BASELINE, what should I expect

Loooooooooooking for Mr.speedster. I am trying to find out what to expect from a BASELINE speedster. Are they stable in a straight line , do crosswinds affect them ? Are they noisy ? Can they be driven 300-400miles per day without exhausting the occupants? Do they perform like a modern sports sedan or are they so stiff they rattle your teeth? Do they ride COMFORTABLY? Do the require constant fiddling and tuning?
In1964 I had a 365c coupe,wonderful car. A comfortabe, sporty long legged high speed [relatively speeking] tourer.I have also had two BMW 3 series and a few mid sized sport bikes I have been reading this fourm for several weeks and I can see there is an emphasis on customizing, But what I am looking for is info on THE BASELINE.
Any info you can give me is appreciated. THANKS ,TOM WEIDER

Tom, if you mean "baseline" as in as-delivered car from a vendor such as VS, which typically seem to have several thousand dollars of extras, I can offer my experiences. My Speedster was purchased used with a about 3,400 miles on it. It looked great and ran fairly well. I did spend a good deal of the first summer sorting it out and learning how to get it to run well and keep it that way. With good manuals, the routine 3K service interval is not difficult to learn and will keep the little sucker running fine. This regular service, however, is absolutely vital or the cars will run like crap as things start to go wrong.

I found the car to be very stable on the highway and was not effected much by crosswind conditions. Keeping the tires inflated properly helps and some of the guys use a little ballast in the front, fifty pounds or so. I made no suspension mods to my car nor did I use ballast.

My car had Kirk's "special exhaust" which was not very noisy with the top down, but engine and transaxle noises become quite apparent with the top up. The ride was very comfortable for me, not bone-jarring at all. You do want to make sure your cooling system is up to snuff as these cars can overheat if it isn't. Being a low performance 1776cc engine helped me, as the measured oil temp after a run on a hot Tennessee summer day never got over 212 degress f. The longest one way run I made was about 90 miles, all highway, but I felt I could have gone much farther with no problems. The day's drive was probably something in excess of 200 miles.

My car was a toy and I didn't take it out on a daily basis. I avoided rain like the plague. My next car, not even close to baseline, will have much greater utility if I choose to use it that way.

Have fun looking; These cars are a blast!
John H.

Tom,

I echo what John says. They are amazingly nice riders. I always have heard that "kit" cars ride like stone boats. Not the Speedster. John is correct aout the car being tire pressure sensitive. Nice thing about that is that you can modify a lot of the steering and handling charecteristics by a few pounds of air pressure. Top down is the prefered style of driving I've found. The top and side curtains don't make 360 degree visibility at all times, kinda drafty too in cool weather. I bundle up with jacket, hat and gloves as the heater warms the feet fairly well, LOL. But hey, it's a fifties sports car! I think you'd be happy with a stock Speedster and then decide if and what you want to do for modifications. Everyone in this group has their own ideas about these cars and that is what keeps it interesting!

Bruce

Tom,
First, there are differences between the manufacturers. For example, JPS and VS are built on a VW Beetle pan. Beck is built on a pan-replacement tube frame, with swing-arm rear suspension. IM is built on a full tube frame, and has IRS suspension.

Another example, JPS and VS use side curtains. IM uses glass side windows, available as rollups or power. Not sure about Beck.
As you can see, the cars will handle differently depending on what the chassis is. And they will handle wind and rain differently depending on side windows etc.

That said, most if not all these cars will handle fairly well. If your car gives you a bone-jarring ride, your suspension is not set up right. Straight from the builder, the ride should be good.

Seats will also make a difference to your comfort. In addition to a Speedster, IM offers a Roadster, which comes with a slightly taller windshield, and much more comfortable seats. The 'original' speedster seats are not very comfortable, though they do hold you in position well when swinging through the twisties.

As for long trips, so long as the engine is built right, you should have no problems. A smaller engine will have an easier time staying cool.

Noise is a relative thing, and also the source of the noise makes a difference. For some wind noise bugs them, but the roar of their engine is music to their ears. An IM with roll up windows will have less wind noise than a car with side curtains. All these cars have wind noise when the top is down. Engine noise is tougher. The smaller the engine, the less it will roar. Next is a good exhaust. Henry of IM has a new exhaust that is very quiet using two mufflers, but it makes valve adjustments more work. You win some, you loose some I guess.

So, have I helped or just added more mud to the water?

What is the recommended tire pressure for a speedster, with driver only, at 165lbs?

Darryll,
This can be a much debated question but it does depend on the tire size and style i.e. 50, 55 60 series
....Alan

A Mazda Miata is superior to these cars in every way except one...they're Mazda Miatas. I put up with all of the idiosyncrasies of these cars because I love the look and I like the fact that there isn't one on every street corner. If you want a safe, comfortable, realiable ride, look elsewhere. If you want to have a blast, get a speedster and enjoy. The pleasure of driving/owning these cars is worth the pain (usually). They handle quite well, but you must always remember that you're driving a car with a basic beetle suspension.
My recommendation: buy a used (near new basic model) and drive it for a year or two....then decide...upgrade to a better equipped model, upgrade the car you have, or sell it and buy something else. Don't put any extra money into it until you have made your decision, so if you sell it you won't lose much money. These cars are not for everyone.
Ron

Ron O - Mazda Miata superior in every way? You've been eating too much sushi and/or watching too many Kung-Fu movies and maybe your mind has been affected...

Hey, now I can add something. I have a 91 Miata - highly modified. I can get in that thing, start it up, drive like mad, then turn it off and walk away. It handles beautifully, does not leak at all, and I don't worry about going through muddy roads (I live in the country). This car sticks like glue to corners, and a few stone chips add to its 'patina'.

In the three years I have had it, I have changed plugs once, oil and filter every 3,000 miles, and that's about it.

BUT - everytime I am driving my family car and see a Miata, I think 'Geez, there's another one of those cars'.

Miatas are almost perfect in design, but they are so common. They are the Elan that Chapman wanted to build; the MGB that should have been, etc.

Oh, well. Life is full of choices, and no decision takes care of all situations.

I'm not comparing a Miata to your car, George. I'm comparing a $20,000 speedster and a $20,000 Miata. Maybe a better comparison for your new car would be a new Porsche Boxster S, or a 1997/98 used 911 Cab.
Ron