Looking for a Speedster (Long)
08-02-2002, 11:51 AM
#17
Nilus - you got good information - I too was concidering importing an '89 C4 and the shipping cost was the most minor issue
- It's the EPA and DOT issues that can take you clear over the top. The importer I was talking to had a 964 in his shop that had failed the emission test several times and was costing the hopeful buyer his shirt as they tried additional mods and then had to repay for each EPA test.
The importer/converter himself told me to steer clear of trying to import that model.
It looks like color is very important to you - If you were concidering the cost of fedralizing a car - couldn't you much more easily put several thousand into a yellow paint job that I would assume would surpass old factory paint.
- It's the EPA and DOT issues that can take you clear over the top. The importer I was talking to had a 964 in his shop that had failed the emission test several times and was costing the hopeful buyer his shirt as they tried additional mods and then had to repay for each EPA test.
The importer/converter himself told me to steer clear of trying to import that model.
It looks like color is very important to you - If you were concidering the cost of fedralizing a car - couldn't you much more easily put several thousand into a yellow paint job that I would assume would surpass old factory paint.
08-02-2002, 01:05 PM
#18
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J, there are all sorts of exemptions, including vehicles for "display" or "racing." However, they'll never be street legal which defeats the purpose of bringing this particular car over.
As far as color being important...I don't want to come across as a superficial guy. It's just that for me, the very character of the 964 Speedster is tied to the color-matched Recaros and wheels, which only came on Red, Yellow, Blue and White models (although black Recaros were available in any car). I'm not a big fan of blue or white and I was getting tired of looking at red ones (most of which didn't have the cups or the seats anyways). However, I'm still considering a red one right now. Just thought I'd poke around here to see if I could dredge up a yellow one.
As far as repainting, it would go against my **** nature--i.e. everything has to be "from the factory." Besides, I'd then have to find the yellow Recaros to match, which would be just as hard as finding a complete car.
nilus
As far as color being important...I don't want to come across as a superficial guy. It's just that for me, the very character of the 964 Speedster is tied to the color-matched Recaros and wheels, which only came on Red, Yellow, Blue and White models (although black Recaros were available in any car). I'm not a big fan of blue or white and I was getting tired of looking at red ones (most of which didn't have the cups or the seats anyways). However, I'm still considering a red one right now. Just thought I'd poke around here to see if I could dredge up a yellow one.
As far as repainting, it would go against my **** nature--i.e. everything has to be "from the factory." Besides, I'd then have to find the yellow Recaros to match, which would be just as hard as finding a complete car.
nilus
08-02-2002, 03:54 PM
#19
I agree. In a car like a Speedster, you want to preserve the original paint (and original everything else) if you can.
BTW, although I doubt you're interested, I know of a black '89 Speedster for sale here in San Francisco. E mail me in the unlikely event you are interested.
BTW, although I doubt you're interested, I know of a black '89 Speedster for sale here in San Francisco. E mail me in the unlikely event you are interested.
08-02-2002, 03:57 PM
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Nilus,
I doubt anybody here thinks (I don't anyway) that wanting a "rare" car in a specific color is superficial.... BTW yellow is an EXCELLENT color for the Speedster! See link: <a href="http://vista.pca.org/stl/94speed.htm" target="_blank">http://vista.pca.org/stl/94speed.htm</a>
With so few 1994 Speedsters delivered to the USA however, it will take extra time for "your baby" to come up for sale. I found when shopping for mine last year, that there are only 8 - 10 Speedsters available nation-wide at any time... I think that may still be the case.
You might try Hemmings.com on a regular basis - or maybe a paid subscription to a service (PMLetter comes to mind - but I never used a pay service for my purchase). I did travel (a lot) to finally find mine. I ended up flying to Texas, So. Cal and Florida before finding the Speedster that I wanted....
Good luck on your continuing search.
I doubt anybody here thinks (I don't anyway) that wanting a "rare" car in a specific color is superficial.... BTW yellow is an EXCELLENT color for the Speedster! See link: <a href="http://vista.pca.org/stl/94speed.htm" target="_blank">http://vista.pca.org/stl/94speed.htm</a>
With so few 1994 Speedsters delivered to the USA however, it will take extra time for "your baby" to come up for sale. I found when shopping for mine last year, that there are only 8 - 10 Speedsters available nation-wide at any time... I think that may still be the case.
You might try Hemmings.com on a regular basis - or maybe a paid subscription to a service (PMLetter comes to mind - but I never used a pay service for my purchase). I did travel (a lot) to finally find mine. I ended up flying to Texas, So. Cal and Florida before finding the Speedster that I wanted....
Good luck on your continuing search.
08-02-2002, 05:54 PM
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Hey, Jon. Thanks for the heads up...but as you suspected, I'm looking for a 964. Although I'm in the minority, I think that was the better of the two 911 Speedsters. It made me feel better when I spoke to Bruce Anderson and he agreed though.
Brad, you're right that it's gonna take time to find one I'm happy with. I've been *seriously* tracking the market for about 6 months and I've seen around 20 listed for sale. In fact, I'm keeping a database with VINS, options, and asking prices (once I get mine, maybe a dedicated website will be in order?). I also subscribe to PML, although I only see about 2 911/964 speedsters a month.
Out of curiousity, can you tell me more about your car?
thanks,
nilus
Brad, you're right that it's gonna take time to find one I'm happy with. I've been *seriously* tracking the market for about 6 months and I've seen around 20 listed for sale. In fact, I'm keeping a database with VINS, options, and asking prices (once I get mine, maybe a dedicated website will be in order?). I also subscribe to PML, although I only see about 2 911/964 speedsters a month.
Out of curiousity, can you tell me more about your car?
thanks,
nilus
08-02-2002, 07:20 PM
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Hey Nilus,
First off, it’s not for sale!
I finally found my car in FL (I know “those” Florida cars…) at a Porsche Dealer in Orlando. Strangely, my finding it was a fluke… I somehow managed a search on WebFerret and got a newspaper ad for the car – but the phone number didn’t work, so I called information and got the right phone number. Same car, same dealer – but the number was transposed on the ad. After talking with the Sales Manager, I decided the best thing to do was to just fly over to see it…
Scheduled the flights back and forth across the US for the same day – not REALLY knowing what to expect. One of the salesmen picked me up at the airport at something like 6:00 in the morning and we stopped for breakfast (I paid, as I remember
) on the way over to the shop. Once there, I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it… Triple Black (two owner car), low miles (26,000 mi) and in absolutely superb condition. Manual trans, silver 17” cup wheels, with optional AC and leather seats. I – unlike you – decided against the sports seats, as I couldn’t see any lady harnessing herself up in her best clothes just to go for a drive with me!
Anyway, the price was right for the car and so I spent the next several hours signing papers, dealing back and forth over the phone with my mechanic at S-CAR-GO and the dealer’s mechanic for any possible drivetrain issues and figuring out how to best ship it back across the country… That done, I took the “red eye” back to the SF Bay Area.
All said and done, I called on probably 12 – 15 Speedsters (either Red or Black) over a seven or eight month span and spent the time and money to visit 3 or 4 of them. By the way, never came across a yellow one…
I’ve got some pictures on the web… Car Audio Innovations (stereo upgrade) and Jacquemond (where I was crazy enough to purchase a hardtop <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> ). Other than that, I’ve changed over the front turn indicators from orange to clear (my own interpretation of “fuzzy dice” over the rear-view mirror
) and am in the process of upgrading to a 993 third brake light bar. <img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" />
Sorry for the length…
First off, it’s not for sale!
I finally found my car in FL (I know “those” Florida cars…) at a Porsche Dealer in Orlando. Strangely, my finding it was a fluke… I somehow managed a search on WebFerret and got a newspaper ad for the car – but the phone number didn’t work, so I called information and got the right phone number. Same car, same dealer – but the number was transposed on the ad. After talking with the Sales Manager, I decided the best thing to do was to just fly over to see it…
Scheduled the flights back and forth across the US for the same day – not REALLY knowing what to expect. One of the salesmen picked me up at the airport at something like 6:00 in the morning and we stopped for breakfast (I paid, as I remember
) on the way over to the shop. Once there, I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it… Triple Black (two owner car), low miles (26,000 mi) and in absolutely superb condition. Manual trans, silver 17” cup wheels, with optional AC and leather seats. I – unlike you – decided against the sports seats, as I couldn’t see any lady harnessing herself up in her best clothes just to go for a drive with me! Anyway, the price was right for the car and so I spent the next several hours signing papers, dealing back and forth over the phone with my mechanic at S-CAR-GO and the dealer’s mechanic for any possible drivetrain issues and figuring out how to best ship it back across the country… That done, I took the “red eye” back to the SF Bay Area.
All said and done, I called on probably 12 – 15 Speedsters (either Red or Black) over a seven or eight month span and spent the time and money to visit 3 or 4 of them. By the way, never came across a yellow one…
I’ve got some pictures on the web… Car Audio Innovations (stereo upgrade) and Jacquemond (where I was crazy enough to purchase a hardtop <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" /> ). Other than that, I’ve changed over the front turn indicators from orange to clear (my own interpretation of “fuzzy dice” over the rear-view mirror
) and am in the process of upgrading to a 993 third brake light bar. <img src="graemlins/icon107.gif" border="0" alt="[icon107]" /> Sorry for the length…
08-07-2002, 01:17 PM
#23
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Sounds great. Triple black always looks good. And I'd like to see what the hardtop and the clear indicators look like. The latter are definitely on my "temporary changes I'd make" list. But as I said, in the end I'm an "all-stock" kind of guy, so I'd want the ability to change everything back on a whim.
BTW, I think your reason for the power comfort seats is the best I've heard. Most other guys just say they're uncomfortable.
nilus
BTW, I think your reason for the power comfort seats is the best I've heard. Most other guys just say they're uncomfortable.
nilus
08-07-2002, 08:48 PM
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I think the sports seats are very comfortable (one of the Speedster's I test drove had them), for what someone would use them for... Just not what I was looking for.
The hardtop looks pretty cool... stops people in their tracks when I tool on by with it on. Unfortunately, I think it gives the Speedster a little too much of a kit car look... <a href="http://www.jacquemond.com/american/1.htm" target="_blank">http://www.jacquemond.com/american/1.htm</a> (pics of hardtop are about half way down on the 911 page)
As far as the stock "periscope" third brake light - I never cared for it... It looks even worse on the Speedster than the Cab, IMO. So, this will be the biggest non-stock cosmetic update. Will keep the old brake light with the original turn lenes, to replace back to stock - if I ever so choose.
The hardtop looks pretty cool... stops people in their tracks when I tool on by with it on. Unfortunately, I think it gives the Speedster a little too much of a kit car look... <a href="http://www.jacquemond.com/american/1.htm" target="_blank">http://www.jacquemond.com/american/1.htm</a> (pics of hardtop are about half way down on the 911 page)
As far as the stock "periscope" third brake light - I never cared for it... It looks even worse on the Speedster than the Cab, IMO. So, this will be the biggest non-stock cosmetic update. Will keep the old brake light with the original turn lenes, to replace back to stock - if I ever so choose.
08-07-2002, 09:51 PM
#25
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[quote]I – unlike you – decided against the sports seats, as I couldn’t see any lady harnessing herself up in her best clothes just to go for a drive with me!
<hr></blockquote>
Yes! I whole-heartedly applaud this mans' logic. I mean I see the need for speed and track days and light seats and all but part of me is, even if now only vicariously (thats what comes of being happily married man with three kids), with the BradMan on this.
<hr></blockquote>
Yes! I whole-heartedly applaud this mans' logic. I mean I see the need for speed and track days and light seats and all but part of me is, even if now only vicariously (thats what comes of being happily married man with three kids), with the BradMan on this.
08-07-2002, 09:58 PM
#26
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When I installed harnesses in my 964 cab, I left the stock belts in also. At first, I used these with stock seats, then I upgraded to racing seats. I had the best of both worlds - harnesses on the track and belts on the street. Not sure if you can add stock belts to your speedsters with sport seats, but it might be worth checking into for someone serious about it...
08-11-2002, 10:00 PM
#28
Burning Brakes
FYI: Another black/black car. This one has only 3000 miles. I don't about LSD, but it does have a/c. On the plus side it has the Recaro's. You can see it if you want at <a href="http://www.symbolicmotors.com" target="_blank">Symbolic Motors</a>.