@David K posted:Knowing that whatever 356 replica I went for could well take a couple years and I want to scratch an itch now.
Your best option might be to buy a previously owned car that an enthusiast has loved and already gone through. There may be paint chips and small aesthetic defects but you'll be ready to go. You're more likely to be pleased.
This is great advice. I had similar expectations, and was very thankful to find a community like this to point me in the right direction.
I ended up with a pre-owned (12k miles), mostly pre-sorted toy that required limited maintenance, is "mostly" water tight, and a whole lot of fun. I daily drove it, before the pandemic, through 100°F+ temps and rain. Even after a few months without driving last year it handled a 700 mile road trip through the coastal mountains just fine. I'm about to head on another one.
Keep your eye on the classifieds here, Craigslist, BaT. And then bring back any potential purchases here for the experts to weigh in. If you were already willing to wait for one to be built, I bet you'll find a great one to drive before then. Several from this community have sold their cars over the past year. I think you would've been happy with several of them. There will be more.