Classic Porsche Club welcoming Replicas

Most Porsche Clubs frown upon replicas - sometimes to the point of hatred!

If you visit www.classic-porsche.org.uk you will find a bunch of enthusiasts that welcome fans of replicas.

Its mainly Uk based but I urge you to register and start posting pictures of your magnificent replicas in the dedicated replica section.

You'll all be made very welcome!

Two summers ago the 356 Register

Bruce,

I've been lead to believe that your are exactly right. Some of the PCA members I've met are very interested in the replica and have invinted me on their tours but when I contact the officers of the club, I meet a stone wall. It doesn't bother me all that much but I wonder if they aren't being a little self important. Seems to me they should have an associate membership that would allow others, including us replicar guys to particpate in their events but not have voting priviledges. I bet if they were a bit more welcoming to others
a few may buy "real" Porsches to fully qualify.

I'm happy with our SOC, think we have great fun!

Bruce

I often get classic mags from the UK and it seems that most of the clubs there welcome replicas or have a separate section for them. This even runs to clubs with a rich, national pride such as the Jaguar club (Lynx replicas). I think that our friends across the pond have had their eyes opened...the arguement of what is original and what is replica is often debated in these mags but it seems that folks accept each for what they are.

As an aside but of interest...at one time there was an outfit in the US that used to advertise "new" 356 coupes. They took tired old coupes and rebuilt them from the bottom up using a lot of new, aftermarket and fabricated parts. So, is a car like that a replica or an original? You could easily argue that one of these new 356 coupes is made by this company in the US and not Porsche.

Brian

I have a Question.....I am not a joiner of clubs, so I'm not sure
I understand why this is so important to some of you....
It appears that there is enough Replica's out there, this site is
a perfect example...Why is it so important to Be accepted by a club
who's members or at least most members don't want you there....
Porshe owners as a group are a pretty snotty group of individuals,
from what I can see. Who the hell wants to be around a bunch of
ASSHOLES....Your out cruising around, enjoying the day, and you
arrive at a show, where everyone or most everyone, looks at you
with distain... I don't get it.....
When porsche owners give me the high sign, I usually grumble some
obscene words or even gestures.....I'd rather hang with the
Edsel or corvair or even Pinto people.....Yes Pinto....
There must be a Pinto club somewhere....I wonder where they have their annual meet.....

At the AA/NA club???

Not long ago Streetrods went through the same evolution - if it wasn't steel/original your car was frowned on. As steel became harder to find and better cards were being built from fiberglass they were accepted. Now some of the top builders in the country specialize in 'glass cars.

One of the largest annual Porsche meets/flea markets is held in Hershey, Pa. The first couple of years I went and enjoyed the "real" cars but was especially interested in the several replicas there. The last two or three years their 'net announcement says something to the effect of "no replicas allowed". Too bad because we help to keep many of the same suppliers in business who provide the same parts the "real" Speedsters need. We share the similar interests and maybe one day the snobs in these organizations will wise up.

By the way, the local MG club has no problem with us competing in their road rallys with our replica.

I feel no need to be accepted in the Porsche party. Most of those guys are not friendly towards our group. I occasionally run into a Porsche guy that thinks replicas are pretty cool just not many of them. It's my beleif that a reproduction is the highest level of compliment that a car can get. I work with a guy that has an original GT40, really, hes' also a Porsche guy and pretty much has disdane for my car. I'm wondering what he thinks of the NEW Ford GT, does he also dislike this car? It's going to be an interesting conversation. The original Ford GT40 was made with a fiberglass shell, the new Ford GT is made with steel/aluminum stampings and better technology, is the new Ford GT a lie like most people think of our cars or is it just a compliment? Reproductions are typically not favored by the Porsche or any other high end car group but perhaps the new Ford GT coming out will change their viewpoint. Can Ford be wrong with that car, I bet not, Ford will sell evey single one of those new GT's with people fighting over them.

J-p

In the Hot Rod group, "steel may be real but glass is class" is often the slogan. I've had a steel Deuce for years but don't care one way or the other if a neat rod is glass or not. Beauty is only skin deep when it comes to a finished car (rod or otherwise). The interesting thing to me is that no one ever to my knowledge has built a glass replica Deuce into a stock appearing original replica. They are always done into Hot Rods and nobody worries about it. On the other hand, most replica 356's clone originals down to minute details which might be part of the problem. Some look too good and maybe this ticks off the "conehead" crowd. I'm sure many of them cringe at the creations by Emory & Co. I say go your own way and forget about the acceptance factor. Take it or leave it as long as we're having fun and looking cool, all is OK! See ya at Knotts eh!

I've had a positive experience with the local PCA including an invitation to join and also partake in activities includuing Porsche weekend at Hallett Race Track and drving schools sponsored by the club at the track.

The only negative experience I have had was with another Speedster (real 57) owner at a large car show. It was mostly a street rod event but there were over 30 cars in the foreign category. This guy, a long time attorney and district judge just couldn't take it. I think he assumed I was misrepresenting the car... he was real friendly up front, but I spied him taking my entry number down and sneaking off to the Judges tent. Later when the judging was going on he was sitting next to me and went on (loud enough for the judges) about how probably everyone thought it (my car) was a real deal. I calmly walked over to the car and pulled the one page description of the car I had pasted on the windshield and dropped it on his lap (the judges had already read it and were smiling as I did this) On the page was the Headline "Vintage Speedster's '57 Speedster Replica" and the car was listed as VW on the numbered entry. One of the few times I have spewed... told him where he could stick his pretentiousness. I took first in class an hour later, 69 Jag Xke 2d, Sunbeam Tiger 3rd... he didn't even place. Justice came twice that day as I passed him on a freeway blowing smoke at 55-60... I passed humming at 80.

But overall that has not been my experience. Basically I've found that assholes are assholes regardless of what they drive. And the good guys are just that.. good guys. Many of them are 356 and 911 owners.

I'm looking forward to OUR Club's event in April!!!!!! California here I come!

Jim

Jim,

Well said! I think the asshole word sums up some of the very few jerks I've met in the old car scene. It is funny but most of them seem to be associated with the expensive foreign makes. I've had some wonderful conversations with Dusenberg and Auburn owners at Hershey and other AACA meets but most of the assholes I met at Hershey just happened to have Mercedes and Jags. They trailered the cars in and had their hired help shine it up and drive the tow car. The owners main job seemed to be to stand by the car and look good in their fall wardrobe. If you asked them a question on the car, chances are they
didn't have a clue. The previously mentioned Dusenberg owners were excited to talk about the car, real enthusiests. I'm sure there are some jerks there too but guess I've been fortunate not to run into them.

Looking forward to meeting you at Knotts and sharing some road stories
on our trip to Knotts. We will be posting some more info on the meet, probably in January as we are waiting for the meet organizer to publish his stuff. I have gotten his OK to allow all us Speedster and 550 guys to gather in a designated area, next to JPS, so unless we get too rowdy, we can all roost in the same hen house.

Bruce

I guess the Boston area reflects what the rest of you are seeing around the continent, but we have a couple of bright spots to report.

The New England PCA is quite a snooty bunch, mostly doctors, lawyers, stock brokers and such, but, as someone already noted, there is an undercurrent of real Porsche enthusiasts in the PCA, mostly Engineers or Technicians from the high tech crowd and THOSE folks (men and ladies, both) seem to share interest in our replicas. I have a friend who used to race his 993 for the NEPCA, but left their racing program when they gave him a hard time about racing his Beck 550 (he was regularly beating the "real" 550's), so he now runs a Miata (he still has the 993 and sold the 550). He said the Miata guys are "just more fun to be with" . Nuff said.

There is another Porsche group out there called the "Type 356" club (www.typ356ne.org/) that we've done a couple of runs with and they have a mix of "real" and replicars in their club and really don't care what genesis your car is, as long as you're a decent sort who's nutty enough to hang with them. They've taken my wife and me in like long lost cousins and we've had a lot of fun with them. No snootiness in the bunch, and I believe that there are other pockets of this club scattered around the country.

Look at it this way......all of the steel 356's have already been built, and there are fewer of them every year, but we just keep on building our replicas. Some day there'll be more of us than them - then maybe we'll let them join OUR club!!

Gordon

I am contemplating going to the 50th event in Montery this coming June. Theres over 400 cars already registered, including cars from Tokoyo and UK. I wonder what they would think if a few replicas showed up?

Actually, Dale, the guy organizing the Speedster 50th Event is welcoming the replica community's participation. I know he has contacted John Steele at JPS and promised a separate parking corrall for all Speedster Replicas that make the scene.
I'm planning on driving up from Los Angeles for the weekend festivities - in my Speedster. I'd encourage anyone else who's interested to come along. Strength in numbers...

When Possible, will someone add the dates and place for this 50th
anniversary event in the "events" section, so we all know and can
make our plans....sounds like something I would really be interested in.......Thanks

Thanks John
I was just composing an email to him to ask if we would be accepted.
Hope 'we' show up in force, it looks to be a great event.

Dale

I agree with Bruce and Rick.I've been a very active streetrodder for
30 yrs. I was a state rep. for NSRA for 20yrs.I currantly have 2 rods,
a steel 32,3w coupe,and a glass 33 cabriolet. Both are real nice cars
and have been featured in national publications.It took the industry
15yrs. to get over the real or not real thing,but now they are going
forward and everyone is having a ball.I even came out of retirement
to produce custom weatherstripping for the glas' body market.I deal
with over 30 mfg. co. of glas'streetrod bodies and they are all up to
a year behind in delivery of bodies. Being an owner of a 356sc coupe,
and my best friend has a vintage speedster, I see this group going
through the same growing pains that streetrodding has gone through.
This will pass,and all will survive and grow. Hell,there are only
so many "real" cars out there and the demand far surpasses this number. Beleive it or not there are more 32 Fords registered in the
state of California alone than Ford produced in 32,what does this
tell you!
Jim