New From Maryland!

The question you have to ask is are you willing to wait 2+ years for delivery.  Do some research on SAS on this site and reach your own conclusions.

I highly recommend you look at Special Edition www.beckspeedster.com.  Likewise do research here & contact Carey Hines.

Carlisle will allow you to compare all varieties. I would imagine most owners would allow you to try their car on for size. That and you will have 3 manufacturers there as well.

Really good info in both the above posts.  

 

It's not too long til the Carlisle Kit Car Show, it's a day trip for you at minimum but you could easily spend the weekend there, see every car make, talk to the owners (and a few of the builders) and get a TON of background on them all.  Plus we're a really cool bunch to hang with.

 

Specialty Autos has built terrific cars in the past, but there is no getting around their VERY low build volume - like 1-3 cars PER YEAR.  I don't know what their backlog is right now, but if it were only ten cars, at that rate you'll be waiting 3-5 years for delivery unless you buy out someone who is already waiting in line and not willing to wait any longer.

 

Might be worth it to do a lot of research on here for customer experiences with ALL of the builders since all of them could build what you want (with varying degrees of customer satisfaction).

I too am looking at speedsters having owned most affordable sports cars. My daily driver is now a 911, but if i wasn't for the coolness factor of the 356 and its beauty of a work of art you could swallow the stupid "chick car" stigma and try a Boxster  S. They are available at half the price of a speedster replica almost and deliver incredible balanced performance. Amazing bang for the buck. Most fun car to drive.  There is still a great smile factor with a MINI S, especially the John Cooper Works Edition too. Had one of them too (I'm old).  Remember, you get power windows, real heat, and lots more modern conveniences with a MINI S or Boxster S. But if you are nuts for the old skool coolness and beauty of the Speedster replica I can't blame you. I'm poking around for one too.

I would LOVE a Boxster - seems like good inexpensive fun, but the is NO WAY I can fit in it.

Boxsters have a good number of IMS woes which makes for big bucks to replace the motor ..I believe the newer ones may...have that issue resolved.

Well....I could care less about the chick factor stuff.  I have a Cayman and it is a a much better choice for a daily driver than a 911.

 

You obviously know the costs of maintaining or repairing a Porsche and with that consideration, it is difficult to imagine a better value than a used Boxster.

 

It is one of the best handling and performing cars in the world for any price and I suspect if you want to build a replica to provide that kind of performance and safety and comfort, you will pay many multiples of the cost of a very good low mileage used Boxster. You need to avoid the IMS problem.

 

Now having said that, I really enjoy my VW based JPS but it is a toy and would not be a suitable daily driver for me. My daily driver is a chevy pickup. 

Last summer I was sitting in front of a nice 911 convertible at a stop light in the left lane.  Somebody pulled up beside me in the right lane and started gushing about my car.  I thought that that had to suck for the 911 owner :-)

We have custom built Speedsters for clients as tall as 6'6".  There are lots of "tricks" to consider (pedal spacing, shifter placement, seal belt placement/length, to name a few)  We have remedies for all of this, including custom VW pedals that are made 3/4" wider per pedal to allow for big feet.

I HIGHLY doubt that you will comfortably fit in the mid engine version of the speedster and the tricks we use to move the seat back cannot be done in this car easily due to engine placement.  FYI I am basing my comments on 2 mid engine SAS/SAW Speedsters I have driven.  Obviously my opinion is not unbiased, so please try one on for yourself...  Likewise, I'd tell you the same thing about  my mid engine Beck Spyder (if you were inquiring about it)... you'd be a TIGHT fit and there isn't much I can do in a Spyder to help that.

Back to the Speedster, some of these changes are simple and inexpensive, but most are time consuming and costly.  The "bigfoot" pedals are scratch built and alone run $1300.  The modification to the floor is quick and easy and only runs about $300, but the modification to the rear shelf is time consuming (and structurally important) and you'll have a grand in doing it.

No one knows how many buyers have paid deposits to SAS, which means you don't know how many others are ahead of you in the queue.  A recent member of the queue recently posted his research on queue members and dates of payment.  There are currently AT LEAST 15 buyers who have paid deposits, dating back to 2007, but haven't received cars.  At the current build rate, that means 10 years to get a car.  Unfortunately, the list provided on the web site (www.sasowners.freeforums.org) is likely not complete, but no one on the list can get the identity or date of deposits of other queue members.  Caveat emptor!

Don't mean to hijiack this thread about other options to a speedster (since I am shopping for one too) but I have to agree that the Cayman has to be the superior driving ( and maybe the prettiest) Porsche, even compared to a modern 911. The only reason I started with Boxsters and now drive a 911 cabrio was I wanted air in the hair and there is no sunroof option on a Cayman or I would have bought one.

 

I sold one of my Boxster S's to a tall guy (like 6'4" or 6'5"), luckily for him because the power seat height adjustment.

 

If you want to be  unique and spartan and super kool and have air in the hair you could consider a Lotus 7 replicant like a Caterham for the same speedster money.

Most of those cars require wind buffering add-ons or a helmet to enjoy the speeds they can attain.  Also a tight fit for the tall person.   Don't know about seat adjustments in the Elise. They are in the same range of price and have great perfomance and unique looks.

 

I tried to buy a new SAS subey and am too old to wait for the 18 to 24 months that they thought it would take.  I'm living precious dog years now.

Also, there is screaming performance for the price in a Honda 2000.

Before I really got into my IMs restoration I seriously considered putting the IM into long term storage and purchasing a 2006+ S2000.  Sometimes I wish I had gone that route.

If I lived in a better climate, I would strongly consider a Cayman as a daily driver & keep Natalie for the sunny days.  As it is, I'm perfectly happy driving my 2005 through the slush & muck.  Right now, I'm mulling over getting a Fiesta GT.  Pretty impressive numbers.  Full disclosure, I'm a Ford employee & get an A-plan discount,

Yeah, nice cars unless you are 6'5"

Bigfoot21075 and ruadhd2,

 

There are a few Speedster owners located around your area.  Where are you located in Maryland?

 

A few of the Speedster owners – weather premitting – will be at the 2^nd year anniversary of the Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee on March 29 from about 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Last year there were several hundred cars in attendence. Stop by if you get a chance.

 

As others indicated, the Carlisle event is THE event of the year and a great chance for you to talk to the owners and the manufacturers...and you're welcome to participate in the activities. Check out the threads under the “Events“ category.              

I am in Silver Spring Maryland. I have been to Carlisle four or five times and twice for the kit car show. But when I go to the kit car show I have mostly been  looking at the Cobra replicants. My brother built a cobra Daytona Coupe. What a monstrous creature! I sniffed around a few Becks a couple of years ago but now I have a serious case of speedster-itis.

I am in Elkridge, the Carlisle event will be great. I will also try to hit the cand c at Hunt Valley, that is pretty close by.

Ruadhd2 and Bigfoot21075, I'm in Crownsville. I'm 5'11", and have a pretty good -- if tight -- amount of flexibility in my Speedster. While y'all probably wouldn't fit, since I built the entire chassis specifically for my frame, you're certainly welcome to give me a yell. We could drum up some of the local cars (a Thunder Ranch, a couple JPS, a Classic Motor Carriages and a few others) in advance of Carlisle.

 

Send me an e-mail at hooptypilot AT gmail dot com for my info, or go to the Speedster 'Events' list and I'm under the Carlisle shirts thread with POC info.