IT ALL STARTED WHEN...

Adam grew up in Michigan surrounded by American classics. His father was a gearhead and Adam recalls being impressed that his dad could point out the different years and models of cars from the subtle differences in headlights, grilles and shapes of the fenders.

His family always owned sensible American cars, but his dad would point out ‘oddball’ European automobiles whenever he spotted them on the streets. This probably gave them an elevated sense of exceptionalism in Adam’s young and impressionable mind.

When the family moved to California in the ’90s, his dad bought him and his brother a 1970 Porsche 914 to share. ‘That car got under my skin the way Porsches do. It was balanced like a go-kart, fast enough but not scary, and started every time you turned the key’. That 914 came to an unfortunate end at the hands of another motorist, but the emotion and excitement it stirred up stayed with him.

After college he owned a few American classics, a 1970 Ford F100, two 1963 Chevy Novas and a collection of Vespas, Lambrettas and a BSA Lightning motorcycle. In 2001 Adam was in a bad crash with his BSA Lightning and decided he was safer in modern cars. A few years passed and he found himself missing having a vintage car to work on and enjoy. Mostly he missed the community of people that owning an older vehicle introduces you to.

He began searching for a sub-$10k, ’60s fourcylinder car when a friend suggested he look at a Porsche 912. This was (decades) prior to the aircooled Porsche boom we are in now, but even back then it was still difficult finding one for a good price. He eventually found one on the 912 BBS classifieds out in Stockton, 90 miles east of Oakland where he was living at the time.

Pretty much as soon as the garage door went up, I was sure I was going to have it. The paint was beat and faded, but it was complete, very original, and the body was solid, top and bottom. The engine ran. It started and stopped just fine. It had clearly been both well-used and maintained throughout its life. I came back and drove it home the very next day.

During his ownership of the 912, he also bought and sold a couple of Series III Land Rovers. A few months after selling his last Rover, he still had the proceeds burning a hole in his pocket. He knew he wanted a convertible after driving around in the summer with the roof off one of the Landys. Porsche Speedsters were way out of reach for most collectors, but he knew that replicas could be just as much fun. The minimalist ‘Outlaw’ design spoke to him.

There are plenty of tricked-out replicas with heated ‘comfort-style’ seats… wind wings, AC, etc, – that's all just borderline offensive to me. I feel that if you’re going to have a Speedster – even a replica – you should spec it and enjoy it for the same reasons people bought the originals – for whipping it around the canyons or around the racetrack.

He stumbled upon this particular Speedster on ebay. It was a mild ‘Outlaw’ style build with a matte silver colour and the seller was local. He won the auction with a bid just $50 over the reserve, so to him, it felt like a steal.

One of the first things he had to do was switch out the seat rails so that his girlfriend, who is about a foot shorter than him, could drive the car too. Coincidentally the welding on the seat rail was done by Elco Welding, who you can also read about elsewhere in this issue. Otherwise it has mostly only needed general update and maintenance work that Adam typically does himself.

The freedom of owning a replica is that Adam sees the car as a blank slate. As things wear out and need replacing, he is happy to consider changes such as a different colour interior, or a Subaru or even an electric motor. Although he says anything other than an air-cooled motor out back seems a little blasphemous.

Adam drives both the Porches regularly with the Speedster more of a day to day or canyon drive car as it is easier to hop in and go. The 912 he sees more as a tourer, a bit more comfortable than baking in the Californian sun in a noisy convertible. Although both cars share similar drivetrains, Adam says they are entirely different experiences to drive with the Speedster having more oomph uphill and power available wherever and whenever you need it. ‘The Speedy is really as close as you can come to a motorcycle on four wheels’.

As for the cons in owning a replica? Adam says there aren’t really any. The unwitting assume it is original and the Porsche crowd are still curious and positive as well. ‘They don’t seem to care at all about whether it’s an original or not. They only want to justify finding one for themselves’.