Has Anyone seen these?

http://www.jstefano.com/sales_preowned.html


I am back into my tire kicking stage with getting another Speedster. Low and behold I found they can catch a hefty bundel these days,I knew I should have asked 59,999 for mine when I sold it.

As Mr. Dynomite would say: Idiot!

Chris,
J Stefano's is 3 miles from my house. They are good people. I have been there many times, mostly to gawk and talk.

I went to see J.Stefano's while visiting North Carolina last week. Very nice people and great cars. A bit high in price compared to the others but good quality and seem like good folks to deal with. I am still considering their car.

Speaking from my own experience an incredible Speedster can be made for about half the asking price of these cars.

I used to spend a lot of time in the confines of this fine web page and I am positive my humble opinion could easily spark a lot of rebuttal, however, at the end of the day these cars are still replicas and like a Taiwanese Rolex, no matter what the price or how good the quality, they are not the real things. Better or not, investing a lions some of green backs in a car like this could potential prove fruitless at the end of the day. There are other equally radiant examples of classic sports cars that will perpetually appreciate in value if properly procured, where as a second hand

You sure do know alot of big words!

Well put!

I guess so, but they are what pay my bills. So that is a good thing Mike.

Next time I'll say they are Whack for shizzel......

FIBERGLASS, FIBERCASH !??! WELL SAID CHRIS.

affluent or effluent ?

Chris,
Do you still have your speedster?

Greg B.

Which engine do you think is better, the 1776 or the 1915? Air cooled or water cooled?

Greg,

I am glad you posted. I lost your contact info, and I have not had the time to go through this sight and find it. We talked in May or June of this year about your Speedster.

In any event, I sold my Speedster way back in Spring 2004. Since we last spoke I have been very passively trying to find a replacement. If you are still thinking about selling I am still thinking about buying. You can email me at christopherscafario AT hotmail.com.

I hope to hear back from you, until then be well!

j.Stephano is a dealer for Henry"s Intermeccanicas.

Actually if you don't have to have the best eBay has steals on it right now. I toyed with selling my Speedster but see from eBay they are bringing nothing. Sad to se very nice looking cars, a Vintage in fact, with far more details than mine only being bid up to $7 or $8K with a $11k Buy It Now. That aprticular car has been listed at least twice. over the past 2 months I have seen many fine looking cars never go above $10K.

I know many cars are far above this class but if the average car cannot top $10K the market for the top end cars will be pretty limited.

Tony

It's probably the time of year. These cars usually sell on emotion, and emotions are higher with the prospect of a nice summer ahead, as opposed to a cold/wet winter.

Chris I think you are right. I think that for the people that Love speedsters and their passion translates into burning money (if they have it or not) you are talking about a pretty exclusive group I would imagine. If I was going to spend say $60,000 on a toy it would probably not be a replica Speedster but a Ferrari, following which I could spend another $60,000 (at least) on a divorce lawyer!!!
I love my replica dude!

Stu & Chris. I think it's a matter of perspective. Look at the street rod market. Most of the cars are replicas these days and an entry level turn-key T-Bucket is going to cost around 22-27G. But a 29 Highboy will go for 60G turn key. The market goes up from there and they are replicas. Thr Cobra market may be a better comparison. The low end of the market for a turn-key may be around 27-30G and the mediun Cobra REPLICA goes for 50G. GT-40s and Daytona Coupes? Same thing. Harleys and custom bikes (replicas of choppers)same thing.

As far as used sales. The two framed IM Speedsters I have seen sell this year went for what the owner paid.

I had a VS and loved it. I have an IM and love it too. My IM does all that I wanted, plus. I don't knock the VS now that I have something that cost almost double it. It was a great car (replica) and has it's place in our market/hobby.

The way I look at it. Speedster/356 Replicas are a bargain, at all levels.

I'm not trying to make a point here. Just offering another opinion. And you know what they are worth.

As someone who has been shopping for a way to get into this hobby for quite a while now I have spent a great deal of time looking at the various brands of Speedster replicas and their relative prices as well as considering Spyders and Cobras. IMHO the Speedster is the best compromise of reasonable price, fun, and utility in the replica world. At ~$20K for an entry level new VS up to $50-60k or higher for a loaded IM they are still a relative bargain. The price range begins and ends much lower than that for Cobras and the like, and the people involved seem much more oriented toward fun instead of oneupsmanship(sp?).

One of the bits of logic I may use to sell the financial side of this to my wife is that they tend not to depreciate much, making it relatively recoup one's cost if resale becomes necessary.

I had a blast at Carlisle this year and hope to return next May, whether or not I have a Speedster.

Wasn't there a thread a while ago about insurance woes with tube framed cars? It seems that some of the cobra boys got a little behind on their steering now and again and were having more accidents than the Ins Cos liked, so the rates went way up or no ins at all.
ed

As my Dad (to this very day) likes to beat into my head every time that I start out on a journey to find a new toy: Asking and Getting are two dramatically different issues!

As for the kits and replicas

I love my little wreck!

Kudos on the 996 and agreement with 90% of what you just shared. But to compare a Jag, steet car, or whatever to a high end replica is apples and oranges. It just depends on your taste. There are more than just a few Speedster Replica owners (of all brands and costs)on this forum with 911 cars, including someone with a new 997S Carrera on order. To have one, does not always negate the desire for the other. And, having owned a primo VS car that I remain proud of, and now the IM? Well, there is a quantum leap in quality, handling, etc. My IM is a true road car. Considering the cost of toys these days, my way less than 50G full-tilt-IM is a bargain. Does it make sense? No. But very few "fun" cars do.

You could argue the value of having a 996 and a VS, others might like having an IM and a nice 87-88 911 Carrera. Me? I'm happy with an IM, a nice 54 3100 1/2 restored, a new truck and something nice for my wife to drive. Gee, there was a day when having anything besides the family car and a truck was like having Ice Cream.

Anyway, to each their own.

Again, I couldn't agree more on some things you shared, Chris. The VS is an excellent buy, especially used ones that some joker drove for a season. Some of us like the IMs, some see the beauty in the VS. Neither is wrong. A 996 and a nice VS is a good combo though.

JW

Jim, you are tactful and right on! It never fails to amaze me how the people on this board can get along! I guess that is why I am back here and not wasting time with some of the wacky 911 forums. Any way I think Speedsters are in my blood at this point and I can not wait to get another one and another one until one fine day when I have the time and resources to build a 3.0L flat six car!

Here is another potential thought: Speedsters are like blue jeans; they are iconic/timeless, we all have a favorite and some cost much more than others. But hey, they are similar in design and in the end how could you go wrong?

I gotta add my 2 cents in this...
Chris is 100% right about these cars not needing to cost an arm and a leg...They are a simple design from the body to the engine and everything in between, to compare these to a cobra or street rod is an injustice from where I'm sitting.....the only comparasion is that they are glass in nature....
If you have the cash and want to spend 50 LARGE, fine, but you don't need to twist logic to justify the expense.....
Jim, I love ya man, but you don't need to keep defending IM....
We have 4 or 5 makers and they all serve a purpose..........

SteveO, it's looking sharp. When do you pick it up?

If I am mis-understanding something here it wouldn't be the first time, but it does seem to me that over the years the discussion has turned more into a competition between the makers, and who is better.
It really comes down to cost...what are you willing to spend...
What I have stated from the beginning is that I don't understand the willingness of some to pay what an original cost for a replica....
Jim, You have to love your new IM, you would have to be out of your mind not to, but some of your posts sound more like defense to me.
Thats all I'm saying...If I've ruffled your feathers, I've done my job....
Remember
Vince 67-68 DAC TO (TET 68)

Thanks Jim, it turned out exactly the way I pictured it!!!

I'm not driving it home, I have nothing but time, but no vacation time left, so Steve at SAW is shipping it for me, it is on the list to be picked up, but probably won't be picked up until monday.

I would love to go get it, but I'm currently "on trips or on call" until the end of October. Too many other people using up there vacation time so I can't be more then 2 hours from the airport.

I drove my mazda protege' yesterday, and I have to say, it was nimble, rode great, and was a nice spirited drive in the twisties.

Ok I was pretending I was in my new car and not really in the mazda, that may have scewed my perception.

Oh and I only paid 14k for my car, ok again I'm talking about the mazda...LOL

Vince, There is a big difference between defending and being so damn satisfied with a product, as I am, that I like posting about it. I like my IM better than any Sports/fun car I've had (there's been a few). That's not a Defensive Statement, that's a big smile you see on my face. I'm not sellling it, I'm not defending it..... I am enjoying it. If that's irritating, don't read my posts. On the flip, I enjoy reading about all of the Speedsters on this forum.

If all of us have a smile on our face, then who cares what brand of Replica we drive. That's what Chris and I were in agreement about.

Your VS is fine by me. I put nearly 30,000 miles on one and it's still as good as new with Justin babying it.

Never Forget, Vince.
Jim 70-71 Lam Son 719

Steve,

You broke my heart, man. I wanted to drool over the latest photos of your car and there is only one in your folder. What happened?

Your project looks absolutely stunning. Nice work. I can't wait to hear your impressions from behind the wheel and I can only hope you crawl over every inch of it with a digital camera. :)

-Jeff

Yea, I deleted the build pictures and detail stuff to make room for the completed pictures. It wasn't really a problem keeping them, but I hated looking through the entire list to post a picture. Man I'm lazy.

You can still see build pictures at

http://www.porschereplica.1colony.com/