Despite looking more like a Halloween prop than a project car, the seller of this Porsche 356 Speedster replica thinks it’s a worthwhile investment for a savvy car builder. His price is low compared to what a finished one of these replicas typically sells for, so he believes there’s a profitable opportunity here for a shrewd owner. The replica features a full buck shell with steel panels welded atop the shell. There is also an engine included, said to be from a very early VW Beetle. Of course, the chassis is also from a Bug, so it’s hardly exotic, but the driving sensation can be improved with updated suspension and tires; more power, however, will require an engine transplant. Find it here on eBay in a classifieds listing from the UK.

Now, I am not one to decide whether this skeleton has been executed to a high level. Given the seller includes multiple photos of the body panels stripped off of it, I would assume he thinks it’s pretty high quality in terms of construction. In a sense, this is a terrific way to see how similar the original Beetle and Porsche 356 were in design, even though this is simply a replica of the seller’s own construction. The point still stands that the bathtub shape of the 356 can easily be confused with a Beetle if you simply built the framing up a little higher to encompass full doors, side glass, and a windshield, and voila – you have the VW Beetle.

Now, as far as the engine goes, the first thing I would do is ditch the early VW Beetle motor and find a suitable modern replacement. The Subaru flat-four seems like a logical swap, especially given it’s been done plenty of times with obvious benefits. The Beetle engine may actually nab a decent price if it goes to a buyer who is putting an early model back on the road and wants it to have a correct date-coded engine. While I get that keeping it air-cooled is the obvious choice for heritage’s sake, the price of original Porsche 356 engines has gone quite high along with everything else Porsche-branded from that era, so a modern engine transplant may offer you the best bang for your buck.

Now, this is clearly a rendering given how goofy the rear wheels and arches look in this picture. I don’t mind where the seller was going with his build, and I especially like the windshield design. However, you really have to be a big fan of the patina craze to want your custom replica build to end up like this. The Speedster is an iconic design, and it deserves just a little better than this; still, a slightly ratty and slammed Speedster would likely get plenty of thumbs up no matter where it goes. What would you do with a replica like this – would you make it into a sympathetic replica or create a rat rod like the seller had imagined?