Beck 550 in Sarasota

[Spydey]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-550-Sp ... oQ&vxp=mtr

Listing says that it was built in 2001 for $98K. Possible?

[SpyderMike]

At 98k I think he must have overspent by about 65k.

[DannyP]

Agreed, Mike. It looks like a 2001 Beck with 4 lug wheels and a hot motor, along with some nice Fibersteel upgrades. Somewhere between 30-40K is appropriate.

Also, very tired of people's false lightness claims. It DOES NOT weigh 1100 pounds. At least 1300, most likely 1450 or more.

Where are the engine bay pictures?

[danstern]

Almost impossible to spend 98 in 2001 on a Beck. Hydraulic pedal assist sounds like a master/slave cylinder clutch, which most cars have, just like the brakes. 1100 lbs in his dreams. Awful lot of puffery here. I even question his 3.63 time because of limited tire options and size.

[DannyP]

Great post, Dan! Agreed 100%. 0-60 more like 5 seconds or so in real life, on a good day......

[Dominic550]

98k spent...but it still has the crappy seats that came with it from Brazil?? That's a $22k car max. I hate false advertisements and ebay sellers who don't know what they are talking about.

[EEricson]

As a guy who is currently over-detailing a Beck-design Spyder: nope. I've got about 30 in parts in my build and closing in on 800 hours (I know! I know!), and the car advertised above is in no way comparable to what I'm doing.

I suspect it IS possible to spend $100k on a Beck build, if you have Carey Hines build one the way a certain OB/GYN did a few years ago. I don't know what he spent, but that car had custom 16-inch wheels, correct fuel pumps, working jack points, a correct jack, correct pedals, correct shifter, correct gauges, correctly-located fuel filler, baber pole vinyl interior, and on and on. And on.

This ebay car has none of that.

[sjgharib]

if anyone out there wants to pay me $98k, I'll happily build one exactly like that for them

And then there's this bridge I have for sale...

[RBP]

Very very easy to spend 100k buiding one, a 200 hp 200 ftlbs torque type IV from a builder like Jake Raby or Fat will run you at least 20k with tax and freight, the right trans with the proper gearing, a quaffi and 3:44 R/P will run 5-6k, the deluxe 550 kit from Vintage is 25k by time you add tax and freight, add 15k for other parts such as 16" alloy wheels, correct gauges, wide 5 disc brakes, axles, skins badges ect. That puts you at about 65k before any of your labour/time is added. Body work and paint can be done for 5k or 30k depending on how nice you want things finished and how nice the paint will be. I did a lot of things myself, I'm reasonably good mechanically but not body and paint. I spent a lot of hours mechanically and hired someone for body and paint. I can tell you I am into mine for very close to 100K, but I did spend about 30K on body and paint. The paint is show car quality, as perfect a black as can be.

If a person wanted one of these cars and had to hire someone to do both mechanical, body work and paint using the materials I used, charged for all their personal labour (I'd guess 300 - 400 hours) one would be well beyond 100K.

The other way to look at thigs, buy all the parts, use a free stock engine & trans from a used beetle, buy the body and other parts as noted above for the 40K, do all your mechanical woork, body work and paint yourself then add up your labour. At even 35.00 an hour, what do you think you would have?. After all time is money, everyones time is worth something!

[SpyderMike]

My how time flies and prices rise. I built mine in 1989...got the kit for something like 6500, used a donor VW trans for free, had a 2180 built for less than 3000. Paint was about 1500 if I recall. All the extras, I think I have $12k +/- into it. Maybe that is why I never drive it...or sell it. It still looks nice though.

[EEricson]

Well, inflation-adjusted, $6,500 in 1989 would be about $13,500 today, and 12k then is about $25k now so you've done pretty well.

[SpyderMike]

Not sure mine would fetch 25k today, but the trend is nice. I really should pull it out and get it driving again.