Want to feel good about your decision to buy a plastic car?

WOW is right! 

Stan, huh? What's Wow? Please elaborate (please 'splain). Jim? I need to come visit for orientation in Stanistan ;-) Probably what I am not getting is John Jones of KCW's reputation (sorry, nube here).

 

BTW, I do love my plastic car, for all the right reasons and now I know it's also the people (thx SLO) 

Stan, did you intentionally put the (' apostrophe)  before the "s" instead of after in "the People's Republic of Stanistan"? I am sure you did ! Wow. Nice. Brilliant. I think I get it (?). Nice job.

Doug: Click on the highlighted first line in the original post where it says, "KCW 1958 356A Restoration". It's a hyper link to a mind-blowingly extensive (read that "expensive") 356 coupe restoration.

 

John Jones of KCW is an amazingly skilled metal-master in Colorado Springs, who used to specialize exclusively in VWs. He's branching into early air-cooled Porsches, most of which are complete rust buckets under the skin.

I got through the first 11 pages and realized that they were making a car from swiss cheese and  I gave up.

Go to the last page, Bob. The paint is M I N D B L O W I N G. The Norwegian owner wanted "I hate myself black". What he got looks about 3 feet thick.

 

John Jones and his band of misfits are skilled in ways that Wilhoit's crew can only dream about.

Yes I see. Praise. Thanks. Wow. Plastic rules - remold, re-glass, repair, re-bolt on pan/frame, whatever .... done !

Just saw the paint work on page 72. Overwhelming at any hour, but at 6:30 in the morning it's almost too much. 

 

Unbelievable paint!

Doug- I'm guessing the final bill for that coupe will be up around 80- $100,000 when it's finished? A rebuild of the engine would be in the neighborhood of $10,000 and size is pretty limited (no stroker 2 or 2.2 liters), so you're also limited for power output; 180hp in a big VW engine is perfectly streetable and reliable, while (iIrc) 120hp is somewhere around the limit for reliability in a 356. 1720cc's ( stock 74mm crankshaft x 86mm p/c) is a popular upgrade, and 90mm "nickies" are available from LN Engineering (1883cc's). The 356 crowd don't do "stroked" crankshafts like we do (no room?) so they're much more limited in engine size.

 

Our beasts- Way more fun and waaay less money! Al

John has had at least one guy on that car every single day for 6+ months. His rates are nowhere near Porsche restoration shop rates, but still-- it'll be every bit of that. the crying shame is that the car will be WAY too nice, and way to fragile to ever drive.

 

The days of guys harping about owning a "real" speedster for the cost of an IM are over, no matter how exotic the IM is.

Now you know why, when I found a truly rust-free example, I jumped on it...whether I needed it like a hole in the head or not.  Most of the 356s that haven't been restored look just like that one at the outset (and many that have been restored look like that once you strip away inches of bondo, wire lath and paint).  Granted my paint is not as nice as what John did here, but I drive my car, at least weekly.

Wilhoit has a 2132 cc engine, 82 stroke 91 bore. Just bring him a 912 case and about 40 G's and he'll set you right up

Jeez Stan. Not feeling too good about the resto on my 356 T1 coupe right about now!! 

The parts for these cars are just ridiculously priced also. Everything is so, so expensive.

 

Agreed on the replica as a very cost effective, practical alternative. I've never driven a real Spyder, but if my car is even 50% of the fun of a real Spyder, I'm good.

 

Anand

Anand-

 

Your car will be fantastic. I look forward to more updates.

Thanks Stan!!

 

Here's a few:

Custom logo I did for my Chuck Beck 911/4: 

 

Original style Carrera wheels with real 365 centers, riveted to alloy rims (4 kg each, total wt) 

 

 

Lightweight GT interior like this, with a VDM GT wheel

 

 

Exact replica of a Carrera Shroud, by Ibrahim Kuzu

 

 

 

1956 Bilstein jack, restored by Al Silvas

With 40 G's I'll bet he will! I didn't know guys stroked 356 cranks. And some of you guys think a big VW engine is expensive...

What hp/torque #'s is he getting, and at what rpm's?

 

Anand, your car is so much more than just 50% of the fun of a real Spyder! You can drive it as hard as you want, as parts aren't irreplaceable...

And I'm diggin' the wheels! I'd switch my car from the Fuchs alloys to wide 5's for those...Pretty cool that drum is too. Yoda out.

 

 

 

Hi Al!
I drove Willhoit's 2132--nearly got one for my 356. Really smooth, very refined motor. It just sounds like an expensive machine! Makes a reliable 160 hp. There's a dyno sheet on his site.

My CB 2165 sounds a little more crude and probably isn't quite as smooth, but for what it is and the Spyder that it is in, I'll take it. 90% of the fun and power for about 1/8 the price!

Anand

That, right there. That makes me go all weak in the knees.

 

My, oh my....

Stan,

x2