Beck 550 Spyder

Any of you have an opinion? I'd love to but it's just not British enough

It is a beautiful car but like Gerry, I am not as much of a Teutonic car fan ( an early BMW Coupe could get me going tho). Would be a wicked hoot on the track.

Hunts (Landon Hunter) on this site built one before he restored his 'B. He's been MIA lately but may chime in. Here is a photo he posted awhile ago:

i've seen them. 1700 VW Type 1 engine. for the price, less that 2 big, a bargain. I'd inspect like any used car. they also have Lister clones and others.

I have the various sites bookmarked and look at them about once a week...not sure if all the builders are still active, tho. If i had more money and fewer cars I would get one to build. Like all these things, it would be cheaper to buy one that someone else built but you never know the quality that went in and also miss the adventure of building it yourself. But if I won the lottery on friday I would buy one on monday.

It seems there are two broad catagories...at least that I have seen. One builder uses a Brazilian built VW Bug floor pan and another uses a purpose built tube frame

If I go out to visit my son in LA want to stop by and look at the builder/retailer out there. If I recall, they have an outlet in St Louis.

there was one at our car show last year it really impressed me

Very cool car. Even if it is a replica. As an everyday driver you'd have my respect.

There's a guy around here that drives a 365 replica. Clearly the guy is ice cold.

Before I got back to LBCs, I had an Intermeccanica 356 roadster, made in Vancouver. Beautiful cars built on a specially designed tube frame, not on a VW pan as Vintage and others from California use. Of course, you pay for this, but they drive well, and can be used on a daily basis.

I always like to think I'm going to get another one once I retire, but a Speedster model instead, with a 2110 c.c. engine. Although, they are making them now with water cooled engines, and one company in the States is using Subaru engines in their 356 replicas.

Beck makes nice cars. They are usually Carlisle each year, when the Import car show is held in May, as are some of the other 356 replica manufacturers.

www.Intermeccanica.com

There's factory built one at http://www.wirewheel.com that interested me. I really have no problem with the 550 as a VW powered kit car because Porsche and VW share a common history. Really love the silver, too. But it just isn't a MG and that's where my heart really is. Just don't know is I can survive having too many things sharing my heart at once. I don't think I can easily walk away from MGs for a Porsche wannabe

Back when I was about 15 years old I once saw one - the original not a copy - on a street in Monte Carlo and was so impressed that I have wanted one ever since. Nearest I got was a 356B convertible that I had many years ago. and did not have the money to restore.

I watched them build one in 48 hours at the Carlisle Import Show last year. Pretty neat looking ride.

The Beck car is apparently a pretty darn good copy of the Original. A Porsche pal told me about an experience of his at a PCA national meet in Reno some years ago where one was put on the field and outfitted to mimic the originals and it pretty well fooled the judges. AND, he said, it was really impressive to all there, even if it wasn't (sniff) a TRUE Porsche. I saw a few at Laguna Seca several years ago, and all I can say is that there were genuine RSKs on the infield right next to them and it was quite hard to tell them apart. As my Porsche friend says, Gerry, when are they goin' get you to cross over to the dark side??? ;)

They're beautiful.

I am trying to get my better half to turn our 99 boxster into a 550 spyder. we have a salvage title on it, so I wouldn;t really be losing much, I wouldn't think.

I'd love to see a boxster engine in one of those. I've loved that car since I was an itsy bitsy baby.

too bad the originals are way out in the stratosphere as far as price.

The Beck is a beautiful car though, I've only seen two here in SoCal and loved both of them. Of course, I would have loved them even if they were dogshit brown, so that's not saying much, I guess!

If you can afford it, I'd go for it. I love the 550s more than any other car out there, and I would certainly buy a replica (and I plan to eventually - thunder ranch caught my eye) if I had the money.

I remember Road and Track doing an article on one that was about the same price as a new Miata. Their conclusion was "Why buy a Miata?" with this being a viable option.

Well Gerry why don't you go over and drive it?
I drove one just before I bought my B. This guy nearby had an early beck spyder with a 2 liter hot rod motor. Man did that thing GO! I'm 6'3" and it didn't fit me well with its standard seats, they are angled back a lot and a different seat set up may work. But that test drive was memorable, I stood on it in 2nd gear and hit 80mph when I reached to shift up! Great power to weight ratio and neutral weight distrubution. It had very good quality overall. I dreamed of getting a spyder since I had a Karman Ghia back in the 70s. I didn't buy the spyder #1 cuz of the $25k he wanted for it. But if you aren't a VW or Porsche enthusiast let it alone.