Hi, I have been spending more time than I should reading through more posts than I can count.
For many years, I have wanted a speedster replica. A weekend fun car that I can take on 2-3 day road trips and be able to handle interstate speeds and Texas heat. I am going to pull the trigger this year.
BUT, before I do I wanted to ask a few questions from those on this forum that have been there...done that!
If you could do it again, which manufacturer would you go with?
What motor?
What options?
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Are you able to take care of an aircooled engine (do you have VW ownership experience?) or would it be going to a mechanic? What kind of power level are you looking for- are you a "rip around the streets" or "toodle around town" person? Do you like to tinker with stuff or do you expect it to just always work?
If money wasn't the driving factor, hands down, Intermeccanica speedster with Subaru power, Porsche 5-speed, 911 suspension, real heater, air conditioning, no radio, Fuchs. It would definitely be copper in color.
It would be known as "Penny Too".
ALB posted:Are you able to take care of an aircooled engine (do you have VW ownership experience?) or would it be going to a mechanic? What kind of power level are you looking for- are you a "rip around the streets" or "toodle around town" person? Do you like to tinker with stuff or do you expect it to just always work?
No VW experience, but I am handy...been wrenching on all sorts of mechanical things and have a few engineering degrees. As for air cooled, just small engine and motorcycle experience. I also have a pretty nice shop with a couple of car lifts and serious tools. My rip around the street days are over, but I want a nice sounding, reliable engine with plenty of power for highway speeds and passing.
I prefer things to work, but tinker more than I should.
Terry Nuckels posted:If money wasn't the driving factor, hands down, Intermeccanica speedster with Subaru power, Porsche 5-speed, 911 suspension, real heater, air conditioning, no radio, Fuchs. It would definitely be copper in color.
It would be known as "Penny Too".
Nice! Based on my research thus far, Intermerccanica sounds like the manufacturer with the best fit, finish, and overall quality. At first, I thought I wouldn't want a heater or AC, but if this is going to be my first and only Speedster, I am reconsidering. Especially because the wife gets cold easy and if she ain't happy, I will be miserable.
I do have a budget, but I'm willing to spend in the Intermeccanica range if that's what it takes. Plan on keeping this one a long, long time.
I would rather spend more once and get it right, then go through 2 (or 3) Speedsters and spending a lot more in the end.
RajunCajun posted:
...A weekend fun car that I can take on 2-3 day road trips and be able to handle interstate speeds and Texas heat.
...If you could do it again, which manufacturer would you go with?...
I think I'd spec air-conditioning, a top that doesn't leak and that goes up or down in 10 seconds without leaving the driver's seat, a glass rear window with electric defrost, power rollup windows, windshield wipers and defroster that work, 150 hp, six-speed close ratio gearbox, and I'd insist on IRS and a five-year powertrain warranty.
That shouldn't cost more than $30,000:
Starke
@RajunCajun, can I call you Raj? I love my car. I've had it for 14 years and put 60,000 miles on Penny. But if I knew then...
Please, first, find somebody in your area or go to one of the builders and drive one of these plastic potatoes before you make a decision to buy. They are definitely not for everyone. Second, if you like the drivability of said potato, consider a used one first and give it a year or so to really be sure. Don't worry, with the current market you'll get almost all of your money back when you sell. Then make out your own wish list and plunk down your hard-earned dinero and get the car of your dreams.
Over the 14 years of ownership I have gone through 3 engines, two transmissions (definitely get a 5-speed, trust me) several sets of wheels and numerous trips on a flatbed (before I learned how to "DIY"). I have put more than enough money into my current car to have built my dream car (see above post "Penny Too").
Do your homework, stick around, Call Henry Reisner at Intermeccanica or one of the other reputable builders (not JPS). Good luck!
What part of Texas are you in?
I will second @Terry Nuckels comments. There are a number of people out there that dreamed of owning a speedster. Had one built to their perfect specifications. And after less then a year and 600 miles, decided this thing is not at all what I wanted. Which is why there are so many used low mile speedsters out there.
Perhaps the group can weigh in, but it seems to be easier to sell a speedster at $20k-$30k (if you decide you don't like it), then it would be to sell a loaded $75k IM, if you decide you don't like.
Buy used. The perfect car in your mind now, will change after you've owned one.
Ok, I can only speak about Beck from my own experience, but I put them closing in on IM with quality and engineering, while still well below in price. Beck's customer service is second to none. The same can be said of IM. If you budget support IM, that's the safe bet, but check out Beck cars like Joe Fortino's.
The choice of A/C VW versus Subaru is up to how much you like to tinker and how much you want to spend. In a $/HP contest the Subaru will win, at least for the basic cost of the engine. The addition of the cooling system and wiring harness will mitigate the cost difference in a turn-key car. The Subaru will require less maintenance, but some folks just prefer the authenticity of an air-cooled engine. that's a personal choice.
RajunCajun posted:Hi, I have been spending more time than I should reading through more posts than I can count.
For many years, I have wanted a speedster replica. A weekend fun car that I can take on 2-3 day road trips and be able to handle interstate speeds and Texas heat. I am going to pull the trigger this year.
BUT, before I do I wanted to ask a few questions from those on this forum that have been there...done that!
If you could do it again, which manufacturer would you go with?
What motor?
What options?
I’m in Dallas. Hit me up if you wanna talk to take a ride!
James Garrett posted:What part of Texas are you in?
Dallas area.
RajunCajun posted:James Garrett posted:What part of Texas are you in?
Dallas area.
Well if you get to the Houston area let me know and we can grab a coffee and go on a test drive. There are a couple of folks in Dallas as well.
I'll second that some new owners find that a speedster is not up to their expectations as some bow out of ownership shortly after purchase. Should your budget support a SE / IM go for it as you will be more than pleased . There is also Vintage Motor car ( Greg Leach) that is putting out a nice Speedster. There is also a couple of other companies building but as mentioned it is to your advantage to do your homework . Take your time look around, talk to owners inclusive of driving a few different speedsters ...before, you put the trigger.
"I would rather spend more once and get it right, then go through 2 (or 3) Speedsters and spending a lot more in the end."
I've had three Intermeccanicas - two used, and one I had built. I figure I got it almost perfect on my third and current one. During that time, I did not lose one cent on resale of the first two, and think I've ended up with the Speedster I want.
You won't get it right the first time...
Terry Nuckels posted:@RajunCajun, can I call you Raj? I love my car. I've had it for 14 years and put 60,000 miles on Penny. But if I knew then...
Please, first, find somebody in your area or go to one of the builders and drive one of these plastic potatoes before you make a decision to buy. They are definitely not for everyone. Second, if you like the drivability of said potato, consider a used one first and give it a year or so to really be sure. Don't worry, with the current market you'll get almost all of your money back when you sell. Then make out your own wish list and plunk down your hard-earned dinero and get the car of your dreams.
Over the 14 years of ownership I have gone through 3 engines, two transmissions (definitely get a 5-speed, trust me) several sets of wheels and numerous trips on a flatbed (before I learned how to "DIY"). I have put more than enough money into my current car to have built my dream car (see above post "Penny Too").
Do your homework, stick around, Call Henry Reisner at Intermeccanica or one of the other reputable builders (not JPS). Good luck!
Sure, Raj works. I've been called worse!
Great advice. I've test driven a few and even tried buying a used one.
With my limited experience, the older Speedsters made by companies no longer in business and VS seem to be made for small people. I'm only 5'10 and 190ibs, and so far none of the ones I have seen or test drove fit me...have to drive with knees bent up. The layout of the foot wells on these cars area different than the original Speedsters and not as ergonomic. Assume that's because of the VW pan. At least from pictures (have yet to see one in person), the IM's don't seem to have this problem.
You're right about the current market, and that's part of the problem. Used ones are going for top dollar in my area, and knowing my timing, I would be selling during a recession and lose my shirt.
I'm definitely going to give Henry a call. IM and Beck/SE seem to be consistently praised on this forum for putting out high quality and custom cars.
I've heard good and bad about JPS.
James Garrett posted:RajunCajun posted:James Garrett posted:What part of Texas are you in?
Dallas area.
Well if you get to the Houston area let me know and we can grab a coffee and go on a test drive. There are a couple of folks in Dallas as well.
Thanks James. I appreciate the offer and will definitely take you up on that next time I am in Houston!
Rajun:
First of all welcome to the group!
IM and SE do not use a VW pan, so have a bit different setup for ergonomics. I wish SE offered a 5 speed option. Those two companies are clearly a cut above.
I would also say Greg Leach at Vintage Motorcars in Hawaiian Gardens makes the best pan-based car available.
You won't go wrong with customer service at any of those three.
I've gotten two Spyders from Greg, apparently I'm not a Speedster guy......
"...apparently I'm not a Speedster guy......"
But we give you a pass because you bring good beer and stories to the gatherings. Oh, and you're good with Webers.
I have a CMC. I'm 5'10" and if I have my seat all the way back, I can't push the clutch in all the way. I wonder if Vintage puts their seats in an odd location?
You need to modify that a little.
I'm good with carburetors in general.
Except Solex P40s on 356s. I REALLY HATE them.
Webs. Dells. Single or dual single Solexes. Yup.
Regarding legroom and interior spaciousness:
The Beck speedster built by Carey and Kevin Hines, great people, has the most space in the leg area. It's a beautiful car from a stand up company. My issues with a Beck are few. I prefer IRS and every Beck I know of is swing axle which is like the original speedster but it lacks the handling of an IRS car.
Regarding legroom and seat position, I believe all builders can accommodate the "Big and Tall" by dropping the seat platform. Just ask @Stan Galat or @Tom Murtaugh.
If solid, roll-up windows are important to you, then Intermeccanica is the only company offering them.
Raj, I don't know you or your driving style. I know you're looking for something for casual jaunts and the occasional three day mini vacay, but in an ill-fitting car, even an hour is torture. Stan wouldn't be able to drive my car more than a few miles because his head is way over the windshield and his arms are doubled back on route to the steering wheel. I can't drive Stan's beautiful IM because I would need a booster seat to see over the dash and wood blocks fasten to the pedals to reach them. We are within a couple inches of the same height.
Talk to Henry, talk to Carey. And, by all means, talk to Greg Leach. He is a stand up guy who is taking the more modest Vintage Speedster to new heights. One of these guys will build you what you want. But a caveat here: there will always be follow-up modifications regardless of what you spend up front.
RajunCajun posted:Terry Nuckels posted:@RajunCajun, can I call you Raj? I love my car. I've had it for 14 years and put 60,000 miles on Penny. But if I knew then...
Please, first, find somebody in your area or go to one of the builders and drive one of these plastic potatoes before you make a decision to buy. They are definitely not for everyone. Second, if you like the drivability of said potato, consider a used one first and give it a year or so to really be sure. Don't worry, with the current market you'll get almost all of your money back when you sell. Then make out your own wish list and plunk down your hard-earned dinero and get the car of your dreams.
Over the 14 years of ownership I have gone through 3 engines, two transmissions (definitely get a 5-speed, trust me) several sets of wheels and numerous trips on a flatbed (before I learned how to "DIY"). I have put more than enough money into my current car to have built my dream car (see above post "Penny Too").
Do your homework, stick around, Call Henry Reisner at Intermeccanica or one of the other reputable builders (not JPS). Good luck!
Sure, Raj works. I've been called worse!
Great advice. I've test driven a few and even tried buying a used one.
With my limited experience, the older Speedsters made by companies no longer in business and VS seem to be made for small people. I'm only 5'10 and 190ibs, and so far none of the ones I have seen or test drove fit me...have to drive with knees bent up. The layout of the foot wells on these cars area different than the original Speedsters and not as ergonomic. Assume that's because of the VW pan. At least from pictures (have yet to see one in person), the IM's don't seem to have this problem.
You're right about the current market, and that's part of the problem. Used ones are going for top dollar in my area, and knowing my timing, I would be selling during a recession and lose my shirt.
I'm definitely going to give Henry a call. IM and Beck/SE seem to be consistently praised on this forum for putting out high quality and custom cars.
I've heard good and bad about JPS.
Perhaps the VS you were in was set up for someone shorter? I’ve been in a few (and own a VS). At 6’-0”, I don’t even have the seat all the way back, or I could touch the pedals. And at one time, I was 200lbs.
I would test drive as many different makes and models as you can.
By the way, I am 5' 11" and 180-ish, and I have driven my Beck from Charleston, SC to Carlisle, PA and back (~1500 miles) 10 times as well as taking a number of trips to the Smokies. I won't say it's the most comfortable long distance traveler, but I've actually enjoyed the trips.
KEVIN posted:Perhaps the VS you were in was set up for someone shorter? I’ve been in a few (and own a VS). At 6’-0”, I don’t even have the seat all the way back, or I could touch the pedals. And at one time, I was 200lbs.I would test drive as many different makes and models as you can.
I'm 6' tall, weigh 220 and own a VS purchased new in 2016.
In order to sit lower in the car I took some washers and added them to the two bolts at the front of the seat sliders in order to tilt the seats back a little more. Bingo! Not only was it easy to do, it worked and while I may not look like a dwarf sitting in the car, at least my head no long sticks above the top frame of the windshield. Oh, and the ride is very comfortable. 
There are a couple of other ways to lower the height of the seats on a VS and I got this idea plus a few others by doing a forum search. Check this one out that was posted on 12/27/17 by James Garrett:
https://www.speedsterowners.co...tilting-with-washers
I just got a Beck, I'm 6'0" but have a long torso and short legs (30" inseam whereas most 6 footers have a 34 inseam or so)...I'm looking over the top of the windshield. I bought my Beck w/o a personal inspection (about $13k below market so I don't feel bad). Prior to that, the only tube frame car I had ever sat in was an Intermeccanica Roadster (which has a taller windshield and taller seats)...That car was a dream and I looked right through the glass about 4" from the top......This tilt idea is great, but I'd like to find a way to get a wider seat or maybe modify these to decrease the side bolster for my fat self.....
Do you fit into a Miata? They have similar, but flatter, seats and those will fit into a Back. Beyond that, email carey@beckspeedster.com and see what he recommends to help you out. If anyone knows, he will.
I do fit into a Miata (albeit shoe horned)...I've had 2 of them. The only thing I had to do in those was to eliminate the sunvisors (there are retail mods/plugs just for that even)....canting the seats is something I wish I'd thought of then....I did however think it up on my own on a Toyota Tundra (cutting and re-welding rear mounts)...and summarily forgot about until reminded by this thread....The 356s have so much space outboard of the seat, I'd kind of like to take advantage of that....When you say Miata seats are "flatter"...do you mean lower? They are indeed a bit more forgiving (flatter) if you're chunky but if I cannot find a wider, flatter, lower seat that I would probably cant as well, I'm inclined to see if I can chop some of the side bolsters out at the bottom of the current seats and plastic weld/reinforce the seat back as removal of that area will obviously weaken the seat back.
Raj
Your wife is going to want something comfortable. You are going to need role up windows, AC and heat. Roadster seats would be nice.
You want something roomy and quick.
Get a Conv D roadster. IM and SE makes them but there is there is no comparison to an IM if you have the bank. Ask me how I know. My wife loved cruising in the IM Conv D.
Choice of water cooled vs air cooled is really a matter of if you like to tinker. Price will be similar but the Subaru will be much more reliable. Heat will be better too. If you absolutely need a 5 speed be ready to pony up the Washingtons.
Alas the speed bug got me. I wanted to go very fast so I got a Vintage Motorcar Spyder. I love my wife but I really love going fast.
Good luck.
550 Phil posted:Raj
Your wife is going to want something comfortable. You are going to need role up windows, AC and heat. Roadster seats would be nice.
You want something roomy and quick.
Get a Conv D roadster. IM and SE makes them but there is there is no comparison to an IM if you have the bank. Ask me how I know. My wife loved cruising in the IM Conv D.
I've got a '58 GMC 4x4 truck that I had to add A/C to for the wife. Otherwise, she would plan our day around the afternoon heat. She reminds me about the A/C as I am working on my Speedster "spec sheet".
Her favorite comment, "how can this thing cost so much if it doesn't have A/C?"
You are going to need role up windows. You could get a Pre A Coupe from Vintage Motorcars (where I got my spyder) but I'm thinking you want a convertible.
SE (Beck) makes a Conv D with role up windows which will be significantly cheaper than an IM but it will have VW front torsion bar suspension and rear swing axle.
With IM you can get a speedster with power windows but I'm thinking you want the extra head room and the cumfy roadster seats of the Conv D. All IMs are IRS. Front suspension options are VW torsion bar, 914 and 911 (all water cooled cars come standard with 914 suspension).
The ultimate IM is the 911 package with 6 cylinder and 911 suspension. My choice would be a suby engine with 911 suspension. Suby can be had up to 300 hp.
It gets a little complicated but the 911 engine is pushed so far forward it creates extreme angles with the CV joints and eats though CV boots. No such problems with suby, type 1 and type 4 engines. There are lengthy discussions about this topic including one of my own.
At some point Beck will make their new chassis with modern suspension, r&p steering, and the option of mid-engine power available on all 356 replicas. That’s probably a couple of years off, though.
IM can also come with Recaro seats and extra mods to accomodate a tall torso guy in a roadster without an issue ... they sit low and I have been in them for 12 hours of driving with no saddle sores.
@skippythedog 914 seats with the headrests cut off look Similar to speedster seats and I think have less side bolster.
With regards to IRS versus swingaxle; I’ve had swing axle with a camber compensator and have pushed the car pretty hard on commercial roads with no issues. I guess if I was going to track it (which would require a roll cage, etc.) I might be craving IRS. Realistically, I putz around town from 0-45 98% of the time on straight roads. I get my jollies from the acceleration provided by the Suby torque.
Would I opt for IRS if available, probably, but it wouldn’t justify the price differential between a Beck and an IM (for me).
IM’s are awesome and everyone has their own value equation, mine fell on a Beck versus an IM on one end and a Vintage at the other. Your mileage WILL vary.
Lane Anderson posted:At some point Beck will make their new chassis with modern suspension, r&p steering, and the option of mid-engine power available on all 356 replicas. That’s probably a couple of years off, though.
I am currently 9 months into my speedster build with Beck. It is being built on the same new chassis that your "super coupe" will have. It will indeed have A-arm front suspension on adjustable coilovers and rack and pinion steering. The rear will have IRS as well. It will have a Subaru engine, but will not be mid-engine. I was hoping it would be done by September, but it looks like it may be closer to December.
You'll almost certainly have your Speedster before I have my Coupe (sigh...). I started talking to Carey when Ron Mullis placed the order for his Blue Angels Spyder (Carlisle 2015 or 2016), but I knew they were very early in development. These things take time and I know Chuck had some personal crises along the way. I think engineering the body and interior has taken much longer than the chassis.
