Not A Loser, Baby: 1957 Beck Porsche 356 Speedster Replica
Way back in 1986 a guy by the name of Chuck Beck partnered with Kevin Hines at Special Edition Inc out of Bremen, IN to build a high quality 356 replica. The rear engined 356 Speedster and mid engined 550 Spyder have been continuously rolling out of a small workshop for owners to finish assembly and drive around looking like a million bucks, but only costing about $30k. Find this 1957 Beck Porsche 356 Speedster Replica here on eBay bidding for $20,000 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Tip from FK.
Although the seller describes the car’s exterior as “merlot” — I personally think you’ll need to like purple to appreciate the car, but as they always say — there is a seat for every ride, a ride for every seat, and a box for every homeless man…or something.
Under the rear hatch is the oddest looking Volkswagen flat-4 I’ve ever laid eyes upon…wait a minute…hot dog, this baby is electric!! According to the seller you can reach speeds of 90 miles per hour and get a 70 to 120 mile range depending on vehicle speed and ham fistedness of the driver. I’d probably get 40 miles.
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I was just about to post how I would much rather have a Beck Speedster than a real 356, so I could actually drive it an enjoy it, then I saw the engine, er, motor, er propulsion unit. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Every time an electric conversion is done on anything other than a Geo Metro, an angel weeps in heaven.
Agreed !!!!
Weeps as they have their wings removed with a sawzall.
#savetheICE
Does it come with a CD of recorded engine sounds? Then you could have a V8, flat 4 or rotary!
And Bobinott again did not fail to disappoint in griping about someone else's car. Always amusing. I suppose.
Aw, c'mon, you would have been disappointed if I had let an EV go past unpunished 🙂
A racing buddy if mine told me his wife wanted to buy an EV. I told him to look on the bright side: he would always know where she was, within about a 10 mile radius.
My father and I did a Vintage Speedster kit as a project together. Built up a balanced 1776 with big Dellortos to a freeway flyer transmission. Driving it is a very unique experience being so low and a basically nonexistent windshield. I am somewhat sensitive about it being a kit but the funny thing is that the mass population has no idea what I am talking about when I explain it is fake.
356 replicas – the only replica kit car where a Beetle motor is authentic instead of blasphemous!
I'm not sure an electric conversion would be any slower than some of the factory engine options. And a purple 356 replica looks a lot better than a Nissan Leaf.
In a time of chimpanzees, it was a monkey.
The electric conversion has to make this faster than it was with an ACVW engine. That 115hp (85kW) motor should be producing something around 600 lb-ft of torque at 1000 rpm. Think about that.
Seriously, I do not doubt that this thing would be quick. I wonder what it weighs.
It's aubergine not merlot.
Looks well sorted and would be fun to drive with all that torque.