Any opinions on this Beck

You may find it worthwhile to prevail upon some nearby replica owners in order to experience the differences among makes, engine sizes, etc.

 

Many owners have done the upsize progression from 1600 to 2+L. Very few have gone the downsize route. 

My first old IM had a 1600 c.c. engine. 

 

I didn't keep the car very long.

GET A 2332

If the price is right and you luv the color combo you can always put the motor that you want in it. Nothing wrong with a Beck.

I've had my 2010 Beck for 1 1/2 years now. Came with a 1600 engine. Bought it with 1700 miles for $21,000. Damn good deal. I am about to spend near $7500. on a 2110. I could/should have waited to get one with a bigger engine for what I will have in it. The 1600 works fine but I wanted more power soon after I bought it. 

Mine is a 2110 and I still want more power. I'm considering a type IV motor from FAT.

It's always cheaper to buy the car with the engine you want in the first place.  These engines are not cheap when you want to replace one for a bigger one.

 

1600 c.c. is fine if you enjoy being passed by people on bicycles, uphill.

Looks like a nice, basic car.  Whether it's a good deal will depend on what the reserve is.  I would expect a 4-year old car with a 1600 not to go much over $20k, if any.

Bob...you're info and advice is cemented in stone ?  For who ? Always ? I bought my

Speedster in Idaho late in 2010 for $6,500 and drove it home via the beautiful USA mid west on a 1600 stock engine. I then took it to Florida and back with that engine in early 2011, then swapped out the engine for a 1915 built by a recognized builder near Baltimore and  buggered off on a real nice trip from Sacramento ( thank you again Dave ) about 9,000 miles through 66  and many etc's through Carlisle and up

again to home in Ottawa, Canada. The cam / lifter combo failed and to make it short, I did a homebuilt install of Subaru 2.2l engine and nerver looked back . Easy to do, works fine and inexpensive to boot. I've still got less than $13,000 in the car but over 32,000 miles in 2.5 years to say I've had fun with it. I'm not trying to pyss on your parade...just to show there are alternatives...

Oops, and I forgot to mention that the Soob went from Ottawa to Key West and back via Carlise last Spring with about 12,000 miles on that engine. It's running so well I put the car away in my Father in laws garage ( I admit to feeling strangely guilty and a bit alone ) to work on another unrelated project. We'll have an unusual approach to Carlisle next year.

Dave, you are a unique individual.  Handy with tools and an iron butt to boot.  I think what Bob is saying is that if a powerful engine is high on the priority list than wait for the one with the larger engine.  Otherwise, buy a car with less power and know that many lusts for more power soon after buying a 1600cc tub.  This is especially true for a young guy like Gazi that grew up driving modern fuel injected cars.  The slowest car he has driven has probably been an 8-9 second 0-60 time.  Gazi, you need to drive many of these cars to see what suits you.  Have you hooked up with the Artist guy in Miami? I believe he owns a JPS Speedster.  Maybe he will let you drive his car. 

 

One positive with Beck is that they are very light so a respectable power to weight ratio is easily achieved.

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to drive one yet . . . at all.

Also, the guy selling the one above wants $24k.

That's a bit high, IMHO, although the car does have low miles.  That's not necessarily a good sign, as it may mean the car never got sorted properly.

Great point Lane.  I've noticed far too many tubs on the market with under 2000 miles.

Well, Dave, I do know about 1600 c.c. engines, having owned two Karmann Ghias when I was a little younger.  Plus a early Beetle.  None of them could be described as 'fast' in any sense of the word today.

 

I drove one from Ontario to Cape Breton and back, and always had to gauge the hills and valleys to ensure I could keep my speed up.  As Marty says, younger drivers used to modern cars would find a 1600 c.c. a tad underpowered, but that's just my opinion.

 

As for my 'advice' being cemented in stone, and for everyone, take it as you wish.  I was simply adding to the comments on this thread. 

 

HEY GAZI BUY A FOCKEN CAR AND STOP ASKING QUESTIONS

 

JUST JOKING

LOL! Gazi, Living in Miami your gonna be an instant celebrity.  Valet Park across the street from the Sangmon (spelling) and you will never go home without a right seater. Cant remember the place, but the cocktail waitress's mini was so short that Sandy caught me looking and she gave me a fresh one. 

I'm getting there.  I like the community, conversation and research part of the buy.

I gotta tell you though, something like this is also appealing because of the convenience, performance and price: http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com...?itemId=110977711431

The car is beautiful, although that tonneau is a bit sloppy.  The fact that it's being sold by a dealer suggests that there will be quite a markup.  Driving a 1600 is instantly emasculating, go with a bigger motor no matter what.

Car dealers must believe that every car they get is worth $5k more than they paid, at least. If you buy any car from a dealer, make it a local one so you can get the reach-around service.

 

The 1600 is slow, don't kid yourself, but it's absolutely adequate for what these cars are suposed to be used for, which is tooling around, looking cool. My TD Replica has maybe 1500 ccs (maybe 1300--who knows?), single ports and a single carb. She makes 46 horses at 4,000 RPM, which is about 20 less than a decently tuned DP, dual-carbed 1600 will make. And even so I can do 80 mph and travel all day on I-95 if I wanna (though not quite 80 mph all day).

 

Yes, I plan to upgrade someday, and probably to a Soob. But I've been on the road three yeas now, 2-3000 miles each year, and I have this to say about a modest, stock-type 1: it's reliable.

 

Guys running big-bore, mega-stroked Type 1s seem to spend, on average, quite a bit of time and money getting their engines built and fixed--and their cost curve is parabolic. Guys running small engines may upgrade, but seldom because the motor broke.

Gazi

75K miles is way to many....

 

I think I'm starting to like Gerd...he's funny...and not just looking 

That's the first vinyl top cover (boot?) I've ever seen on a Beck.  They're usually canvas or Stayfast.  It looks sloppy because they didn't bother to fasten the bottom of it under the folded top.

I've got a different perspective on the whole "what to buy" thing. I'm a major "real engine" proponent, but would say that they are certainly not all the same. A 2332 bolted together by a "Brand-X Xtra Xtreem Awsum Bargan-Blaster Type-1" builder is almost certainly a far worse proposition than buying a car with a more pedestrian, but well-built smaller engine.

 

Unless you know the guy who built the engine, and have determined he is the real deal-- you have no idea of what is going on under the deck-lid. It could be fantastic. It could be a pile. You might not even have what you think you have back there.

 

There's just no good way to get a car that is reliable, powerful, and fun without spending some money. These cars look inexpensive, until you start to expect more of them than sunny-day cruising.

 

Carey typically uses decent engines in his cars. Some other builders do not. For the typical new buyer who's not even sure these cars are a good fit for their individual expectations, I'd say a big-'ol Type 1 is probably NOT a selling point. Building Godzilla is an order of magnitude harder and more expensive (ask Al or Ron or me about that) than screwing together a decent 1776, and that decent 1776 is probably a better starting point anyhow.

Here is Gazi at the bar in Miami after he gets his Tub.  The confidence sets in.

 

 

I'm going to go see this one on Friday.  It's a JPS.

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com...?itemId=121021588724

What do you folks think?  I rather have a solid car than a bunch of flare. 

But she is pretty to look at.

Gazi, you need to drive one. They don't fit everyone; that's why you see so many with low mileage. What looks cool doesn't always fit with what feels right.

Of course, if you plan to spend most of your time parking at car shows or waxing it in the garage, no worries.

Also, listen to Stan about the engine. Buying a car with a pedigree engine from a reputable engine builder is key. I had my car built but the engine was a piece of sh!t.

You're doing a lot of research. Seek out owners in your area. Drive their cars, see what the different engine displacements feel like. See if any particular builders fit you better; then look to purchasing.

As far as the Beck goes, good-looking speedster. $21k, tops.

JPS? Just by looking at the fan shroud; a big no.

Gazi, I see there's a winning bid.  Did you buy it?

Gazi, the link claims the tub was sold for 28K, I have to wonder why, (with all the research you have done) you would consider a used JPS with 4400 miles for that kind of price, when you could have a new one for that same money from Vintage or even JPS.....

Oh, also, would it ba asking too much to change that pic of you to something not so creepy...

 

No winning bid.

The owner pulled it.

Tell me more about the JPS Engine shroud.

Gazi---when will you take the plunge???

 

I think you have a case of "paralysis from analysis".

Not in a hurry.  Having fun looking and chatting it up with you good people.

That particular shroud is a reproduction of the Carrera shroud but it lacks the ability to effectively cool the engine. Using one usually sends a message of form over function. Also be wary of chrome shrouds. Look for OE German VW stock Doghouse shrouds (not as pretty but very efficient), Raby DTM (down the middle) shrouds or, the more common, 36hp doghouse shroud (It replicates the original 356 shroud but isn't as effective as stock or DTM).

Of course, the shroud is just a visual and doesn't indicate the quality of the engine. But it should, at least, raise an eyebrow.

Believe me, if the engine is a sound build, the seller will pull out a build sheet faster than Goofycat rattles off another joke. 

Good approach.  Learn all you can about these cars before you shell out a lot of money.

 Gazi Im back on the market selling my Black IM. Interested is is a beauty! see photos below

@Gazi - new pic, Well played, Sir!