Getting ready to purchase - advice appreciated

First, just about everyone I've talked with who owned both a Boxster and a 356 said that the 356 was, by far, more fun.  That said, a Boxster for $15K would be suspicious of the era of 2001 - 2009 when they all have Intermediate Bearing issues.  Replacing a repairable bearing (one where it hasn't destroyed the engine case) is somewhere between $3k-$4K right off the top, so plan on $20K for that $15K Boxster.

Second, you're wise to go the used route first.  These cars are almost identical to their original cousins in attitude and abilities.  That means that you'll essentially be driving a car from the 1950's, with all of it's quirks and eccentricities - They're windy, smelly, quite noisy, vibrate a lot and can sometimes be anaemic under acceleration and don't have power brakes or steering.  Sometimes that means a lot to people.  I would suspect that a later VS would require less sorting to make it "right" than an older IM, but that is entirely up to whomever has owned and cared for it last.

Thirdly, listen to the upcoming comments on the sellers out there.  My info on the guys in Atlanta is that they buy a car and then go through it to make everything right and safe for their clients and THEN sell it.  Sorting one of these cars is well worth $4K to a noobie.  Troy Sloan and Al Merklin have been doing just that for a few years, but Al is retiring from building/sorting Speedsters so Troy may be looking down the barrel of a monopoly, soon.  I have no info on Cloud9 and heard mixed reviews on Beverly Hills (other than expensive) but no mechanical info on either of them - they do seem to keep stuff in stock for quite a while, though......That should tell you something.

Lastly, I hope you have read the article that Paul Harford wrote on here a while back about getting a new 356 replica - all great info and all very true.  See it here:

https://www.speedsterowners.com...g-you-need-to-know-6

Not much to add... Gordon covered pretty much everything except maybe that the low mileage units are not necessarily better buys.  Condition, Condition, Condition is the golden rule and every car should be gone over well before believing anything one hears.  Good hunting Ray

Usually about this time of year replica Speedsters start showing up for sale.

Ditto what Gordon said.

What part of the country do you live in? That usually dictates what your driving "season" will be.

You might share what you are looking for. Drive train, amenities, color etc. so that folks here can help you locate the right car.

Good luck!

Thanks! I agree with everything above. There is a good Porsche specialist down here and I am aware of the IMS bearing issue and planned for that. But that is one advantage of the speedster - first I have a 2016 GTI which is great for modern performance, second I'd prefer to spend more on purchase and then be maintaining a VW bug platform instead of maintaining a modern Porsche. I've driven Boxsters  though and there is nothing like that feeling. Same goes for the speedsters though - we rented an original for our wedding in 2002 (just got lucky with a local car that the guy had bought for only $25K and used regularly) and that has it's own fun to it. I have no desire to worry about sorting and am happy to pay a small premium for that service. South Atlanta seems good from that standpoint but I'd prefer to spend closer to $25 and they ask around $30K from what I've seen. It seems like a well sorted 90s or 2000s VS would be just right. Any thoughts on the original IMs? Thanks again!

I re-read Paul Harford's article and it looks like I'm a bit out of date on pricing. I was expecting to pay 20K for a sorted used VS, and 30K for a sorted used Beck but it looks like maybe $25K is the entry point to buy a sorted car.

Panhandle Bob posted:

You might share what you are looking for. Drive train, amenities, color etc. so that folks here can help you locate the right car.

Prefer close to original with upgrades that make sense for modern driving - type IV engine ideal but 1600 ok, disc brakes (at least in the front), prefer wide 5s no hubcaps, banjo wheel a bonus, I like black and off-white/harvest white, upgraded sway bars and good shocks ideal. I like the stance to be upright and don't prefer the lowered look or sag in the back. As an example, South Atlanta has a flat black one with race livery that seems great.

DCM posted:

I re-read Paul Harford's article and it looks like I'm a bit out of date on pricing. I was expecting to pay 20K for a sorted used VS, and 30K for a sorted used Beck but it looks like maybe $25K is the entry point to buy a sorted car.

I think you're right and the price increases are generally recent. I've seen average sorted resales go from low to mid 20's (20-24K) to high 20's (25-30K) just in the last year or so. And I think anything with a 1600 is pretty hard to sell these days from what I've seen.

There is a range of power plants between a bone stock 1600 and a T4 for you to consider. You might want to connect with some other owners near you and drive a variety. 1776, 1915, 2110, 2332 T1's are pretty common. Depending on how they are set up and paired with transaxle gearing, suspension, carbs, etc, makes significant difference in performance. Again, where are you located?.

You might save a bundle of money and a lot of aggravation if you were to join us for a day or two in Carlisle, PA, between May 18-21 (the 20'th is probably best, if all you can spare is a single day) for the largest annual gathering of 356/550 replicas in the country.  All types/vintages will be there with owners who can answer any questions you might have.  You could caravan up with the guys from the Baltimore area. At the least, you should meet Cory Drake, Kelly Frazer and Edsnova, all from the Baltimore 'burbs to see their cars and ask questions.  You'll find us all an answering bunch.

$4K-$5K to sort a hand-built car is not out of line, especially if you cover all of the stuff Click HERE.  And if you're not familiar with the nuances of these little cars, it can take a while to wade through the sorting.

Check this nice $22.9 CMC in SC out. (IM sold out US molds to CMC before moving to Canada so little difference except maybe initial build quality).

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/cl...etail.php?id=2015538

This is in Warrenton, VA - looks to be a VS? $22k and only 4.8k miles (or KM?)

https://washingtondc.craigslis.../cto/6052979636.html

If a flared fendered speedster appeals to you, Beverly Hills has a cream one I recently built and sold to Stu in Aus. The speedster  can't be imported there so he has it on consignment with BH.  Stu is due in the States shortly ? I would assume he could sell it to you directly, it's new build and one of the nicest speedsters i have done,  I believe he needs $26k.                                   

the Boxster, some years had IMS problems $$..ifn ur looking for comfort(, heat, A/C,disc brakes,no leaks,stereo,etc...get the boxster....the speedsters  however range from drivers to  expensive drivers......the speedsters have the fun factor though..

@WOLFGANG Thanks for the leads. CMC wasn't on my radar but that one looks nice and isn't too far away. I may look for more info on the Washington DC craigslist one as well.

@ALAN MERKLIN I'm looking for the standard body but Beverly Hills has several that look like old VSs that look like a fair price would be around 20K if they take that. It may be worth a call to see what kind of mechanical screening and price negotiation they do.

I'd love to get to Carlisle one of these years - been meaning to for a long time. I am in Norfolk VA - are there any local owners around here? Thanks again for the great advice.

@Alan Merklin the pictures just popped up on the flared fender model - beautiful car.

WNGD posted:

And I think anything with a 1600 is pretty hard to sell these days from what I've seen.

Maybe I should look for a 1600 then to start!

Please take this as it's intended, as friendly (but cautionary) advice-

If you could be happy with a Boxster, it is BY FAR the better deal in financilal terms. It's a modern vehicle that has already suffered the only depreciation it ever will. Also: IMHO, if the RMS hasn't shown up in 10-15 yrs, I really wouldn't panic about it. The $3- 4k it'll cost to fix is one Type 1 rebuild, which a $20k Speedster is likely to require in about the same timeframe as the RMS fix would be. 

Lastly, IMHO, Speedsters are only for people who can't live with anything else. They are not easy to live with, and will eat more time and money than you can imagine. They are like nothing else on the road, and when you have this particular itch, these cars scratch it when nothing else will.

If something else will suffice, I would offer council that ANYTHING else will be less frustrating.  In this hobby, the highs are pretty high, but the lows are VERY low. 

Forewarned is forearmed. 

Get to Carlisle this year...No one knows how many summers remain on their calendar.  ....

Alan Merklin posted:

No one knows how many summers remain on their calendar.  ....

Truer words have never been spoken, regardless of age...we've lost a few members on this site over the years. 

@Stan Galat Wise words thank you. I may be one where speedster is the only thing to scratch the itch - I was staring at the vintage speedsters website back in college when yahoo was the best search engine. On the other hand, boxsters get me too and there is nothing like the drive in them.

Mine came from the CMC Airport Displays (before the internet).

Stan, those are wise words for sure ,as a speedster/roadster is not for everyone and you have to have this madness to be willing to being beaten for years on end. Or, to be willing to submit yourself to continual improvements and continual need of adjustments like a 50's-60's vehicle.  You got to love it

DCM

I live in Norfolk.  If you want to see one of the finest Intermeccanicas on the road shoot me a PM.  We can do lunch and a drive and discuss madness.

So true Alan. That realization came for me over the past few years when various people go. Today I'm skiing (near the amazing Gordon Nichols) where I used to bring my son. Now I'm skiing with sore feet and glasses. Beer intake hasn’t changed but... I'd put too many people out of work.  

@550 Phil that would be great. I'd love to see your car. I'll PM you. Thanks!

I think Alan might be referring to not only the attendees, but to the event itself.  It keeps getting smaller every year so I believe its years might be numbered.  After that, we'll all just have to find Merklin's cabin in the hills of West Virginia and show up there.

Shouldn't be hard to find - it's a small state, right?

DCM:  If you go to the top of the page (Black topic bar) and click "members" you can then choose "Advanced Search" or some such and after playing with it for a while (it's not especially intuitive, sorry...just keep messing with it til you get it to work for ya) you can choose to search by zip code and then choose a number of concentric rings (10 miles up to 100 miles, I think) and getting there will show you all of the registered replica owners in your area (or any other area).   Some of them in the Baltimore/DC/Norfolk area show up on Facebook more (Cory Drake), but the majority (of a small group to start with) show up here, too.

Good luck searching.  They are all well worth meeting.

The administrator for this site, Theron, will be offering a sorted new Vintage soon. It seems like the best of both worlds: brand new and yet sorted. 

http://www.driventoys.com

This car was owned by a member of SOC:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/5998385038.html

DCM - since your future Speedster will be a 3rd car in your fleet, I offer the Musbjim philosophy....'Keep it simple and inexpensive' (whatever your budget allows). Then, JUST DRIVE IT!! Spend your hard earned money on other fun stuff. 

My 1st Speedster (VS with 1835cc) I owned for 15 years (as a daily driver) and logged 100,000 relatively trouble-free miles.

I'm on my current VS (also daily driver with standard 1915cc) and so far have logged 25,000 trouble-free miles in just over 2 years.

My return on investment (miles driven versus money spent on Speedster) has been most gratifying and angst-free!

I've posted this many times before as a flip-side to the syren-song of power and performance upgrades. Whichever you choose (simple vs slippery-slope-of upgrades), I have a hunch that no other car would give you the gratification of the Speedster.

WELCOME TO THE MADNESS!! 

DCM... to make sure you have the madness Phil can X-Ray your cranium ... if he finds nothing ... I meant nothing in there you have the madness :_) 

MusbJim posted:

 

 

 

I've posted this many times before as a flip-side to the syren-song of power and performance upgrades. Whichever you choose (simple vs slippery-slope-of upgrades), I have a hunch that no other car would give you the gratification of the Speedster.

WELCOME TO THE MADNESS!! 

Yeah, don't do wheels like this:

Hey Gordon speaking of search, can you search and get the latest post on the subject on top?  Can't seem to find that feature. 

But Marty, you have fancy shoes, so why shouldn't your car have the same?

Admit it, you love those wheels...

Ray, I'm not sure I understand your question, but if you're looking at a forum like, "Newbies" and it has a bunch of different threads in it, like "Getting ready to purchase....", at the bottom of that section you'll see a tiny-font, blue character line showing the last post for that thread (and how many minutes ago it was posted).  Click on it to go right to that post, plus you get to scroll up after reading to see other, not quite latest, posts.

Not sure I answered your question properly, but I tried.  

Thanks I think I figured it out. 

I have been recently combing the classifieds looking for a speedster in about the same price range and style as you have indicated.  I eventually ended moving myself up market to a 2006 Intermeccanica that I fell in love with.  It was a huge step-up for me but I think the gratification factor will hold out.

In my process of buying the Intermeccanica from Christopher at ChristopherJohn, LTD (Holly Hill, FL) he mentioned he did have a pre-owned Beck speedster in dark red for sale in the $25K price range.  Christopher was great throughout the process with me and seems very knowledgeable and forthright in his representation.  I suspect he doesn't have any "dogs" to sell as he is a small volume dealer.  You might give him a try to see what he says about the Beck.

GregJ

DCM, we'd love to see you at Carlisle. It's a very friendly group; guys'll let you touch their stick shifts and—if they like you—maybe even drive their cars.

The main thing though is you'll get to see someone break down and then a bunch of numbnuts stand around and b.s. while one or at most two guys actually fix it. While that b.s. is happening you will hear many a tale of breakdowns past. You will smell oil and see grease. Someone might hand you a beer, or a busted rocker arm, or a cooked wheel bearing. 

When you feel that warmth—the warmth of a blued bearing—you will have the answer you seek.

@gordan nichols I hate to hear that the group of enthusiasts may be shrinking.

@Kevin - Bay Area Theron's site is great thanks. That speedster on craigslist is pretty close to exactly what I'm looking for.

@MusbJim great pics and story! how great that you've been driving these for so many years! I totally agree with you about keeping it simple. If I want performance then I' going with a 987 S. If it's a speedster I want a speedster.

@GregJ great choice on your car and congratulations! I'll keep an eye on Christopher's site.

Thanks again everyone for the great help.

"@gordan nichols I hate to hear that the group of enthusiasts may be shrinking."

Alan was referring to all of us, not Carlisle, when he made the 'how many summers left' comment. 

As for the event at Carlisle, I can't speak for how long it may last.

Bob wrote: ...Alan was referring to all of us, not Carlisle, when he made the 'how many summers left' comment.  Absolutely,  I was bolstering the fact we are all getting older hence we don't know how many summers we have left.  As for the Carlisle event Carlisle Productions it has been around for decades ,  I have attended every year since the mid 90's sometimes 4 -5 events annually but it helps that I live 45 minutes away.  Most people here have never been to their huge shows i.e Ford, Chrysler, Corvette ,"Fall and Spring Carlisle's"........... It's hard to imagine this but almost all of the  fairgrounds spaced are sold out and so crowded you can barely walk down the paved lanes. 

DCM, Christopher did not have the Beck listed on his site. You will need to contact him if you are interested

GregJ