Hi, I'm new here. Hope to buy the right Speedster.

A properly built and set up VW is just as nice as the tube cars. If they are just the stock vw set then I agree with you. I believe most of us that have sorted out our cars have something that in no way resembles a stock vw with a different body. You should look at many that are for sale and drive them. I went into this knowing I was buying a project even though I could drive it away from Kirk's. In addition to my purchase price I have invested significant $ and now have a great car. It goes fast, stops, corners, and is more fun than any Porsche I have owned and I have had 12 of them. The tube cars are very well made, but they still require sorting out and you are starting at a much higher number. If I were to do this over today I would have bought a low mileage VS and started from there. I bought my car at the bottom of the recession and got a fantastic deal from Kirk. Today the best deals are on the "newly used" market. There are also guys on here that specialize in sorting out those type of vehicles and only charge a small premium for their services. I hope to welcome you to the madness formally soon. 

I love my Beck tube-framed car, but as far as drivability goes I think a pan can be just as good.  The one advantage that a pan cannot top is the increase in interior space.  Try any car on for size, as some I have sat in were downright cramped while others have quite a bit of space inside.  A few that I have been in seem to have the gas tank mounted lower, providing more trunk space but make the foot room downright uncomfortable for those with big feet.

No question Lane. Foot and leg room was not an issue in my Porsche's and I am 6' 225 lbs. My 356's actually had room for my feet. The funny think is I owned a few VW's starting in 1967 and the foot room was not an issue then. Of course having the car full of beautiful young women might have had something to do with that.

 

I had a custom made steel dead pedal made for my VS and that has saved the day on long drives. 

Thanks for your replies. I am not ruling out vw pan based cars, and I think a Intermeccanica might be a good one, but I really love the JPS cars, the Glasurit paint is really appealing to me, here's the nicest one I've seen yet..just sold on Ebay for around 30k.. slightly beyond my budget at present, but I still want one like this..

 

 

ilovespeedsters,

 

Some clarification is in order. Intermecccanica has built tube framed cars since the early '80s. A prior incarnation of the company in LA built on shortened VW pans, but that was 35-40 years ago. They paint with Glasruit.

 

Becks are also tube-framed.

 

Vintage and JPS build on pans. Any car like the one in your pictures is going to cost $30K+. 

1. I have had  both tube frame and pan based.  I preferred the tube frame

Lane--that's more common sense that we are used to here!  I do agree with what you said.  If I am correct, more pan based cars have made the West Coast round trip from the Central states than any other make.  A Vintage (Jim Ignacio's) has the mileage record of all Speedster replicas--almost 100,000 miles and he's on his second one now!

 

In my Vintage Speedster I have made seven 2,000 mile round trips to Carlisle from Hot Springs.  At 6' and 220 pounds I have never felt cramped or confined in my VS. "More legroom" is meaningless to me because if I had any more foot room, I'f have to move my seat up! I have a garage full of first place trophies and a few Best in Shows so even a relatively inexpensive  VS has the main thing most folks want, and that is the incredible l-o-o-k-s. My car qualifies for something very special and that is an antique license plate.  Only pan based cars can qualify for that unless I'm wrong about that.

 

My thoughts? Jps may have some of the best paint from what I've seen.  Beck makes a fantastic car. SAS is beyond anything on the market as far as cutting edge features. IM is sensational with modern comforts with unbeatable fit & finish.  Some of the most refined cars in the fleet are CMC's--Gordon's is a trophy winner and David Stroud and his CMC kept me from winning "longest Drive" to Carlisle more times than I like to remember. 

 

All the brands have certain qualities that appeal for different reasons.  None are "bad".  It all depends on what you are after.  Unfortunately I was remiss in my own due diligence and spent a small fortune getting it to be a true, comfortable  Interstate hauler.

 

For a newbie looking for a Speedster the best advice is what I often see here and that is to 

search this site, do your research and get the best car for YOU based on what YOU plan to do with the car.

 

Beck owners almost always say "get a Beck",  IM owners almost always say "get an IM", 

SAS owners almost always say get an SAS"   ---Notice a pattern?  

 

I guess Lane's balanced post prompted this as it was a pretty fresh approach!

 

 

 

 

The funny thing is, I grew up in Miami, might wind up with a CMC just for home town mojo..

 

Here's my 1961 Mercedes that rally raced in Africa and also Monaco and Andorra,

would love to trade for a speedster  

 

Excellent post, Jack!

 

However, in a SEMA state, any replica can be titled as a model from the year of manufacture the car replicates. In other words, I'm legally titled as a 1958 Intermeccanica Replica 356, and I qualify for antique plates as well.

To continue what Jack said just get the best car that you can afford.  Make sure it has records and some history.  If not, do a full PPI by quality VW shop.  

Ilovespeedsters - you have nice taste in cars! best of luck with your Speedster endeavor. We would like to see what you eventually end up with. 

You do have good taste.  That appears to be a newer Intermeccanica based on the dash trim, door tops, and front overrider bar.  Approximately $80K.

Its actually a JPS and it just sold on Ebay for 28,900, seems a bargain

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131329...e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Now that I see the inside shots I see it.  I must say that I'm impressed with the exterior and dash trim. I haven't seen many JPS.

Scott

Where are you based in NorCal. I purchased my first Speedster, a 2013 VS Outlaw around 6 months ago. I'm in Oakland and you'd be welcome to take a look at mine as an example of a VW based car if you're ever in the neighborhood?

Chris

 

 

I like the color and the Mobil Pegasus also like how its got the race look without having flared fenders, which I'm not too fond of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chris - your car looks really nice! Cool set-up! 

Thanks Jim, I wasn't CA road legal in time for the last San Luis Obispo gathering, so I'm hoping to meet you all at next year's event.

That would be great, Chris! Looking forward to seeing that bitchen blue Speedster in action!