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Prices continue to go nutz

The seller (dealer) states:

"I just replied to your private email. There is only 1 VIN number on VW chassis/pan which you see in the picture #93. Thats original and all that is required. This vehicle comes with a clean California title listing it as a 1973 Volkswagen. This meets import requirements for Canada. Many Vintage Motorcars of California Speedsters have been shipped to Canada. Send me your shipping address via email and I can work on a transport quote for you today. Thank you."

but later:

"I sent you an email regarding shipping Speedsters into Canada.

NOTE: There are Vintage Motorcars of California Speedsters driving around in Canada and importing them has been done however I cannot guarantee it won’t be an issue. For Canada residents you can reach out and contact Vintage Motorcars of California directly for their Canada dealer. If you are a resident of Canada contact me directly and I can forward you info to reach out to the manufacture directly for Canada orders."

Soooo...... there are newish Speedster replicas registered in Canada but are they simply walking in to register with a "1972 VW" and hoping there aren't any questions?

Hopefully they're up front with their insurance companies.

Or since the dealer is recommending buyers contact Vintage directly, who is the "Canadian dealer" and do they have a legal workaround or just a friend at the License Bureau?

This is an interesting statement:

" Soooo...... there are newish Speedster replicas registered in Canada but are they simply walking in to register with a "1972 VW" and hoping there aren't any questions?

Hopefully they're up front with their insurance companies. "

That's how I registered my speedster in three different states (but sadly, never in Canada).

It was registered as a white '69 VW convertible and nobody ever questioned it - Not even my insurance company - for 15 years.  Everybody was happy with it, even the guys doing the annual vehicle inspection, who KNEW that it wasn't what the registration said.  Nobody cared.

Then I tried to be a good guy and re-registered it as a Porsche 356 replica.  Right off the bat, my insurance company (Liberty Mutual, back then) dropped me.  After jumping through hoops with the DMV, it was re-registered as a Porsche replica and everybody was happy, except for the inspection guy who said he has to fill out an extra page of info on his screen, just for the replica info, but it's still no big deal.

From what I've been hearing lately here, (Massachusetts) I would, once again, recommend trying to register it as a VW first to avoid the hassle.  If that doesn't work, plead ignorance of the process (even the DMV folks (USA and Canadian) aren't really sure what the process is) and ask them for help to go the replica route.

And, of course, having the help of a local dealer is always beneficial.

If I wanted a modern transmission, engine, and suspension I would buy a modern car. At 31, my age demographic is probably in the minority. I’ve driven modern vehicles my whole life. To me, I want my fun car to have some semblance to cars of yore with simpler technology. I want to tinker and learn. My bone stock 1955 Chevy Bel Air fit the bill, and my Speedster will too.

I know some of the more experienced car enthusiasts on here may be at the point in life where they want the cool/fun factor of a classic car but want some of the niceties that make such a vehicle easier to live with. I respect that. Most of the Tri-Five owners I met were older gentleman who didn’t want a 2 speed power glide transmission, 165hp 265 cubic inch V8, no air conditioning, no power steering, and no disc/power brakes. Most of them upgraded their Tri-Fives with these niceties so they could enjoy their classic car with some modern features. Heck, most of them lived through the era where the aforementioned features weren’t standard or widely available.

I’m not talking ABS and cup holders but coil overs, a tunable suspension, being able to improve the handling and being able to corner balance. We’ve gone to electronic dizzy and that can be improved upon. Maybe some kind of front spoiler to keep the front end down at today’s highway speeds. I think there are many ways to improve the Speedster experience after all I hear people put water cooled Engines from the Far East in these things. It should be a big tent.

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