Vehicle Details
- Year: 1969
- Make: Volkswagen
- Model: Custom
- VIN: 119493917
- Mileage: 15
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean
- Color: Bare Aluminum
- Seller Type: Private Party
- Location: Bradenton, FL 34212
- Lot #: V-0026209
Available for auction at no reserve is this Badel 480 Porsche 550 Spyder replica. In 2011, inspired by the Porsche 550 Spyder and Walter Glöckler’s iconic Porsche specials, master artisan and metal worker Jaun Badel began building one-off sports cars from handshape aluminum. The entire building process takes place in the Colombian countryside, using the same tools and equipment as would have been used in the 1950s. Badel has completed several one-off cars including this example which features a removable coupe hardtop with 300SL-inspired gull-wing doors, an upgraded air-cooled Porsche 912 flat-four engine, Volkswagen running gear, Fuchs wheels, a handmade bare aluminum body and interior, and many more fascinating details. This one-of-a-kind Badel Spyder is now being offered for auction at no reserve by its seller on the East Coast.
Built upon a custom tubular steel reinforced frame, Badel painstakingly handshapes the aluminum bodywork using custom molds and bucks. This 480 Spyder wears a bare aluminum finish and features a unique removable coupe hardtop. The hardtop design draws inspiration from Porsche 550 coupe Le Mans race car and includes plastic front and rear windshields as well as roof-hinged gullwing doors reminiscent of the 300SL. Details include a rear clamshell engine cover secured with leather straps, a removable driver-side windscreen, a removable driver-side headrest fairing, an aluminum tonneau cover, a Raydot review mirror, a small front grill opening, mesh headlight guards, twin-engine grilles, an exposed filler lid, and a Porsche crest at the nose. It rides on a set of refurbished 15” Fuchs wheels which come dressed in Hoosier Speedster radial tires.
Like the body the cockpit is constructed from bare aluminum and features an exposed tubular framework along with a pair of bare aluminum bucket seats. Details include blue harness belts, a leather-wrapped three-spoke Motolita steering wheel, a battery cut-off switch, a painless style fusebox, vintage Volkswagen switchgear, a sand rail pedal box, and a central gauge panel housing a Motogadget gauge with tachometer, speedometer, battery voltage, and oil pressure and temperature readouts. The seller confirms that all gauges, electronics, and accessories remain functional.
Power comes from a 1,600cc flat four-cylinder engine sourced from a Porsche 912. The engine is said to be original to the build and has been upgraded with a SCAT crankshaft, Carillo rods, JE pistons, Elgin 7805 cams, Comp cylinder heads, Formula Vee style exhaust, MSD ignition, a font mounted oil-cooler, an Oberg oil strainer, and Weber 44 IDF carburetors with velocity stacks. The engine is said to produce 120 HP, and the seller has provided a dyno sheet for reference. The rear wheels are driven by way of a 4-speed Volkswagen transaxle with a cable gear shifter. The chassis uses the front axle beam from a Volkswagen and a rear floating system from a Formula Vee. Stopping power is provided by Empi front and rear discs on 5x130 Porsche 5-lug hubs. The suspension consists of Penske front shocks and a transverse-mounted mono-shock, a Caracal Cars integrated sway bar, and Caracal Cras downlinks. Additional details include a dry-cell Optima battery, a five-gallon fuel tank, and a Facet electric fuel pump.
This sale will include a clean title.
Auction Results
- Sold for: $29,480
- Auction End: Jan 30, 2023 08:24:32PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 38
Comments (82)
Sold for $29,480
@stb Jolly good!
Phew! And yes, it will be on the Breakfast Club Rally, hopefully home in time for the Feb 11th one! :)
Bid in the amount of $29,480
Bid in the amount of $28,800
Bid in the amount of $28,550
Bid in the amount of $27,750
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Bid in the amount of $27,000
Bid in the amount of $26,750
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Bid in the amount of $26,000
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Bid in the amount of $24,480
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Bid in the amount of $22,500
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Bid in the amount of $21,500
Hand built aluminum/alloy bodied car for under $30K! Someone is getting the deal of their lifetime! Too bad I don’t have room for this!
Bid in the amount of $21,000
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Bid in the amount of $19,500
Bid in the amount of $19,000
Bid in the amount of $17,750
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Bid in the amount of $17,250
@Manpot @Manpot: That's the spirit!
I just love this..makes my 56A Outlaw look downright sophisticated!!! I cannot believe folks pay $50,000 for a replica when they could have an original "Spyder Special" , all handbuilt,like this.With deeper pockets and one more covered parking space I would be all over this...zooming round the backroads of Sonoma with the most unique "Porsche/VW Special in the Breakfast Club Rally.
Bid in the amount of $17,000
Bid in the amount of $16,000
Bid in the amount of $14,000
Bid in the amount of $13,500
@sharkhunter84 The engine cover does go all the way back and is also easy to remove for improved engine access. In regards to the fuel level, there is a gauge in the drivers footwell, visible in picture 78. The Motogadget gauge has the capability to take a relay input so it could register an alarm for low fuel but not a variable input from a fuel level sender, if the fuel gauge is in the way.
@tbollox looking more at 120 and 121 that makes sense. Did not realize the top and the rear portion over the clam are 2 separated pieces. Can the clam tilt all the way back for more access? On other spyder reps the exhaust tip usually prevents it from going to the ground but this one is obviously mounted really high. Also, where or how do you see the fuel level? Is it also part of that integrated single gauge? Range as you know is always dicey with these things. Thanks!
Bid in the amount of $13,250
Bid in the amount of $13,000
@sharkhunter84 Picture 120 and 121 show the rear engine cover hinging back, this can be done in both open and closed forms. This gives very good access to the back and sides of the engine. Carburetor, spark plug, valve lash access is very good (much easier than if the same engine was installed in a Porsche 356). Timing adjustment requires the removal of a panel between the seats to get a timing light on the mark (the corner of which can be seen in pic 82 above the MSD). Distributor adjustment is done from the top as is point replacement. As for the instrumentation, apart from engine speed, with a Porsche engine one really only looks at oil pressure and temperature. A large bright idiot light is on the dash for low oil pressure. Speed is always shown. Ventilation and puddles are a different matter.
Bid in the amount of $12,500
Bid in the amount of $12,000
…running a build like this, on a regular basis or on a longer trip, would take very serious dedication. Instrumentation alone, I would be be constantly toggling to see what was going on. The access cutouts behind the front wheels would leave your feet soaked after the first big puddle, The fixed roof is a very cool option, however ventilation aside…you have zero access to the engine when it’s fitted in place. That would literally drive me crazy, because on any trip long or short…you’d want to make adjustments. It’s a very cool build by Juan, but needs a lot of bits changed to make it really useable.
@Richard356 Currently there is no ventilation, however I have some light aircraft window vents that I never fitted that come with the car.
@Justin_yvr The front vent allows air to pass through the oil cooler and exit under the car. The oil cooler is mounted in a cowl together with an Oberg flat, reusable oil filter which is part of the full flow oil system for the Porsche engine. If you want to fill it back in the oil cooler will need to be moved.
Bid in the amount of $11,356
How is the ventilation in the cabin when the top is in place.
Bid in the amount of $10,000
Bid in the amount of $5,356
Does the front vent serve any functional purpose? Can it be deleted?
@Richard356 @Richard356: Yes the car is registered as a 1969 VW with a clean Florida title in my name.
Is this Registered/Titled In the state of Florida as a 1969 Volkswagen?
@240zGuild My understanding is that Juan used a combination of hammer shaping and rolling (he has English wheels etc). The dings and dents are from the construction process and part of what makes the car unique. One early car was painted but it lost something in the process.
Not sure why there is no editing here, but I meant to say it looks like they Didn’t use metal rolling/shaping to build the panels, but rather only used a hammer/dolly process?
Before bidding more, very curious if I am seeing hammer shaping marks throughout the body, or if they are later dings and dents? Because it is looking like they did use a metal roller to shape the body, and basically just used hammer and dolly?
Bid in the amount of $3,000
Bid in the amount of $2,750
@tbollox Yes, see you then, thanks, Ken
@Porsche914guy @Buschner Dear Ken, how about 10am, 1451 Rye Rd East Bradenton, FL 35212 regards Tim
@tbollox great, would you like my phone # , or can we set a time and place here?
Thanks, Ken
@Porsche914guy @Buschner Yes, car can be viewed in Bradenton, FL over the weekend.
Hi, would it be possible to see the car in person? Looks very cool.
Thanks , Ken
Torque and power are shown on the dyno sheet, picture 136, 125HP with 108 Ft-lbs of torque. Car weighs just over 1100 lbs giving it 8.8 lbs per HP which is about the same power to weight ratio as a 2023 Porsche 911 (base), so fast.
@tbollox Do you know what the car weighs, and what is the engine torque? Showing up at the track with that would be a hoot.
Bid in the amount of $2,500
@Havenhearth The car with hardtop is very tight. The pedal box can be moved back for taller drivers.
@kfee It is indeed my second Badel and I am selling it as I am downsizing and no longer have the ability to store it. The gullwing doors can be removed but leaving a T top. I am sure with some simple mods it could be made into a targa.
Many of the early Porsche cars were designed with smaller drivers in mind.
Is there both leg- and head-room in this car for a ( slender ) 6'6" driver?
This is a delight to see. Thanks for this listing!
May I ask why you are selling it? From what I understand it is already your second Badel. Do you prefer the 997 turbo? Can you unhinge the gullwing doors to have a sort of targa? Thank you in advance.
Bid in the amount of $250
Engine dyno sheet just added. 125.3 HP at the rear wheels.
New photos posted of the build and also inside the wheel arches (including Fuchs part numbers).
@Bruce914 @Bruce914: Good catch, that indeed does happen, I have not addressed it. Seat belt mounts can be moved up to stop it happening.
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Windy, noisy, rattly .. Lovely. What a fantastic place to start. So many little things I'd change just to make perfect for me all the while enjoying a hand built custom. Someone is going to get an really fun car. GLWA
Watching your driving video the seat belts look useless, they keep falling down your arms. Can the rear mount point be moved to the center?
@dr911 The fuel is indeed above the passenger footwell. It is a welded aluminum fuel tank.
@tbollox
In photo 79 is that the fuel tank above where the passenger's leg would be? If it is, is it a fuel cell or just a welded up aluminum tank? This thing is crazy wild looking especially with the gullwing top on it.
Car is registered as a 1969 VW in Florida. It has a VIN plate with a VIN that matches the FL title which is clear.
Wow! Fun and unique for sure. Someone's gonna have a great time with this one!
Beyond cool (the car and the beret)! Love the coupe option, can’t say I’ve ever seen that before. Only wished my 912 sounded so good!
Which would be more entertaining, showing up at the Porsche dealer for a service or the DMV to get it registered?