Chance to buy a CMC speedster new in shipping crate

1982 the price, as you describe, delivered to my home, was $6,000

Inflation - I paid $7995 plus $1400 shipping (FL to VA) for my Classic black gel coated kit in Nov 1989. Black was extra $300 in that price.  (Not sure what the widebody California version cost back then?) Plus mine was termed deluxe in that the steel sub-frame was riveted and bonded to the body plus the doors (but not front and rear trunks) were mounted.  Ha, adding in interest over those 30 years - I could have bought a new VS now! (On shipping they said you could arrange your own shipping - I did through my brother's company for $400 - CMC ignored and shipped on their own - fourtuntely it was same trucking company (Pilot) - so they took the $400 bill of lading! Just to show CMC was out to screw buyers from the start!)

30 years - the windshield could delaminate, most don't like the old vinyl and prefer Haartz cloth top and tonneau. Mine had the CMC optional $325 VINTAGE gauges thrown in as a special enticement (along with a thin green canvas cover and a $2.99 AM/FM radio).  The interior is rather basic too - a decent interior is $3k. I, unfortunately, cust the dash for the oversize gauges and then decided not to use them - sold them here on SOC along with the vinyl.

So what's it worth?  I've seen some real bargains at $1-2k.  I'm guessing a fair price would be $4-6k.  Don't believe the 40 hour advertised build time - add a zero.

WOLFGANG posted:

Inflation - I paid $7995 plus $1400 shipping (FL to VA) for my Classic black gel coated kit in Nov 1989. Black was extra $300 in that price.  (Not sure what the widebody California version cost back then?) Plus mine was termed deluxe in that the steel sub-frame was riveted and bonded to the body plus the doors (but not front and rear trunks) were mounted.  Ha, adding in interest over those 30 years - I could have bought a new VS now! (On shipping they said you could arrange your own shipping - I did through my brother's company for $400 - CMC ignored and shipped on their own - fourtuntely it was same trucking company (Pilot) - so they took the $400 bill of lading! Just to show CMC was out to screw buyers from the start!)

30 years - the windshield could delaminate, most don't like the old vinyl and prefer Haartz cloth top and tonneau. Mine had the CMC optional $325 VINTAGE gauges thrown in as a special enticement (along with a thin green canvas cover and a $2.99 AM/FM radio).  The interior is rather basic too - a decent interior is $3k. I, unfortunately, cust the dash for the oversize gauges and then decided not to use them - sold them here on SOC along with the vinyl.

So what's it worth?  I've seen some real bargains at $1-2k.  I'm guessing a fair price would be $4-6k.  Don't believe the 40 hour advertised build time - add a zero.

 Well looks like I’m the new owner of SC 1147 .  

Un built in the crate speedster

Not sure how crazy I am about the wide body,  what no way I was leaving after that long drive without something 

An advantage of wide body is - you can put disk brakes on the back.  Ask the prior owner if perhaps they still have the CMC Certificate of Origin (COO) as it may help in registering it.  Also, ask for a current dated Bill of Sale.  I'm sure state will use it to determine sales tax.  In the back of the build manual is a layout of all parts that came with the kit.  Not sure if bumpers were stock with wide body - but there are a lot of metal mounting brackets there.  Amazingly the gel coat can be wet sanded and brought to a high gloss.  Prices for parts have gone up - but this used to be a good source.  I'd try current manuf to see what their prices are too if you need parts.

Good find!  They are still out there 30 years later!

WOLFGANG posted:

An advantage of wide body is - you can put disk brakes on the back.  Ask the prior owner if perhaps they still have the CMC Certificate of Origin (COO) as it may help in registering it.  Also, ask for a current dated Bill of Sale.  I'm sure state will use it to determine sales tax.  In the back of the build manual is a layout of all parts that came with the kit.  Not sure if bumpers were stock with wide body - but there are a lot of metal mounting brackets there.  Amazingly the gel coat can be wet sanded and brought to a high gloss.  Prices for parts have gone up - but this used to be a good source.  I'd try current manuf to see what their prices are too if you need parts.

Good find!  They are still out there 30 years later!

 Yes received the COO with the car, only thing he could not seem to find it was the gauges. Box of support brackets and optional bolt kit bumpers front and rear of the foam, interior including carpet are you still in original boxes 

Yeah a 28-year-old garage fine sitting in the shipping crate kind of neat… He had all assembly manual’s as well as a bunch of literature and all the correspondence back-and-forth

I understand rear disc brakes it’s just a  styling saying I need to see if I can get over. Spending some time on this for him I’m actually growing quite fond of the 550 kit. There’s not looking for a speedster when I found this just thought it was kind of neat glad I took the drive, if he would’ve told me it was a widebody I might not of gone .

Cool find anyway. Great story!

Guages were optional cost.  Beck has nice replica 356 gauges - the speedo is GPS driven so accurate regardless of tire size.  About $600 plus a few senders.

Crazy prices for VW donors now days - Here's local one to you for $300 (no engine)

https://philadelphia.craigslis...s-or/6781382886.html

And another pair for $600 (you could sell off what you don't use for that - if they aren't  Super Beetles)

https://newyork.craigslist.org...n-or/6782208735.html

Welcome to the madness.

You didn't want the CMC gauges anyway. I have a set of the Chinese VDO repops (3 big gauges) that came with my Spyder kit I can sell you cheap but for a little bit more (OK maybe 3x as much) money the new Beck repops are way better. You will probably have to glass over your binnacle and redrill for either of these but not a big deal when building a car. 

Cool find!

Ed - His CMC is still in shipping crate so dash has never been cut.  I agree on not using the VINTAGE gauges - although I had cut out for them before I decided that- oops.  Either use the 356 repros or 914 gauges.

Welcome not only to the “Madness”, but to the sticker shock of all of the other parts you’ll need along the way.

Don’t fret about not having the CMC gauges.  As Ed mentioned, they were certainly NOT of the highest quality available.  Talk with Carey at Beck Speedsters about his new VDO gauge set and don’t look back.  They’re gorgeous.

I’ll dig up photos of my last CMC kit when we picked it up.  Looks exactly like your kit!  Maybe my few in-process photos will inspire you.

Good Luck!   Gordon

I have a photo of the body still in the crate - I'll have to find it.  I did not complete this car.  Lack of time and huge family issues took over and it found it's way to Dr. Clock's Speedster Building Emporium for completion.  Greg - You ready ship yours North to the good doctor??   I also came up with a winch and cable array to hang the body from the roof rafters in my garage.  Came in super-handy while fitting the body to the pan and then getting it all sealed from the elements.  I'll find a photo or two of that, too.

And the all-important, windshield corner post placement template, complete with coffee stains - no charge.  Print it full-size.

Boy.....those were AWESOME seats, now living in Cory's Hoopty.

You know......These cars are not very big.....

@Nathan  I lived near you in Hackettstown for 19 years small world...  I've bought many CMC's that were still in or just out of the crate before you make an offer do a inventory of what comes with the body and what you'll actually use and what you'll want to upgrade.  Many of those kits were shipped with a lot of back ordered parts some finally arrived via Auto Solutions and some never did , this can add up quickly.  I'll suggest start at $2500 and go to $4, 000 tops. You're going to be all in for another $15k if you can do most of the work yourself. If you want PM me and I'll give you my phone   ~Alan  in Elkins WV

Gordon wrote ....  Greg - You ready ship yours North to the good doctor??  

If that is the scenario I have to know so I stop dragging my ass doing project # 48

Should you be serious Greg let me know so I can get this one done.

Found em!

Body extraction from a garage in New Hampshire (the guy is now city manager for Palm Beach Florida)

Really poor 1971 donor pan - At least it was a roller:

You've seen the "after" shots of the pan, above.  Here is the body and ceiling winch set-up:

Eventually I moved everything to the other side of the garage for more room, but you roll the pan in, get it positioned just so and lower the body down on it.  Makes it super-easy to see where there are gaps at the body-to-pan seam, lift it back off and correct them.  You also don't need any other help so your beer supply lasts longer.

I wonder if you got these wheels that scream "I'm a CMC Kit!!!!" with yours??

The patented, CMC "Official 2 X 4 alignment jig:

Lots of welding it all back together:

The winch came in handy a lot, especially for the underside welding without having to flip everything over:

And don't forget...

A clean body is a happy body (it was pretty filthy after sitting for 20 years):

And give the CMC widebody a little respect.  Sure, this is a different color, but someday yours could look like this one - At least you can fit decent-size tires under it!

Gordon Nichols posted:

I have a photo of the body still in the crate - I'll have to find it.  I did not complete this car.  Lack of time and huge family issues took over and it found it's way to Dr. Clock's Speedster Building Emporium for completion.  Greg - You ready ship yours North to the good doctor??   I also came up with a winch and cable array to hang the body from the roof rafters in my garage.  Came in super-handy while fitting the body to the pan and then getting it all sealed from the elements.  I'll find a photo or two of that, too.

And the all-important, windshield corner post placement template, complete with coffee stains - no charge.  Print it full-size.

Boy.....those were AWESOME seats, now living in Cory's Hoopty.

You know......These cars are not very big.....

Great build you have there, spent the last 3 hours going over the CMC build book looks very straight forward, and fairly simple have a fair amount of build experience. Last build was a Factory Five.

Gordon  Do remember what year and month you sold this to me?  ( Think lunch at Shoney's)Then I might be able to narrow down the search for the completed photos.

Alan Merklin posted:

@Nathan  I lived near you in Hackettstown for 19 years small world...  I've bought many CMC's that were still in or just out of the crate before you make an offer do a inventory of what comes with the body and what you'll actually use and what you'll want to upgrade.  Many of those kits were shipped with a lot of back ordered parts some finally arrived via Auto Solutions and some never did , this can add up quickly.  I'll suggest start at $2500 and go to $4, 000 tops. You're going to be all in for another $15k if you can do most of the work yourself. If you want PM me and I'll give you my phone   ~Alan  in Elkins WV

Went thru the boxes pretty complete, missing hood and trunk hinges, gauges, and the vinyl for the seats. Have all brackets a bolt kit, windshield and trim, bumpers, headlights and taillights, wood wheel, carpet, tonneau cover, top, grills, and a bunch of small parts. 

Alan Merklin posted:

@Nathan  I lived near you in Hackettstown for 19 years small world...  I've bought many CMC's that were still in or just out of the crate before you make an offer do a inventory of what comes with the body and what you'll actually use and what you'll want to upgrade.  Many of those kits were shipped with a lot of back ordered parts some finally arrived via Auto Solutions and some never did , this can add up quickly.  I'll suggest start at $2500 and go to $4, 000 tops. You're going to be all in for another $15k if you can do most of the work yourself. If you want PM me and I'll give you my phone   ~Alan  in Elkins WV

Ended up at 4500.00 figured that even if I can’t get over the wide body look I can get rid of it and make a few bucks. What are you thought on the beck 550? Really thinking if I’m going to put 20k into a car i should be in love with it.

Last box had 2 original green face Porsche gauges, and wire headlight covers and headlights 

Just figured out what the odd shaped plexiglass was, side windows ....

If it would be helpful, I may have a kit list of what was included in a typical widebody kit.  If you want it (and I can find it) I can send you a copy.

If you do this build I can steer you to a lot of savings...So no seat vinyl ... it's not worth the cost to have them done.  Since it's a wide body you can create a little out of the box and save a lot …. these black Empi seats fit the wide body I have used them in 7 speedsters to date These are $231 but shop around they goa as cheap as $195 shipped zgAAOSwcUBYOGhj:rk:22f:0" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.com/itm/ROADS...wcUBYOGhj:rk:22f:0

Here's some of the many widebody's I've  built ……...

They look good, any with a roadster top and roll up windows?     

@Alan Merklin - I have noticed a difference in some of the wide bodies.  The 5th photo of the silver with black top looks like the widening was designed at the original factory, whereas the others look like somebody added fender flares.  Is this my imagination or is there a difference?

I believe the 5th is a VS super-widebody, while the others are Fiberfab/CMC.

Yes, the silver is a VS super wide all the others  are either Fiber Fab or CMC flared bodies

Yea the Vs has a much better line as compared to a 70s flair. I guess that’s what I’m having a problem with... I am going to go spend some time this morning with a cup of coffee and see if I can get more into it.

That silver car is a good looking car

Hmmm... I like the other cars better- with the flat edge on the flares on the VS, it looks too "boxey".  Just my opinion, though...Al

@Alan Merklin- What size tires were you putting on the backs of these things?

You won't find a VS super wide body that needs work so do the flared CMC. If you do it with the right eye appeal, then there is a  market for it and you will net  a  profit providing are able to do the majority of the work yourself . Then you take those funds and move into something more to your liking.

I think the mean looking ultra-wide body was dropped from VS production.  Their current offering is just a "flared body with 17 wheels".  I loved checking out the back side of the ultrawide body going down the road. This is only picture shown in their gallery now -

That’s a good looking wheel...

Those wheels were custom made for Kirk. Vintage Speedsters about $375 each as I recall  having to buy one.