Newbie in the market for a speedster with questions

VWally-I believe the 3.44 tranny is a different geared trsns that allows you to get a higher top speed in high gear.  Google vw 344 trans.

Are you buying this from the manufacturer?  $30,000 sounds a little high.  Maybe I am just too cheap.

The 3.44 ring & pinion is aftermarket (tallest VW type 1 r&p is 3.88), and with 25" rear tires, stock 1st through 4th gears and a bigger engine (to pull the taller r&p) is really handy for cruising at slightly higher than normal highway speeds (75-85mph). It (of course) also gives slightly taller lower gears, which some guys really like with big engines. 

 

It looks like a nice car, although a tad overpriced; how many miles are on it?

Can't have too many miles, supposedly was manufactured in Sept. 2014 by Vintage Speedsters.

That will really fly with that larger engine.  As ALB said stock for years was 4.125 until ~1974 when VW went with the 3.88 - that was with a 60hp engine that would never pull a 3.44 R&P.  A 2322 cc with 180 hp sure will though. As optioned a really nice virtually new car for not bad $$$.  Classic color combo that you can't go wrong with!

Beautiful car, But as stated above it's a bit on the high side price wise.

 

Anything else besides the price? 34K? 34k would be top of the mark for a used Vintage. That's close to 'new' Vintage Speedster prices. Dont' get me wrong. That's a very nice car, but the seller is on the optimistic side. 

 

At that price, I would keep looking. As the weather starts to turn, you will be able to find many cars that are as nice as that one for under 30.  Avoid Beverly Hills Motorcars.

 

Back to this car, He's only owned it for barley 2 months.  Sounds like he's having second thoughts.  A lot of owners jump in and buy a speedster replica for the looks and assume it's going to be like a new car. They quickly realize that their dreams are not reality. 

 

Take some time to list out what you're looking for. Make a mental note of options you're looking for and use that list to guide you.  Disk brakes? Wide 5? Outlaw? Wide body? Super wide body? Is there a particular manuf. that strikes your fancy? 5 speed? ($$), Aircooled? Water cooled? etc.

 

Happy hunting. We're here for you.  You only get 3 questions to the group before you have to become a paying member. Use them wisely. (kidding... there is no limit )

 

Ted

 

34k is more than a new vintage

Have you contacted him? Reason for selling?

Pretty special car from Vintage.  If I had an interest in it I'd definitely call Kirk Duncen, Vintage Motor Car owner.  562/402-4334.  Kirk is a wonderful guy and you will find him very helpfyul.  Maybe he would sell you a brand new one just like this one for a few thousand dollars less.

 

Good luck---you are certainly looking at a wonderful type car to get into!

Thanks for all the excellent feedback!

 

I would like to stick with an aircooled VW motor (as that is what I am familiar with) and a size of 2110 or better and I like really the idea of a 2332.

 

I just spoke with the owner and apparently he had the motor produced by powerhausvwparts.com in Torrance, CA and apparently a better transmission as well. I wasnt planning on offering the full 34k asking price, but I did assume with the larger motor the value would be greater than a 1600 or even 1915?

 

He says he has owned a few of these cars and doesnt hang on to them for long and therefore has around 300 miles on the odo. He says he is selling this one to pursue an investment in Maui.

 

I have also come across another new(er) speedster on thesamba that has my interest and at about the exact same price.  I assume this one might be considered overpriced as well?

 

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/cla...etail.php?id=1698019

 

Obviously I dont want to get ripped off, but I have an itch that needs a scratchin so I do appreciate all the feedback to help me out in this endeavor! 

 

VWally

I have a beck and love it. It handles great like other Porshes I have owned great build

For the same money, its a no brainer.  Get the Beck.  I have a Vintage and after some teething problems which are normal,  I feel like I have a pretty decent car.  But it isn't a Beck. There is a definite difference in handling between the stock VW pan based cars and the tube chassis cars.  For the same money, there is no choice, get the Beck.

No contest.  Get the Beck

I'll say this, you got good taste!

Thanks for this. Where I am really naive is with the differences between manufacturers.  From the little I know Intermeccanica seem to be top of the line but quite pricey as well, and the rest kinda muddled somewhere behind.  I had assumed vintage speedster and beck were quite similar aside from the VW vs. tube chassis.

 

I do like the larger motor of the VS and the fact it is in CA (Im in Arizona) however I like the options on the Beck better.  Unfortunately since its in Indiana I wont be able to drive it back to AZ and will have to pay shipping.

 

At risk of inciting a holy war.... Is there a solid consensus which manufacturer will hold its value better over the long term?

I live in Texas and drove my Beck home from Indiana. It was a blast but it was in early March and I did not start to thaw out until I hit Texas

Isn't the weight difference several hundred pounds, favoring the Beck?  These cars are all about weight/power ratio.

Besides the tube frame/pan thing, an obvious difference is the leg room in a Beck.

That and subtle detailing, fit and finish and customer service via Special Editions (Carey & Kevin Hines). Being in Arizona, I would think you could track down some of our members who own each type and take a close look. No need to jump into it too quickly...ask me how I know (but I still like my Beck). Buying a well sorted car will also aid in your immediate enjoyment, rather than fixing everything that isn't quite right on a newer build that still needs some attention here or there.

 

If you're serious about the car, the Beck is a better deal - all day long and twice on Sunday.

 

The motor differences are negligible.

 

 

Wally,

 

FYI, for the right price, my Beck, 2666cc, Type 4 is always on the block. Red over tan.

Details and photos available if you're interested. I'm in Wisconsin, though.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=To7pkW5xyTs

 

Something else to consider:

 

For $34K you could probably order a new VS, optioned to your liking, and have them install a 2332cc engine from a proven independent engine builder (like CB Performance). Give Kirk a call and see how the numbers would work out.

 

Then, you'd have the same car you're considering (maybe a little better), but it would be under warranty. And unless these cars have been thoroughly sorted by a previous owner, a warranty can be worth a lot more than you might guess.

 

I agree with others though, the Beck looks like a better deal. It might be a good idea to have someone local check it out and make sure all is as advertised.

 

 

 

 

I recommend you spend more time thinking about what you want and researching this site on the manufacturers. How you want to use the car will influence what kind of build you want.  If you're patient you can find a much better deal than the used Vintage you found.

 

Do you want something that looks stock?  Do you want an outlaw look which also includes the wide bodies?

 

Do you want to drive it in the rain?

 

Do you need A/C?

 

If this is a fair weather toy you have more flexibility.  If you try to make it a daily driver (maybe possible in Arizona) you're going to want to consider more practical matters.

Rich's car (pictured above) is a sweetie, and would be a good acquisition for someone starting out.

 

Wally's got an itch he wants to scratch, and he's shopping in the low-mid $30Ks. There's a lot of love out there for low-mid $30K money.

 

A Powerhaus 2332 and sensibly geared transaxle in the Vintage is hard not to love, but the "new" (2012) IN Beck has a new 2110 and is a better car (IMHO). For a mid-$30K car available RIGHT NOW, the smart money's on the Beck-- hands down.

 

Some patience might be in order, though. When you have the bug, it's hard to look at this stuff objectively. Keep in mind that $30K will buy a LOT of other things.

 

The pan-based/Beck comparison has been elaborated above, but I feel I'd be remiss not to discuss (well advocate for, I suppose) Intermeccanica here, as well. An IM is long money, but I wish I had all the money back I frittered away trying to replicate the build quality with other product. Little details like door handles with key locks in the buttons, knowing that all the little "out-of-sight bits" on the car are the best money can buy (German Lobro CV joints, high-quality wheel bearings, etc.) make an Intermeccancia more than the sum of it's parts. For example, nobody else is building cars with 911 longitudinal torsion bar front suspensions. So what, you ask? So, so about a huge trunk, 911 handling, and a very.very large fuel cell.An IM is the very best car that can be hand-built to replicate something 55 years old. There's a lot of intrinsic value in that, regardless of the upfront cost. It's hard to make a strong argument for a car like my IM (with the VW beam)-- but IM offers some incredible suspension combinations, even if you are staying with a flat 4 ACVW.

 

In the end, you can't do very much about the limitations of a pan-based car (the footwells are never going to be big enough, unless your name is Cinderella). A basic pan-based car is a great place to start... and maybe a great place to finish, as long as you are OK with the limitations. Jim Ignacio drives the wheels off his car, and he's probably the smartest guy in the room. He doesn't overwhelm the package trying to make it something it's not, so he's got a stock stroke Type 1 with a 3.88 and a good exhaust. He cruises with it. It's fantastic at what it is.

 

Making it something more complicates things on an order of magnitude. If you want more, it's going to cost more. There's no free rides in this hobby-- 99% of the time, you'll pay for absolutely everything you receive. You don't always get what you pay for, but you ALWAYS pay for what you get.

 

Happy hunting. Forewarned is forearmed.

Tom:

 

I didn't say it was a 'starter' car.  I said it would be good for someone starting out.

 

Why not buy a great car the first time around, instead of some POS?

 

And if you were referring to my 2332, any time you want a run, just let me know.

 

Per my experiences that VS is way over priced. Beck for the same $ is a no brainer and a nice ride. ....You could spec out a new VS w/ your colors etc and save thousands .....

 

VWally.  Check the "Dialogs" box in the upper right corner of this page.

Personally I think Rich's car isn't suitable for most folks. It has a dual-plug very highly tuned type4 in it. It needs an aircooled-aware type of owner/mechanic. Kind of a hands-on caretaker of sorts. Probably not a great choice for a noob. I really hope this post doesn't insult anyone as that is not my intention.

 

Buy the Beck with the 2110.

He did say he was a lifelong aircooled VW guy ! But I would go with the Beck, too, given a choice. I wish I had these kind of problems..

Agreed, but being a life-long VW guy doesn't guarantee dual-carb high-strung familiarity. He could be a stock or near stock kinda guy.