‘57 Porsche Speedster Hand-built Replica-One Owner

Description for Porsche 356 1957

I purchased this Speedster brand new at Mecum’s Monterey California Auction 2013. I have taken great care of this car (along with the help of two of the best air-cooled mechanics in Tucson) I also had them make some nice upgraded improvements. These include installing New Dual Weber 40mm carbs, a 72 plate competition external oil cooler with fan and inline thermostat switch, Petronix electronic ignition(no points), breather box, upgraded stainless steel brake lines and several other upgrades. I use Mobil 1 full synthetic,10W-30 motor oil which I have had changed once a year, every year along with full tune-ups. The car is mainly a weekend driver, having put less than 1000 miles/year since new(5795 current mileage). When not out cruising around the dry, sunny roads of Tucson....and putting a BIG smile on my face, the speedster is safely parked and covered in my garage.

There are other speedster replicas out there, but this one has several distinguishing features:

• Louvered deck lid for improved engine cooling
• 550 Spyder-type racing mirrors
• Grey painted 5 lug wheels
• Pirelli P4 tires
• Front Disc Brakes
• Shaved side moldings
• Smooth bumpers
• Leather bonnet tie-down straps
• Center EXTERNAL LeMans style fuel filler (NO opening the bonnet to fuel up!)
• Basket weave wire mesh headlamp stone guards
• Bee hive tail lights with rear reflectors
• Mobil Pegasus decals
• Carrera badges
• Rally style driving lamps
• Porsche Mexico Blue paint(1974,997 color)
• Racing style lap belts
• Spyder style bucket seats with contrasting blue piping(also on door cards)
• Chrome fire extinguisher
• Black banjo style steering wheel
• Proper under dash emergency brake placement
• Upgraded 1915cc H4 engine with dual Weber 40 carbs
• 4 speed transaxle with 3.88 gears for relaxed high speed cruising
• 3 top options included with car, all in like new condition. Full tonneau, quarter tonneau and convertible top+side curtains shown in photo.
• Titled as a 1960 Volkswagen

Of course, as nice as this car is and fun to drive, it is not without a couple of very minor faults. One being the horn does not currently work.Most people tell me the paint looks fantastic, it does! But, there are a couple of VERY minor ant-size chips, I tried to show some hairline cracks in the paint on the rear deck lid. The other thing I want to mention is a small area of the carpet next to the accelerator pedal where my foot has rubbed a small hole. Probably an easy fix with a little creativity. There’s a photo showing it.
If you don’t drive the car regularly, or have not started it in a couple of months, it may take a few attempts to turn over. But she always does start. I always keep a battery charger connected to the Optima High Performance battery that was installed in late 2016.Once started,you would never guess that there is only a 4 cylinder under the hood. As the engine purrs along with a low pitched rumble.
This car is so much fun to go out in. Everyone loves it! You will get tons of smiles and thumbs up from both college students and foothills moms. The most common question asked: “what year is that?” Probably because a lot of the younger generations have never seen or are familiar with the 356 body style. Most people think it’s the real deal. Believe it or not, I have had actual Porsche 356 owners, folks that own “real” 356’s, be fooled by it’s authenticity. Since it is titled as a 1960 Volkswagen,which is where the subframe pan originated, you can opt for historic license plates, which adds to the mystery of whether its “real?” Most of the time, I tell people that it’s a re-creation. They usually couldn’t care less and reply that it’s such a COOL car. Either way, be prepared for the attention she draws!
If your looking for a super fast, muscle car, this is NOT it. Although it does have some get up and go, and is so much fun to carve through turns on curvy roads, it does not ”burn rubber”. And that is okay. This little Speedster is all about the fun factor and homage it pays to Porsche’s original sports car design aesthetic of the 1950s. When this car was first designed, it was intended to be enjoyed by the “Every Man”, thus the original 356s had less than 100 horsepower and were very affordable, not like todays😄
I’m happy to answer any questions, Andy: 520-66eight-59six4.Please only bid if you have the funds and are serious about following through if you are the high bidder.I highly encourage personal or professional inspection of the vehicle in person prior to bidding.
THANKS FOR LOOKING, GOOD LUCK!!