Has anyone driven both the Beck Speedster and the Porsche 356 Speedster? How do they compare? Are they very similar?

I may be breaking down and going for the Beck Speedster since the original Porsche speedsters are in the "Rock Star" price range anymore.

Please help me make a realistic comparison, since I have not been able to drive either of these two cars.

 

Visit this site: www.speedsterowners.com Everything and anything you need to know about the 356 replica world and the manufactures. Once you log in you can either do a search or you can post your questions.The site is free.My replica speedster is not a Beck so I can't answere your qustion.I bet you will have great time on that site.Good luck.

But before you do anything else you will have to go to Carlisle PA this weekend May 19-21.There is a big show with ALOT of speedsters there. I am sure somebody will offer you a ride in his car and I am positive you will be able to see couple of Becks.You can find infos on the site above.

 

The difference? One is a real Porsche and going up in value...

 

Steve, good point, kits rarely appreciate & the resale market is not like for factory-built cars. As to Porsche-style kits, I'd choose a Spyder over a Speedster.

 

ked - no 904 replica? I think that if I were to get one, I'd go in that direction...

 

Don't give me wrong, original speedster is the way to go if you have a "rock star" income,but I am not sure about driving experience(my opinion).They are under powered (45hp-75hp).Only the Carrera had 130hp and still is more expensive that a "regular" speedster.Since the original question was about a Beck speedster,you can have one with irs vs. swing axle (original), type IV engine or type 1 producing 160hp vs.75hp (original),disck brakes all around,on a 1600 pound car,then we talk about experience.I guess that's what Mr Porsche had in mind.
I know a lot of you will disagree with me which is fine,no reason to "jump"on me for posting my opinion to the original post. Anyway I am still the owner of an original? Porsche 944.

 

Ked,Steve
Have you seen this before http://www.kraftwerkz.net/
I bet both of you will like it.

 

of course! I've been looking at 904 replicas ever since I was fortunate enought to drive a real one. however, the good one (ones?) is very expensive ($60K +?) and the others do not seem to have matured as kits to the level I consider acceptable. I'm still looking - do you have any tips?

the RS60 / 718 kits that are starting to emerge are pretty interesting too. I have talked to some specialists about the desirability of building a Carrera Abarth chassis as a home for all those Porsche parts that have fallen off rusted out B & C bodies. I absolutely love that body (Italian styling w/ German parts - desirable combination on many levels), but the kit market likes open cars, so such an approach is a very very narrow market, like the 904 clones - thus, lotsa $.

so, I just keep buying driver 356s & seeking those having "potential"
cheers!

 

as michael buffer would say.......

lets get ready to rrrrrrrrrrrrrrummmmmmmmble!

 

Rico where did you get that picture! I've seen it before but never with Viper Green.

 

Jay,

photoshop!

 

if that were the only difference, then getting the replica would be a no brainer since there are far better places to invest your $ than a car.

 

True, but look at places like sloan cars. He buys cars low and saves them for how long, then sells them for a crap load. He has an 89 930 cab with 125 miles on it and wants 125K for it.

IMO there is only so high a car can go in value before it goes back down. I could be wrong but who knows

 

From the logic I've seen above, you'd be stupid for buying a kit 550 because it wouldn't go up in value. Hmmmm....as much as I'd love to own a real 550, I guess the only 'smart' thing to do is sell my house and sleep in a real 550. I'm sure lots of German car folks laughed at Dr. Porsche when he built Porsche #1 (a one off 'kit' car). They probably told him that only a Mercedes SSK roadster would go up in value in the future. Porsche is about passion. How many Chrysler K-car kits do you see out there????

 

I jost sold my Beck 550 spyder and made money on it. So who said kits dont hold their value.

As for performance, the Beck 356 will out perform all Porsche 356's except for maybe the quad cam cars. But if you could afford one of those this thread would not exist. Becks are great bang for the buck if you don't mind riding around in a plastic fantastic.