mrm 930

I have an opportunity to buy a real (let me explain further) 1954 Speedster. It actually still runs and drives. Bad repair to an accident to the right front fender. (The right headlight is slightly higher than the left). some other slight body damage and dings. Very clean chassis, the seat panels probably will need to be replaced.

The engine is not original - it is a replacement 1600 super. No idea about the trans serial numbers as of yet.

Here is the deal - family has owned this car for quite a few years, purchased from a guy in the military who was moving away. The car has Cabriolet VIN (50xxx), all speedster vins have be removed from the car. Found 3 numbers on the deck lid and I need to look under the hood and also in the doors.

Soooooo....... it looks like a good possiblity that this was stolen at one time - then someone found 1954 Cab VIN plates and welded them in. Oh yes - it has a clear title. It is listed as a 1954 Porsche Speedster with the Cab vin numbers.

What the hell do you do with this? Buy it, maybe make it into an outlaw (because you can't resell it as a real speedster), call it a speedster outlaw, but - then what? You can't sell it as a speedster and it certainly is not a cab! Keep it for life and pass it on in the family. -OR- take a chance and trace the car and try to find the original owner that is was stolen from - contact the insurance company (because they would have paid for the loss - thus owning the car if recovered) and offer a repayment? Then get it properly VIN'd?

Right now - I think I will let the whole thing go. Someone suggested to buy it and sell it for parts - but I couldn't cut up a real speedster - not in me to do that.

Puzzling deal!!!????

Valkuri

RTFA.

mrm 930

LOL - my thoughts exactly

89826

Price is the determining factor. If you can do some legwork and figure out the history, maybe you could cleanse the history.

But you would have to investigate and inform yourself about the legal twists and turns. That at a minimum involves talking to a lawyer, the police, and the DMV in the state where the car is for sale and where it will be registered.

white rock

Might not be the nicest idea, but you could always report it and let the police or dmv figure it out for you on their dime. But that might take ages.

doublecabmel

there are hidden vins stamped in the car. A Speedster vin would be 79,000 or 80,000

Domer911

if you can buy it right, turn it into an outlaw and make it what you want--if you truly want something you can use. If your primary interest is as some kind of investment, then I wouldn't waste any time with it.

mrm 930

Okay - talking with, lets say with the mature Porsche group in town, and found out they know the car. It was not stolen - A Major in the USAF bought the car in german from an individual and brought it to the US when he was stationed here at SAC. At some point the car was totaled by the insurance company due to a front end collision. The previous owner either kept it or the insurance company sold it - so it had a salvage title.

Some how it made its way to a body shop in Missouri. Apparently the shop cut of the front of the car and welded in a 54 cab front end - hence the 54 cab VIN numbers. So this "cabster" was brought back to Nebraska or the previous owner brought it to Omaha. Sold to the family that I have been talking to. The speedster VIN is 80089, based on the deck lid and door stamp numbers of 089.

Still could be a huge cluster - the body/chassis may not be straight, etc. I also have the serial number of the trans. The owner, (the son of the "family" owner), was asking $50K. Way too high. I offered a lower price, contingent on the Kardex info. Well, someone in California bought the car for asking price. Not sure that this individual knows of the history of the car, because I became aware last weekend. So - it will be on its way to Cali.

Good luck to whoever bought it - I think it is a bit of a basket case. Still, could be a fun, and expensive, build!