F40 Build your Dream

Tank You

 

Your story and time and effort can be admired. I've restored an number of vintage cars, and know first hand the pride and accomplishment. I think you can probably also appreciate the opinion of those who are anti-replica.

I have an original Porsche Speedster, so again I have my own first hand experience and that experience is that people usually don't know the difference and it loses some of its specialness. I don't hold animosity or resentment when I run into guys who have a replica (the one guy who sourced a vintage license plate and had it registered as a historic car did rub me wrong-- I mean if it's fake, then call it what it is....replica, tribute, etc. all = fake).

All that being said, I considered adding a Superperfomance GT40 to my collection. I tried to reason myself into believing that purchasing a 2005-2006 Ford GT was not really any different than buying the replica, so why not a Superperformance which is closer to the original. Then when it came time and I traveled to see the car, I just couldn't...it was fake. So like many of us, I won't ever have the experience of owning of driving a real GT40, but that's life and I'd rather not fool myself.

It's the same reason I won't wear a fake Rolex or Patek Philippe..... I know it's fake and that just doesn't sit well, besides the fact that once you cut through all the tape and get to the basics, it's nothing more than stealing.

 

How about if you had the skills to and did BUILD a fake Rolex or Patek ? Or any watch.
Dont you see the difference ?
Sometimes its not the destination but the journey.
I personally would not take DIY's route but the fact remains he did it.
How many here have the skills and commitment to take on a project like this ?

 

Plenty, including me, but that's not the point.

Building stuff is great fun which is why over my long lifetime I've built many boats (the largest a 53 foot motor-yacht), three airplanes (including one I designed, built and test flew myself), a couple of houses (yeah, with my own hands), restored a couple of cars, and all sorts of other stuff. And no, I didn't make my living working with my hands. These projects were simply a hobby. And yes, I bought my Ferrari rather than building a fake, but it took years of work to earn the money before I was able to write the check. I maintain my REAL Ferrari myself. There are plenty on this forum with similar stories as well as those who never dirty their hands at all but who work hard at something so that they have the ability to write the necessary checks. In other words, there are many ways to become a Ferrari owner and maintain it once you own it.

Nothing wrong at all with building things. There is great satisfaction to had there, but why in the world would you want to build a fake? With less time, effort, and expense the OP could have restored something real. He would still have something to be proud of and people who know what they're looking at would admire both his project and him. As it is now ........................... judging from these posts ........... neither he or his project is getting much love.

Anyone who knows cars will look down their nose at this project and then turn and give the builder the stink-eye. It's a shame really unless he's trying to appeal to sub-teenagers and pimps.

 

And the assumption is Porsche owners are pricks.
They aint got nothin.

 

Everyone can't just build a replica and claim the fame. Most aren't! Most kit builders are not trying to impress others, by building a fake, tribute, clone, or what ever you want to call it. They're using their skills and talent to make a dream a reality. "It's a tribute" and I don't think most try to pawn theirs off as the real thing. Give credit were credit is due on the effort, determination, and skill to build something with your own hands, be it original or not. Many hot rodders have the same additude as some on this forum, yet ask them where their bodies and frames came from or are they real, and gee they are copies, but in the hot rodding world perfectly acceptable. Just double standards in both arenas. You just have to grow some very thick skin. I agree about taking the journey and enjoying it.

 

You can still use your talent and skills on a real car. Real cars are mechanical things too and you can enjoy using those same skills to dial them in. Here is the wastegate from my car that I dissassembled, modified to the correct spec to work with LM turbos and exhaust, and rebuilt it myself. I have now disassembled and restored lots of parts (fuel pumps, etc.) but this is a good example. It's not as involved as a whole car but it's still satisfying to do and I didn't steal from or lie to anyone to do it.

If you have to build a whole car, then build something that isn't a copy of something else like an Ultima GTR or, better yet, rescue an awesome old car and restore it. I'm doing that with a 1967 911 I found in a field and bought very inexpensively. The point is that there are lots of ways to use those skills and not spend any more money than the op spent building his lamarossa. Don't build a fake piece of crap that only serves to devalue the original and humiliate the owner.
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I hear this all the time in defense of replicas and it just isn't true. In my experience it is the minority, not the majority who are honest about what their car is.

 

+1. And when they're eventually outed they're usually very defensive about why they have a replica, citing the value of a real one or that the replica drives even better than the orginal, etc. or all kinds of things. Replicas cost money, money that could be used to buy a great real car. No one cares if someone can't afford a real F40. But they care if someone pretends to have one.