356 Coupe manufacturers for newbie

Do a search for JPS on this site and read... lots of information posted.

We (Beck) just did a soft launch of our new mid engine 356C coupe with prototype 1 & 2 completed, and production car #1 getting it's chassis and body mated now.  That said, we are already sold out for 2019 and will be taking 2020 orders a little later in the year.

Also contact Gary Bloom at Speedster Clinic in the UK.  I believe he is doing some coupes now as well.

Here's this one sitting in nerby France -but a long way from being turn key!

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/cl...etail.php?id=2256114

You should ask @Ketan about UK builders. He ended up buying a RHD VS after his newly built Chesil Speedster required far too much sorting. The VS, on the other hand, took him across Europe and back. Good luck.

I would personally buy a turn key RHD car from the US and import it. All the UK manufacturers all have bodies which are not correct and moulded from a real car. 

Chesil for example have their front lights too high. It’s just very obvious that it’s a replica. I had to learn the hard way. 

For £30k plus, I want a replica which looks close to the real thing. Not that I ever pretend it’s real, but the build quality of the american cars in my experience is night and day. 

The headlights being a certain distance off of the ground might be a rule unique to the UK. I lived in Germany for a few years and the annual inspections on automobiles is very precise and specific. I'm guessing the UK inspections are similar.

Our inspections in the US are a joke if they even have them. You should see the some of the grand pieces of $hit rolling on the streets over here.

HA - no inspections ever in FL.  I saw Jed Klampett's Model A PU going down road the other day.  UK also has to have an external gas tank filler - can't be thru opening the hood to gain access.

There’s nothing about headlights having to be a certain height. They just use the wrong moulds. There is one manufacturer here who uses the correct front end. 

As for the filler, there are UK cars who have the filler under the trunk. It’s not mandatory as far as I’m aware. 

I’d just never buy a car from here again. I’m very happy with my VS. Even if buying a Coupe, I’d rather a US car. One of the guys here has a JPS Coupe, and it’s superior to every other Coupe I’ve seen in the UK. Don’t get me wrong, there are good cars in the UK,  but for me, if you can get a car with the correct body, then why not?

I have a JPS Coupe and I love it.....but if I was to buy another, I would buy a existing car rather than order one..... existing cars can be found at South Atlanta Motorsports and at Beverly Hills in San Diego …..and there are several internet search engines that can find cars that are for sale.  On occasion you can find one at Bring a Trailer or Hemmings. 

I wouldn't sell you mine for twice what it cost me .  I have had it for about 6 years and have driven about 12,000 trouble free miles and it is a joy to drive.

"Not that I ever pretend it’s real, but the build quality of the american cars in my experience is night and day."

Let's not forget Canadian made speedsters...

Need to put pressure on Henry to build a Coupe!  I wish I could find a UK-produced Covin 911 Turbo replica in the US.

http://www.covin.co.uk/

FYI.  The coupe bodies used by JPS actually come from Greg Leach at Vintage Motorcars Inc. in Hawaiian Gardens, California.  Buying a pre-built JPS coupe from a private party is one thing, but ordering a coupe from JPS should be researched very carefully by reading everything ever posted on the SOC and speaking with others who have had that experience.  Do the due diligence!

Are you sure about that, Troy?  Greg build Pre-A bent window coupes, while JPS builds 356 A coupes - significantly different bodies.  Does Greg make a second style of bodies for JPS?

By the way, x2 on the advice.

JPS does not get his coupe bodies from Greg.

Looks like this needs some clarification.  Greg owns the Pre-A molds and John owns the 356A molds, which are both located in Mexico.  Greg owns the company that does the fiberglass lay-up work to produce the bodies that come out of both molds and John pays Greg to make his 356A bodies.

At least this is my understanding from a fairly reliable source.

If Troy is correct then if I want a 356A coupe replica JPS would be my only choice and for pre A coupe it would be Vintage Motorcars correct?

And if you want a C coupe replica then Beck would be your choice.  The differences are certainly much deeper, but that is one way to look at it.

TrevS posted:

If Troy is correct then if I want a 356A coupe replica JPS would be my only choice and for pre A coupe it would be Vintage Motorcars correct?

Well, if John pays Greg to make his 356 A bodies then maybe Greg can pay John to make a 356 A body for himself?

This is starting to sound like "Who's on First"!

Troy Sloan posted:

TrevS posted:

If Troy is correct then if I want a 356A coupe replica JPS would be my only choice and for pre A coupe it would be Vintage Motorcars correct?

Well, if John pays Greg to make his 356 A bodies then maybe Greg can pay John to make a 356 A body for himself?

I spoke to Greg this morning and he confirmed what I wrote, his people are doing the fiberglass lay-up for both John's 356 A coupe and his Pre A coupes.  He did say that he is only selling Pre A coupes. 

Ya learn sumthin new every day.