https://www.socalspeedsters.com/
What's up with this? New advertisement on this site.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Link doesn't work for me.
New owner introduced himself here on another thread. He's a new (bought BHM) builder in CA. So a new sponsor of SOC - welcome.
Nice webpage. Wishing him luck.
Who's cars? VM, Beck, TR??? Has he developed his own cars? A 356, 550 and a coupe? How does someone instantly develop 3 cars? Are they pan or spaceframe? Suby available?
@Alan Merklin posted:Link doesn't work for me.
Mine works.
Google socal speedsters
Its also an add on our site. You can click on it.
Google maps estimates a mere 12 minute drive between SoCal Speedsters and JPS. Coincidence?
@Jon T posted:Google maps estimates a mere 12 minute drive between SoCal Speedsters and JPS. Coincidence?
Hmmm
the plot thickens...
It is a little confusing to see "vintage Speedster" used so often on the site.
Probably JPS speedster and Coupe. Figure he acquired the Thunder Ranch Spyder setup. I know TR was acquired by someone else a few years back before it went belly up. TR had a speedster too. But not a coupe. Coupes are pretty rare. VMC has the pre-A in very limited production. Beck has the new super coupe which I believe is a C? And of course JPS has a coupe. Got to be a JPS coupe. There has to be someone on this site that has the scoop. Coupe scoop???
I always thought that Carrera Coachworks then Rock West Racing(or something like that and maybe in reverse order) acquired TR then it went to Doc Kleber at Kitman Motors.
Uses Vintage Speedster all over his website and the Spyder on his website was the 1st car I built when I started. I don't understand why these companies can't use their own pictures of cars they have built.... I guess it's because they really haven't built any.
Owner of SoCal Speedsters purchased assests from Beverly Hills Motorcars , previous owner purchased Speedster and coupe bodies from me maybe 6 or 7 speedsters and Two coupes in the last 5 yrs. I guess now the new owner claims he has his own molds and has another company in Mexico building his bodies. Sorry but from what I am reading on his website it all sounds like BS to me.
Doug mentions that "SoCal Speedsters has been a leading manufacturer of premium Vintage Speedsters, Porsche Replicas and Vintage Porsche Spyder 550 Replicas for more than 15 years (previously named Beverly Hills Motorcars)." I think calling Beverly Hills Motorcars a leading manufacturer could be a stretch but hey, I am a little biased.
Since they are manufacturing Vintage Speedsters maybe all those who lost their deposits could ask Doug for their money back. Sorry to make a joke of it but with people getting screwed by VS, SAS, etc you would think a new player would choose their wording a bit more carefully. They also focus on building Porsche 356 Replicas and use the Porsche name quite a bit so perhaps the folks at Porsche will be interested in all of the cars they are building as well.
Customer get their choice of ordering a Vintage Speedster or a Porsche 356 Replica from them so it will be interesting to see which they sell more of.
I think I am more fascinated with the disappearing hood handle in the coupe photos myself
Website states the coupe comes standard with Vintage 190 chrome wheels??? I only.make the Vintage 190 in polished aluminum no chrome. 🤷♂️
@VSpyder Maybe he gets them from Vintage Speedsters 
.
@Jon T posted:.Google maps estimates a mere 12 minute drive between SoCal Speedsters and JPS.
.
And we have video of that first minute:
@Sacto Mitch haa!...that's toooo good!...it would be funny if it wasn't so accurate....been there done that!...seen it up close and personal 
....more than once....luckily now just a painful memory ....let the buyer beware was never more true!!
With a 2-3 year wait to have a Speedster/Spyder/Coupe built and increase price of both new and used, there is room for new builders to participate in the market. Scary times to start a business in US with increase parts, labor and shipping costs. Nice to have another corporate SOC sponsor! Keep our hobby alive.
.
I hope I WAS being too harsh above and that SoCal doesn't deserve to be placed in such company.
He could sure help his case by telling us more about himself, his experience in the business, and his plans. And photos of his shop, builds in progress, and shop staff would certainly help, too. All of the respected, established builders we've known have been anxious to share that. Only the charlatans have been reluctant.
As it is, there are some troubling parallels with the Arizona enterprise. The 'builder' seems to have experience only in selling other builders' cars. The business address is a small unit in a suburban tilt-up business park that closely resembles the Arizona site — at first glance much too small to house the shop areas shown in the car photos.
Wolfgang says, "With a 2-3 year wait to have a Speedster/Spyder/Coupe built and increase price of both new and used, there is room for new builders...". True, but the door is also wide open for new opportunists.
There's no sadder day here than when a new enthusiast arrives with tales of how he's just sent off a fat deposit to a vendor with a checkered past and none of us has the heart to tell him what we really think of his decision. As a community, are there things we can do to keep that from happening so often?
If new vendors want to use this site as a tool for attracting business, the least they can do is explain why they deserve our trust. I think it's not at all rude to ask that they do so.
If they have nothing to hide, they shouldn't fear or resent an open dialogue. I'd think they'd encourage one.
.
I've got a bad taste in my mouth already when this guy claims that BHM was a leading manufacturer. There is promotion, then there is dishonesty. By what metric was BHM a "leading manufacturer"?
They were known for advertising cars that weren't available and then trying to suck in customers to buy something else or they might have one built for them.
Based on the information this gentleman previously posted on SOC website and sort of subjected himself to an interview of sorts, my BS detector was already on alert. After see this marketing piece if is now going off. Of course PT Barnum was right and it is human nature to believe what you are told as several on this site have experience. My guess he is banking on potential customers that have probably see Beverly Hills ad over the years and so associated it with Speedsters. Thinking this would lend credibility his story. My assessment.......Run Away!