Oh, oh - Do you think someone will notice?

I'm a member of the Porsche Club in the War Bonnet Region (although the '71 911 that really qualifies for membership will never get the attention that the Speedie gets) and we drove the RED TUB to one of the meetings last year. I was very forward about its heritage, lineage, etc., even giving a plug to VS to whoever would listen. As most of us can attest, you receive two distinct reactions. There are the people that think it's really cool and want to know all about it, and alternatively, you have the ones that don't say anything to you at all and talk loudly behind your back about the car not being real. I wonder what feedback I'll get on this faux pas? (No, I did not take nor submit the photo - although I do remember someone asking if it was okay.)

Nice poster shot, Cal!!

Congrats Cal... As soon as the weather improves, let's get together. I'm in Edmond now (Danforth, between Santa Fe and Western Ave).

That's a great one! Good lookin' cover. Ya gotta attend the next meeting and hear how the phonebook committee fares and report back.
~WB

Oh yeah, we gotta hear how THAT meeting goes.

Cal:

I see the same thing when I go to the "Porsche Fests" at the Transportation Museum in Boston in the Summer. This guy who had arrived earlier with a 911 something-or-other wandered over to the 356 line-up and was looking at the cars. When he got to mine (the only replica there and parked right next to a steel '56 Speedster) he looked it over then carefully tapped the fender and told his hanger-on "This one ain't real." When he started making a little more noise about it, one of the other club members (a very respected owner of a high bucks Steel Speedster AND a 50 VW sedan - both 100 pointers) commented to him "Oh, it's Real alright - so real your pitiful 911 would have to really scratch to keep up!"

The guy just huffed and walked away, scowling over his shoulder. Then the fellow who made the comment turns to me and says, "Three quarters of his car came from other cars and reproduction shops. So who has the replica??"

Made me feel pretty good after that.....

OK, let me put in my two cents worth on this one ...

I own a "real" 356 coupe and belong to the 356 Registry and the Rocky Mountain 356Registry and have a VS Speedster. I thoroughly enjoy both and show them to both groups. Some object, others do not! I ask you to please forgive those who make big negative remarks because they really are defending themselves. Consider .... those people usually only have ONE car and that is the one they have spent MOST of their disposable income on. They feel offended by those of us who do not have a REAL one and feel we are TAKING AWAY from their gross expenditure on their "loves" and have a cheaper imitation. That is very understandable, BUT, they really don't understand that we are complimenting their choice; honoring their choice and showing how much we respect their choice! They also do not understand that we also have many more dollars involved in our cars than they think. Often more than theirs cost! These are not "kit cars", they are serious drivers and show how much we admire the style and legacy surrounding them. I suggest that if they cannot be more gracious with us WE can be more patient and gracious with them.

Happy Trails,
Dusty and the tolerant Miss Sharon

Cal, I vote we make you and Dusty the official SOC-PCA liaisons.

...then I'd like to be Seargent-at-Arms! I still like to mix it up now and then...

I would like to apply for the job of quartermaster in charge of egg sammiches. The Sergeant-at-arms gets an extra helping while I hold the position. That's a campaign promise you can count on.

Hey, I would love to be able to afford a real one. But then, would I drive it anyplace. Probably not. So imposters, unite, we definitely have more fun.
WW

One can think out of the box, slice and dice w/o being crucified too.

Received confirmation from the Porsche Club War Bonnet regional guy that the cover of the Directory was done with full appreciation of it being a replica and because he "loved" the picture.

So ....

To all those real Porsche folks that see these little reproductions as a sincere effort to share the beauty and the timeless design - wanna take a test drive? And, yeah, thanks!

To all those real Porsche folks that think they are an abomination - nice cover, huh?

Long live the replica!

Don't give me wrong, I love speedsters (real and replicas) BUT for a 100K + I can think waayyy too many cars that can rock my world. A GT2 comes to mind. So my vote goes to replicas hands down.
Now,If you have a real speedster and you keep it as an investment,then it is a different story. Most likely the replica will out perform the real one so,why bother?

Cal:

Welcome PCA Cover-Brother!! My car was on the cover of the PCA Northeast monthly newsletter (a magazine, really, called the Nor'Easter) back in November, 2005. In fact, there were two cars on the cover; my outlaw replica in the foreground, and a 100-point, steel, '56 Speedster right beside her.

I told the publisher that my car was a replica, but his comment was similar to what you heard: It's a great photo of a couple of great cars and he was happy to put it on the cover.

That pretty much says it all......

gn

Yo Dusty: You nailed, MGM. There is the Speedster mystique, the timeless style, the emotion and the investment, to say nothing of the fun-to-drive quotient. Real or otherwise, we are all in for these things. It's not either/or but good and better. Put a real old steel one up against one of Henry's special-built 911 Speedsters and see what the other guys say.

Reading TC's post titled INSANE and then MUSBJIM's follow up on giving up his PCA membership reminded me about why we didn't renew our PCA membership as well. Guess the little car won't make the cover of the directory this year, but we also found that the SOC folks are a lot more fun to be with....just wish there were more of them around here.

Cal, If you feel like an outcast try this on for size. I recently bought a Spyder in Corvette blue with a white interior and a water cooled Rabbit engine! Thank goodness I (hopefully will be registered with CA in time for Morro Bay) will be riding with the SOCAL SOC.
Roy

Roy, glad you found a replacement. Looking forward to seeing you and the Spyder on the run to Morro Bay!

Roy - NOW you are REALLY the cat's meow in Naples SoCal!! Looking forward to seeing your new Spyder!! Maybe we can meet you some morning for breakfast at Schooner's (at the marina) or that little breakfast place in Naples (next to the laundromat).

Jim and Will,
I have just started the battle with the CA DMV et al. I certainly hope to be driving with you soon. The car experienced only minor problem driving back from New Mexico for 1000 miles on the Southern route through rain and blowing sand at the border. The only serious problems experienced were the Flautas for lunch in Cochella! Would be great to meet you for a breakfast in LB.
Roy

Roy,

Which Rabbit engine do you have? I have the 1.8t putting out approx 200HP and it really moves my IM roadster. I can only imagine the performance you get with the lighter 550!

Tomm

Dusty--so well said, my friend. That certainly sums it up.

At a recent outing with a dozen Speedsters including one "real" one
the nice real one's owner was disappointed whenever the group stopped for lunch or sightseeing and the many lookers swarmed over the replicas and paid little attention to his "real" one. As the folks walked by I overheard him say a few times to various passers-by "well THIS one is real." Of course the folks had zero clue as to what his comment might have meant--all they knew was that the other cars were truly beautiful, pristeen, georgeous and appeared to also be real cars as the drivers arrived driving them! I guess his comment could have been taken a few ways buy as I don't know him well I can't imagine what would prompt such a statement. Maybe the lack of attention from the "uneducated in Speedersterdom folks" it garnered?

Of course the "real" one was worth maybe what six of the plastic ones were worth, but all anyone looking at the cars cared about was what they saw. Any one of the maybe 50 people who looked at the dozen cars lined up would have chosen eleven others to own for themselves as they were without the snobbery that Dusty so perfectly wrote about.

I myself have never witnessed any kind of snobbery and get gracious waves from Porsche drivers and car people can tell what they're looking at--either real or replica. I say let's all live and let live but thought this story was interesting. Your mileage may vary.---Jack

This past summer I was out for a ride in my 08 VS. I guy in a Volvo wagon flaged me down He had been restoring a speedster for the last 3 years and wanted to tell me about the project. He said his car was being painted as we spoke. He commented on how nice my car was and did I do the work myself I said its a replica taped on the side and said its fiberglass. His jaw droped he turned around and left in his car he did not say another word. I continued on my ride with a big smile on my face Dan

Tomm, All provided information says 2.0 L. I have yet to research the engine number to verify. It is very responsive and stable up to and beyond a SEG.

Roy, that is normally aspirated, right? Carey says he likes the nice flat torque curve of that setup.

here's my torque curve prior to doubling the boost. Might be a bit higher now.

Your 2.0 NA rabbit 8V engine is a strong workhorse with plenty of potential.

Tomm & Daniel, I sent Carey an email containing a description and numbers from this fuel injected engine. He has offered to help me to define the engine for the CHP which will assign an official description for registration and smog purposes in CA. It is also missing a Federal and EPA label which upsets the DMV. He recalls that the car and it's duplicate were built about the time Chamonix in Brazil was switching from the 2L to the 1.8L. So despite the advertised description, the question remains to be answered.

Roy, nice catch here. Personally I am afraid of spyders. I look forward to seeing that new ride when we meet for Morro at the motel in Topanga Canyon.. Blue yuh! ...Nice....

Speedster "D"

Roy, don't forget to wash your hands after encounters with the speedies ;)
See you at Morro -- you'll have a blast.

Mark

The fact is Most folks can't afford a real 356 the replica's are more with in our means to have . So naturialey they are gonna compare and look and figure out what THEY may want get. as apposed to taking out a second morgage. for real one.. that really needs to be put up as a show peace..

This is really simple: Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. We love the marque as much as they do, we love the style as much as they do, and we have the same (OK, MORE) fun as they do, and spend less. What's not to like? I understand the desire to have serial nuimbers just right, all original resto, and concours 100 pt stuff. It is way cool and is another form of madness. It's just a different thing than running about in a Speedster Replica. Live. Let live. Enjoy.

Having been a concours judge for some 25 years, I think I can say without a doubt that I would rather hang with the SOC'ers than the Concours people any day of the week...

Amen, Vince!

I WOULD NOT CHOP UP A REAL SPEEDSTER UNLESS YOU PAID ME/THERE JUST CARS. YOU HAVE TO THINK OUT SIDE THE BOX TO TRUELY SEE WHAT THE BOX HOLDS.THE PUREST CAN'T GET OUT OF THE BOX

This topic always gives me a giggle... I like what you said Vince. When I had a sorta rare 356 roadster, I had concourse-type guys come up to me and ask me all this minutia and it was hard not to fall asleep standing there with them.

Now I know that remark barks of reverse-discrimination but alas, most of my 356 experiences have leaned that way. I sorta get what Dusty was saying about diluting their significance(?) but as I've said in the past, they are just cars, fine cars, but cars in the end and if you have to hear yourself puff yours up at someone else's expense, shame on you.

In the faux-pas category, planned and/or otherwise I offer the SoCal 356 event that used John Leader's superb JPScarerra on their promotional materials. (A lot of those southerners were less than accepting of a gang of us replicants showing up at one of their North Meets South events one year; the year Jim Ward won their Iron Butt award for the longest haul to get there!)

Blowing my own horn,(thumbing my nose at tradition) Butch was mistakenly entered into an all-Porsche category at the Ventura Poschefest by one of their gatekeepers. He won the class.

Stealing a quote elsewhere(appropriately)seems apropos, "drive it like you stole it..." and "the older I get, the faster I was!"

Now when's this depression gonna be over so I can buy me a real 356 (engine for my v-Dub)?

Paul -

Whatever became of your single-cab transporter?

I'm guessing that many of the most obnoxious "purists" derive a sense of superiority over the replica crowd. They can't drive their ultra-expensive originals very much so they pour their psychic energy into minutae that only they can actually compete in. That gives them that smugness that we all hate. I say screw the minutae, these were designed to be fun automoblies , to be driven ; not as line items on someone's balance sheet.Original owners of original Porsches were not snobs, they were enthusiasts. I had an old '58 coupe back in the late 60's. Whenever I passed another Porsche, we would wave or blink headlights as a greeting, even on super highways wit 100 yards separating the lanes. Try that today!! If you even get a response, it would probably be a dirty look.These aren't the same type Porsche people.

Dan, you are right about the light flash.. When I bought my first Porsche, a 356R, as in Really Rusty 356, I was clueless about the headlight flash tradition. I was 18 years old and thought it was a little weird when this 30 something guy in a Kelly green 911 would pass me on the road near my house and flash the headlights. One day as I was getting fuel, he pulled into the station and said hello. We chatted about our cars and he asked if my hi beam flasher was broken. I said "What Hi-beam flasher?" He showed me how the stalk would flash and explained about the greeting of Porsche owners. He also invited me to see his other cars. I was still felt a little funny about the guy, but stopped by his house one day. In his garage is a 904GTS, 2 550s, a R60, and a 1958 Carrera coupe! All cars were tagged and he drove them on the street frequently! He was a real nice guy and on top of the cars he had a hot 16 year old daughter that I wound up with in the back of my VW bus at the beach later that night. That's comraderie! I never get a flash here in SoCal anymore. The breed of owner is different.