Hi gang, I'm new to this forum and to California, having just relocated from the Midwest. I've been thinking about getting a roadster or convertible for day trips along Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway to non-Californians). Sort of like a politician forming an "exploratory committee" in anticipation of running for higher office. :-)
Some background - I grew up reading about the exploits of Phil Hill and Dan Gurney in Road & Track. (Henry N. Manney is still one of my favorite writer/journalists.) At that time, Porsche was still a "regular guy's sports car", and their habit of moving up to top-10 finishes in endurance races endeared them to a lot of people.
Also, I previously owned an Alfa Romeo Spyder, which I dearly loved but had to sell as my family grew. So naturally, I started looking at Alfas. But then I stumbled across a 550 Spyder for sale on eBay, and that made me re-think the equasion.
For a day trip on Highway 1, you don't need a lot of creature comforts, so long as you enjoy the sun and the wind and the happy noises of a 4-cylinder engine at work. And Highway 1 is no fun in many big, heavy passenger cars. (Later Alfa Spyders tipped the scales at nearly 3000 lbs.)
Plus, these little 550s remind me of "the good old days", and why I used to appreciate Porsches. I'm attracted to Vintage Spyders because of their space frame, and to using Subaru's flat-4 for propulsion. (For me, the "good old days" does not include endless valve adjustments.)
And yet one can't deny the pleasure that owners get from their Beck and Thunder Ranch Spyders. What are the pluses and minuses of these vendors?
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