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Hi there

Would appreciate some advise in relation to buying a Speedster Replica. I have fallen for the style of the car and am seriously considering purchasing a new black 1,600 from Vintage Speedster for $20,000 approx. Since I have started checking out the builders the emails have started to stream in , JPS, VIP Classics,356 speedsters, speciality speedsters!!!! Too many to mention

I live in Ireland so would get the car shippped over $1,000 approx, I will be purchasing the car over the net but am a bit wary. Have heard good things about Vintage Speedsters

As you may be aware the weather in Ireland can be quite wet so I want to ensure that i am not tormented with leaks etc..

I am not very technical minded but would appreciate advise from those who know or can advise.

I am looking at buying one in the next 10 Weeks so please shine some light if possible!!

Thanking you in advance
Joseph
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Hi there

Would appreciate some advise in relation to buying a Speedster Replica. I have fallen for the style of the car and am seriously considering purchasing a new black 1,600 from Vintage Speedster for $20,000 approx. Since I have started checking out the builders the emails have started to stream in , JPS, VIP Classics,356 speedsters, speciality speedsters!!!! Too many to mention

I live in Ireland so would get the car shippped over $1,000 approx, I will be purchasing the car over the net but am a bit wary. Have heard good things about Vintage Speedsters

As you may be aware the weather in Ireland can be quite wet so I want to ensure that i am not tormented with leaks etc..

I am not very technical minded but would appreciate advise from those who know or can advise.

I am looking at buying one in the next 10 Weeks so please shine some light if possible!!

Thanking you in advance
Joseph
Joseph,
Speedsters are beautiful and it is easy to see how you could get hooked by the look, so to speak. I owned a Vintage which I purchased used and came to love it. However, if weather tightness is a concern, don't get your hopes up too high. Many of the guys who own or have owned these cars (myself included) experienced substantial leaking in a rain storm. After my first experience, I would not take it out if I suspected rain. Different models available from other builders, Intermechannica and Specialty Autoworks for example, offer better weather protection, but you lose the Speedster look which is a real one of a kind. This is JMHO but I think others will agree. Someone else on the site, is that you Stan(?) has a Speedster with a hardtop. Maybe that would be a good compromise.
BTW, can you really get your car shipped all the way to your home port for $1,000? The woman who bought mine paid that to ship about 2/3 of the way across America. I guess road miles are more expensive than sea miles.
John H.

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Joseph:

Listen to these guys! Speedsters are notoriously leaky in the rain, and rain is all you get over there!!!!!!!

Seriously, though, where in Ireland are you located? There is a car dealer in Cork near the Southwest roundabout (not far from the road to the airport) who occasionally has a Speedster (Usually a Chesil, I believe) on his lot. You might have good luck looking around at local dealers or classified ads. If you are in another part of Ireland, I can't help much - I only know or have friends in the Southwest, but I may be able to help some, there.

If you're elsewhere, then check out the local advertisements first, and get someone knowlegeable to see the car with you when you find one.

Another serious alternative might be to talk with the folks at Beck motorsports about their upcoming coupe version of the 356A. A closed car makes a LOT more sense in Ireland!!!!

Gordon
"There's no such thing as bad driving weather in the British Isles, only poor clothing". (Sorry, I never can remember the difference between the designations United Kingdom, Great Britain, etc.)

Anyway, that's me cobbling a saying I once heard referring to driving open cars in Irish/English/Scottish weather. With a good waxed jacket, cap, gloves, etc. driving in the 'mist' is okay. After all, that's the land of open sports cars originally.

Anybody having drive a Frogey with the top will be happy to drive a speedster even open !!!! Robert you're damned right, they invented the open sport car, and my 1939 Lea Francis Special did not even have a top nor a windshield, only "screen savers" and I love it just for that.

I just signed my order for a VS, and finally choose a tan top despite the risk of tough maintenance (black dust lines) cause I don't forecast to have it installed anyway !!! The car will be Aquamarine blue with brown interior and tan top and tonneau cover.

Will be time to pay my donation...
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