with some replica owners................

JoAnne

Pedro356C

Hi JoAnne...

"You can fool some people some time...but you can not fool all the people all the time"
Bob Marley

SandyI

That wasn't the car I saw. It was a 550 or some racing variation. Cut down windshield. Old silver paint oxidized to the point it looked like a rough slate grey, maroon trim on the rear fenders, and those flying horse decals near the front fender. Single center racing exhaust. It was real and it rocked.

Freddy

Hi Joanne,

Sorry for the tricky car... but it took me a while to realize it was a fake when I first saw it. There are too many of them available around the world, the same for the 550... Just imagine how difficult it is be to recognize a real 904 from a good fake... not to mention some want to be 911 RS (1973) from the real thing... these sad fakes are popping up everywhere. I have nothing against them, but would not consider buying one... too expensive and will never be the real thing...

Some issues can be really bad, such as someone with a correct engine and transmission from a real 356 Carrera that assembles all the rest from a normal 356, and someone else with the real car with the correct VIN number from the original car, but without the engine... both guys say they have the real car, one with engine, transmission and VIN number, and the other with VIN number only...

I heard this happens a lot on the classic Ferrari world...

We better forget about them and enjoy our cars!!

Cheers,

Freddy

Freddy

Hi Sandy,

It is the closest thing I know to Konrad's description:

"slate grey over burgundy leather roadster... Carrera script on the engine cover ... sports seats, a short windshield, black top, built in mirror... Rudge wheels... yellow license plate 58 GT"

Slate gray was not a standard color back in 58... you can check it at http://members.aol.com/zenith356c/Porsche356Colors.html

And it sounds different from the nice one (Silver real Spyder) you mentioned...

Cheers

Konrad

Freddy,

I don't think the car in the above picture is the same car that I saw. Not knowing many details about 356's, I'm going to butcher some of the terms, but please bear with me. The one I saw had the "built in" mirror on the top of the driver's side front wing. Also, it was not labeled a speedster on the front fender. It had Mobil flying horse decals on the fenders. It also had a sticker where this car has a sticker, but it was some german name I'd never heard of whereas the one above looks like a yellow duck of some sort. In addition, it had no chrome strip running down the front center of the bonnet. It also did not have driving lights on the front. The front bumper also was different than the one above (how exactly I'm not sure beyond it not having the vertical guards) and I don't remember that strip running along the side of the car. Not taking away from the car above, but the one I saw just looked tougher with more attitude. Real? I have no idea, but it certainly moved me and a bunch of others out there that day.
Thanks for your replies. Hopefully the car will be at Dana Point.

Konrad

Leader

I think you are discussing my car. I've been to the Euro Sunday events several times. My Speedster is a replica of a 1958 Carrera GT. It has a 2332 VW Type I engine, 5-speed transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, and lots of original Porsche touches from the gauges and steering column to the powder-coated wheels and aluminum drum skins.

While I've tried to "replicate" a real Porsche GT as faithfully as possible, I never try to fool people into thinking it's a real Porsche. It's a replica all the way.

More pics HERE.