OT: I'd trade most of my bikes, watches, and clocks for this

[A.L.Breguet]

Saw this in Summit, NJ this a.m.

[rePhil]

I know..if you have to ask why... but seriously. I could see the watches & clocks, and I don't know how many and what bikes you have but realistically what would you do with the Porsche? Would it be your daily driver?
A nice car for sure ( I certainly wanted one myself for many years) but so many modern cars do many things better.
Then again I have never been financially able to afford toys like that. There's not a car out there I would give up my bikes for.

[Dave B]

My wife wants this porsche too, but it is only because of Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90210. I know, silly, but she is a great lady!

Maybe she just wants Luke Perry....wait..hhhmmmmmmmmm. ;)

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but the strictly stock VW wheels are severely lacking. There's so many choices available that would really make this car look sweet. Plus, there's so many replicas around of these cars that the stock rims make me seriously wonder if it's just a clone stuck on a Beetle chassis.

BBD

[Bruce K]

Oh Dave..... :crap:

You have to get out more. :rolleyes:

BK

[A.L.Breguet]

Well, what blew me away, was the fact that it's not overley restored. Definite patina all around. A nice paint job, yes, but clearly a driver.

[Gothard]

Only steel wheels are correct on e Speedster. Anything else is plain wrong. This one is modified though, the bolt circle is 1965 on for these wheels.
Looks sweet though. Good ones are north of 100K.

[Blue Jays]

Regardless of pedigree, that car would be great for the kind of days currently being seen in the northeastern part of the country.

[dvs cycles]

Probably not real. there is a company here in California that makes damn good replicas. My friend bought one several years ago from them for around $17K and if you didn't tap on the body it was hard to tell.
http://www.vintagespeedsters.com/
I hope to inherit a 1965 VW from my wifes dad some day and I know just what I'm going to do with it. :D

[rounder]

Saw this in Summit, NJ this a.m.

If i could have any car in the world, whether or not it made sense (doesn't make sense!!), i would take one of them before any other...in a hearbeat (most any stock color).

[PaulE]

Do yourself a favor and get one with rollup windows in the doors rather than side curtains! A taller windshield and better top won't hurt either. Max Hoffman convinced Porsche to remove some content to get down to a pricepoint to compete with the cheaper British roadsters of the day. Today you can more content at a cheaper price.

[rounder]

No way...would rather have a speedster. (for the record...is not in the budget). To me, there is something about the looks and lifestyle of the car at the time that makes them appealing. Whatever...droool for one.

[Ken Robb]

No way...would rather have a speedster. (for the record...is not in the budget). To me, there is something about the looks and lifestyle of the car at the time that makes them appealing. Whatever...droool for one.

the by-product of de-contenting was better performance due to less weight and less drag.

[PaulE]

the by-product of de-contenting was better performance due to less weight and less drag.

Which was fine in the days when the cars were driven to the track, raced, and then driven home. A taller windshield, better top and roll-up windows would really make the car much more useful for what it will be used for today.

Oh well, to each his own..........

[Erik.Lazdins]

Beautiful car - I had the chance to drive a 356 a few times in about 1990. A very special car in my heart.

Thanks for the pics!

[rounder]

Which was fine in the days when the cars were driven to the track, raced, and then driven home. A taller windshield, better top and roll-up windows would really make the car much more useful for what it will be used for today.

Oh well, to each his own..........

Who cares about useful when it comes to a car like that. If i had one, it would be driven on weekends in mainly good weather (same as my biuke). I would drive the thing within its limits...why would anyone want to destroy one. The car is not a gas hog compared to modern day stuff. They talk about cornering like it's on rails...Porsches helped define that. If i wanted something practical, i would lust for a civic. Doesn't matter much, i will probably never have one...but wish i did...i would take a speedster. Anyway...end of rant.

[Acotts]

I like the Speedsters with the flared wheel wells rather than the streamlined body. I think they look pretty sweet with the thick drag wheels on the rear. I dont know if they are different years, or different models within the same year.

All I know is that James Dean's Porsche was hella cooler than Dylan McKays Porsche.

[Gothard]

James Dean had mainly 2 cars: A speedster, very much like the one that started this thread, and a Spyder, also called 550. That last car is a tad expensive, close to a million $ if at all available, I think about 50 made...He died in the spyder.

[Acotts]

James Dean had mainly 2 cars: A speedster, very much like the one that started this thread, and a Spyder, also called 550. That last car is a tad expensive, close to a million $ if at all available, I think about 50 made...He died in the spyder.

Was it a Ferrari Spyder? I always thought he was in a 356 speedster on Mulholland drive.

Also, doing some googling, it seems that the flared rear end is associated with the name Speedster, while the streamlined version, posted in the begining seems to be linked to plain ol' 356. Is that correct?

Edit: Oops, I meant 356, not 911.

[Gothard]

No. James Dean died in the mid-50's, about 10 years before the 911 was created. Porsche built a race purpose car called the 550 spyder in 1955 and bult very few of them. They were road registered but hardly useable for eth road. The first Porsches with the 4-cam "Führmann" engine.
And he died near Salinas, on his way to a race.

Edit: Double no. The car posted in the beginning of this thread is a 356. Predates the 911 by many years.
Porsche then built 2 runs of 911 Speedsters, in 1989 and 1993. Totally different cars.

[christian]

Any 356 Speedster with flares is a VW-based fibreglass kit. The proper 356 Speedsters did not have flared fenders - just a pure upside-down bathtub look.

[PaulE]

Who cares about useful when it comes to a car like that. If i had one, it would be driven on weekends in mainly good weather (same as my biuke). I would drive the thing within its limits...why would anyone want to destroy one. The car is not a gas hog compared to modern day stuff. They talk about cornering like it's on rails...Porsches helped define that. If i wanted something practical, i would lust for a civic. Doesn't matter much, i will probably never have one...but wish i did...i would take a speedster. Anyway...end of rant.

Neither a 356 speedster or convertible is what any rational person would consider useful. But if you're taller than 5ft 8in or so, the ability to see out of the windshield while driving with the top up is useful. With the top down, the ability to drive without wearing goggles to avoid dirt and bugs in your eyes is also useful. The option of cracking open a window just a bit for some ventilation, rather than deciding to leave it on the door or take it off and put it in the trunk is also useful. And driving either within their limits on city streets you will be hard pressed to tell the difference. But the speedster has more cache and thus a much higher price now.

James Dean had mainly 2 cars: A speedster, very much like the one that started this thread, and a Spyder, also called 550. That last car is a tad expensive, close to a million $ if at all available, I think about 50 made...He died in the spyder.

Someday James Dean's wrecked Spyder will turn up, it disappeared while on a safe driving/accident prevention tour shortly after his death.

[Acotts]

^^ I just assumed it was sitting at Jay Leno's garage.

[mikki]

sweet car but I wouldn't give up my bikes for her.

[dvs cycles]

When I went to the replica speedster factory http://www.vintagespeedsters.com/ a number of years back they also had Spyder replicas they were selling. I think the two split and the spyders are now here. http://vintagespyders.com/
Either one of these cars if original are way to valuable to drive everyday so a replica that looks damn convincing, as I feel the picture in the OP is, the only way to have fun and not feel like you are driving around your 401K.

[A.L.Breguet]

O.K., then how 'bout this? In Brooklyn, today.