Perry Ds '55 Porsche 550 Spyder replica - Spyders For The Big & Ball

Remember Dan Blocker, the actor who portrayed Hoss Cartwright in the popular '60s TV series Bonanza? Dan would have actually fit in a Perry Ds '55 Porsche 550 Spyder replica. While on hiatus from filming the Western series, Dan did pilot a racecar he co-owned with Pernell Roberts, the actor who played his older brother Adam on the show, so we know the big man was a sports car enthusiast.

At 6 feet 3 inches and 300 pounds, Dan played a gentle giant on Bonanza. Though he was portrayed as slow-witted, he was the only actor in the cast with an advanced degree. His kind, easygoing disposition belied his intellect, both on the series and in real life. The owner of Perry Ds, Jeff Perry, is maybe 6 feet tall and a bit under 200 pounds. KIT CAR spent an afternoon with Jeff photographing two of his creations at his Lake Matthews, California, Porsche replica compound and home. Reminding us of the guy we used to watch riding the range, getting his brothers out of trouble, or saving the Ponderosa from ruination by interlopers, Jeff has Hoss'/Dan's quiet intellect and similar self-effacing personality.

The dual Weber carb-equipped VW Type 1/1,835cc engine and Type 1 four-speed trans propel the ultra-light Perry Ds Spyder quite rapidly and likely deliver great fuel economy as an added bonus.

From a Perry Ds co-worker who was helping us with the orchestration of a two-car photo shoot, we learned that Jeff designed and built the 3,000-square-foot house and adjoining 1,500-square-foot guest cottage on his long sprawl of property in Lake Matthews. That fact is even more impressive when you consider he did this in his early 30s. If he can design and build a couple of houses with his bare hands, some power tools, and his brain after figuring out a way to purchase a large parcel of property for pennies on the dollar that enjoys an expansive view of Lake Matthews, he can probably produce a rather nice replica of a '55 Porsche 550 Spyder. As the photos indicate, we were correct. Jeff, like his older brother and his father, who passed it on to his sons, grew up as a car nut in Southern California. He had an affinity for sports cars, but by the time he grew up, he couldn't comfortably fit in many of the '50s and '60s vintage machines. Simple solution-he decided to build his own.

The Perry Ds Spyder body fits on a stock VW pan that affords the car's two occupants and their personal items plenty more space than an original or another manufacturer's reproduction 550. In fact, just in front of the engine and behind the passengers there's a spacious package tray with sufficient room to hold at least a weekend's worth of stuff in your luggage. Jeff also designed his Spyder kit to be easy to assemble and very affordable.

Green-lit VDO instruments reside in the dash, crowned by a Nardi steering wheel.

The day of the photo shoot, I rode shotgun as Jeff drove the silver Perry Ds. Built several years ago, I learned that this car was the first prototype that Jeff decided to keep for sentimental reasons. On the curvy Lake Matthews roads, the Spyder scrambled about the landscape with considerable alacrity. We discovered a nice location close by Jeff's residence/550 headquarters and set to work taking pictures of the two Porsche replicas. The blue car was fresh from the paint booth at the time. It's ready for some smart 550 aficionado to purchase and install the drivetrain of his choice.

Including a Porsche enthusiast who recently acquired a new 993, several people stopped to gape at the two beautiful sports cars being photographed in the twilight. The 993 owner asked if the cars were real. From behind my camera on its tripod I jumped into the conversation and said, "They sure are. They're real replicas, and they won't cost you a million dollars each to purchase. You can buy 'em, drive 'em, and enjoy 'em." The 993 Porsche pilot had a big smile on his face. He then asked Jeff for the company contact information. His response proved that even new Porsche owners can appreciate the timeless design of lightweight 550 Spyders from the mid-'50s. I thought to myself, "He could have a whole fleet of Perry Ds 550 Spyders for what he paid for one 993." Isn't the replicar hobby a wonderful thing?

The chrome hubcaps on the blue car are optional and available at an extra cost. They look classy, but the chrome wheels sans caps appear race-ready. The choice is yours.	Opening the front trunk reveals the custom aluminum fuel tank with its Le Mans fuel filler cap.	The package tray behind the seats and just forward of the engine bay offers plenty of room for a long weekend's worth of luggage.

Facts Box
Perry Ds Inc
Lake Matthews, California
'55 Porsche 550 Spyder replica
www.perryspyder.com