2006 Beck Speedster - Black/Tan - 16k miles - $28,499.00

Not sure how to edit the listing.  I'm lowering the price down by $3k.

Bump.  Asking $23,888obo.  Car now has ~17,000 miles.

Great looking car.

Screamin' deal. 

This looks like a great deal, but additional photos, including interior and engine compartment, would encourage more response. Also, more details about the engine internals, engine builder, transmission builder, etc, would help, if you have them.

The bay area is usually a pretty hot market for Speedsters, especially Becks. Properly presented, I'd think it would have sold there by now. Tell us a little about how you've gone about trying to sell it and we may be able to help you with that.

We're moving out of speedster buying season as a lot of these cars just go in storage for the winter - but I see this as a buying opportnity! 

I actually test drove this car - It really moves quite fast, drives well, and looks well built.

The car comes with fantastic photos - but as the description says, the paint is dulled down. Some prefer a more period and vintage look. I thought the car was GREAT. I was very close to pulling the trigger given the price point, but then decided last minute to build one from scratch. 

After talking to Greg from Vintage Motorcars in California, I thought it was worth paying the extra to go custom and get the car delivered in 8 weeks. However, this car was very NEAT. Even when we were stopped at a Stop Light, we had everyone looking at the car - it gets a lot of attention as it deserves. 

I found this seller to be transparent, honest with anything that needed fixing on the car (not much, really), patient, and open to making a deal.  If I wasn't building my own, i would have bought this already. 

This Sunday is the Marin Cars and Coffee in Novato. Should bring it there with a for sale sign. Last show before the holidays. 

WOW, Guys!  Thank you all for the wonderful and informative notes!  I've been offline and buried in work for the last week or so; didn't see all these posts until this afternoon.

TRP and Stan, thank you =).  Cheers!

Sacto Mitch, just took a few more photos this afternoon.  Will post them here shortly.  Regarding the engine, I reached out to Carey Hines (who has ALWAYS been very helpful and highly informative), and he gave me a brief background on the motor.  In 2006 BSC put in a 1776cc engine (Solex carbs, eat 90-100hp) as the car served as a show/display car for BSC up until 2010.  The car was brought up to 2010 specs by both BSC then Carey's team when it was returned to Indiana in 2010.  It was then sold to the first owner here in CA.  The owner said that the motor is a 1915cc CB high performance, but I have not found any paperwork to verify it.  Sent multiple pictures of the 6-bolt pan (which came with both the "regular" motors and early Beck 356's).  I've been in a few 70-100 hp Beck 356's, and this car pulls stronger.  The only other hi-performance CB 1915cc cars that I've compared mine to here in the Bay Area have been 550's.

Speedster! - thank you for the kind words!  It was a pleasure meeting you and seeing your other 4-wheeled baby.  I'm looking forward to seeing the new creation from Vintage as well!!

Interior Shots (ps, does anyone know how to edit an original post?  I'd like to update the price and photos of the first post on here.):

Engine shots attached.

Kevin, I just missed the Novato C&C!  Was also invited to go down South to the one in Menlo Park.

Alas, I ended up running errands for our home with the future wife all day =/.

"The previous owner had cracked the front-passenger-side bumper/fender but had the fiberglass repaired."

Were the bumper and fender repainted?

What process was used to dull the paint?

IRS or swing axle?

Thanks

Nice looking car; sorry to hear you're selling (I hope you get as much enjoyment out of the coupe). Was the paint dulling a topical process (that can maybe be cut polished through to bring out the full gloss if someone so desired) or was a flattening agent mixed in when it was originally painted? I see the engine has Webers or Dellortos (or HPMX's or...)- do you know what camshaft/rockers, heads/porting/ valve sizes and compression ratio are in it to make 125 hp? Drums or discs? And as Todd asked, is it irs or swingaxle?

NorCalBeck posted:

Interior Shots (ps, does anyone know how to edit an original post?  I'd like to update the price and photos of the first post on here.):

 

 

@NorCalBeck You only have an hour to edit posts so just post your update here.

Todd M,

Bumper and fender were both repainted.  

Paint dulling may have just been a removal of clearcoat.  Light paint remaining + swirl marks.

Swing axle (I believe all Beck 356's are swing axle).

Alb,

No worries - new adventures to come =).  

I don't think that the full gloss can come back without a paintjob.  However, a half dozen or so paint specialists have come up to me at car shows/meetups telling me otherwise.  I never looked into salvaging the paint as I kinda liked the old/patina look.  I'm unsure if any chemical agents were used to change the paint.

I'm unsure of the engine specs.  I was in contact with Carey Hines, and he mentioned that the car was brought back to Beck/Indiana in 2010 before it was sold.  He has no information on the motor unfortunately.  I do have compression #'s (from the PPI I did a year ago).  I'll try to find them.

Front brakes are disc; rear are drums.  Swingaxle Beck.

Found the old, compression tests from last year.

Cylinder 1 = 75

Cylinder 2 = 75

Cylinder 3 = 80

Cylinder 4 = 80

I hope that those numbers are not accurate ( minimums are 90 - 100 and ideal 120 across all cylinders) or you have a seriously terminal engine,  I would be surprised if it can idle.

Hmmm, starts, idles, and runs strongly (from the 3-4 different shops that I've been too + the butt dyno of other owners).  

Could those numbers be more accurate if the engine was a 1776cc engine supplied and installed by BSC.  This was the original engine from 2006.  There's no records of any engine changes when the car was brought back to Carey Hines/Beck in 2010 (but Carey said that the engine could be different...we just haven't confirmed what it is).

Either way, may have to get it compression checked again just to make sure.

Low Compression PSI doesn't change by engine displacement.  Low compression is due to worn rings/cyl-pistons/bad valves/head sealing - even as simple as valve adjustment.  

Wolfgang,

Very interesting regarding the valve adjustment.  I didn't know that could affect compression.
The car was in much need of a service (oil change and valve adjustment) when I purchased it a year ago.  Both services have been done, and I'm going to get it rechecked again just to be safe.

Valve adjustment would be minor compression loss - too tight and they wouldn't close totally (but would then burn valves/seats quickly). Valve stems stretch too over time (before they break off causing severe damage).  I'd think you'd see blue smoke or hear huffing noises if more than one cylinder was below 100 psi. Hopefully, you just got a bad reading or gauge that day.  I like the gauge with a flexible screw in hose (vs just the push rubber seal - hard to use on VW due to cooling tin). Below is $27 from HF.

No blue smoke nor huffing noises.  I'm thinking that the test was improperly done.  Will have it rechecked at my next oil change.

BTW, Wolfgang, thank you for the info!  love this forum!

Are you located in Northern California?  If So Cal, you can come over to my house, and I will do it for you.

Todd M., 

Thank you for the kind offer!  Car's in SF, but I'll be enjoying SoCal for the holidays.  Cheers!

NorCalBeck posted:

Todd M., 

Thank you for the kind offer!  Car's in SF, but I'll be enjoying SoCal for the holidays.  Cheers!

Are you driving it down here?

Todd, negative - drove the daily driver down but now that I'm in LA, I wish that the Beck was here too.