VINTAGE SPEEDSTERS

David:

I got the stock VS 1915 engine with the 3:88 transmission.

What are the specs on that engine?

Thanks

Dave

Hello all,

So I've always been fascinated with the 356 Speedsters, and have now started to do some research and hopefully get one within a year. One of the biggest issues however is who will build my Speedster. I live in Southern California so the luxury of being close to Vintage Speedsters and JPS is a definite plus. The question though is which one. I've read great things about Vinatge in this and other forums and I've also read great things about JPS from owners who had JPS build their Speedster. Just when I think I have made up my mind, I read a posting such as the one from NK which talks about a bad experience. So much like everyone else, when you are thinking about dishing out $25K for a toy, you always wonder what the right decision is. I was very much into visting Vinatge soon and talking to them about the building process, but I am concerned about a shop that is pumping out Speedsters like widgets and perhaps comprimising quality. Any suggestions would help.

Thanks,
Art

Art,
Don't concern yourself over the single negative post. There is no way any company can make everyone happy. You will note many many posts of satisfied VS owners. My 2001 VS has 30K miles on it and it is a great car. I had occassion to visit Kirk for some help last week when I was down for the Knott show and was treated courtesously and professionally by Kirk and his staff. VS builds a good product and the best thing you can do is meet Kirk and talk with other VS owners on this site.
Troy Montgomery

Art,
Do you happen to have about 40-50 Large in your pocket....
If so, head north to Canada and see Henry at Intermeccanica, I hear he makes the best.....If you are a regular guy like most of us who would like to have a toy for say half of the above mentioned price
stay in So. Cal. and visit the working man's shop.......
as it is with everything, it comes down to money.....
We all feel NK's pain, but it appears to be an isolated case....
Who Know's for sure what happened, NK might have a hard-on for Kirk for some reason, and decided to blast him where it hurts....
Or perhaps Kirk had a "brain fart" as we all do, and blew it on this build.....Maybe JPS is the answer for you...check them out and after you make the decision, check with them often during the build....
It's your money........

Artin; I second Troy's post. Do yourself a favor and visit both shops if you can. Both turn out a good product (in fact they both use the exact same bodies and some other components such as gauges, etc.). Take the time to talk over the options with both; I myself am satisfied with my VS.

Artin,

I had 3 key factors when I placed my order with Vintage...

First, the price was right. I didn't have $35k+ to spend so out went IM. VS worked within my budget.

Second, Kirk and crew have dealt with (most of the time annoying) questions with personal service. Out of the dozens of site visits and phone calls made to VS, I always felt that the service has was good.

Third, I live very close to VS. Being able to visit is great. Are you close JPS or VS?

To address the "quality" issue, I think you get what you pay for. I clearly see the quality differences between IM build and a VS build. IM creates a show car...VS creates a weekend driver. IM takes 6 months to build...VS takes 4 weeks. Again, cost is relative to the quality of build.

Chris

Frank,
I also live in Michigan and am in the process of a rebuild. I contacted VS as a possible source on new seats, do you have a picture of the seats, it seems that most VS speedster pictures in this site have different kinds of seats, and how bad did they nick you for shipping. Thanks Chuck

Chuck,

Glad to give any advice as I have done a number of speedster rebuilds as well as get most of my parts from VS

Alan

Jim....Welcome home....I would have liked to spend more time with you, but it appears you had one of the more popular speedsters at the show this year, and rightfully so. Your going to have to make a sign describing everything you've done, so you can just tell everyone to "read the frigging sign and leave me alone"....
Great car buddy, and as I said before, no one deserves it more.....
Love ya man.....hope to see you on the west coast again real soon..

back to this thread......
THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR....(usually)

I've had Maytag washer/dryers that were pieces of sh&t......
(if that means anything)

"To address the "quality" issue, I think you get what you pay for. I clearly see the quality differences between IM build and a VS build. IM creates a show car...VS creates a weekend driver. IM takes 6 months to build...VS takes 4 weeks. Again, cost is relative to the quality of build."

Good point, except the show car thing... I just drove my show car 4790 miles in snow, heavy rain, below freezing temps, through the desert, everywhere.... all in 2 weeks.

I think it is a road car, and a damn fast one at at that. It is a city car too. It handles so much better, travels better,.... yada. Maybe I'll show it again, probably not... I'll be too busy driving it!

Jim
A driver

Are Maytags the Vintage speedtsers of the washer/dryer world?

To the point of you get what you pay for! I have a Vintage and I have invested alot of time and money making the car what I want it to look like. I bought the car as a rolling kit from Kirk and I had it painted myself and did all the rest of the install myself. The body is sound and the chassis also sound and this was all done by Vintage. My car is a show winner!!!! Took 3rd at Knott's last year's AHA Show and two 1st Place trophies in other car shows. It will be also shown next weekend in Villa Park Calif. at a Women's League Historic Victorian Home & Garden. I will posting pics of this event next week. So again you
"DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A IM" vehicle to be a show winner!!!!!!!!!!!!


Gabe

Gabriel,
I love the color of your car. In the pictures it just looks ivory, but in person it has a really nice buttery tone to it.
-=theron

Gabriel:

Didn't a Thunder Ranch model take "Best Speedster" at this year's Knott's??

I sure hope some of these beautiful show cars come to Carlisle and keep my homebuilt, CMC beater company. :>)

Gee...Is AJ bringing his car back to Carlisle this year?????

Made us all look like second-placers.......

About this show car stuff, you guys are just kidding right?

Not to take anything away from Bill George's beautiful Thunder Ranch Speedster which won Best Speedster this year at Knott's, just what exactly do you do with a cheesy trophy after you win it?

They are not nice enough to take the time to dust and nothing looks worse that an undusted cheesy trophy.

Bill, I got my trophy from your wine cellar. What you and and bunch of us understand... that's it's the drive.. the brother (&sisterhood) that really count.

At the SOC awards.. Johnny 2 Bolts won Speedsters... Angela Lane won 550s, I was given overall.... and we all drove them in. And I'll bet that Johhny H and Angela would not trade an award for the fun of the drive. I know I wouldn't. The winners... Scott, Brian, Dale, Paul, Terry K and Terry V, all the AZ drivers, Troy.. a great guy who drove the coast and countless others.. Beth, Mary, Angela, all driving in that same spirt. There's the trophys boys and girls.

Seeing Vince and hugging.. it was a trophy. The common love for tubs and others were also 1st place trophys.

Ya want trophys... I can enter 20 meets with my VS or now my new IM and win 20 trophys.... So can each of you.

There was one trophy missing.... for long distance.. Johnny Two Bolts. My hat is off to you.


Best car there? All of them.

Jim, I hope you enjoy the wine. I have to tell you, I am still going back and looking at pictures of your car every day.

I think you might have missed the mark on replicating a Pre-57 Speedster though. For sure, no Speedster produced by Porsche ever looked that good.

They really do drive nice, don't they?

Gordon,

A.J. will be there although I'm not sure if he still fits in his Stumpster and this year he's bringing his dad along. This kid LOVES cars. For example, I took him along to the local gas station on Sunday to get a propane tank filled. We walked into the four bay garage and he was craning his neck all over, doing alot of babbling (not alot of words yet). We walked out across the lot to get the propane tank and he grabbed my finger and literally ran back into the garages so he could look all around and take everything in. A car nut at two years old!

I sometimes get caught up in the excitement, grab my wife's finger, and babble too.............. if we go to Hooter's :~)

Don't need no stinkin trophies. Like the old saying goes "the journey is the reward" What could be better than driving one of these beauties up the California coast?
Troy

I agree with Jim. These cars are about fun. They aren't the fastest. They aren't the safest.
They don't have much to them as far as creature comforts. My Speedster has wipers and lights as accessories. Oh, and a CD/radio that I have to really crank up to hear.

On my return trip from Knotts I heard a noise and was dragging something. A clamp broke on my exhaust/muffler. Diana looked on the side of the road for some bailing wire. No such luck. I ended up just breaking the pipe the rest of the way off. I finished the drive to Tucson sounding like a Baja Bug. It was fun!

Meeting all the Speedster people and having dinner, checking ou everyones cars, and hanging around was also fun. No trophies just fun.

Mary

Thank you all for the input as to VS or JPS. Like most of you, I'm not willing to drop $50K at IM, so I'll be visting JPS and VS. In fact I spoke with John at JPS on Thursday and am visting there today since it's only 15-20 minutes from where I live. Next weekend is VS visting day. I'll hopefully have a decision soon enough...

By the way... My wife has her own car that she drives with the kids in there. I work less than half a mile from where I live. How practical would it be if the Speedster was our only other car? In fact it would have to get me to work and back everyday since the SUV stays with the wife and kids.

Artin, there is a "better than new" JPS for sale by Stan Galat in the classified section. You might want to check that out as any of these cars come with a few wrinkles when new, Stan ironed all his out and did a $4000 period correct hardtop option as well.

Check it out.

Yeah, and Stan is asking a VERY fair price for his car.

If you live in LA and ever get out of the Monsoon season, a Speedster might be practical as a second car (especially Stan's, with his hard top). Bear in mind that stuffing anything more than four bags of groceries in there is a challenge (although I've driven home with an 80 lb. bag of lump charcoal on my "rear seat") and forget about having any kids sit in the back - there is ZERO leg room back there!!! My two Jack Russell Terriers don't even like being back there (they opt for "Mom's" lap or the passenger floor).

gn
One of the "Monsooned Speedstah Guys" from Rhode Island

Just a suggestion, which ever you buy, take the long way home (or to work). Half a mile won't warm up your engine enough. Of course with these cars, we're always looking for the long way.
ed

I ordered my car 4/15 it's shipping 5/9 and from the pics looks great! Kirk answered every stupid question I asked and contacted me on a regular basis..... for my money that's service!

Tony

Hey Tony:

"Practical" is such a 'subjective' description. Kinda like "Rustic decor" or "Perfect Condition". But in reference to vehicles here's my "Practical" story.

Before buying our VS Speedster I was driving my beater Ranger Rover Classic as a commuter (10 miles from office). I mentioned to my wife (now here is where "Guy Logic" is implemented) that if I got a Speedster, I could probably save on gas with the smaller car. Well, now that I drive the Speedster more-often-than-not, I'm not really saving on gas. Why? Because when I leave the office to head home, by the time I cruise through the canyon, along the coastline, by the marina and eventually home, I've tacked on about 30 miles. It is just way too much fun to drive to not take advantage of our great weather! I've got 72K miles on the odometer, and the ole VS just purrs.

I'm sure you'll have the same experience driving your "practical" car!

I hear ya Jim! Still, though, I try to refrain myself and basically use it for errands and practical purposes; it's kind of hard for me to justify burning up all that fuel just to drive for the hell of it....Still, though, you find yourself making up excuses to drive the freakin' thing.....gotta love them!

Ricardo,
Worried about burning all that fuel. Heck even at today's gas prices where else can you get this level of enjoyment for the price. Even if you were paying $5.00 per gallon what else can you do for $40 bucks (8 gallon tank) which would get you at least three hours of pure pleasure.
Troy

You've got a point there....especially since it's very hard to find $40 hookers anymore....LOL

I just took about a five hour drive yesterday and it was great. With any other car, I probably would have finished driving in about 1/2 hour.