GT40s.com - View Single Post - Are any replicas feasible as daily drivers?

JSimmons · 02-16-03, 10:59 PM

Aloha again,

The above post put it in good words. Do you love working on cars? I suppose most people who hate working on cars wouldn't even consider something like a GT40 replica. Personally, owning a 1967 VW requires me to enjoy tinkering with my car. I know a VW Bug is a far cry from a GT40, but the attention required for care and maintainence could be similar.

I was looking on Hemmings Motor news today and found a real GT40 for sale. The guy wants $385,000. Now, when I see that I could have a replica for around $80,000, it becomes a real attractive possibility. Even if an $80,000 car would normally be prohibitive, I can now have a dream car (literally, for most of us). The reason I point this out, is that this generally applies to ALL the replicas of famous sports cars of years past. Be it a 550 Porsche, Porsche Speedster, Cobra or GT40 replica...I want to know if the companies putting these cars together produce something as good as or BETTER than the original. Originals are nice, but they are also expensive. Replicas, in my opinion, should be constructed with current technology to allow today's driver to actually use the car reliably, as often as possible. Any schmuck can go by a VW pan and glass a GT40 body together and shoe-horn a smallblock in it...but would you still drive it?

I have no problem driving a little Honda or Toyota pickup around when its really horrible weather, but other than that, if I bought a GT40 replica...I would want to drive it. Not just rub it with a diaper in my garage.

Sorry for the rant.

02-16-03, 10:59 PM	#13 (permalink)
JSimmons Join Date: Feb 2003 GT40: Honolulu, Hawaii and/or Portland, Oregon Posts: 5 Rep Power: 6	Re: Are any replicas feasible as daily drivers? Aloha again, The above post put it in good words. Do you love working on cars? I suppose most people who hate working on cars wouldn't even consider something like a GT40 replica. Personally, owning a 1967 VW requires me to enjoy tinkering with my car. I know a VW Bug is a far cry from a GT40, but the attention required for care and maintainence could be similar. I was looking on Hemmings Motor news today and found a real GT40 for sale. The guy wants $385,000. Now, when I see that I could have a replica for around $80,000, it becomes a real attractive possibility. Even if an $80,000 car would normally be prohibitive, I can now have a dream car (literally, for most of us). The reason I point this out, is that this generally applies to ALL the replicas of famous sports cars of years past. Be it a 550 Porsche, Porsche Speedster, Cobra or GT40 replica...I want to know if the companies putting these cars together produce something as good as or BETTER than the original. Originals are nice, but they are also expensive. Replicas, in my opinion, should be constructed with current technology to allow today's driver to actually use the car reliably, as often as possible. Any schmuck can go by a VW pan and glass a GT40 body together and shoe-horn a smallblock in it...but would you still drive it? I have no problem driving a little Honda or Toyota pickup around when its really horrible weather, but other than that, if I bought a GT40 replica...I would want to drive it. Not just rub it with a diaper in my garage. Sorry for the rant.