356 kit car?

[Fidhle007]

All well and good. But if you are gonna plunk down $20-30,000 on a well done replica 356, why not buy that $24,000 original 356C and drive it around? That is less money than some people have spent on their E30s on this site, and it is less than what my wife and I paid for her new MINI Cooper S which is driven every day. Or get one of those $9,000 912s, which have fundamentally the same drivetrain as the 356? Sure, a 912 and a 356C aren't a speedster but in my book a real coupe or 912 is way cooler than a replica speedster, and I would definatly rock one as a daily...

Tag a wall in your real 356 and try to get some body panels for it.


Now tag a wall in your rep and get some fiberglass sheeting at home depot for $50...

[Fidhle007]

^what that fool said. Plus, I'd personally feel 1000 times more proud of myself driving around a VW based replica I built myself (fake badges and all) then a real spyder/speedster. Does that make me a poseur? Don't know - but what the fuck do I care what you think?

Bingo. There's something unbeatable about getting into a car that you love to drive when you know you've built it all yourself. Especially when it all works...

[RainierHooker]

All well and good. But if you are gonna plunk down $20-30,000 on a well done replica 356, why not buy that $24,000 original 356C and drive it around? That is less money than some people have spent on their E30s on this site, and it is less than what my wife and I paid for her new MINI Cooper S which is driven every day. Or get one of those $9,000 912s, which have fundamentally the same drivetrain as the 356? Sure, a 912 and a 356C aren't a speedster but in my book a real coupe or 912 is way cooler than a replica speedster, and I would definatly rock one as a daily...

What ever your opinions on the matter are that is fine. I was merely sharing mine. There are the kit car options out there for a reason, and that reason is buyers like some of the folks in this thread. I am not one of them, like I said before I personally don't like kit-cars, and when I was asked why I feel that way I felt that I had to elaborate.

[george graves]

^what that fool said. Plus, I'd personally feel 1000 times more proud of myself driving around a VW based replica I built myself (fake badges and all) then a real spyder/speedster. Does that make me a poseur? Don't know - but what the fuck do I care what you think?

[Fidhle007]

Of course you would rather have the real thing. Kit cars are like tits, real is better but fake is still is better then nothing at all.

Again I have to bring up the Spyder example; would you rather have a car that was worth at LEAST half a million dollars that you would probably never want to drive (because of the value) or would you rather have a car worth less then a tenth of that that drives brilliantly (possibly better then the original with the advent of modern technology) and is easy to get parts for? In my ideal garage I'd have both, one to look at and show off to dinner guests and one to flog the living crap out of at weekend track days.

Now, in actual personal preference, if I had the money for a well setup Spyder rep I'd probably have a built E30 or E36 instead and if I had the money for a real Spyder I'd have twenty built E30s and/or E36s but the point still stands; for the money, a kit car can be an easily attainable, repairable and perfectly fun-to-drive option for those who either don't have or don't want to plunk down the coin on the real deal. Or who have the coin but don't want to risk damaging their investment during real world use.

[RainierHooker]

Here are some 'real' alternatives to a 356 kit:
1966 912 :http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...12/882943.html

1953 356: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...56/855064.html

1964 356SC: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...56/821226.html

1964 356C Restored for $24K: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...6c/882155.html

1964 356C: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...6c/855078.html

1962 356B: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...6b/855080.html

1969 912: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...12/881873.html

1967 912: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...12/882291.html

1969 912: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...12/855050.html

1964 356C $19K: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...6c/868395.html

1962 356B: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...6b/882332.html

1964 356C: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...6c/839698.html

Every one listed above is less than $50K, most of the 356s are in the $20-35K range, which is what a lot of the kits end up at anyway after all is said and done. And most of the 912s are under $10K. Why not get an original?

Now if you are going to go tear-assing around with the thing like James Dean, well you should probably just kill yourself in a fake...

...and as a disclaimer to the guy's $3K '58 coupe, yes that was probably the best deal on one since about 1963. I wish I had found it before him. That and I should have jumped on the one that I found (a 1960) for $5800, but hell I was a broke 17 year old kid then :-(

[RainierHooker]

But then in certain cases a kit car can be better than the original, it all depends on how much time/$$$ you put into it.



example - real cobra and cobra kit car with best possible available drivetrain/suspension componets etc.

That's a different ball of wax. That is a rod, it isn't trying to be something that its not. A guy who shoves a Nail-head into a '32 ford isn't going to try and pass the thing off as an original Crown Vic. He is building a personal item for himself with his own flair and style. The same goes for a Cobra with a non-289 or 427, the driver wants something to have 'fun' with. However, when he slaps AC and Cobra badges all over it and drives it down to the local show and shine with a sign that says "1965 AC Cobra" on it, well I think that is kinda cheap.

[Pinepig]

Or even better, find an unrestored 356 coupe, they are out there and a LOT cheaper than a speedster. We used to have a regular at the shop I worked at that had a '58 Coupe, he bought the thing for like $3000 and after a few thousand more it was gorgeous, and real.

Next time you see one of those 58 coupes for 3g, drop a line and I'll be there in 12 hours cash in hand.

[Jean]

But then in certain cases a kit car can be better than the original, it all depends on how much time/$$$ you put into it.

example - real cobra and cobra kit car with best possible available drivetrain/suspension componets etc.

[RainierHooker]

If we were talking about a faithfull remake of a real speedster with attention to all of the facets, I would be all into it. But we're not, we're talking about a VW Bug with a swoopy body bolted to it. Yes, I'm aware of the similarity between the Bug and Speedster, but comparing the two is like comparing a 318 to a M3 Sport Evo...

[george graves]

The same reason why people on here distain M-badges on non-M cars, and fake alpina or other body kits on e30s...

I don't know man. Slapping a M badge on is a whole lot different than building a kit car in your garage.

[RainierHooker]

I see the point behind such things and I understad the desire to have something that I will never and can never have. I just personally have a hang-up on kit-cars for some reason.
I would rather have, say an Early 912 than a faked 356. They are attainable and best of all a 'real' porsche.
Or even better, find an unrestored 356 coupe, they are out there and a LOT cheaper than a speedster. We used to have a regular at the shop I worked at that had a '58 Coupe, he bought the thing for like $3000 and after a few thousand more it was gorgeous, and real.

[02stu]

The same reason why people on here distain M-badges on non-M cars, and fake alpina or other body kits on e30s...

I see your point, and with most cars I agree with you. Such as Ferrari kits. But there are in my mind at least some cars that can be pulled off with a kit. Cars like the speedster and the cobra which are unattainable from an e30 owners prospective. The kind of car that you know is a kit simple because it is on the road. To put it in terms of your example I would love to put an s14 into my e30 simple because it might be the only way I could afford to enjoy it. However I would never put an M badge on it, nor would I put an Porsche badge on the kit. In fact I took the M badge off of my last e46 M3.

[aintnothang]

speedster kits are some of the bets around....look up vintage speedsters.com or jps.com

[RainierHooker]

What's your problem with kit cars?

The same reason why people on here distain M-badges on non-M cars, and fake alpina or other body kits on e30s...