Assembly notes and pictures on my CMC Speedster

So, the suggested copper ground strip I bought and pictured on my topic would help those using all those ground wires.

---George K. ----

Sorry, impossible to keep this short. As I stated, I have not built my 1641cc low cost engine for my speedster, as been busy with repair work on customer's cars.  Once that is finished, then I will build up a modified 1776cc with at least 100HP, for the final engine.  Where is this post going ?  Engine installation of a 1600cc single port, as I wrote in past post.

 

 Tuesday, Sept. 29 finally grabbed the complete 1600cc single port engine to install in my speedster, so I can at least drive the car to get it inspected and test out brakes, suspension setting, etc.  Wow, one cannot install a basically stock VW air cooled engine in this speedster body.  Why ? 

 

In trying to get the engine up into the body, the air cleaner hit the deck lid latch mount.  Took off the chrome air cleaner.  Then, found the EMPI, four into one with welded on stock looking muffler hit the rear body, so engine would not  slide into the transmission.  I removed the exhaust, got engine into the transmission.  Next, tested closing the deck lid and that does not happen as the deck lid aluminum supports hit the stock fan shroud.  We have to use the 36hp style fan shroud and I know this NOW.  So, okay, I have a single port 36hp fan shroud laying around my shop and go to change that out.  Cannot get the fan shroud out of the engine compartment due to 1/4 inch,  lack of clearance on it and the edge of the speedster body.  With somewhat loose engine mounting bolts, the engine hangs down enough to let the stock fan shroud clear the body.  I had removed the deck lid, by the way.  I put on the 36hp fan shroud.  Put back on the chrome air cleaner and again, deck lid installed and it will not clear the air cleaner.  I fabricate some duct work to the top of the stock single carb and install a filter on one side of the engine compartment. Finally, the stock 1600cc single port is installed.  I find an old four into one exhaust with muffler which will clear the body and put that on.

 

Adjusting the clutch cable was easy to reach.  I really like the room under the speedster and large engine compartment, other than the fact, forget about ever getting a stock 1600cc single or dual port to fit under the deck lid, with stock single carb and air cleaner.  That is not happening. 

 

Next post, does the car pass the Texas safety inspection and will George find money hidden in those heater ducts on his speedster frame ?  Stay tuned.

---George K. ---

I had issue with hinges hitting my '72 dog house OEM shroud when the engine lid was closed.  I flipped the cast aluminum hinges from side to side.  That gave enough room for the hinges to clear shroud (it moved hinges 1.5" further out on either side).  If single center mount carb - look at a Karmann Ghia's air cleaner set up (sound like what you created).

 

Flip your hinges - Picture of your car

 

 

The flip of the hinge might work, but already put in the 36hp fan shroud, so life is good. On the KG rubber boot set up for the carb to filter, can buy one new for $25, but could not find a good used one. These intake boots are so old, most are ripped into two or more pieces. But, that is the fix for the air cleaner clearance as I am not cutting out the fiberglass under the deck lid grille, like I see some do.
---George K. ---

Got the speedster to the safety inspection place and passed in flying colors. Then, got the NV title transferred into my name with the court house.  I put ONE mile on the somewhat finished speedster.  I have more work to do, like finish off he interior, improve the clutch working, shifter position and put on all the fiberglass panels in the engine compartment.  Then, I can drive more than one mile without fear of overheating the temporary 1600cc single port engine. 

 

I had forgotten how easy the steering is, on a light weight car.  Seems like nothing to turn the front wheels, in the one mile drive.  Car has good acceleration, even with the stock 1600cc engine.  I did a blazing 35 mph, only got into third gear for a few seconds.  Here are a few pictures, showing close to completion, some carpet work done and a lot more work still needed. 

 

With the gas tank mounted backwards, from how it goes into the Beetle, does not the gas gauge read OFF, due to the angle of the tank ?  I would think so. 

I am looking forward to this weekend and hope to put more miles on the speedster, as I test out functions and get the engine compartment sealed to not overheat the small single port.  ----George K. ----

Congrats, George!  Now start enjoying it.

Great job on your project, George! Now that she's road legal, get out there and enjoy the ride. 

George looks good! Ray 

Wow....You've made quite a lot of progress in a short amount of time.  When do you sleep??

 

The car's looking very nice, George!  Seats look pretty good, too!

Time wise he has me beat....

Good on ya, George.

Good job George, you really knocked it out...

 

Have you ever heard someone remark, they will catch up on missed sleep, after their death ? Well, that applies to me. Actually, I work fast and have been doing this for too many years. What slows me down is parts that are missing or they do not fit correctly. That really ticks me off. When I have good quality and good fitting parts, I can fly on putting things together.

Thanks for the compliments. I am gluing the carpet pieces in the interior and need to put the three panels in the engine compartment so I don't burn up the engine. I can not driving the car due to worries about too much heat coming off the exhaust and being drawn back into the single port engine. Actually, the engine runs good, but single ports are known for running on the hot side.
Yes, the seats are really nice and comfortable. Several people who stopped at my shop and looked over my speedster commented they all like the seats. The man at the safety inspection place liked them as I drove , while he sat in the passenger side as he had no idea how to work the shifter, so he went for a short ride during the safety inspection to test the brakes. It passed the State Safety inspection , first try.

The court house clerk found the title was signed by the LIEN holder on the back and not by the past owner. I freaked out , but had written letters to the past registered owners for some history and both letters were returned , stamped Address unknown and not able to forward. The court house accepted those unopened returned envelopes as proof I cannot find the original owners, shown on the title, so they took the two sealed letters and allowed me to register the car in my name with no past owner's signature on the transfer papers. I got lucky on all that paperwork mess.
---George K. ----

Sleep is over rated activity. Thanks for the compliments. If I have good parts, I do good work. Crappy parts make me very upset.

The body looks good in the pictures as is was night time and taken from a far distance. I know, once I have everything working and finished on this speedster, it will need some fiberglass repairs and a paint job. The work never stops.

People see it in my garage. They are stopping and coming inside my garage and asking if it is a "real" Porsche. Funny, right ?? Total strangers want to know if it is real. My EMPI Riviera wheels should be a dead give away, it's not an original Porsche. So, I am meeting a lot of "new" folks who live in this city, people I have never seen until this week. In Texas, you do not see many of the speedster replica cars. It's rare to see them on display. Or, people are not driving them often and I plan to use mine as much as possible. It's not show quality, so just a daily driver.

I found an original Hurst shifter in a beat up Beetle I bought last week. The thing works like new. I see them, for sale on the Internet for $250 and higher. I think I will install it in the speedster to add to the old charm effect it offers to the car. Also, those Hurst shifters were good quality and made in the USA. When I win the Lotto, I will go with a new Berg curved four speed normal throw shifter with locking base. Wow, need to close out my bank account to buy one of Berg's shifters. That Hurst shifter is not for sale and cost me nothing, after selling the bought Bug for more than I paid for it. Sometimes, I make a profit.
---George K. ----

True story. Back in 1995 I wanted to race at the local drag strip in the ET foot brake class. I had no car set up for racing. I pulled from my back yard, a beat up 1973 Beetle, and in non-stop two days of work ( like 40 plus hours) no sleep had it ready to race. Towed it to the drag strip and won first place that Saturday night. Car looked like "sh**", but was consistent and that wins ET bracket races against the V8 guys. I have not repeated that event. ---George K. ---

Looking good, George.  Post more pics as you continue the completion.

Few comments as they usually get me into trouble.  Still need to finish up carpet inside car and patch more of the holes done by PO for the roll bar, I removed. I patched the fiberglass holes in the engine bulkhead and used some commercial grade floor covering which is gasoline, oil and somewhat fire resistant. So, based on engine running, the firewall cover seems to be doing fine with heat from the engine, not a problem. Put in a stock 1600cc single port engine for first 55 miles of driving, then installed this stock cam 1641cc for a little more power.  Cannot tell much difference in the two engines but the second engine looks better. 

 

Installed the front and rear bumpers. Got the front one as you guys like it, as close as possible to the body. On the rear, before you comment about the spacing shown in the picture, I need to do some modification to the rear bumper supports and move the bumper closer to the body, but it's mounted good.  The "unmolested" unfinished speedster was missing the rear brackets which bolt to the frame to support the rear bumper brackets, so I had to fabricate my own.  I made my own front beam to front bumper supports, based on pictures from members. Two days time on the front bumper to weld up and mount it. On the rear one, I found using metric 6mmX1.00 X 30mm length stainless steel Allen driven round head screws with nylon self-locking nuts better than the suggested hardware the assembly manual showed, to attach the bumper to the bumper rear supports. The heads on those SS screws are actually smaller than the round head carriage bolts which came with the bumper rubber/chrome strips. So, made it easier to install the rubber back on the metal strip.  20/20 thought, if money is not a problem I would have used all SS metric Allen head drive round head screws to attach the metal piece to the bumpers, instead of the factory carriage bolts.  My local hardware store had plenty of these "special" metric screws in inventory.  The assembly manual suggested 5/16 inch carriage bolts to attach the bumper to it's supports, but due to the light weight of the bumper assembly, the 6mm grade 5 stainless steel screws should have enough strength. I got at least 10 ft. lbs. torque on the self-locking nuts . 

 

Gathering parts for the final engine, which will be a modified 1776cc with dual 40mm Weber carbs and mild camshaft and all the bells and whistles.  In the 100 miles so far driven with the stock engine and the "new" 1641cc engine, the temperature is doing okay.  Cooling air comes from both the deck lid grille and the opening in the firewall, which I installed some 1/2 inch wide opening chicken coupe wire, like I saw used by another speedster member.  You see, I do follow what you guys do, from post and pictures, if it applies to my speedster.  So, cool air come in from the deck lid and I guess, some from under the car.  But, with the 100hp (estimated hoped for HP) from the 1776cc final engine, I am adding besides the dog house stock oil cooler, an external oil cooler and external filter, under the rear left fender.  I am convinced the engine oil can use more cooling.  With a thermostat controlled electric fan on the external oil cooler. 

 

I am guessing as the body could use better paint appearance on it and the CMC body parts do not fit as nice as one would like, the car presently has a market value of at least $20,000, but I probably will have more money invested in it, more so, with the all new parts in the 1776cc engine.  Using a new magnesium case and plenty of Berg Enterprises parts, so just that engine would cost at least $6000 to copy. 

 

One nice observation I have not read about any member talking about ;  with the convertible top UP, it does not seem to flap in the 55 mph wind and I am also surprised at how quiet the speedster is, when driving it. With the top DOWN, there is very little wind blowing into the interior of the car and other than no sun visor, which would be nice to have, my ball cap does not blow off my head, when doing 60 mph.   I might install a radio, as it is super quiet with the conservative exhaust system I am using.  Other options to be installed is AC, power outlets, small portable GPS ( only have a $29 cell phone ) and some venting for fresh air flow to my feet during summer months.  There is ample room to mount the AC condensers up front, between the bumper to torsion tube supports.  I have to figure out what evaporator unit to mount under the dash.  There are some small ones available for the Hot Rod guys. Or, as VW did, back in 1966, on the Beetle with AC, the dealerships installed one AC system with the evaporator /blower unit mounted on the rear firewall, INSIDE the interior of the car.  There is ample space for some system, mounted where the rear seat might be.  I am also thinking of some locking box, being built to keep things locked up good, over where the rear seat might be. Lots of ideas.  Having fun with the driving experience.  Cannot park it anywhere without someone walking up to my speedster to ask about it. 

 

Well, have not posted anything in awhile and I hope someone likes the progress they see on my speedster and not too many negative comments.  More work is needed and you don't have to tell me this.  Oh, after more thought, I removed the VW front hood modified spring system to pop up the deck lid andsubsituted a small four inch long spring, by the latch, to push up the deck lid , just enough, where one can put their finger under the deck lid and lift it up.  I am not worried about a fire, as have all new wiring and fuses and fuel hoses.  The change allows the deck lid to sit closer down on the body, like it should be. 

Looking good, George. I like the fit of the front bumper.

Great progress on your Speedster, George! I'm sure you'll have fun driving that bad-boy around town! 

More than driving around town. To prepare for long distance driving, I have some tools in a plastic box gathered, spare fan belt, oil, funnel, clutch and throttle cables, 135R15 tire mounted on new stock four bolt VW wheel for spare ( just fits on top of gas tank and partially over battery, one roll of hand towels, wheel locks, The Club, and a small floor jack. No room for the floor jack, but for now, have it on the front floor of the car, with some carpet over it, so I am trying to figure out some useful jack to carry, which takes up less space in the car, compared to the small floor jack. But, figure with all the extra parts, spare tire and also carry one gallon of extra gasoline, when planning a trip over 100 miles, in one day, I should be on sound ground for some distance driving.

I am not a fan of how the gas tank is mounted in the car and am not sure if all the gasoline will be able to reach the outlet tube under the tank, so keep the gasoline level close to full, every time I drive the car. The weather has been terrible where I live with too much rain. I really want to expand the distance I drive the speedster and plan for lots of daily use.

Insurance is a problem, as the classic car insurance companies don't want the car sitting outside ( almost never?) and limit distance driven and do not want the car as "daily" transportation. That limits my choice for insurance to either liability only with towing and underinsured/ uninsured motorist coverage or --- IF I go with full coverage for collision and comprehension , they want to figure value of the car based on the title showing it as 1970 VW convertible and Kelly Blue book value of $2000 or less. I used to have a "stated amount" policy written with State Farm, not classic car insurance, but the companies only want you to insure it for "actual Blue book value for year of car" or go with one of the classic car companies, which limits distance and/or usage.

I have not run into another vehicle in 50 years of driving experience, but mostly am concerned about other drivers running into my speedster. The bumpers are for looks, not really offering any real protection. So, do we all park our speedster as far away from any other cars, in parking lots ? Do we keep it close where we can watch over it ? I think it mandatory to lock it up at night, in a garage, but if travel over night and staying at some motel, perhaps, a strong chain and cables with locks on each wheel will slow down the possible thief of the car, from some parking lot. Have you ever considered chaining up your front beam to some serious telephone pole ? I have done this on past cars I have owned to stop thief, when parking them outside , overnight, when traveling. I mean, you need a serious welded link chain and 3/8 size bullet proof lock. Suggestion, if you carry your speedster on an open trailer, to car shows, chain the trailer to a big telephone post with serious chain and locks. Chain the speedster to the trailer. The bad guys do not want to work hard or take much time, when stealing a car. We all know, these cars are easy to hot wire, but, enough locks and nothing of value stored inside the car, we can survive some bad guy's desires.

I look for NEW cars or trucks, when parking next to other vehicles, in a shopping area parking lot. You see, the classic car insurance companies only want us to drive back and forth to car shows or to some display area, not for daily use, like to buy groceries. But, for me, all my cars are for transportation, not show. Forgive the long post, but sharing here.

Over 15 years ago, I built a Best of Show winning 1957 VW factory sunroof Beetle. The darn thing was too nice to drive anywhere, as the paint cost me over $5000 and the car had too much chrome and polished aluminum pieces on it, real Porsche wheels, etc. After wining a few trophies and looking at the car sitting too much in my garage, that was the last show only car I owned. I took a major financial loss, to sell the car, as it only took up space in my garage and for me, was not useful for transportation. The car looked wonderful, but I do not collect ART and it was ART, not a car. Get my point ? I like looking at show cars and appreciate the work which someone did on them, but they are ART, not transportation. Expensive ART !

I could have bought the chrome wheels with the cute dimple hub caps with the Porsche emblems on them, to have the car look closer to the "real" deal. But, on purpose, as I will drive my speedster any day it does not rain, for daily use, went with the lower cost and not as "original " looking wheels you see, on mine. I don't know how anyone keeps real Porsche wheels from being stolen or that attracts the bad guys to the car and they want those wheels. So, the more your car looks beautiful and like the real deal, the more someone will want to steal it. That is how I see things.

I wish Allstate, my insurance company, would let me write coverage based on actual receipt value and market value of my car for unlimited mile use and daily driving.

The final challenge will be doing the side windows, as my car did not come with the correct door panels and parts. I have the Plexiglas pieces and hardware, but have to custom built all the side windows. Still have not figured out how to put the snaps on the aluminum windshield frame to attach the convertible top Flaps/ material to it. I see many have no convertible tops on their cars ? The tonneau covers are easy to install and provide some coverage of the interior, when parking the car. But, for driving in the rain, there is a challenge to water proof the replica.

Well, it's time to get some sleep and think about more improvements on this speedster and how to do it , the best way, for daily use.

Does anyone else have a problem with the doors coming half way unlatched, when you go up and down at an angle up some parking lot ramp ? The doors do not open up completely, just pop from full closed to the safety position, but with a car so narrow, I can grab the doors and pull them full closed again. I have adjusted the latch mechanism, as best as possible, but I think the body must flex and cause the doors to pop loose, not open fully, on major pot holes and bumps and angled ramps. Wow, the joys of driving a speedster replica. It's fun !

Stay tuned for the next chapter of my speedster stories. I welcome any suggestions on how to attach the convertible material tabs to the windshield and about if some insurance company will let me carry stated value on the car with unlimited miles and unlimited usage . Thanks. ----George K. ---

The insurance topic has been covered a lot. Good threads on here. I have Geico and drive it how I want.

In parking lots, people are very respectful. The small size also helps avoid door dings.

Haven't heard of a Speedster stolen yet. I have a battery cut off, but rarely use it. A fuel pump switch can aid in theft protection and take pressure off the system before parking. One guy rigged the ignition through a relay where the relay coil is triggered with the high beam flasher. I thought that that was clever.

Being seen is a problem. A center high mount stop lamp under the grill is a good precaution. I'm also adding signal mirrors this winter because nobody can see my blinkers during the day even after upgrading to LED. Air horn is also a good idea. I almost never use my horn on my DD, but use it a lot with the Speedster.

> On Nov 11, 2015, at 5:18 AM, SpeedsterOwners.com <alerts@hoop.la> wrote:

Good job George keep going. My first speedy got stolen and i had a battery shut off and fuel disconnect and alarm. So yes do everything you can to keep it safe but you might want to invest in a gps locator which wasn't available back then to recover it fast. i hunted my thieves down for 2 weeks [thats the Marine in me] and found them. They had painted it yellow and swapped the engine and riding it around town, showing up at car get togethers. When i finally had there names and address someone tipped them off and they burned it. They where teenage kids so they got a slap on the wrist and set free. One of them told me the story how it took them three trips, different days to figure everything out. They towed it with a rope after drilling the battery and bypassing everything else. So thats why i like door locks they would have had to cut the top at least that way i would have known they had been there. I will gladly pay a monthly fee for a GPS with independent battery hidden.  I am sure if you look theres probably a step by step here some where how to mount your top.  

I remember someone saying that a jack out of a Ford Aerostar worked well. The drive on it is 3/4", so your wheel lug wrench will fit it.

Yeah, ALB, I have a Subaru jack. Removed the riveted on piece that fits the rocker panel. Leaves me with a flat surface that I glued a rubber pad to.

 

The handle folds and has a hook end to fit a hole in the jack. Lightweight and effective.

It's come a long way, George - looking good!  I have old Subbie scissors jack I plan to carry and a couple small bottle jacks laying around.  Both are small and can be tucked in small corner.  I'd never work under car with them - but ok for emergency tire change.

 

You're in TX --- Smith & Wesson have several effective anti-theft options.  An NRA bumper sticker helps too. Remove coil wire or rotor, on-off switch in line with electric fuel pump, hydraulic brake lock, locking shifter, removeable steering wheel all will slow a thief down  BUT there's still some desperate brave idiot with tow rope or tow truck.  

 

3 VS Speedsters were stolen from VS yard years ago - never a trace of where they ended up.

 

Yeah, I used to drive a tow truck and also a flatbed. You can easily drag a car onto a flatbed with the winch. Even easier to pick up one end with a wheel-lift. Literally, gone in 30 seconds.....

 

Keeping your car in a securely locked garage is the only defense. But really, if someone wants it bad enough, they'll get it.

Fortunately, these cars don't seem to get stolen that often; they just stand out too much so (I think) joy-riding would be out (and not too many crack or crystal-meth addicted kids can drive a standard) and they're probably not worth enough for there to be enough money in it for the pros.

Yep if they want it bad enough they'll get it...several years ago at a Cobra event in Reno one of the guys got his 427SC BB Cobra and enclosed trailer stolen from the parking lot of the host hotel. This place had armed security patrolling the lots day and night the event and two guys in a big Dodge 4x4 pulled in around midnight, cut the trailer hitch lock off before the guard came around, hooked up to the trailer after telling the guard they had a 'family emergency' back home and had to leave, the guard never asked any questions and even helped them get the trailer out of the lot that Sat. night. Neither was ever found...

Looking for a smaller jack to change out the spare tire. Thanks for the suggestions.
I agree that most people see the speedster as too different of a car and the young generation can probably not figure out how to drive it. I had a 19 year old working in my shop who could not and had never driven any manual shifted car or truck and --- laugh here, could not find the electrical switch which opens and closes the windows ? So funny ! Neither could he understand my door lock mechanism on my 1970 Beetle. McDonald's hired him, so at least he is working.

Really big serious chains and big locks stop someone from stealing cars. You have to chain them to a telephone pole. I have never heard of the bad guys carrying a cutting torch with them, to cut off a large size chain. I used a monster chain and lock to secure my trailer with my show car inside it, when at motels. I never saw any security guards. Of course, I stayed at the "cheap" places.

I had a customer who did repo work for the banks who said he could pick up most cars in less than 30 seconds, quietly. Watch out for any full size pickup trucks in your neighborhood with a fiberglass cover over the bed. That can house the needed system to grab and tow off a car. You will never see it looking like a wrecker vehicle. The professionals have these trucks.

Texas, the gun State. My county, I live in, has more registered concealed weapons gun owners, than any other county in Texas.
I only have three guns, one for each hand ? And, the concealed weapons license. We are getting licensed for open carry soon, in Texas. Now, that should really concern people outside Texas.

I always thought the AK47 would make a good weapon to fight off the deer . Just kidding ! You know the deer eat the organic vegetables I grow in my back yard. Darn deer ! Dangerous animals. Too bad we cannot kill birds inside the city I live in. When, a young person, that was fun ! But, only shot at crows and other large birds which ate our crops. The local Walmart has crows all over it's parking lot, eating any food trash people drop out of their cars or toss out of their cars. Those birds will attack people.

There are no live stray dogs or cats which pee on my nice speedster aluminum wheels. This is what guns are for . I am not shooting the neighbor's dog or cat, as they keep them inside their yards. So, please, no letters. We do love our guns, in Texas. ISIS would not stand a chance to invade my State.

Gene Berg ( Miss him) posted a picture of a Bengal Tiger inside a Beetle, for thief protection. Now, that would work as some way to secure your speedster. Or, chain a pit bull to the wheels on the car ?

George I remember seeing an article in some car magazine of a nicely done 911 and the guy had a holster built into the kick panel on his side for a 45 magnum... Nice addition to his safety profile and deterrent. Ray

Then the thief would get a handgun too...LOL...just kidding...

I should not make any more remarks about guns, dogs, cats, how big of a lock one needs, to not offend anyone. We are all happy I am not running for President of the USA. Thanks go to all the men and women who serve in the U.S. Military on Veteran's Day.

I do like dogs ! I really don't shoot the strays. I call Animal Control with the County to pick up the stray dogs in the neighborhood. Raccoons are plentiful in my area. I catch them in live traps, then release them outside the city limits, where there is a bayou or creek, as they like being close to water. Not many stray cats, as the raccoons take care of the "cat problem". I live in a small rural area.

Technical advice. Ignition coils are hard to troubleshoot. One can do an OHM's test on the primary and secondary but only once the engine is ran for over 20 minutes and the coil gets some engine heat in it, does a coil show if it is really good or not. Testing done as soon as you shut off the engine with the OHM meter will perhaps give you better information about if you should change out the coil. A questionable coil produces a weak spark and reduces how good the engine works.

The police used to carry short barrel shotguns attached to the door panels of their patrol cars until too many were stolen, when they were away from their car. Now, if they have a shotgun, that is locked in the trunk or the Swat team carries the bigger guns. I saw a very young "new" police person with a quick draw holster for his Taser Gun, on the front of his waist belt. This scared me ! A person with possible heart condition or serious medical problems, the use of the Taser can kill them and has done this. Very concerned about the police person, probably just out of the cadet school and barely 21 years of age. Looked like one of my young teenage children, from the past. Very scary mounting of his Taser gun. Very scary !

Scissor jacks are dangerous to use. I know many of the foreign car manufactures put them , as jacks, in their cars, but you have to be on a level solid road or ground, to use them or the car might slide off the jack. Wheel chocks are needed and a good working emergency brake. Why I bought the small floor jack. Same thing applies to bottle jacks. Very tricky to use on uneven road surfaces, shell or impossible in dirt. The original Bilstein jack used in the old Beetles were dangerous to use. As the body of the speedster extends out from the VW frame, that cannot be used on our vehicles. Note: With chrome lug nuts for my mags, the socket size needed is 13/16. I carry a deep 1/2 inch drive socket and 16 inch long breaker bar to remove and replace tires.

My very best friend, who was a local sheriff at the time in the early 70's, had to stop on a mountain road to deal with a flat tire on his jeep.  I do not know the jack that was used, or any details really, other than the thing slipped, and they both went down the side of the mountain.  Killed him.  Saddest day in my life for quite a while.

That's a sad event, losing your best friend.

Mine, died in his sleep at age 71.

If you have ever driven up Pikes Peak, you will find there are no guard rails to keep cars from flying off the narrow gravel road. Well, back in 1992, last time I drove up the mountain, no guard rails. Scary mountain. ---George K. ---