Pedro356C

Hi Bagger...get your car from another enthusiast...bottom line is...a replica does not smell or behave like the real thing...stay tuned to the 356registry and the 356talklist...do your homework and get the real thing...good luck!

hidden impact

i'm sure to get a little flame with my comments, but i'm quite proud of my vintage built '57 speedster. i've been a porsche fan since i can remember and considering i'm not the most fiancially well off, i began my porsche experience with this car. after 4 years of owning the little beast, i must say that i'm still the happiest of campers with a 964 on the way to my garage next to the speedster in the next few days.

i'm not out to fool anyone. i'm not selling or playing it off as authentic. i'm just enjoying a little piece of porsche history. whether or not people believe it's a disgrace to own is all a matter of opinion. unless it's fact, other people's opinions should not bias yours.

my suggestion is obvious: research the hell out of what you want before commiting to buy.

enjoy the ride.

http://www.speedsterowners.com

Jay Laifman

As I wrote above "First, a kit car is a GREAT car." I think they truly are great cars. And, quite frankly, for the people who build them, they have more to be proud of than people who just plop down cash and buy a "real" car. I would prefer a Speedster kit car over very many cars out there. My only point is that if someone wants the full 356 ownership experience, to know the full mystique of what created the legend, they really need to buy a real one.

Your point is completely accurate: do a ton of research and know what you want. For many people, a real 356 is wrong and a kit car is right.

Pedro356C

I had an Envemo Super 90 in Brazil and had tons of fun with the little car...upholstery was 100% pure Argentinean leather and the smell was fabulous...the 1700cc engine was "good enough"...nothing like my former, well sorted, 1965 C though...as Jay said...a kit car could be the perfect choice for many, and I believe there are great ones out there...the only problem is you will not find "the magic" there...the Porsche soul is definitely not present...but if you don't care about the metaphysical Porsche experience...

ked

Hidden, your example looks very nice & you won't get flamed by me! I too like good kit cars, of almost any flavor. in particular, the speedster & 550 kit market has created demand & sources for quality restoration parts. this has helped some 356 owners keep their cars going & appearing accurate, & influenced the growth of outlaws - or just to help keep prices for "real" Porsche parts "competitive".

there are many reasons that good 356s have that distinct feel. a fundamental one is that the chassis is unibody, while the VWs are body-on-frame. this makes the VW a great platform for re-bodying, & fiberglass body-forming has yielded a great selection of kits utilizing VW mechanicals (& increasingly, hybrids of VW, Porsche & others), for which Ferdinand & Ferry Porsche were also responsible. neat!

Freddy

Forget about replicas… after buying one you will always feel you are missing something… and the fact is that you will be missing a lot.

You miss the solidity, the smells, the sound, the suspension… you miss the whole thing when you buy a replica.

Buy an original Coupe for the price of a fake Speedster. Try to get it as close as possible to the specs it was delivered by the factory… 4.5 wheels on skinny 165R15 tires and you will have tons of fun driving this little and light cars… nothing else can compare to the feeling of the original!

Try to buy at the 356 Registry list, but before you do it, buy as many books as you can, drive at least 5 different ones and read every single page at the 356 Registry website… after that you will be at safe ground!!

Enjoy the real thing – apart of the great fun you might even make money with it!!

larisa

Hi to all of you.
This is my first post here and I would like to share my opinion with you all.
Yes I am the owner of a 356 speedster replica and to be honest with you OMG what an awesome car to drive..With a lightweight body,bigger engine producing more than 120 hp,wider tires for better handling(185-65-15),lowered,is very very fan car.Of course for the price of my replica I could have bought a real 356,but I like the looks of the speedster better, plus I wasn't willing to pay the price of a real speedster.
To answere to the original question,try to drive both cars (replica,real) and see which one you like the best.You can build a replica speedsters using tubular frame, irs suspension with type VI engine producing around 180hp.That is one serious machine.

Freddy your car is awesome.I have been to your site before.(I hope that 356 carrera is yours)

Here is a link to my car.Sorry no sound http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=cmc+speedster

I have talked to few people that have driven both real and replica speedsters and said they drive very similar (both swing axle) but they had more fun with the replica because of better performance.

Again I am not trying to start something here,just sharing my opinion.At the end of the day we all are car enthusiasts.

Baggerdude

Thanx, everyone. Wow...! Lots of really great advice and opinions. I really appreciate your input.

There are pros and cons on both sides of this quandary..... a well sorted 356 coupe/cab (non-speedster) vs a new, modern suspended, framed and all that other stuff including a NON-VW based pan/motor.

From what I see... there are mainly 2-3 replica companies that I would consider. I don't want a VW based car for sure. So, that would leave a Honda or Subaru based custom chassis replica from

I'm still worried about finding a very nice "driver" '58-'60 356 coupe that I could enjoy and find for less than $35K. My '68 911T rusted to nuttin' in the parking lot of my apartment 2 years after buying it for like $4200 or something like that....(it was 1978). I left it to be picked up by anyone... title was in the car.

The memory of this car rusting away still haunts me, folks! The car was not well sorted out and was a junker IMO. I don't wanna revisit that memory again.

Buying a "modern incarnation".... altho not the real deal.... should (SHOULD!) be less to worry about. No old crap to short out, sort out, rust out, wear out, or worry about. I should think. But, again.... depends on who makes it and how assembles it, too. I would buy a turn key deal. I'm not interested in building a car again.

I'm concerned that I cannot find a REAL 356 in my price bracket... or should I say, what I want to spend... that I would feel comfy driving 150 miles to NH for lunch, park it among the 'plebeian' cars and then drive 150 miles back on the Interstate with folks moving at 80+ mph. How comfortable would I be with a REAL car that is worth some bucks doing that? And, will it be reliable? Dunno.... Would a clone be reliable? Dunno about that either...

I drive my 993 a couple times a week. It's a really nice "keeper" car worth maybe 50K USDs or more. To work when I'm only there 3-4 hours and I park it AWAY from the others... and then again on a weekend day for a couple hours or so at a spirited sprint. But, it only has 30,000 miles on a 10 year old car and has been a one owner and taken care of a great deal. I used to drive Porsches as daily drivers years ago.... what happened?

So, you can see my dilemma. Old real vs new clone? I still think I should drive and view some of each and see what I think will be best for me. This will not be simple to accomplish. At this point, I'm leaning slightly toward the non-VW based replica. (sigh....)

WesM951

Sorry if I take this OT, but I love the car pictured below and would like to have one some day. It is a 356 correct?

Irishdriver

Before you do anything I would recommend buying and reading:

"Buying, Driving and enjoying the Porshce 356" by James E. Schrager (RPM Autobooks)
and /or
"Porsche 356 Performance Guide" by Duane Spencer (RPM autobooks)
in that order.

The replicas are very good cars but the are not the same as a real 356. The special feel of a well sorted 356 is not repeatable using the separate chassis of a VW. I have a 356 coupe and I've had VW's and Buggys so I can compare.

If you're buyig a 356 on a budget buy the best body you can find/afford. The mechanicals are simple and can be renewed while driving the car, but a rough body means selling all the children and having a project for a couple of years.

There are bargains if you are prepared to look at the 60 HP B series. These were the last of the drum brake cars and are not the most desired model. However they have the 356 magic.

If i haven't convinced you then go PGO: http://194.26.24.86/pgoauto/pid_hist...p?wxp_tlang=EN

TC/914

Almost every region has a 356 oriented "club" or group of folks. You could contact them or join up and put the word out that you're looking. I found both of my 356's and my 914 in just that way. They weren't offered in any of the usual outlets, totally "off the radar", the owners just learned that I was looking and got in touch. It worked out GREAT.

Now I have local buddies, shared interests, parts and technical help, and cars.

You might try that route as well. It worked out here in the North East.

Luck,

TC

RJT

Wes, That is a 58 Speedster (A REAL ONE) built by our friend, the late great Ed Osborne. His wife now drives it regularly around Atlanta. They "loaned" it to the movie studios for the film "The Kid" by Disney starring Bruce Willis just before Ed passed away.

The only thing I might add to this discussion of REAL vs REPLICA would be the big factor of attending 356 Registry club events. The best part of owning a 356, besides driving it, is getting together with other 356 owners. We have attended 356 Holidays where close to 300 356s were there. And over 400 at the 50th anniversary in Monterey in '98.
If you show up in a Replica, you won't be told to get lost, but you won't be welcomed with open arms either. Usually people will just laugh behind your back and think you are just being a poser. I have to admit it used bug the crap outa me when I would be putting gas in the Speedster (REAL) and someone would always ask if it was a Kit Car......they wouldn't ask if it was a real one.

ked

Robert,
Tell us about the Fuchs alloys on the Osborne Speedster - C disc brake conversion or ?
thanks & cheers.

cs77

I happen to own a and am in the process of an outlaw conversion on a Convertible D replica that is built on a tube frame and equipped with a 2.7 Liter RS Spec motor, a 915 trans and four corners worth of 911 Disk Brakes and suspension. Yes, I have leather seats that are exact reproductions of the originals ( they even smell pretty too), a full 356 woolen square weave carpet, an original 356 Deck lid, a 356 Gas tank, an original D roof frame and a “real” D top along with a comprehensive list of “Real” bits. And, honestly they are the only real bits I would ever want from a 356. Perhaps at my age performance is still an issue that stands paramount but, if I had to choose between my car and the 70 or 80 HP original that “feels” anemic in every performance driving comparison you could ever imagine, I choose my car.


That said, I invite you all to do a little research on the matter. Visit http://www.intermeccanica.com/html/9...speedster.html and then post about how replicas do not have a “Porsche Soul” or how they do not “Sound” or “Smell” as they should. After all we are talking about Performance Vehicles not Rotten Tuna Fish or Spoiled Milk. And, for the record, I am not trashing Porsche, I just get a little tired of “Poser Purists” that believe that there were only 3 or so ideal Model Designations that the factory ever built.

ked

well! welcome to Rennlist, cs77 - great to have your insight!
not to worry, I'm sure your allusions to rotten fish, spoiled milk & poser / purists will be taken just the way you intended, particularly since we usually discuss Porsches vs hybrids, replicars & oulaws in terms of their driving feel & similar undefinable qualities, first and foremost. thanks also for defining "every performance driving comparison that you could ever imagine" for me. it's ok, we all get a little tired sometimes. by the way, I can't find any references to anyone stating that PAG only made 3 (or so) ideal models - help us with that - we'll rap that dude w/ a piece of kit car plastic. hmm, I wonder why Frank bothered with the 356 anyway... must of been the Old Man.
cheers (& cheer up - you've got a nice car, someday)!