My 2 cents: Why do you own either?  Do you consider either an investment? Is the cost of spares a consideration? …or did you buy to enjoy the open air motoring experience?  ….or perhaps you like to tweak and tinker with old cars?  ….or maybe all your friends own real T-types?  There is little doubt that the BMW is a better (in every regard…[Read more]

JEGS.com has several guages at excellent pricing. They also have the appropriate sending units as well. This is mainly a Muscle Car web site, but has guages as well, less expensive then other VW online web sites.Dave

Welcome Ryan! From the above comments you are at the right place at the right time. Congratulations on “re finding” your Uncle’s car. This group has a vast resource of very knowledgable folks. We also enjoy seeing pictures of our members cars, and their projects on them. Regards……….. Dave

Greetings again Rick! In my humble opinion I would keep the TDr. Why, well depending on the condition of the orginal TD wooden “structural Integerity” and “mechanical reliably” I would opt for keeping the TDr. My thoughts are, yes it is an orginal, but parts for originals can be very expensive to obtain, and you have to pay for shipping costs to…[Read more]

Good deal Jack.Mine sits easy across the back with a couple of bungee cords.Will try to remember the TDREPLICA banner this year.

Could you keep both for a year while deciding? I’d make the decision based on which one I enjoyed driving more. Getting them both road-worthy would seem the 1st step to a sale anyway, so nothing lost there but time and maybe a scraped knuckle. The BCW is probably a bit roomier. The original is cooler. Both will hold maintenance challenges. If the…[Read more]

Too bad you can’t keep both. I’m sure we ALL wish we had the same dilemma!I agree, the wire wheels and two tone paint scheme make the original a real head turner.It sounds like the BCW is in super shape, and you’d not have any trouble finding a buyer.If you sold it, you can use the $$$ for the original.

Re “I believe the Fusseneggers stretched the hood a little in order to get a better fit of the body over the VW donor: it lets the BCW’s full length grill sit in front of the front axle beam and allows the rear torsion bar to tuck behind the front of the rear fenders.” Not just BCW. My FiberFab meets both criteria. I think my FF is a little…[Read more]

You have an original with beautiful and expensive wire wheels. The original will also hold its value better. No offense to the replica, but the original is a pretty easy choice.

Looks like fun!Hope you remembered your ‘brelly!Tea and crumpets anyone?

Thanks Ed, Makes sense that they would not have two slightly different moulds.  Rick is the only one with the old and new, so I’m looking forward to what he may uncover.  

Like most of the TDrs, the BCW is, I think, 3 inches longer overall than the TD. I believe the Fusseneggers stretched the hood a little in order to get a better fit of the body over the VW donor: it lets the BCW’s full length grill sit in front of the front axle beam and allows the rear torsion bar to tuck behind the front of the rear fenders. (Of…[Read more]

Side louvers are open on my car, but made of fiberglass.  I obtained a steel TD top pf hood to campare to the current fiberglass one and while the curveture and where the sides and top meet are exactly the same, the original maybe approximately two inches shorter.  Not sure why.  

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Not stock.  Notice that all the fenders are somewhat rounded where they would have attached to the missing center sections.  And the outside door handles are missing.  The straps securing the gas tank have been modified also.  The owner took some 1950’s customizing liberties that you don’t usually see on a real TD.  I’d guess that most folks, if…[Read more]

Yes.  I noticed that there are no runningboards.  Stock or left off?

Jack, you rock!

Very cool scene!

You are a hero, Jack. Thanks for stepping up!

Tom – in a previous post, I think you said your louvers were real – was I dreaming?

I’ll start a separate topic on the differences.  Of course I am fairly new to the original and replica hobby, but it will be fun to hear which car others think I should keep/sell.