Good Deal?

Mario- Let me be the first to say Welcome to the madness! And congratulations on your purchase; it looks like a very nice car. Al

You need to check how its titled to ensure you can actually register it for use on German roads before shipping it over there.  There is no mention of how it is currently titled in Florida. Love the color.  You can replace the emblem in the front hood handle easily.  It doesn't look like it has the Reutter badge on right lower fender or Porsche script on rear engine area - so should be easy add on.

It is currently titled as a 1973 Volkswagen Convertible in Florida. I know another IM Speedster owner in Germany, his car is titled as a 1978 Intermeccanica Speedster. Will try to get the same description in the German title.

 

Yeah, side trim is missing, too. Just little cosmetics. 

Wolfgang brings up an excellent point. We had. German fellow here last winter describing the horrors of German registration.Be careful.

Great was worried it might be oddly titled.

It looks great without the side trim!

I had mine built specifically without trim.  Just something to pick wax out of IMHO.  Haven't though about adding in the 4 years since.

I have to think about these little cosmetics - but at first to manage the registration. Should be no problem, because I can refer to the registration of another IM Speedster. :-)

 

No trim is fine, too - but the Speedster writings are too low.

 

Does any IM expert does have an idea about the big empty space below trunk / inner front wheel guard (refer to side view). Never seen so much space there before - is something missing? 

Mario - Congratulations on your new ride! Very nice car. Welcome to the Madness known as Speedster replica ownership. 

Mario.

Please keep us posted on the registration process in Germany.  Thanks and Welcome To the Madness!

Very nice looking car!

This one?  CMC includes a flat piece of fiber glass that is screwed and glassed in to serve as a splash guard and also strengthen the nose section. On CMC there are bumper brackets there too.

 

In the pic that Wolf posted above the front wheel looks way out of whack with the front wheel well. Too far back. I know they tend not to center, but it looks like they dropped the body on a frame cut down for a dune buggy rather than a Speedie.

 

Oops, didn't notice that others noted it earlier in the thread.

 

Certain that's an IM????

Back in 77/78 Intermeccanica sold a lot of unfinished kits, meaning that Intermeccanica probably didn't completely build this car.

Yes, the front wheels look to be too far back.  For a comparison, here's a side photo of my 84 pan based IM.

 

 

 

Mario:  Willkommen in der Wahnsinn!

 

I believe that you have made a wise purchase.  So much has been restored or upgraded on this car that I believe it is worth more than your purchase price, even after you have shipped it to Germany!  

 

The inner fender walls in the front are easy to  fabricate - they are just 1/8" thick fiberglass sheet, the same as is used for roofing material on back yard sheds.  Just glass them in using the instructions in the CMC build manual under "resources" on this site. 

 

Many cars on here do or do not have the side trim.  My car does not, others do - no big deal either way.

 

It appears that you are confident that registering it in Germany will be easy, and I hope it is.  

 

Enjoy your new toy!  

 

Gordon - The Speedster Guy from Massachusetts 

 

 

Assume your front beam has lowering adjusters welded in (but could be lowered using lowering spindles).  If so then caster could be off.  It can be adjusted using caster shims.  With longer H beam bolts you can install 2 sets of caster adjusters (2 each side) at the bottom which will result in the wheels being moved forward probably 3/4" which would look better and perhaps get camber back in specs..

 

Thanks for all your comments and assistance. Highly appreciated!

 

Well, if I compare to this one:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/...et-72157634075054158

 

the front wheel does not seem to be to far back to me. But I will check calmly as soon as the car arrives in Germany. And I will keep you informed about the registration process.

... and I never knew that IM sold kits in late 70s ... afaik they just sold complete cars except to the inventory when business was finished and sold to CMC.

 

Best regards,

Mario

Here's a VS listed on SAMBA that has same front wheel spacing - some is the camera angle.

 

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/cla...etail.php?id=1621574

 

 

Thanks for your assistance once again. Yeah, the VS seems to have same front wheel spacing. Can be the camera angel and perhaps it depends a little bit on the donor car - if it is a 4 or 5 bolt wheel.

 

Speedster has arrived at the terminal in Florida, hope will be shipped soon.

 

And it seems I will get some copies of registration, etc. of another IM. Will make registration much easier for me, I hope. And perhaps it will help me with the customs office, too. There is a great tax difference between replicas and so called oldtimers (more than 30 years) - and I will try to declare the IM Speedie as an oldtimer (because it was assembled more than 30 years ago).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the caster shims purpose would be for getting the caster back to spec? I know it's a small detail...

Yes that would be intent of shims - steering is affected with too little or too much caster.

 

Something like this extender but for a less amount (a lot less) would be quick way to correct wheel placement.

 

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/pts/4512910819.html

 

 

This morning my Speedster was delivered! Yes! :-)

 

Unfortunately sitting in the office at this moment. Have to be patient and wait another few hours until I can inspect it in detail. A guy with another late 70s IM will come around, so I will have a specialist who can take a look at the car.

 

First impression: seems to be a very early one which originally had the battery next to the engine at the back of the car and later it was converted to store the battery in the front trunk.

 

Will give an update the next days.

 

Best regards,

Mario

Good luck trying to concentrate at work today!!