For all Florida peeps

Sounds good to have some locals to hang out & cruise with!

I'm wishing you luck but don't hold your breath. Our little plastic cars are not Porsches, no matter how original we make them look or what emblems are mounted. Al

I rather enjoy my car than have to store a concours museum  queen. that I can't truly enjoy on a daily basis

As most of you know, I"ve been a contributor to this site as well as the one I administer (www.spyderclub.com)  In addition, I've done a lot mechincal work  for many of you and as such, I'm just a regular guy but, it still surprizes me to hear members complain when they learn that a particular Porsche club such as the 356 registry won't allow replica's to be part of their club.   I tend to believe that over time owners of replica's convince themselves they have the real thing.  They refer to their cars as 356's or Porsche's.    Face it, it's not a Porsche and if the 356 registry clubs deny you admission that's their right.   As a bonus, some local clubs do allow replica's and as said, that's a bonus, not a god given right.   

Let's face it, your car is NOT A PORSCHE.   They have a right to refuse admission and bad mouthing them or the owners of "real" Porsche's isn't right.

I have a 1973 911S and I drive it.   My brother in law has a pristine 1963 356 coupe and he drives it.   Not all members of the 356 registry, PCA or other local Porsche clubs have trailer queens.  

Personally, I would not lose any sleep if the registry denies entry and it's counterproductive to bad mouth them if they choose to only allow 'real' Porsche's in their club since in fact, it's a "356 Porsche club" not a "356 Replica club".

Larry:

That pretty much makes the case. I think you are right. 

Being a Parrot head which keeps my head in the FOG -- I bought the badge a couple years ago! I haven't gotten a FOG hat yet though.  http://www.356fog.com/FOGHAT.html

I'm sorry Larry - I appreciate your insight, but who is your thought directed at?  I also am a PCA member.  I too have had real P cars.  I pay my dues yearly to the PCA.  My snob comment was meant to be funny.  If this club lets us in, then great.  if they dont then oh well.  When I wrote the email to the person in charge, the first words I typed were - I own a replica...but would love to be part of your group.  I never once say that I own a real 356.  that would just be silly.  I also - at the last cars and coffee - when a real one parked next to me - told everyone that walked up how cool my neighbors car was because it was the real deal.  it was a piece of crap, but it was the real deal and I couldnt take my eyes off of it.

So again, not to start a war - I am hoping someday to have your magic hands touch my VolksPorsche - but I dont think that anyone is bad mouthing anyone???

It wasn't directed at you. It was a general comment regarding Porsche clubs in general and the snide comments I've read from members when Porsche clubs deny membership to replica owners

I went to an informal weekly drive-in type car show last summer and won't go back.  Since I'm in Detroit, there were mostly muscle cars there and little interest in my car.  Those that were interested in Porsche's turned up their noses when they found out that it was a replica.  Finally, a guy who builds VW stuff just nick-picked the paint.  I thought, "I don't need this.  I'll just stick with my fellow Speedster guys and enjoying cruising on my own."

Some Porsche clubs can be that way, but it's usually just individuals in the club who have nothing better to say.  I've never been a member of the PCA (never actually owned a Porsche) but I was invited to join the Type 356 Northeast club in the greater Boston area (same club Peter Venuti is in) and they are OK with Replicas - there must be close to a dozen replicas in that club now, out of 150 car/members, and I've helped some 356/912/914 members find and bring home their replicas.  Most are curious about replicas because they understand that they can actually drive them without being terrified that something might happen to it and aren't intimidated by replicas at their meets.  But then, us few replica members up here aren't "in your face" replica owners, either.

This was on the cover of their monthly newsletter back in 2005, taken at the "Porschefest" day at the Museum of Transportation in Boston.  Which one is the Replica??  (and which one is the 100-point original??)

And remember - most people can't tell the difference unless they own an original or replica.  One old couple was standing by as I packed up to go home.  When I shut my passenger door with a "Chunk!", the husband turned to his wife and said:  "Hear that?  That's the sound of good German Engineering!"

And to Tom's point; I have a LOT of Hot Rod/Street Rod friends here in New England, but I almost never take Pearl to one of their meets unless it's at a 50's drive-in.  Why?  Because they simply do not know what the hell to do with a 356 Speedster.  it doesn't fit any of their categories.....It isn't even American!  The fact that it eats V-8's doesn't matter.  It just doesn't "fit in", so I leave her home and go with the gang from O'Brien Truckers

i crack up everytime someone is staring at my car and just cant get over how beautiful it is or how great it sounds and wow what a great car - and then I tell them its fake and they give one more comment and walk away.  I think its funny!  However, at our last cars and coffee...a guy with a 79 something something Porsche Turbo came over and said wow that is cool and i told him it was a replica and he said and I quote "who cares, that car is really cool!". 

Another person came up to us (me and the guy next to me with his real one) and said - once he knew mine was fake and said "so whats the difference" and the owner of the real one said - His wont rust!!!"..

Some people can be really cool, some can be real turds.  I will say that although my Boxster work was done at Brumos Porsche, they had a swap meet a couple weeks back and decided not to go in the speedster.  I just had this feeling that at an acutal dealership, they probably would have thrown me out! 

Thanks for the comments Larry.  I agree some take it a little personal.  I was one of them in my first speedster.  That is why I went to a real Porsche...funny thing is that the real Porsche just is not the same as this.  Faster, better, more safe...but not near as cool...  I think real car guys will appreciate our cars for what they are - just cool looking.

Don't get Larry riled up!

not trying to get anyone riled up!  just really would be nice - replica or real to be able to be part of a local club - or close to local for some of us to be able to at least drive - WAAAYYYY in the back or something. 

Hey, I just thought of something....

Below is a photo in the garage area of the 2012 Rolex race at Daytona.

The entire body of the car is made of Carbon Fiber (each door weighs about 3 pounds)

The transmission comes from a company in Florida which takes Porsche cases and makes them stronger and installs proprietary gearing (hmmmmm.....Sounds like Rancho).

The frame/chassis is custom made of aluminum and titanium (sometimes called un-obtanium for the price) for strength and rigidity. - Kinda like a Beck or IM.

The engine, while it starts out as a Porsche, has had a LOT of work done to it, raising the BHP far above what you'll normally see on the street. - Sounds like a Raby or CB engine?

Is this car "real" or a replica??

No, I'm just messing with Larry  You should see his real Porsche! AND his real Motor Home

Based on the picture, Gordon, it's "Evident" it's a Porsche of some sort.

 My 2332 engine have 1 vw part in them, my 2387 might have 1 part or might not have it. so does this mean it isant a vw? If I choose to name my replica porsche that will be it's name.

 I have been afiliated with a good few car clubs,I realy dont go in for the bs they also offer or the selling of parts at way over what they should be just because it's a"whatever and I owned it", but for the most part the vw guys are the worst ones I have seen as far as snubing the rest of the autoworld.is it because they drive a lawnmower powered car? or just so jellous&cheep they couldent even have something else?

   In thise day of globalazition what is what is kinda hard to tell.Like my daughters car,a 2006 chevy aveo,oops did I spell that rong,dawoo!!oops, suzuki!!and probably 6 or 7 other names on the same car. In my openion these replicas are about as close to being a porsche as a porsche is. porsche started vw and .....porsche is now a vw... so whats the issue?  For me I like cars , it's the assholes I can do with out.  sorry for the spelling,as Im fixen to go paint my porsche..oops porch.

Well put Larry.

I looked at Wolfgang's link to the 356 Florida Owner's Group- membership is for any one interested in 356's (you don't have to actually own one and they claim members in 18 states), but to be part of a concours or driving event the car must be a "356 body manufactured by Porsche with a VIN number stamped on the body, listed as being manufactured 1948 through 1965, and consistent with the model and year of the vehicle".

These cars are pretty cool, but they're not Porsches. I don't think we should get upset when the P crowd doesn't welcome us in with open arms. Remember- we get to drive ours, outfit them any way we want and they don't rust...Al

Boy - It sure is refreshing to know that if someone with a real 356 wanted to join our club - we would let them.  that is what makes our group so cool.  we dont snub.  God forbid somone with a real coupe - oh thats right someone on here just bought a real white colored coupe - probably one of the prettiest cars I have ever seen - is not allowed to be part of us...

funny - always the kids who didnt have much were willing to be friends with everybody back in school. 

Gordon

Which one is real and which is the replica - good point.

Part of my decision making process in buying my 356 replica was after my ride/drive in a real car.

I rode down to an event in a Speedster replica - we similarly parked near a real 356.

I was happy to take up the offer of that genuine 356 owner to join him as a passenger in a track concourse run as my friend driving the replica was not allowed on the track.

Now without wanting to offend the genuine 356 community, the replica not only handled better but it was a better put together car.

On the track the owner was reluctant to push his car as he was concerned about breaking something and he certainly looked and appeared uncomfortable when people or other cars came near the car - bit like a high maintenance woman..

To top the day off, my trip home was in comfort with more overtaking power and it appeared to be a better ride in the replica. No doubt we all have those comparisons to draw on..

Most of the local car shows are full of muscle cars and hot rods. Most of the hot rods are fiberglass w/ modern running gear made to look like 33 Fords or what ever - the funny thing is that most of those same guys look down on speedsters or TD replicas and call them kit cars ( which they are ), but don't consider theirs in the same light. The bottom is: some people are are cool and I tend to hang out w/ those folks and those that are not not friendly I tend to not hang w/ anyway. Most of life is this way.

Boiling it all the way down, you are left with this: is the object of your affection cool to you regardless of what anybody else thinks, or because of it?

If a replica speedster is cool because of what other people think, the owner is in the wrong hobby. The attention is awkward, and a 10 minute explanation nearly always ensues from reasonable questions ("what year is that?", "what's it got for an engine?", "did you build that?", etc.). In my case, there are no simple answers to any of those questions.

Very, very few people "get" these cars. I'm not sure every guy who owns one gets it. The fact that cost/value of these cars (as opposed to other cars available for similar money) seems to come up so often speaks directly to this point. I personally could have purchased some mighty fine machinery for what I've got in my car-- machinery that would be a LOT more impressive to an onlooker, and machinery which would offer a lot more back in the event that I would ever sell. I'm not bragging- I'm actually kind of reluctant to talk about what I've got in it, but I've got no regrets. I've had fun every step of the way.

The thing is mostly inexplicable. You either get it or you don't. The "madness" we welcome everybody to is not the banter (witty or otherwise) on this site-- it's the sickness of shoveling large piles of money into the black-hole of something that's really only cool to the owner and a (very) few other people. Even you guys think I'm nuts sometimes. I really don't care.

I'm out here doing my thing precisely because it's cool to me. I don't expect the "hot-rod" guys to get it. I don't expect the "Porsche" guys to get it. I don't even expect my wife to get it. I'd be doing this in the absence of any on-line club or real-people get-together. That there are a few other guys with the same disease is icing on the cake.

LIKE

Anybody besides me watch a program on the Speed Channel called "Are You Faster Than A Redneck"?

The host is the guy from the old Chrysler TV commercials who's line is "Is that a Hemi"? The premise is pitting 'tuner' cars against muscle cars on a track (North Carolina I think). Funny commentary and very entertaining!!

Whenever I pull into a car meet, I place this placard on my windshield. Eliminates a lot of the expert blabbering.

 It reads; 1957 Speedster / Replica / Vintage Speedsters / Manufactured 1995 / Fiberglass body / 1835cc -dual carb / Disc brakes / 30 MPG / MY DAILY DRIVER

Nearly all of us have had the unpleasant experience of being exluded, bullied, or put down at one time or another.  Either we didn't look right, didn't have the right clothes, enough money, our last name was wrong, we lived in the wrong neighborhood, etc.  Those snubs are easy to remember, even if they occurred decades ago. 

I like to think that I have risen above the feeling of resentment from the snubs I encountered in early life.  For the most part, I have.  But (and there's always a but, isn't there?) there is an instant of time in which I flash back to that kid who was bullied or put down before my rational self kicks in.  In that instant, I want to fight the bully, since that was the way we settled our differences in my neighborhood.

Now, when someone takes a cheap shot at me or what I have, I don't get angry, I get grateful.  I'm fortunate to have overcome circumstances that could have dictated my behavior for life.  I'm no saint by any means, but forgiveness and acceptance works for this old dog.

Some 356 owners are jerks.  Some 356 replica owners are jerks.  Kind of like life, eh?  I just want to drive 'em. 

crap, now Im lost.I thought mine was going to be a hot rod and a muscle car and a daily driver.dam where did I go rong.

 I think jim finaly nailed it!!! were all jerks!!!

  I dont care what it is.if it's a well built&thought out machine I usualy like it.I was almost 45 befor I found out what the back of a camarow looked like,and that was at a car show, not the track.And now they have re releaced it again,just what the world needed more camarows ,And I'm still not fond of them, ( or is it the jerk owners?who knows)

     With that said our new promod is a carbon fiber camarow. Although it dosent look like it.

    as for my 356 , it will have some porsche parts. as for my vw,it has a lot of non vw parts.

I think I'll go for a drive in my......

Supplemented for clarification.

Did I just add anything to this conversation?  Hmmm . . .  probably not . . . .

I just did drive mine...it is myhappy place.

Here is a question for the group:

If you could purchase a 356 - in the same shape your car is in now, for what you ahve put into your replica...would you?

Now did I do something to offend you when you were working on my car for free in my driveway that would lead you to believe I am a jerk?  Is it all the phone calls?  I can stop?  LOL  I am kidding of course.  THIS IS WHY - I choose to be part of a club that seems everyone would jump at the chance to help someone else out.  I am not sure of mechanical abilities of those that own real ones...but I would bet on it that they do not compare to those here in the SOC as most here actually work on their own cars. 

I'm afraid that I know just enough to destroy the car and know it was my fault. 

Interestingly, it was a friend of mine who was a real 356 Porsche Speedster owner who convinced me I should buy a replica.  It wasn't like he said "Chris, go buy a replica" because he didn't.  It was because he was recently at an auction selling his beloved Speedster because it had become so valuable he was afraid to take it out of the garage.  Every time he did take it out, his stomach was in knots until he got it back home.  I've always wanted a real one and could finally afford one had I gone that route, but honestly, who needs that stress?  It's supposed to be a fun hobby and a stress reliever, not another friggin' thing to worry about.  We bought a plastic one.  I plan to drive the crap of it...and if I get smacked by a teenage girl texting her bff while doing her make-up, we'll go get another one.  I can also understand why replicas can't join Porsche clubs.  They're not Porsches.  Lamborghinis can't join Porsche clubs either.  I've owned Porsches for decades and I've met some of the Porsche snobs you speak of.  F 'em.  Most of the time, when a car club has a drive, they welcome all cars, not just their preferred marque.  Shows are different and I get that.  The most important thing is that you enjoy your car.  Remember, real car guys love cars...and real car guys will enjoy our replicas for what they are...cool little cars.

I met a man& his wife about 5 years ago at a gas station.I was in my street bug, they were in thier  orignal faded green 356 coupe.they were very nice&loved my car almost as much as I loved thiers.I had no idea I would ever have one of these cars at the time.I dont know if they were local or not and havent seen it since.so sorry todd(aka TDR) were not all jerks...well not all the time any way.And so far you havent been one to me. I just wish you would stop for a min and wright down some good lotto ##'s and send them to me.Other than that it's all good!!

whats really funny is when I would drive my boxster and wave other other porsche cars and they wouldnt wave back.!!! 

I am not sure if I wouldnt buy a real one because of the worry, if someone hits this car, there is nothing structural about it...the body will crumble and again with my ignorance, not sure how one would fix the body on these short of just getting a new body, but I wouldnt want the expense that goes along with the real ones. 

I have always found it interesting that the TYPE 356 club in Boston was formed as a spin-off of the PCA because of the snobbery of the 911 crowd in the Boston area PCA who looked down on the 356'ers as owning cars that "Aren't real Porsches - they have VW parts in them".  Especially when the 912/914/924/944 all had about 35% (or more) VW parts in them, too.

I'm with several others on here...

I built Pearl because I love the look of her.  

I built her because I could.  

I built her as a way of forgetting about an overly stressful job when I got home from work and, for that, she saved me and I'm still around.  

I built her with all of the mods my brother and his friends made to their original 356's back in the early 60's to make them go fast and handle well, and added some mods that, in my eye, make her more beautiful.  

I built her because I LOVE to drive her on back roads and just feel one with the experience.

I built her to have fun.......and I do, and I don't care what anyone else thinks.

The Speedstah Guy from Grafton

LOL - you are a good dude Mark.  As always, can not thank you enough for all that you have done for me and my car.  It is because of people like you that non mechanically inclined people can learn this stuff.  I appreciate you boss....

Amen brother...

send me that 2332 so I can have it broken in for you when you decide to finish that car of yours.