1955 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica. Subaru 4 Cam 16 Valve 2.5 Liter POWER!

2006 Porsche 550 Spyder Replica

Subaru 4 Cam 16 Valve Fuel Injected

2.5 Liter EJ25 Engine

If you could be a serious potential buyer there is a long story to this car worth reading completely. Please read it thoroughly first, nd then if you have further questions please don't hesitate to give me a call. I will be happy to discuss it at length. Upon request I can also provide a link to over 50 photos which can be viewed in full page format. Just ask. ADDED Friday, une 19th: YouTube Video:This video was shoton a familiar lightly traveled back road near my home. My wife was in the car with me and I had to promise not to scare her so I took it easy. My GoPro was mounted to the outside of the windshield. Consequently there is a lot of wind noise at speed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFU3nU-SQCo

I am Tom Klein, self employed entrepreneur for 45 years, ow closing in on my 69th birthday . I have also been a serious lifelong motorsports enthusiast. I built my first Hot Rod in 1963 and was sanctioned track drag racing a year before I could legally drive on the street. I've built, estored, ollected and raced sports cars, uscle cars and motorcycles for over 50 years.

I own Tom's Cool Car, semi-retirement business I established in 2008 which is a natural extension of my lifelong passion. For the past seven years I've have enjoyed dealing in classic collectible cars, rucks and motorcycles, ncluding my long time personal favorite, he Porsche 550 Spyder. Having been an avid passionate automotive and motorcycle enthusiast for over 50 years I can sincerely say I've never had more fun and gotten a bigger thrill from owning and driving any other vehicle, nd this particular 550 Spyder is a special thrill!

In the past year I have sold off most of my collection and am beginning to wind down Tom's Cool Car, ot to retire (probably never happen) but to follow another long time personal passion, irearms collecting. I am now in the process of establishing a retail gun store with an emphasis on investment grade firearms and accessories. Dealing in guns will not only be fun for me but be easier on my aging bones than working on cars and maintaining a vehicle collection.

I sold two of my personal Spyders during the past year and a half with no intention of selling this particular "Rogue" Spyder I call my "Hot Rod Spyder." However I have reluctantly decided that as difficult as it will be to part with it the time is right to pass it along to the next adrenalin junkie enthusiast.

I purchased this car in early 2013 as an unfinished running project. More about that shortly. This is not a Beck, intage or Thunder Ranch Spyder. It is clear titled with a full 17 digit VIN, as manufactured in 2005 and is titled as a 2006 EUSC, s in European Sports Car. The history of this car according to what I've learned is that, ike the Beck Spyder, USC's were fabricated in Brazil specifically for export to Europe and a few managed to make it to the U.S. Like the Beck, he cars were fully equipped for road use including proper lighting, indshield wipers (wiper arms removed but come with car), urn signals, way emergency flashers, orn and even came with a top (pretty much useless on a 550 Spyder). This car was also equipped with a very nice high dollar Nardi wood steering wheel! There are likely a few floating around Europe and probably a number of them remaining in Brazil too. But for the most part the car is mysterious, nd this one is now a seriously fast Rogue Hot Rod 550.

I purchased the car from the second owner, business man and also a 550 enthusiast. He resided in New York when he acquired it in 2007. He told me when he bought the car from the original owner it was powered by an air cooled fuel injected engine. He said the original owner sold the car to him because he was disgusted with being unable to get the injected engine to run right, hich was no problem because he was specifically looking for a Spyder to convert to Subaru power having already researched and acquired plans for making the swap. He bought the car, ired a mechanic to help and they transformed the car. A late 1990's Japanese spec 2.5 Liter 4 Cam EJ25 Subaru power plant with a reported 31,000 miles of use was acquired from Osaka Auto Parts, uebec, anada (receipt included with purchase). The air cooled engine was removed, he Swing Arm Torsion Bar suspension was removed and the frame altered for coil over suspension, uch as is found in Vintage Spyders. A new Rancho Performance Pro-Street Transaxle (receipt included with purchase) with a 3:44 Ring & Pinion and Disc Brakes (4 wheel disc brakes on this car) was purchased and linked to the engine via a new Kennedy Adapter and Kennedy Stage II Competition Clutch & Pressure Plate. Shifting is via cable shifter that works beautifully. Plumbing for cooling was installed through the frame to the Griffin Aluminum Radiator with Thermostatically Controlled Electric Fan up front. A new tuned ECU from Outback Motorsports (now Outfront Motorsports) was installed and the car was made to run.

At that point the owner moved himself, is wife and the car to Florida to start a new business. The car was parked in the garage while he worked long hours getting the business going, nd then children came along and the car ended up sitting. One day he noticed one of my national advertisements stating that I bought 550 Spyders, ncluding Spyder projects. I had him take and email me detailed photos and we subsequently agreed to a price over the phone. I bought the car never having laid eyes on it in person and had it shipped to my shop in NC.

When I bought the car I knew from the photos I'd seen to expect what I would call a "raw" installation. The car ran well but to become familiar with all its needs I drove it several hundred miles before I began the mechanical and cosmetic refinements. The engine had not been cleaned after coming out of the 30,000 mile donor car and had no longer needed parts still attached. The exhaust in no way resembled the original 550 Spyder system, he engine compartment still had air cooled engine accessories no longer in use attached to the firewall and the engine compartment and frame were in bad need of cosmetic attention, s was the passenger compartment.

I put a lot of work into this Spyder to make it the killer machine it is. As you will see in the photos I nearly completely gutted the car. I delivered the engine to a regional Subaru specialist (works on nothing but) who checked it out, etermined it was in excellent condition, nstalled a new timing belt and a new water pump. When it was returned to me the engine was polished and non-aluminum parts painted. In the meantime the frame in the engine compartment was stripped to bare metal and painted with three part DuPont epoxy paint, s was the firewall and the inner surface of the rear clam shell. The interior was removed, he frame stripped to bare metal and likewise painted with three part DuPont epoxy and everything seriously refreshed. I also installed aluminum competition pedals and a 12 volt power port. The Seatbelts are self retracting shoulder/lap belts just like in your family transporter.

I elected to dress the exterior to closely resemble some of the original 1955 Porsche race cars, ncluding a new set of red Mangels wheels with smoothie hub caps. I elected to not paint the exterior. There are some scratches and minor imperfections that lend to a patina that makes it look like a car that has actually seen action and I could drive it and not fret about a nice new paint job getting scratched or dinged. I purchased the car in April 2013. The work was completed in August 2013.

There are photos of the car in different stages and different dress. Now in race car livery the numbered vinyl roundels can easily be removed by applying heat from a hair dryer and the red wheels and tires replaced by the second complete set of chrome Mangels wheels and tires originally on the car which are included with the sale. I also applied Pegasus decals, endler badges and 2 Nurburgring Grill Badges. I shod the new set of red Mangels wheels with new Sumitomo HTR A/S PO1 tires. Fronts are 185-65-R15. Rears are 195-60-R15. The chrome wheels and tires are the same sizes. The tires are Mirada Sport GTX fronts and Goodrich Touring T/A's rear.

According to the Odometer there are now just over 10,000 kilometers on the chassis. I've driven he car hundreds of miles with complete reliability since completing the project. Anything the new owner might want to do would be optional, ot necessary. I would have no qualms about getting in this car and driving cross country . It runs smoothly, uns cool and runs reliably(amazing after I state this I still get asked how much I have driven it, hat it needs and if the second set of chrome wheels and tires come with the car). I've heard air cooled Spyders described as "scary fast." I've owned highly built air cooled 550 Spyders. I've never owned or driven one that this car wouldn't quickly leave on the horizon in the rear view mirror. THIS 550 Spyder is FAST!

At idle it purrs like a kitten and at high rpm the twin glass pack equipped original style single megaphone exhaust screams like a Banshee.Put the hammer downand the car takes off like a scalded dog. Crab sideways through second gear? NASCAR style victory donuts? No problem! Rev the car to a few thousand rpm, ump the clutch, nd hold on! I haven't timed the car in the quarter mile but I've driven many sub 12 second cars and motorcycles. The NHRA Compulink Timer in the seat of my pants tells me this is a 12 second quarter mile car. Plus, t handles like a Porsche 550 road race car. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western, C. It's hard to find a quarter mile straight stretch of non-undulating level road here, nd this Spyder eats them up with glee!

I'm an old Hot Rodder from way back. That's what I love about this Spyder. It is a genuine Hot Rod! A car that left the factory as cool, ut with ho-hum performance, nd was subsequently professionally modified and transformed into a very special spine tingling machine, rom the appearance to the sound (nearly indistinguishable from the original Porsche 4 cam Type 550 engine) to the performance. Believe me. Once you've owned a 4 Cam Subaru powered 550 Spyder you could never go back to air cooled. I know I surely couldn't, nd I know I'm really going to miss this car if/when it is gone!

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A ONE TIME ONLY 21 DAY OFFER.I have set the Buy It Now at $29,500. A year ago at a car show, fter telling a gentleman the car was not for sale, e asked me if it was for sale what would I have for it? I told him I would probably set a fair price at just under $30,000. An hour later he returned and presented me with a signed check for $29,500, hich I declined. Now, aving set that exact fair price I am not soliciting or entertaining offers. The price is the price, nd it is a very fair price! Subaru powered 550 Spyders aren't plentiful and when one comes on the market the price is generally well into the high 30's to over $40,000. You can have a very nice one built brand new for about $45,000. Honestly, n the event my Spyder does not sell I will be relieved and consider it a mistake to have offered it up in the first place. If it sells during the duration of this listing I am going to hate to see it go. If not, 'll keep it. I could happily be buried in this car.

If you would like to purchase this 550 Spyder, hich is available for immediate delivery, lease call to discuss your purchasebefore selectingBuy It Now. Please feel free to arrange to see, nspect and drive the car, ut you must do so before selecting Buy It Now. Selecting Buy It Now concludes the listing and obligates you to follow through with Payment In Full within one week (5 Business Days) with no contingencies. Please, o avoid any misunderstandings or any drama what-so-ever for either of us let's first be sure we are both on the same page and in complete mutual agreement regarding the sale, ayment and shipping/delivery. I will be happy to work with your shipper to arrange taking delivery any day of the week at a reasonable time. Thank you.

As mentioned at the outset if you have questions I will be happy to answer them and discuss this Spyder in detail. Upon request I can also provide a link to over 50 high resolution photos which can be viewed in full page format. Just ask. I am available between 8:30 AM and 6 PM any day. Please call 336-372-7400.

Thanks for looking.

Tom Klein

Tom's Cool Cars

Laurel Springs, C