Here's shot of the original 356 bottom of car - you can't unbolt the body or anything visible from the chassis/floor. It's all one big welded piece - unibody.
And here is a VW bug pan (Ghia same except slightly wider floor panel where toes are). The pan can be separated from the upper body by some 30 bolts around the perimeter.
Ahh, WG, I'd give you a big hug if I could! Ya, OK, I see now. Without inciting a riot here 
and I might have asked this already but there are no production manufacturers that make/sell a steel bodied car correct? I know if you have the $$ you can get anything but I'm talking in this stratosphere of financial affordability less than 1% earners.
428Street, Milford CT. posted:Ahh, WG, I'd give you a big hug if I could! Ya, OK, I see now. Without inciting a riot here
That is correct. NONE of the current replica manufacturers make an all steel replica; uni-body or otherwise.
WOLFGANG posted:Here's shot of the original 356 bottom of car - you can't unbolt the body or anything visible from the chassis/floor. It's all one big welded piece - unibody.
And here is a VW bug pan (Ghia same except slightly wider floor panel where toes are). The pan can be separated from the upper body by some 30 bolts around the perimeter.
And here is a current Beck chassis:
But the fiberglass body still bolts to the chassis/frame and is not uni-body.
Thanks Robert, you wouldn't happen to have a shot of the IM underbody would you?
There used to be a MetalCraft Chassis available to replace the VW pan years ago. Now I think you'd have to go to https://www.coolrydescustoms.c...ndeola-products.html and check out their improved front and rear T1/Bug suspension components.
One thing though is that the rear end & front end suspensions are IRS and 914 or 911 in IM vs Beck swing axle rear and torsion bar front.
So there are some subtleties that may or may not be worth the extra $ for you.
Just saying.
Original 356s all had swing axle rear suspension. That's an independent rear with only one set of hinge points, at the transaxle, so the rear axles "swing" in an arc up and down. Everyone on this forum thinks Ralph Nader's a killjoy but what he wrote about the swing axle design is absolutely true: it's dangerous as heck for careless and/or unskilled drivers and only slightly less dangerous for professionals.
The problem is usually called "jacking" and it can be ameliorated with some aftermarket parts That effectively do the opposite of a sway bar: they make the back of the body want to roll more in order to keep the tires (sort-of) planted.
This makes a Speesdster controllable on a road race course, if you keep your wits about you. But you can still get in trouble doing quick avoidance maneuvers.
What we call IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) is the updated version, with two sets of universal joints—one set at the transaxle and another out near the wheel hubs. These allow the rear suspension to move more or less up and down, not so much in an arc, and that keeps the tire tread properly oriented vis-a-vis the road. The difference in handling is substantial.
It's almost all upside. Except for one thing.
IRS systems are a scosh wider, so you can't easily run wide rear tires. A lot of guys on this forum are all about running thick meats on the back (even though it's not period-correct) because they think it looks cool (it does, actually). If you care about looking "real" you'll want 165/15-80s and those work fine with IRS. And (don't tell all these guys, but) the skinny tires with the modern suspension absolutely out-perform the wider tires with the swing axles in every event save the eighth-mile drag race.
Again guys, can't thank you all enough for the info and answering my newbie questions without making me feel like a complete idiot.
Tom, your comments are noted and taken. I assume those are new prices and for the IM that is a US price not Canadian correct?
I have one kid starting college in September and another one in three years so we'll see reasonably what I am going to be able to do. I have some other toys I can sell but not sure I want to get rid of them yet.
Problem is I just have fallen in love with this Speedster and it's not good
If I were doing what you want on a budget I would find a used CMC (pan-based) car with IRS, pull the motor and install an EJ22 with a carefully-built Type1 transaxle. Four-wheel disk brakes and the 4-bolt Mangles made up to look like Rudge knock-offs.
Re-do the interior with some care, make the gauges nice, a repro Nardi steering wheel in place of the very old kit-car-looking Grant that comes with it.
With a lucky initial buy and fair investment of time this could be done in the high teens. Dr. Clock would get you in this car for probably low-mid 20s but with an air-cooled 1915 instead of the Suby.
I could put the Suby in it for you.
Thanks Ed. I think my reasonable budget would be in the 30's give or take but I'm not there yet. Couple things going on that could make this a mute point (good stuff) so I'm going to take my time but one thing I know for sure is one day I will have one of these - sooner than later
There are many good reasons why a unibody replica might be a good idea (weight, etc.), but being more "original" is not one of them. A car is either original or it is not-- no matter how faithfully one endeavors to replicate various details, it'll never be "real". Everybody knows that, but it bears repeating. The idea is to create a "tribute", rather than a true "replica".
Regardless, even if you could create something more original-looking (and I'm not sure how that's possible-- what we've got is really very good), in my opinion a replica with a modern water-cooled powerplant cannot be considered more "original" than a fiberglass car with an air-cooled flat 4, even if the first car had a steel unibody. It might arguably be "better", but it can never be more "original".
Originally, these cars weren't all that great. They had serious handling limitations (the aforementioned swing-axle, as well as the VW-style front suspension), were grossly underpowered by reasonably modern standards, and were quite spartan. They were powered by a flat-4 with a (apocryphal) legend of reliability, but which were (by modern standards) pretty much a step up from a lawn mower engine. Those pathetic little engines created the essence of the entire car-- the promise of delivering everything required for sporting driving, with absolutely nothing else.
Once you make the decision to abandon that air-cooled mill, you've fundamentally changed the car. It can be made to be better by every possible metric, but it cannot ever be considered even remotely "original"
... which is 100% fine. Once a guy can free himself from worrying whether or not the door-cards look OG, or obsessing about the rounded back-seat area, he's on his way to building a replica that is better than the original by any objective metric. Subjectively, it's never going to be original, so worrying about this or that is a fool's errand.
My recommendation is to buy a used car, maybe without all the options you think you'd like. Get a feel for what it is, and more importantly-- what it isn't. You may be smitten. You may wonder why you thought you wanted one. Either way-- you'll know what you want. Then sell it and order or build exactly what will make you happy. Or move on to something else. Either way, you won't get hurt-- the market is rising faster than builders can make them.
edsnova posted:Original 356s all had swing axle rear suspension. That's an independent rear with only one set of hinge points, at the transaxle, so the rear axles "swing" in an arc up and down. Everyone on this forum thinks Ralph Nader's a killjoy but what he wrote about the swing axle design is absolutely true: it's dangerous as heck for careless and/or unskilled drivers and only slightly less dangerous for professionals.
The problem is usually called "jacking" and it can be ameliorated with some aftermarket parts That effectively do the opposite of a sway bar: they make the back of the body want to roll more in order to keep the tires (sort-of) planted.
This makes a Speesdster controllable on a road race course, if you keep your wits about you. But you can still get in trouble doing quick avoidance maneuvers.
What we call IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) is the updated version, with two sets of universal joints—one set at the transaxle and another out near the wheel hubs. These allow the rear suspension to move more or less up and down, not so much in an arc, and that keeps the tire tread properly oriented vis-a-vis the road. The difference in handling is substantial.
It's almost all upside. Except for one thing.
IRS systems are a scosh wider, so you can't easily run wide rear tires. A lot of guys on this forum are all about running thick meats on the back (even though it's not period-correct) because they think it looks cool (it does, actually). If you care about looking "real" you'll want 165/15-80s and those work fine with IRS. And (don't tell all these guys, but) the skinny tires with the modern suspension absolutely out-perform the wider tires with the swing axles in every event save the eighth-mile drag race.
Just so you know, Ed and 428 (really? As you've probably guessed by now, a lot of us are on a first name basis, since we help each other out, joke around, and generally have a little bit of respect for each other- are you going to share yours with us or are we going to call you by what I'm guessing is your address for the rest of eternity?)-
Yeah, wider wheels and tires on the back do look bitchin', but I advocate going as wide as you can back there because they help reduce the oversteering tendencies these cars have with all that weight behind the rear axle line. Porsche has gone to wider and wider rear tires in recent years, not because it looks totally badass (although you have to admit it does!) but to tame the cars' handling characteristics and make them more appealing (and safer) to a larger chunk of the luxury sport auto buying public. Wider rear tires make it easier to drive a rear engine'd car closer to it's limits, and that's a good thing.
428- I'm not going to give you my opinion on the whole original/replica/tribute thing, as Stan said it all above (and rather eloquently, I might add), but I will say that there's some great advice in this thread. I will finish with- buying a used car that's close to what you think you want is a good way to go. Whether you drive it a little while (and if you stay with it) modify that car or have (what you think is) the perfect Speedster built is immaterial. Find someone close and get a ride. Get a feel for what these things are about. They can be pretty basic (as the originals are) or a little more luxurious; whether they're in the car next to you in traffic or staring from across the street, all they'll see is one of the coolest cars in the world as you drive by...
And you can call me Al (come on, you know the tune!)
@edsnova- Let's not get into the swing axle vs irs thing, Ed! There's really nothing to discuss
(I mean, why would anyone willingly build a swingaxle car when there's irs? Madness I tell you!)
428STREET, Stan has written one of his fine treatises - this one on the whole 'originality' thing - which is well worth reading, but I like his earlier comment, too:
Stan Galat posted:...Please take this in the spirit in which it is intended: you are asking the wrong questions...
That wasn't at all intended to be rude. I think it may go to the heart of what you're trying to figure out in choosing one of these cars.
Currently, you have a choice of about four viable builders of new replica Speedsters, at very different price points. Those four vendors don't offer increasingly better 'originality' as the price increases. Better chassis design, better build quality, better levels of fit and finish, better reliability, better quality control, definitely - but they're all about the same as far as 'originality'.
Anyone who knows these cars can immediately spot a replica - any replica - no matter which builder it's from. As Stan and others have said, you can take a car from any vendor and tweak the cosmetic details to make it look much closer to 'original'. If that's your main concern, start with one of the cheaper builds and swap out road wheels, steering wheel, interior trim, upholstery, etc. and you can get very close to something that looks 'original' - from fifty feet away, at least.
Some people do just that, drive the car to the coffee shop twice a month, and are very happy.
It's only if you expect the car to perform like a sports car, if you want to drive it for very long on modern roads and in modern traffic, that this plan starts to fall apart. It's the other stuff that distinguishes the different builders - and the different price points - that will start to matter more to you.
Some of us have started with entry level builds and gradually upgraded the mechanicals - at substantial cost - until we have reliable drivers that are up to the task. Others buy a better build to start with and have less work to do.
The smart thing is to do your homework before you buy anything. And there's a lot of homework to do. Read, read, read - everything you can find about these cars. Definitely get some seat time in cars from the various builders if at all possible - SOC gatherings are a great place to do this. But don't be in a hurry to buy.
I bought a new VS about a year sooner than I should have. If I'd waited, I could have made much smarter choices on the build sheet and saved myself a ton of grief and money.
It sounds like you're off to a good start. Your eyes and your ears seem to be open. And you haven't yet written any checks.
That may be the most important thing.
428Street, Milford CT. posted:Again guys, can't thank you all enough for the info and answering my newbie questions without making me feel like a complete idiot.
Tom, your comments are noted and taken. I assume those are new prices and for the IM that is a US price not Canadian correct?
I have one kid starting college in September and another one in three years so we'll see reasonably what I am going to be able to do. I have some other toys I can sell but not sure I want to get rid of them yet.
Problem is I just have fallen in love with this Speedster and it's not good
Yes. US $. I echo everyone’s comments about driving one and buying a used one. I spec’d mine out and had it built with the expert input from this forum and still have made lots of changes in the 8 years I’ve owned it. It’s like my house. I’ve put way more money into it than I’ll ever get back, but I did it for me. There are certainly smarter ways to go about it.
Here’s a used Beck:
http://www.beckspeedster.com/p...6blackspeedster.html
Here’s a used IM. http://intermeccanica.com/athi...ed-air-cooled-d.html
Both air-cooled
The IM is a convertible D, which means higher windshield and roll-up windows.
It would be most lucky to find a Suby car in the 30’s.
Ok, so time to show my cards and do some splain'in.
First, by no means am I anyone special, famous or anything more then a huge automotive enthusiast. I love most things with an engine. I have no formal mechanical training other then what I've been able to gather from friends, the internet, common sense and taking things apart and putting them back together. I love the mechanical side but am not a mechanic. I'm actually an IT guy. My name is Frank Zabski and I live in Milford, CT.
Since I was a kid I fell in love with two specific marques. Ford/Shelby and Porsche. In 2000 I bought a brand new Boxster S with some cool options including the speedster humps and in 2007 I bought an ERA 427 Cobra replica.
The Boxster is bone stock with 24k miles and I won't get to far into that car, it is what it is. The Cobra is a different story and I'll explain.
I've always been an original guy, can't tell you why just love(d) the details and the research that goes into the nuts and bolts. I'm sure there are some that put me to shame. When I started my Cobra research I knew very little and did the same thing I am doing here, asking a lot of questions, talking to original, unrestored Cobra owners and basically traveling up and down the east coast documenting as much as I could about original unrestored Cobras. I was very lucky to have access to an unrestored Cobra with 5,600 miles. It is/was an absolute treasure chest of info for me in my build. My interest/area of expertise was the street car version of the Cobra. My "handle" comes from that, 428street is the car that I built (Shelby Cobra with a 428 PI engine and under car or street exhaust as it was named). I use it all the time on other forums and by no means was used to be evasive. Without getting to crazy with the details and history there were roughly 350 big block Cobras ever built in the sixties and sold through Shelby American. Of those 350 cars, 260 were street cars - under car exhaust and 100 of those cars had a 428 PI (Police Interceptor) motor. These cars are often referred to as CSX cars - 60's built from Shelby in Ca, bodies from England, motors from Ford. That is a true original Cobra period, end of story. Anything short of that is a replica in some form or fashion.
To say I've had probably hundreds of conversations with people about replicas is probably on the short side. I get the whole thing. In the end, its not real and never will be. Only your time, mechanical expertise and money can make it as close as "you" want it to but a replica but it will always be a non-CSX car.
I have probably one of the most accurate replicas (fiberglass not steel bodied) in the Cobra World and I get many, many requests for help from other guys and gals asking for my help to get them to where my car is. I am very proud of the car but also very humble about it as well.
So, thats the RDV on my original obsession thing and why out of the gate I wanted to go that route with this Speedster. As I hear more and more about the Speedster I'm more than likely going to get away from my obsession to be as original as possible for many reasons. I don't think I can deal with a 70, 80, 90 HP engine. I want as much reliability as I can get. You build this beautiful car and it looks great but can't get out of its own way. Thats not what I want and I'm willing to give up some of the original stuff to build a car that not only looks like a Playboy pinup but that has some capability to get up and go.
Thats my story and I'm sticking to it
Here are a few pics of my Cobra.
Good description. I wanted a car that looked like it rolled out of the show room in 1958.
I’m an engineer (electrical) who retired from the auto industry and am big on home improvement, but not so much on auto mechanics.
My car was spec’d very well, but after getting the car, the romance with 1950’s tech quickly faded and I started upgrading mechanicals. First to go was the cable clutch, then sloppy shifter, then rear drum brakes, then LED headlamp and tail lamps, then center high-mount stop lamp (I could go on an on).
Finally, I was seduced into Suby power and reliability.
In latter years, I tweaked the look to look like a period car that was taken racing on the weekends. I like the look.
I always say that I haven’t seen a Speedster I didn’t like, but I like mine the best, and I think we should all feel this way.
Original is fine, but these cars gradually grow into an expression of your personal taste.
Here’s a recent photo of my Natalie. Bonus points if you can figure out why she’s named that (no helping)
>
>
Beautiful car...
Gone in 60 seconds?
That is one seriously beautiful Cobra, Frank. I've always preferred the "street" look.
It's tough to make a Speedster absolutely correct, but not impossible. It just depends on the depth of your desire and your pockets. If you're going for correct looks but improved performance, then by all means go for Subaru (or Porsche) power. As far as suspension goes, while I agree that the swing axle, torsion bar is the lowest common denominator, it can be made quite responsive and fun to drive. I've done many cruises on twisty roads in mine and it has never bitten me. Just make sure you have a camber compensator to prevent jacking. Unless you're driving balls out you won't know the difference. Again, my ex-car should be available in a few months and might be a good way to test the waters before spec'ing a new build.
Better still is IRS, but that eliminates Beck, which is a poor trade-off in my view. If you have the coin, an IM with 911 front suspension is fantastic, but as you saw, the cost will rival your ERA (love those ERAs!). If you can wait a while, the new chassis under the Beck Super Coupe may be available in a Speedster, but that's likely to be a couple of years.
If you go with a pan-based car you could get the Coolrydes suspension, but that would make getting the correct "look" tougher as you'd have the higher tunnel and narrower passenger area to deal with.
The rest is just trim, which you can do to your taste. Back in the day a lot of folks modified the looks of their cars by removing bumpers, adding leather straps, and other things, so you have lots of latitude in the look while staying period correct.
Have we buried you in advice yet? Like someone else said earlier, we're really good at spending other people's money.
EDIT: By the way, we all looooove helping someone spec out a car. It's a way to relive vicariously a process that we ll did once and wish we could do again.
Thanks Lane, I'm like a sponge, take in as much as I can. All the advice is fantastic and I love all the view points, it's what makes this a cool place. I'm in no rush honestly and I'm going to make it my plan to go to and meet as many Speedster owners as I can this year and really get a ground level view of the cars. My inclination is to go with the IM BUT not sure I want to shell out that kind of coin. Beck is probably the middle for me with a suby engine and the modifications you recommend on the rear suspension. I'd like to make the external look as close as I can to original but I realize that comes with time and money. Of most concern is driving one, or driving in one. It's a hell of a leap of faith and money to not do that before I make any purchases.
If you are ever down on Long Island drop me a message and I will give you a ride in my envemo super 90. It’s pan based but not from a beetle. It does everything my old 912 did except rust. As some who learned by working on bugs and a 912 I feel very at home with the air cooled pan cars. Working on it just comes naturally after all these years. A 1776 or 1835 will move one of these quickly. But they are stinky and you will smell after a drive. I would really like to build a 62 twin grill roadster t-6 body and if I did it would be air cooled. Sure the Subaru is a much better mill but it does take away from the “original” experience.
I know that Joel Abraham's VS classic speedster ( well sorted) is about to be available . That would make for a great first speedster to drive for while and discover your particular want list .
Frank - Tom Blankinship's or Joe Fortino's Speedsters (both Suby-Becks) are gorgeous and would be great to look over and test drive. If you get to the Detroit (Tom) or Chicago (Joe) area, look 'em up. Also in Chicago is Marty (@Marty Grzynkowicz) Grzynchoweoiufsljkhgrwqlkjrwicz (nobody can spell his name) who has a loaded IM with a turbocharged Subaru motor and 911 suspension. Lots of coin in that one, but it's near the pinnacle. Oh yeah, somewhere near you is Dr. Howard Bobrow, who has an IM Speedster with 911 suspension AND engine. Now that's the freakin' pinnacle!
Thanks Tom, do you guys know anyone in my area (CT, RI, Mass) that I could hook up with? I have the name of one guy in Bridgeport who has an IM that I am going to try and hook up with but looking to see if anyone knows anyone else.
https://www.speedsterowners.co...ers?sort=VIEW_AS_MAP
Zoom in on the map until the little markers show up and you can get the names of the members in those particular areas. If you see the markers come up and there are also small black numbers keep zooming in. The numbers represent how many members in that area. Click on the markers to reveal the name of the member. Click on their names and you can see when they were last active on the site. PM the active members and see if you can check out their Speedsters.
@Robert...I already did that sir, most are inactive and I did send a couple PMs out but no response...I know this will all take time but I'd love to check on out in the flesh this Summer local...I just have to keep digging..
@Frank Zabski, Milford CT. Beautiful cobra. I much prefer the road going version rather than the calf-burning exhaust that flanks the sides on most cobra replicas. I always said if I did a cobra, it’d be a 289 with the flat sides.
As I know it’s been mentioned, drive a speedster before you finalize your needs. Compared to your 428 cobra, all our speedsters will seem very slow.
I don’t know your tolerance though, or even how you plan to drive your car. I’ve had really fast cars, and very slow cars. Looking back, I’ve had some of the best memories in the slower cars; and coincidentally less speeding tickets.
I too prefer period correct. I actually wanted a car that feels old. And I love the sound of the air cooled in the back.
But that’s what makes replica ownership fun. As it’s been said before, it’s a big tent with room for everyone.
Thank you Kevin. I am much not a speed guy and much more a lines guy. I have a couple of fast cars but for me going 100 mph in a straight away every once in a while and going through the gear box on a nice crisp morning is all I need. Never been into excessive speed, autocross, tracking, etc. I am sure that is all fun and not knocking it at all just not my thing right now. I can't believe I'm even thinking about going non air cooled but I want the reliability, the extra horses and as little "stink" as possible. I'd like this to be something my wife and I can enjoy and take on some day trips, etc. She's only been in the Cobra a handful of times in the 10+ years I've had it. It actually doesn't stink that bad at all but it's there for sure.
Lane Anderson posted:Frank - Tom Blankinship's or Joe Fortino's Speedsters (both Suby-Becks) are gorgeous and would be great to look over and test drive. If you get to the Detroit (Tom) or Chicago (Joe) area, look 'em up. Also in Chicago is Marty (@Marty Grzynkowicz) Grzynchoweoiufsljkhgrwqlkjrwicz (nobody can spell his name) who has a loaded IM with a turbocharged Subaru motor and 911 suspension. Lots of coin in that one, but it's near the pinnacle. Oh yeah, somewhere near you is Dr. Howard Bobrow, who has an IM Speedster with 911 suspension AND engine. Now that's the freakin' pinnacle!
The dentist’s car is candy apple blue with white interior a a full IM 6 cyl
Marty G XYZ much easier to say
has a nice turbo with power seats rven and 911 front, type1 rear and sways
the other dentist Joel Abraham’s car should be a nice first car for sure
It is In NJ
Ray
Thanks guys, not ready to buy anything right now but soon...maybe fall time or Spring 19...
You need to take PaulEnvemo up on his offer. The Brazilian built Envemo Super 90 coupe and cabriolet are truly unique as near as an original later 356C that is available. Story is that Porsche okayed their sale in Europe due to their authenticity - Porsche dealers actually sold them. There were only 202 coupes and 100 cabriolets produced.
Not sure how old this ad is - price is great at $20k plus shipping from Brazil.
http://topclassiccarsforsale.c...-90-porsche-356.html
428Street, Milford CT. posted:I can't believe I'm even thinking about going non air cooled but I want the reliability, the extra horses and as little "stink" as possible. I'd like this to be something my wife and I can enjoy and take on some day trips, etc. She's only been in the Cobra a handful of times in the 10+ years I've had it. It actually doesn't stink that bad at all but it's there for sure.
A couple of observations and I will admit that I thought you were a smoooooth troll for some time during this thread until I saw your Cobra. It truly is a beaut and a very impressive build. I'd love to have one just like that. ....but what makes you think a Speedster will not "stink" as much as a Cobra in the eyes ( nose ) of your Wife ?
Does the Cobra stink while sitting in the garage or does she think it stinks while driving in it with you ?
428Street, Milford CT. posted:Here are a few pics of my Cobra.
WOW!! Dear Santa....
Frank, that is an awesome car and definitely shows your attention to detail and 'pride-of-ownership'.
I have no pearls-of-wisdom to further this topic, but just some additional perspective.
Once in a while I will go to one of the local Cars & Coffee gatherings. When I park my car, I leave this placard on my windshield...
...to take the wind out of the sails of blow-hard experts who cannot pass the opportunity to showcase their 'expertise' on how they can tell it's a replica. 
When asked by a passerby on "Why do I own a replica". I reply, "It's kinda like a gear-head version of implants! EVERYBODY knows they're fake, yet they're still nice to look at and WAAAY more fun than the originals."
I will enjoy following your Speedster project endeavor! Have fun in the journey!
Oh, and 'Welcome To The Madness'!
Yeah...the why do you own a replica question. Like it’s some fake Rolex. Let’s see ...some 4000 speedsters made from 55 to 58. What ? 90 percent of them rusted, wrecked crashed and crushed. I love the “oh. It’s not original” from some of the 356 and PCA putzs. Oh and yours is ? with it’s new floor pans, new longitudinals, new rockers and on and on. Most of us here could find an original 356 variant (not a speedster obviously)for the money we’ve dumped into our replicas but for what? A really flawed car? Think about this. When Intermeccanica first came out with their 356 speedster replicas in 1976 they were about 12 grand and originals werent much more than that....maybe 20 grand for a mint speedster tops. My friends dad bought a brand new 356 roadster in 1961 and by 64 traded it in on a new beetle because it’s rockers and floor were rotting. They were horrible when new and the replicas solved a lot of the flaws. Now they solve the biggest flaw...the current bloated prices for the surviving real ones.
WOLFGANG posted:You need to take PaulEnvemo up on his offer. The Brazilian built Envemo Super 90 coupe and cabriolet are truly unique as near as an original later 356C that is available. Story is that Porsche okayed their sale in Europe due to their authenticity - Porsche dealers actually sold them. There were only 202 coupes and 100 cabriolets produced.
Not sure how old this ad is - price is great at $20k plus shipping from Brazil.
http://topclassiccarsforsale.c...-90-porsche-356.html
And some of the 356 registry and pca putzs still scoff at it. They don’t know that Porsche supplied the plans to do the cabriolet tops and that they were sold in dealers in Germany. Honestly it’s the best kept secret out there.
