Vintage Replicas? Which would you choose?

  • Thread starter Thread starter AGR
  • Start date Start date

Which would you choose as your 'sunny day' ride?

  • Beck 550 Spyder (the infamous James Dean car)

    Votes: 12 54.5%
  • Superformance S1 Roadster (fashioned after the Lotus 7)

    Votes: 10 45.5%

  • Total voters
    22
  • Poll closed .
A

AGR

What would be your choice if you were going to add a Vintage Replica to your garage? A car for those sunny days! These cars shown each weigh less than 1,500 lbs., and are capable of 0-60 times around 5 seconds. Both are essentially replicas of true classics. And; they can be purchased for under $30,000. A Shelby Cobra is not featured since a nice one would be closer to $35,000 at the low end.

Beck Porsche 550 Spyder (VW powered)
550-lakebed-06.jpg


Superformance S1 Roadster (Miata, 13B rotary, Ford Zetec powered)
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I am a real air cooled VW guy at heart...I have build numerous high performance VW's....and I have loved the Beck for a long time...and nearly baught one a while back....

if you want to spend the money...and get the right parts...it would be fairly easy to build a vw motor that will put out nearly 200 hp...and in the spyder....well it would fly..

The FACTORY for the Beck is not to far away from my home now....a few hours drive.....I sent them some email a while back to do some investigative work of their pricing.

you can BUY A FULLY BUILT CAR for $21,000 turn key...ready to go.

you can buy the car totally build minus the engine for $14500.

That of course does not include shipping. personally....I could pick it up on a trailer. And hope to some day.

(stash)
 
I too was into VW's for years. Still working on a 67 Westfalia. Don't ever see myself affording a Beck, but I could dream.

You really going to buy one of these?
 
Thanks Nuke! I met Chuck Beck last year at Knott's Berry Farm's "Fun under the Sun" replica show, and got a ride in one of a customer's Beck Spyders. Very cool. Even for my 6'4" frame - no problem.

I was considering something like that for the future, then I got impatient, the MSP came out, and the rest is history! Ha! I'm not a motorhead, so a lot of things came to mind regarding upkeep, etc... For awhile, Beck was offering only turnkey cars. I didn't know he was offering the actual kits again. His Stage 2 engine develops about 155hp; while the Stage 1 engine is around 125hp. That's a lot of coconuts in that light car!!

Here I am grinning in one at the show:

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I'd say get the Beck, but if you're looking for something that's going to catch everone's eye, the S1 will for sure do that - it's a head-turner.


Patrick
 
azeli73 said:
I too was into VW's for years. Still working on a 67 Westfalia. Don't ever see myself affording a Beck, but I could dream.

You really going to buy one of these?

IF Chuck Beck keeps making them.....i will have one some day..
 
AGR#7 said:
Thanks Nuke! I met Chuck Beck last year at Knott's Berry Farm's "Fun under the Sun" replica show, and got a ride in one of a customer's Beck Spyders. Very cool. Even for my 6'4" frame - no problem.

I was considering something like that for the future, then I got impatient, the MSP came out, and the rest is history! Ha! I'm not a motorhead, so a lot of things came to mind regarding upkeep, etc... For awhile, Beck was offering only turnkey cars. I didn't know he was offering the actual kits again. His Stage 2 engine develops about 155hp; while the Stage 1 engine is around 125hp. That's a lot of coconuts in that light car!!


Something that REALLY surprised me was that he moved the spyder operation to Texas....really surprised...but I would bet from a business standpoing....Texas is a lot cheaper than California.

I called and ask specifically about a car with no motor...as I would build my own....I can do a LOT better than the motors that they put in them....all their motors currently come from CB Performance. their SMALL motor for the beck is a little over 1900 CC....and ONLY makes 125 hp.....the 1776 cc I built made that much power.....and ran it in an otherwise stock 65 bug....I could eat V8's all day in the short haul....it was a blast....I always got them out of the hole...and then it was all lookin at my ass end! lol

There would be nothing better than a 2110 cc motor in one of those.....and you can easily put one together with the right parts that will make close to 200 hp......IF you use the right parts....and are willing to let go of the green to do it right.
 
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