Why are speedster owners selling at such low mileage?

I have been looking at speedsters and cannot understand why so many owners are selling their cars at mileage between 1,000 and 4,000. If these cars are so much fun and most owners spent alot of time ordering and waiting for them, why are you selling?

Just a guess Michael, but I think that sometimes the reality does not live up to the dream. The comfort, features and plug and play reliability of a modern, factory built car are somewhat lacking in a Speedster. You have to be a hard core sports car person to love these cars and quite a few of us here are just that.
Hoss

To add to that, the low mileage is due to the fact that these cars aren't really that practical in areas subject to seasonal severe weather (rain, snow, etc.) so a lot of owners buy on impulse and then realize the car is not for them.

THEY'RE IDIOTS FOR SELLING :)

Amazing how even the meaning of sports car has changed - I remember arguing in 1970 that a Datsun 240Z was not a sports car since it could be gotten with air conditioning and automatic transmissions. Real sports cars didn't have such creature conforts. Geeze, some even thought the Ford Thunderbird was a sports car!

Didn't help the 240Z's case that in Japan it was called the "Fair Lady" either! (I bought a new 1972 914 instead!)

In a financial crisis, the toy box is always the first to get the axe.

Another factor in the "low mileage" syndrome is that many Speedster owners also have other cars to drive and save the Speedy for fun drives when the weather is nice. We use the "regular" cars for chores, long trips and "grocery getting". Remember, we buy these because we love the looks and like to drive them when we are just having fun!

When money is needed and the wife has put down her foot, the toys are always the first to go. I have my speedster strictly as a runaround, weekend toy.

If after getting the car you don't use it much (low mileage), you may decide it isn't worth keeping (you sell it).

All of the reasons above are true, but even if you get around all of those things, sometimes people later decide they want the money for something they may use more.

I use my car everyday, except on bad weather roads. All of the other downfalls still may exist, but I get enough enjoyment out of driving the car that it is worth keeping, other people maybe not.

All good points and one other I see is that the initial cost, new or used to buy a replica P-car is not that onerous.

A guy buys a 'traditional' sports car today and he's looking at a lot of dough. Irrespective of the arguments about, "what is a true sports car*?" most readily identifiable icons have escalated in price to proportions that carry quite a consequence for second-guessers!

Replica P-cars can cost as much as some of those lesser 'icons' but usually by the time a guy commits to spending a lot of money on a replicar, he has a good deal of knowledge about what he wants and what it'll cost to build it. It is then a keeper!

*Back when I was in high school (yes, there were cars) one of the car mags listed the qualifying features to define a sports car. I remember deflating some of my snooty Austin Healy friends by pointing out that my 1951 Chevy panel truck had all the qualifying attributes...and then some!

Interesting topic, Ive followed the Cobra club for a while. Many of these cars, while beautiful are not comfortable. Many kits are sold after the initial excitment wanes, due to noise, smell, lack of all weather comfort, you name it. Many owners just wanted the "next" thing. The 356 is a TOY. Plain and simple. Its discretionary, if you need to finance it, if you dont have F-U money to indulge yourself, when things get tight at home, guess what goes first. Enjoy the car for what it isn't. A daily, all weather car. What it is, is FUN, when the Sun comes out and you have the wind in your face.

Howard's points are right on.

Guy/gal loves a Speedster he/she see's somewhere, maybe even rides in one on a pristine, Summer's day and thinks, "This is the LIFE!". Later, finds out how to buy one and springs for it.

Car gets delivered on a not-quite-so-pristine day, and he/she gets the "significant other" (SO) to join in on an exciting, first ride in the country. First, though, they have to get to the country via an Interstate, passing and getting passed by Semi-trailers and large SUV's (while they're both staring at the other vehicle's wheel nuts at eye level). "HOLY S&%T!" yells the significant other, "Those things are HUGE!"

Later, after the Interstate (and vowing not to return to the Interstate), they get to the country and motor the back roads, where the significant other finds that the he/she can't be heard unless yelling, they get a strong smell of raw gasolene whenever they stop, and there is a LOT of wind in the cockpit at any speed above 20mph.

"This Sucks!", the SO thinks, but don't say it out loud for fear of offending the driver and the new toy.

Later, when asked if they wish to go for a ride, they always seem to have something important to get done and say they'll go the next time, which, of course, never happens.

After a year or two, the owner realizes that (a.) the spouse/spouse equivalent never joins in on a fun-filled ride in the Speedster (and God forbid if they ever encounter any rain or cold on one of those few trips which they both shared) and the owner is tired of driving around aimlessly alone, and (b.) it's costing plenty of dough to keep it registered and sitting in the garage all the time, so why bother to keep it?

Hence, they are often sold without many miles/kilometres, and the spouse/spouse equivalent is secretly happy to see the damn thing go...

Gordon
Do you know my wife? Have you ever talked to her before? because you are describing her on your post. Even though she likes the car(not all the times),she hates the smell of gasolene.
Last summer,on our anniversary we went out for dinner with the speedster,I lost counting how many time she said she smeels like gasolene. About the weather,if it is not a PERFECT day,it is too cold for her.
Last night she asked me if I want to sell it and get a Boxter or something else (user friendly). I told her I keep it for now.

The other question that came up,was how much money I have put into this car. The truth is around $6000 in upgrades, disc brakes,engine,adjustable beam,tires,wheels,steering wheel,shifter,oil sump,you name it.
All that money,plus th cost of the car, and the car sits during winter months. Try explain that to your wife.

I fixed my wife but good, I made her ride behind me on my hardtail harley for a few years. I knew she hated it, but she never complained, then I told her I would get something so we could sit side by side.. she believes the speedster is 1000 times better and never complains about seeing someone elses (lug)nuts
pass us on the freeway....

HEY DADDY
IS THAT WHY MOMMY BEATS THE HELL OUT OF ME AFTER SHE RIDES WITH U?

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that some of the more skittish buyers don't realize what they've bought in mechanical terms, either.
If you bought something expecting VW maintenance costs, without realizing that VW maintenance DOES cost, you're probably willing to cut bait as soon as something big hits you in the fan shroud.
I had no idea what I was getting into, and if it wasn't for resourceful friends ... I'd have knocked the king over long ago.

Gentlemen: It doesn't sound like any women responded here.

Thank you so much for your lively and entertaining responses. I did not know that the smell of gasoline was one of the downsides of a Speedster. I am still extremely interested.

Having driven in a Miata for a couple of summers and a current 911, I can relate to looking at lugnuts! My wife loves the looks of the Speedster too, so I am not letting her know about any of the negatives. Right now she thinks it is the PERFECT car!

I showed this thread to some of the folks I work with (mostly Middle East Vets with disability issues) and they said, "Hey! That's MY Wife/girl friend/Boy Friend, too!" Didn't matter much that it was a Speedster, Mustang, Motorcycle, or truck........the World is much smaller than we all think.....at least my friends got a good laugh out of it at our expense!

Let's face it. These cars were somewhere in the vacinity of "Basic Transportation" when they were new, something like 45 - 50 years ago. A lot has happened since, especially in the areas of "Creature Comforts" in the cockpit and overall suspension/handling areas. My wife's Honda CRV (4WD) can handle about as well as a lot of Speedsters (maybe better) so where does that leave most Speedsters??

Anyway, I believe that a lot of new Speedster buyers get their car, thinking that it will be similar to their Nissan Sentra, or Honda Prelude, or Subaru outback, etc.

Simply put, it is not! The closest you can come to it is with a Mazda Miata with a leaky top, but the Mazda will handle better than a well set up Speedster (and has MUCH better heat), and there aren't a lot of well set up Speedster suspensions running around, either.

So....throw all this together, and you get a cute little car, that almost everyone likes the lines of, that can be made to handle like a Banshee, but will still be smelly and have wind buffets and all that other stuff ("you mean I have to feel all the bumps, AND you don't even have cup holders??.........WHERE am I supposed to put my Latte??"


And Cory, my young Patewan........Once upon a time, people bought Volkswagens (Bugs) because they were cheap to maintain....They simply didn't break down, much!! What's happened is that the world has moved on, and the Air Cooled Volkswagen has become a thing of the past....along with many of us. There simply aren't a lot of folks left who are good at fixing them, andthose guys charge an arm and a leg (as they should, for a "classic" car!!)

Gordon
One of the wiser "Speedstah Guys" in South Carolina.....(some day I'll build a coupe)
A man of the 60's, living in the New Millenium...

Oh!.....Good move, Vince!

When at speed on a lonely country road....tell her how beautiful and sexy she looks with her hair blowing in the wind.........

Gentlemen, you have said it all and said it well. I started out in Corvettes and wife went with me. After 55 MPH speed limit was enacted, I switched to motorcycles. She road with me a few times, but she stopped and the last 15 years have all been single seater bikes. I bought the speedster with the fantasy notion it might be like a simplified Miata - it wasn't. But then I discovered with no smog requirements, I could actualy make meaningful changes in horsepower. And I fund satisfaction in fabrication. Innovation and fabrication is very personal and very rewarding. With the latest slightly too loud exhaust, the wife still won't ride with me - what noise, it's all behind me! And there are three freeways within three miles of my house. All those back country roads are WAY OVER THERE on the other side of town. Yeah, owning a speedster is different, maybe that's why everybody else always comments how how nice our cars are - maybe they are a bit envious of our living out THEIR fantasy?

My speedster is my camry...

Most of the vehichles I've owned (71 ghia convertible, 72 914, 87 Jeep, 85 Honda Interceptor, 83 CRX) I could just as well removed the passenger seat. I never bought any of them with anyone else in mind but myself. Call it selfish if you'd like, but I bought most of my cars/bikes for ME! I love driving by myself, it's medatation. Since I'm now married with 2 little girls I drive an old beater Saab 900 with two child seats in the back and I make sure my wife has whatever car she wants, and we can afford, (currently an Audi A3). Whenever we go anywhere we take her car, whenever I have to get the kids I take the Saab and whenever I can, I drive the Speedster. I've always enjoyed the bare minimum when it comes to "my rides", I'm not one for all the fluff. That said, I would never expect my wife, or many other people to appreciate that. I don't have heat in my Speedster, hell I don't even have a radio and thats just the way I like it. As far as selling my car if things ever get tight? I don't like to say "never" but things would have to be pretty bad for me to think whatever I would get for my Speedster would bail me out of any financial difficulties.

I'm thinking about selling my JPS. I had it out both days this last weekend. Only got about an hour in each day as to the weather.
I think this weather will be the reason I will sell. I cant stand taking it out in our cold weather. It only got to 75 this weekend. And the winds were terrible. I had to drive 15 miles to get away from the winds and find 80 degrees. Anyway its for sell. Make me an offer

You got 75 degrees weather and you complain?


Mickey,our cars are very similar.I got no radio,heat,side windows,and still love it to death. For the most part I cruise with my brother.If he is not available,I go on my own and still have fun.

Now Gerd, don't make me tell your papa that you're being whiney.

Gerd, how would you like a fresh one?

FRESH ONE?

...'Fresh one' as in the Billy Crystal/Robert DeNiro movie "Analyze This".

thank you, Jim....

...fuggetaboutit!

U BOTH ARE SICK

Just to add to the list, you are hypersensitive about getting in an accident, and the car getting vandalized the second you turn your back. Sometimes attention is a bad thing.

You know what I noticed is that many wives are not interested in this Speedie car thing, but I'm not sure as to why? I'm the one who talked Grant into our Speedster, but I love cars. I wished more of the women were as excited about these little cars as Iam. My friend, she has a Cobra and her new husband could care less about it. Funny how in that situation ,it's the opposite. ~Esther

My wife's glad a woman has weighed in finally. She is almost a big of gearhead as I am.

Several of comments about the smell of gasoline with Speedsters concern her. What's been your experience? We have an older Porsche that the typical "oil & leather" smell, which is okay, but gasoline? Not so much.

Mike:

A LOT of these cars seem to run a bit rich. Several of the engine builders set them up that way (as do I when I tune carbs on aircooled engines) so that the heads run a tad cooler and that's a good thing.

When you're running rich already, AND you slow down for a stop sign or light or something, the engine goes really rich, puts a little raw gas vapour into the exhaust, and the backdraft washes over the car from the rear pulling the raw gas smell from the exhaust pipes into the cockpit.

Shortly thereafter, the spouse equivalent usually says; "Is that gasolene I smell?" To which the normal reply is; "Must be some other car, not mine!"

Michael - (my two cents worth)

I have an older Vintage (1995). As for the gasoline smell, if I'm not paying attention when I'm putting in gas (gas tank filler located under the front hood), I sometimes splash a little (it's a guy thing) and the smell comes through the hood hinge opening into the passenger compartment. Plus, if I have a full tank when I throw the car hard into a turn, the overflow vent on the gas tank filler produces the gas smell effect (slight spillage out the overflow tube onto the pavement below).

It's these kind of idiosyncracies (50 year old technology) that you have to accept when owning/driving these Speedys. But considering the tremendous satisfaction and thrill the car delivers, I call that a pretty fair trade-off!

It's all good!

Mike:

A LOT of these cars seem to run a bit rich. Several of the engine builders set them up that way (as do I when I tune carbs on aircooled engines) so that the heads run a tad cooler and that's a good thing.

When you're running rich already, AND you slow down for a stop sign or light or something, the engine goes really rich, puts a little raw gas vapour into the exhaust, and the backdraft washes over the car from the rear pulling the raw gas smell from the exhaust pipes into the cockpit.

Shortly thereafter, the spouse equivalent usually says; "Is that gasolene I smell?" To which the normal reply is; "Must be some other car, not mine!"

I blame the smell of gas on the lawnmower... no more complaints

As for the smell front the gas tank, you could use Great Stuff and seal up where the hinge comes through the front hood. Also if you tighten down your hood post you can sometimes get a better seal and less air coming through the hood means less air coming into the passenger area.