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Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 9:58 am
by Black Betty
I heard a lot about this forum, but I didn't visit it until recently (I know: shame on me :oops: )...

When I recently stumbled across this forum by accident and I read some of the threads/topics I realized what I had been missing out on all this time! :lol:

This seems to be a great hangout place for classic Porsche enthusiasts and one of the few forums where real Porsches and replica's are treated equally! :headbang:

So I registered and this is my first post.

So let me introduce myself:

My name is Antoine Godschalk and I live in the picturesque village of Vinkeveen in the Netherlands. Over the years I owned several (real) Porsches and approximately 15 years ago I owned a Chesil 356A Speedster replica. I loved that car and wasn't planning selling it, but unfortunately I suffered a financial set back and I was forced to sell (life is what happens to you, whilst making other plans) :(

But...

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As it turns out I had the same (childhood) dream as Ferry Porsche; I’ve just fulfilled my dream slightly different…

Years ago when I first stumbled across pictures of Speedsters in SCCA race trim on the internet I was stunned and I knew immediately that when (not if) I would build my own car, that car had to look like one of those, rather than ‘another fiberglass copy of an original’.

So I started to make plans to build –or rather (re)create- a Porsche 356A SCCA racer. I started collecting photographs of Speedster SCCA racers and made drawings of how my car had to look like. I looked for characteristics and features I really liked and which of those I would like to incorporate into my car. There was only one little hitch: my car had to be road legal…

When I turned 40 in 2007 I decided the time had come to make my childhood dream become a reality and the actual build of the car began. Being a lawyer I’m consequently technically impaired so I knew when I started to build the car that it would be a humongous challenge.
Unfortunately my technical impairment implied also that the build most of the time was one of ‘two steps forward, one step back’ and I can honestly say that being a perfectionist with a slight OCD didn’t help either. Luckily I had a group of great supporters that kept believing in my abilities even when I started doubting them (not my supporters, but my abilities).

But now it’s finished I can truly say:

BUILT BY A BLOKE IN A SHED ONLY USING HANDTOOLS!

And I'm pretty proud of the end result... :bounce:

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The engine of my car is pretty special: it's a Riechert Type 4 (AT):

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The engine runs perfectly and it's a joy to drive this car...

Greetings,
Antoine

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Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:08 am
by Bootsy
Wonderful first post - welcome to DDK

What a superb car you've built there - very cool.

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:38 am
by Gary71
Very cool! :)

Welcome to DDK

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 12:52 pm
by Peter
Welcome. One very cool car 8)

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:30 pm
by KS
Excellent!!!

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 3:06 pm
by sladey
Great stuff - cool car - welcome to the forum

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:55 am
by jury
I like that, love the Riechert Type 4 !

Welcome Antoine


Chris

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 8:02 am
by Hendrik Moulds
Love it, welcome!

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 12:24 am
by decapman
Great intro, I like your style!

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:11 am
by Sam
That's a very nice car. Love it.

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:40 am
by haasad
Great intro. Gorgeous looking car and hand built by you too.....well done Sir.


Andy

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:04 pm
by Loz
WoW!

Now that is beautiful!

Welcome Antoine.

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 5:38 pm
by Mitch
It's all been said but that's a great intro. Welcome!

The car looks perfect and with a look like this, it feels like you & speedster should have a Herge style story...The Amazing Adventures of Antoine :wink:
Black Betty wrote:Image

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:58 pm
by Biancaneve
That's cool!

Re: Newbie from Holland: Black Betty is in da house...

Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 10:10 am
by Black Betty
Cockpit Pic:

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