For those of us NOT in the warm climes...

That’s actually one of the benefits of dual carbs. The center mount single carb has intake manifold tubes approximately 14 ft long, and prone to icing (and fuel dropping out of suspension). Dual carbs have super-short intake manifolds sitting right on top of hot heads, and as such need no additional heat.

Drive away, Boothy.

Of course IDFs don't have chokes, so there's that.  I could always get the car to start by turning it on to start the fuel pump, giving it three or four pumps of gas, and turning the key to start.  It'd run pretty badly for a little bit, but eventually it was fine.  Since it rarely gets much below freezing here that might not be adequate for where you are, though.

@Boothy- Take the rear apron (over the exhaust) off so the engine compartment is sucking in pre-heated air.  Put the apron, screws and screwdriver behind the driver's seat so everything is there later in the spring when it warms up.  Oil/engine temps will get higher so it will probably run better, the moisture in the oil will boil off, that dirty mayonaisey mung won't form at the filler cap AND you won't have to worry about carbs/manifolds icing up.  At one time (long ago) the kadrons used to sometimes ice up at this time of year in the baja bug that was my main transportation.  It didn't happen very often- it would be wet and just above freezing- the only solution I had was to pull over, shut the engine off and wait 2 or 3 minutes for some heat from the heads to travel up the manifolds.  A real pain in the @ss when you're trying to get up to Whistler for a ski day!  Al

PS- And yes, that's what the preheat tube on the stock manifold is for.  I've heard of the stock carb/manifold icing up at 70°F damp weather without the preheat tube.  As Stan said, that 14 feet of manifold is a long way for the air/fuel mixture to go without any preheat!

Yeah, here in frosty Iceachusetts, you might want to pump the hell out of it before hitting the ignitor.  Like 6 - 8 shots.   Since, as our semi-tropical friend to the south pointed out, it’s colder here and we don’t have choke plates, you’ll have to continue pumping it for the first 10-15 seconds of run time, then It should settle out and pretend to idle in about a minute.  

It also doesn’t hurt to run your volume (mixture) screws out an extra 1/4 turn or two for their “cold weather” setting.

I’ve run Pearl into the low 30° range without issues.  Running well set up carbs, it should readily start and quickly settle out, but might cough and puke a few times when you first step on the accelerator - That will get better after a minute or two.

¡Buena Suerte!

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Yeah, here in frosty Iceachusetts, you might want to pump the hell out of it before hitting the ignitor.  Like 6 - 8 shots.   Since, as our semi-tropical friend to the south pointed out, it’s colder here and we don’t have choke plates, you’ll have to continue pumping it for the first 10-15 seconds of run time, then It should settle out and pretend to idle in about a minute.  

It also doesn’t hurt to run your volume (mixture) screws out an extra 1/4 turn or two for their “cold weather” setting.

I’ve run Pearl into the low 30° range without issues.  Running well set up carbs, it should readily start and quickly settle out, but might cough and puke a few times when you first step on the accelerator - That will get better after a minute or two.

¡Buena Suerte!

I've got a question for you, Gordon, about your comment "I've run Pearl into the low 30* range without issues."   Why?   

Thanks all! Everything you said makes sense. My engine bay isn't that tight so, as you noted, I'll get some natural heat off the headers and I'll richen a bit.

Not planning on an extended trip or anything. Just finishing things up on that so I start a '74 914. I get the "You're NOT starting that until you finish the speedster..."  But, somehow, almost by magic, the long block is lying there with a balanced crank, CB cam, H beam rods, and punched out to 2.0. She keeps asking "Was that like that?"

@Napa Paul queried: "I've got a question for you, Gordon, about your comment "I've run Pearl into the low 30* range without issues."   Why?"

Because it's fun!  Before I had the Dellortos rebuilt, it always ran better when it was cold and running the heater meant that the cockpit, while still itsy-bitsy, was toasty.  Plus, it's always fun seeing the reaction of other people to such a small car when it's out of context (winter).  The only thing that really keeps me off the roads is road salt.

So, Why NOT?

I get an extra 3 - 4 months of driving when it's cold!

Enjoyed my Espar yesterday as I took my VS fpr it's 2 week spin which I do all winter.  The Espar gas heater felt excellent too!

There are chunks of rock salt and sand on the roads here.  We'll need about 2 inches of rain to wash it away, and that ain't happening any time soon.

I just heard that we're getting 2" of snow tonight, so, more salt.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@Napa Paul queried: "I've got a question for you, Gordon, about your comment "I've run Pearl into the low 30* range without issues."   Why?"

Because it's fun!  Before I had the Dellortos rebuilt, it always ran better when it was cold and running the heater meant that the cockpit, while still itsy-bitsy, was toasty.  Plus, it's always fun seeing the reaction of other people to such a small car when it's out of context (winter).  The only thing that really keeps me off the roads is road salt.

So, Why NOT?

I get an extra 3 - 4 months of driving when it's cold!

OK, I guess that's just a good example of "different strokes for different folks." However, if I was caught driving my speedie this morning around town, the reaction would be to pull me over, strap me into a white coat and take me straight to the Napa State Hospital (formerly called an Asylum). You see, it's almost 8AM, the sun's been up for 30 minutes and it's still only 27 friggin' degrees!

Heck, @Napa Paul, give it another ten degrees F and I'd be out there on my road bike!

I used to drive my old Spyder top-down into the mid-30s if it was going to be warmer later.

I've no need to do that now. 50 and up is my criteria now. Lower than that I take the Cayman.

I drove my Speedster on those rare 20s-30s days here but you can be sure my top was UP!

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Heck, @Napa Paul, give it another ten degrees F and I'd be out there on my road bike!

I'm told when you're riding a bike in that cold of weather...your throat looks like you've got terribly swollen tonsils.  Also, the seat isn't so uncomfortable as it is when it's warmer!

Go figure.

Gordon uses a hard leather Brooks. It ain't NEVER comfortable!

@DannyP posted:

Gordon uses a hard leather Brooks. It ain't NEVER comfortable!

A B17 only looks uncomfortable.

... well, it may not actually be comfortable (in the literal sense of the word), but it's a lazyboy recliner when compared to everything else available.

Uh...Stan?

Having both sat in a La-Z-Boy and flown in a B17, I can say there is no comparison. I'd much sooner fly the B17 again before relaxing in the La-Z-Boy.

I think in this instance, a B17 refers to a model of Brooks saddle, not a WWII bomber.

Now a B17 Brooks Saddle I don't think I've ridden. I'll have to check my Cannondale...

(BTW the guy in the above vid was Sam Holden, my photographer for this assignment. He died suddenly two years after this, doing yard work at his dad's house. He was 44, and truly one of the great ones.)

As Stan says, a Brooks B-17 only looks uncomfortable (not really).  It is THE most comfortable saddle out there.

Yes, Gordon rides on a Brooks B-17 cycling saddle.  I have one on my old training bike (the bike and saddle are now both 41 years old) and another, newer one on my newer Trek road bike.  They are both amazingly comfortable.  Properly treated, they assume the shape of the hip bones of the rider over time so they conform perfectly and are the most comfortable saddles out there.  I have logged a LOT of miles, up to 100 per day for several days, and never had saddle issues.  Thigh cramps, maybe, but never saddle issues.

I love my Brooks!

And Ed:  I’ve never flown in a B-17 Bomber, but have a bunch of hours in a C130.  My bike saddle is a LOT more comfortable than those “lawn chairs” on a C130.

First thing I did when I bought my previous road bike was to take off the saddle, and put a nice, leather Brooks on it.

You really cannot get a more comfortable saddle, and it only takes a few rides to break them in.  That saddle is now on my stationary bike in the den for my Winter riding...

Talking about an "uncomfortable bike seat"....this one surely tops the list! :

Im gonna look into biking

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Yeah, here in frosty Iceachusetts, you might want to pump the hell out of it before hitting the ignitor.  Like 6 - 8 shots.   Since, as our semi-tropical friend to the south pointed out, it’s colder here and we don’t have choke plates, you’ll have to continue pumping it for the first 10-15 seconds of run time, then It should settle out and pretend to idle in about a minute.  

It also doesn’t hurt to run your volume (mixture) screws out an extra 1/4 turn or two for their “cold weather” setting.

I’ve run Pearl into the low 30° range without issues.  Running well set up carbs, it should readily start and quickly settle out, but might cough and puke a few times when you first step on the accelerator - That will get better after a minute or two.

¡Buena Suerte!

And that's where your OEM VW fan housing, engine tin, flaps and thermostat system shine. They will help warm up the motor efficiently and gradually and reduce engine wear in the process. Those Germans definitely knew what they were doing .

@Impala posted:

Those Sainted German Engineers definitely knew what they were doing .

Fixed it.

Es la verdad, Señor.  Those German Engineers were destined for Sainthood.

@Al Gallo posted:

There are chunks of rock salt and sand on the roads here.  We'll need about 2 inches of rain to wash it away, and that ain't happening any time soon.

I just heard that we're getting 2" of snow tonight, so, more salt.

Yeah, that's cramping my style, too. We get a halfway decent day and on my way down to my storage I see all the salt and sand in the road and talk myself out of it. I think I'm going to give up and start ripping into the brakes on the next warm spell.

I usually don't start thinking about the Spyder or any fun-type vehicle until March 1st. I'll wait for the first good rain of March then we're good to go on nicer days.

I put the Cayman away mid-December, so 2.5 months isn't bad.