How did you become aware of, and join the SOC?

Inspired by our good friend Will P's thread under 'Events' I thought this would be an interesting topic. With the diversity of this group, this should be an interesting read. I'll start with;

In 2004 I was on my usual cruise in the Speedster through Laguna Beach SoCal when another Speedster pulled up alongside and hollered "Cool Car! Check out SpeedsterOwners.com". I did, and joined this band of n'er-do-wells that day. I've been having fun with this group ever since. Thanks to David Salvato who gave me a shout-out that day in Laguna Beach.

(Note: if you scroll through my photo file of several hundred pictures, you'll see that more than 50% of my pics are of the good friends I've met on this site)

Peace - Out!

When I was researching replicas, I Googled "Speedster" and this was one of the first links. After some lurking I asked the folks planning for the '05 Carlisle show if I could crash their party. Bruce Stump welcomed me to join them, and the rest is history.

I've been on the Speedster Group since it's infant days and remember when Lane showed up at Carlisle too. I chauffeured him around that weekend and was glad to do it. We've all acquired great friendships as this group is like a second family... minus the family squabbles.

Mid "03" and looking for something so my wife could sit beside me rather than behind me (on my Harley's)Also had mid 50's Hemi's at the time, but needed a change.. never considered a replica, but saw a few cruising the beach and it got me interested...
ebay bound and found MR356 right here in the OC. seller mentioned a site where other replica owners had a forum...Been here ever since causing trouble...and making fiends....

I have been a Porsche fan for decades and always just out of reach or one step down on the priority list. Three years ago I ran into this group while looking for info on various kit builders and "met" a bunch of great people! As some may recall, I got sidetracked when my son came to me and wanted to build an old pickup truck... He lost interest quickly and it turned into a father only project :) I sold it last year and rekindled the Speedy urge. Glad to be part of such a great group!

The site was referenced on Special Edition's website. The people on here have far exceeded my expectations. What a great site and a great bunch of folks!

It had to be in 2000 when I became aware of Speedster Owners or what ever Theron called it back then. I dont' remember what I had for dinner last night so remembering the name of the "board" back then is not going to happen.

It WAS a different time.

This IS an interesting topic. Plus I'm glad to see that Jim has elevated us from "knuckleheads" to n'er-do wells". I think that's a step up---hope I don't have it backwards.

I always loved the Speedster car and found mine on enbay long before I knew of this site. When I started searching the internet for answers to a thousand questions I lucked into this site. Without it I might have been another seller of a car with just 500 miles on it. This site has made it possible to learn a lot about my car and maintaining it , which is a must, as there's no one to turn to near my location for service.

For me the, next step after finding the SOC was learning that it's not just about the cars---it's really more about the great friends you look forward to seeing at the various events around the country.

OK. Here's my story. Probably a little more than everyone wants to know, but it all led up to finding the SOC and buying my Speedster.
In late 2006 I noticed that I had a swollen lymph node on the left side of my neck. I work in a radiology department, so I showed it to a radiologist friend of mine and he did a quick CT scan on me. I stood there looking at the scan with him and a couple of other radiologists and the lymph node was very obvious, but they pointed out that I also had something at the base of my tongue. Yup, cancer! A base of tongue squamous cell carcenoma that had metastisized to a lymph node on the left. Long story short, I spent 6 weeks at Stanford Medical Center undergoing head and neck radiation and chemo therapy, something that I hope none of you ever have to endure, and I was off work for 3 months. Needless to say, it was a life changing event, but I'm happy to say that thanks to the Stanford cancer center, I am now cancer free after 3.5 years. After returning home, I decided that life was short and that if I wanted to do something, I was just going to do it and I wanted a Porsche. So, I refinanced my house, pulled out some cash and began my search. I have owned several Porsches years ago (including a 1961 356 sunroof coupe) and I started looking around on eBay where I saw this beautiful blue Speedster that a guy in Arizona was selling. I called him and he told me about the SOC and I signed up and starting asking questions and getting my Speedta education. The next thing I knew, I was standing in Vintage and placing my order. 6 weeks later, I was picking up my super widebody Speedster and Jimbo was there to record the event.
Troy

wow - great story Troy. i had no idea.

mine is reading the CMC brochures many moons ago wishing for one of those (these) cars. i lurked for a while, then bought mine after a craigslist wanted ad turned one up 13kms from my front door (quite rare in canada). the rest is in my username

Troy - great story about how certain life-changing events help us keep things in proper perspective. I'm glad I was able to be there to meet you and your dad when you picked up your bitchen bad-boy Speedster.

You're on a roll buddy with a clean bill of health, a bitchen car, beautiful wife and a recent awesome 'guy trip' with your son. NICE!!

I

I'm going to hi-jack a moment and lean on the life changing events a bit.
I was diagnosed with bladder cancer this past October, had surgery and successful removal of a stage four tumor mass that had not invaded through ( stage three) the bladder wall. With a post op series of non chemo BCG treatments, the prognosis is now termed as excellent and yes all functions, are normal.
This was an huge eye opener, the air smells different and I've decided to do all that I can do with each and every day to make it a memorable one.
So it's back to building a few more speedsters because that's what I so enjoy. ~Alan

Alan--I had no idea. Glad you got through that ok. Wow.

The stories you hear.

2000. I had the itch bad. Bought an "entry level" car (don't be hatin') on ebay, and found the site through a web-search. I met some really good friends on this site.

I saw a Spyder in "Dune Buggies and Hot VW's" back in '84. It was when Chuck Beck was making them in Upland, CA, just getting off the ground I think. The shape just struck me and I vowed to have one someday.

Fast forward, to 2000, my very best friend's wife was taken by cancer. I sat in that church on that cold day and vowed I would do the things I wanted as you just never know when your number is up. Discussed it with the wife, and the next thing you know, ordered my Vintage Spyder roller in 2001, got it in 2002. Got divorced in 2003, then put it together and registered it for the road in 2005, after the divorce was final.

Found Spyderclub.com in 2001, spyderowners shortly thereafter. Not a whole lot of activity there, so registered at Speedsterowners to get the skinny on Carlisle. Car was done in 2005, but no tags were on it until Labor Day 2005. Been hanging around ever since, some of my best friends drive Speedsters.....

First guy I met was LennyC, then Jake, and Greg at Vintage. I test drove one in Danbury CT and was hooked! Just turned over 18,000 miles.

Dale Bates.......it's his fault!

I joined up late 1999 or early 2000, after I bought my 1984 IM through Henry at Intermeccanica. Found the site via an internet search.
Ron

I lost a son in an auto accident in 2005....which was my epiphany or 'wake up call' to live my life a whole lot differently and concentrate on things that really matter like family and my relationship with my other kids....plus to stop and smell the roses every once in a while....life is short and once things are gone they're gone forever...

I had always wanted a speedster replica and was lucky to find an older IM just a few miles from my house...it was 'tired' but in good shape overall...spent the next 3 years with the car pretty much torn apart rebuilding/replacing all of the moving parts...

Was not even aware that a thing such as SOC even existed until I got on the Vintage Speedster website looking for parts and followed the 'club' link to this website...I haven't participated in the events all that much but at the ones I have, all of the people have been fantastic and have made me feel right at home!!

Would be driving my car now but my #*! shifter bushing just broke and I only have 3rd and 4th gears!!

Somewhere around the mid-90's, I had a pretty decent job that paid well, but had a mind-numbing commute. I lived in Capitola, California, and communted "over the hill" on Hwy. 17 to Los Altos in Silicon Valley. It's actually a fun road if you can drive it at midnight, and not during high traffic hours, which are now about 16 hours/day. In bad weeks, with wrecks, etc., I would spend 20 hours driving to/fro. I kept thinking about a cool car to make the drive easier to take. I saw a magazine article, maybe Kit Car, that showed some young t.v. actor with a wide body replica, parked on Mulholland Drive. I was hooked. I had seen Porsches as a kid, and lusted after them, but never had the money for any car that nice.

I rooted around, found Kirk at Vintage, took some money out of my house, and had a wide body built with CB 2110, most of the goodies, and fat Yokohamas. That car enabled me to put up with the commute for a couple of extra years, before I pulled the plug and moved offshore.

I found SOC by internet research on Speedsters. When I joined the SOC site, there were less than 3000 total messages, and Theron managed it like a mother hen with young, dumb chicks that would wander into traffic much too often, and needed someone to straighten them out. George Brown and I had many "spirited discussions" on various topics.

I had a big, fat melanoma taken off my shoulder about 7 years ago, and I thought I had eaten the big weenie. It made me think about life's large questions. I really wanted the chance to work with one or both of our kids. My answer: I have worked 100 hour weeks for the last 7 years. I built a resort in Fiji, and our daughter and her boyfriend run the dive operation. Now that the business is up and running, and doing well, I am going to try and spend at least 1/2 time with our son in California, who has gifted my wife and I with our first grandchild. What a great time to have another one of the coolest cars in the universe built!

Like most of us, I'm a very lucky guy. However, I do notice that the harder I work, the luckier I get. Best regards to all, and thx, Jim, for the great idea for this thread. Jim Kelly

A fellow Spyder driver told me to check out Spyderowners & Speedsterowners sites, in 2003.....Didn't get around to it until 2005.....Lurked there for 2 years looking for an event happening close to the house, when The Tail of the Dragon Cruise popped up in 2007......Asked the Speedster mob if a Spyder would be acceptable company, and was immediately invited to join the tour......Met Gordon N., Corey/Hoopty, and 'White Knuckle" Lane Anderson, along with many others......Had a great time......Thanks to all......

Guess it's my turn....

I had been introducing new computer products to Manufacturing for my entire career. I was asked to join a storage company in the late 80's (EMC) that was imploding fast and trying to have a rebirth into a wholly different product line. Twelve of us signed on to make it happen in what was called the "You Bet Your job" program - if we failed, the place went under (with about 500 people) and if we made it we got to keep our jobs - no pressure there!

Fast forward 5 years and we had grown from losing $4 million a quarter to our first $1 Billion (with a "B") revenue year, but the 80-100 hour weeks and constant pressure took its' toll and I burned out with lots of things wrong. My doctor, who got me through it, told me either to get a hobby to take my mind off work or I'd be dead in five years so I went out and bought a CMC speedster to build "in six months". In reality, it took over 8 years and starting retirement to complete it, but I really believe that it saved my life by being able to wander to the shop at night and forget about work for a while. The burnout also got me thinking about life in general, and the work hours and airplane miles dropped off dramatically after my sickness was over, back to maybe 50 hrs per week, leaving me far more time for the family (and ME!)

I was part of an email bulletin board of kit car builders during the 90's where I met Rocky Cimbrec online, and then I found the SOC by doing an internet search and here we all are. I've met countless great friends at Carlisle and other events and haven't regretted getting into this madness for a minute.

Gordon
The Speedstah Guy from Beaufort

I surf therefore I don't work (much) the seller of TuffTuff directed me to this site, the first person to greet me was Jimmy I and Speedster "D"
I do believe I would of been a millionaire a long time ago, but I choose my GOD, Health, and my family, really you wonder - without my health I'm no good to my family,I love the creator of all life as we know it, but I'm not ready to meet him - just yet.


Cabanaboy

I WAS LISTENING TO THE DR DEMENTO SHOW AND HE KEPT TALKING ABOUT
Special Outstanding Cars.
I GOOGLED IT AND GOT VINCE.
MY LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME.

Like many of the stories in this thread, I had a wake up call that changed my outlook on life. Mine was losing a brother at only 44, a second loss of a sibling before I turned 40.

At the time I drove a Supercharged Boxster, possibly one of the best combinations of torque & handling you can find for less than 100 grand, but I really needed to mellow out, slow down, & just enjoy the ride, so I sold it.

The Speedster was the perfect answer. I bought the Red Sled off of CL in 2007, paid too much for a bad entry-level example, but the grin on my face always makes up for it.

Discovered SOC a couple years ago by Googling

I bought my car in 2000, with no idea about this forum. I found the site in 2003, while searching for CMC parts on AltaVista or some such.
An excerpt from what I think must have been my first post (in the Knowledge section, Jan. 14, 2003):

I'll try the Reader's Digest version: Had two coupes (my first car ever being an A Normal and later a B S90) a good while back as daily drivers. They rusted away and were sold/given away. Mortgages and tuition payments precluded continiung w/ that line of transportation. So my Madness started a long while ago. Had never owned a ragtop of any sort. Wife died of cancer in 2005 (here is a recurring theme in this thread, as I guess you have noticed) and as they say, as one door closes, another opens. Decided I was going to get that ragtop sports car, but what would it be? Stumbled onto an ad in R&T by JPS and the idea was born. In an instant I decided I could actually own a '57 Speedster and my decision process was settled. Up to that point I had not the first clue about replicars in general, nor Speedsters in particular. Contacted JPS and asked about 150,000 questions. I felt I needed to see a car in person to be sure I knew what was what, and John put me on to a couple of guys who owned JPS Speedsters that were not far from me that I could call and visit. One of these guys mentioend the SOC as THE place to go to get info on these cars, and so I hooked up, and I found to my geat pleasure that The Madness is alive and well. I now own a ragtop sports car.

Back in the '90's I saw my 1st speedy on display at the Minneapolis air port. Pretty sure it was a CMC. That's what got me in the hunt originally. I even flew down to kick tires at VS and bought a doner car. As it turned out, my wife's bout with lymphoma put quite a delay in the plans. Standford saved her life!
It wasn't until about '05 that I got back in the hunt. As for SOC Pretty sure I used the ol' reliable: Google. Got my VS with only 1200 miles on it in Spring 2006. It now has 26k miles on it.

We were originally going to build an Everett Morris Cobra, but by the time we had enough money to buy anything at all, the Cobra seemed far too common. Always loved the 550 but neither of us were comfortable w/VW engines (every one we ever saw was blown up, running like poo, or made 40 horsepower - we hadn't met you guys yet!). When TR decided to make a 911 based spyder, it was "all in."

Discovered SOC about the same time as the first Knott's show we attended. Maybe even at the show.

At the Knott's show I asked if I could join the SOC and was told "no." Actually took that a bit personally. Didn't really actively post for quite a while as I felt rather unwelcome.

Obviously I got over that.

angela

Angela--glad you are here!


More important than your getting "over it" I sincerely hope that whoever it was who told you "no" you couldn't join is also over it.

I never knew we had a gatekeeper and hope that whoever that person is---is spending time over on the Samba or somewhere else so we don't run off any other fine additions to the discourse here..

We are honored and fortunate to have you and your expertise posting here!

JEEZ--

Sorry, Angela.

You're car was just too friggen beautiful! :-) Still is!!

I seem to remember an email mailing list that came before the website.

Does anyone else remember such a thing?

Back in the 80s

I built an engine for my brother in laws 58 VW ragtop 25 years ago. He always wanted to build a speedster replica with me, he died in June at 48 (same age as me) Ive heard the term "wake up call" mentioned. I also had a mal melanoma removed 3 yrs ago and I decided ..what am I waiting for? My wife is mad but I'm happy (Honey I'll build your new kitchen soon (as soon as my CMC flared is going)! Signed "Brave but Stoopid"

Sorry to get off track
Gerd,
I remember listening to Dr.Demento in 1972 in North Vancouver,B.C. at night as a kid waiting to move down to Socal!I'll have to meet Vince someday...soon.
Sorry again I found you great brotherhood of guys on Google!

I had a 66 VW bug as my first car and then bought, drove, fixed up and sold a few Porsches in my 20's. I then lost interest in sports cars and drove sailboats for a living for 25 years. In 2007 I was staying with my parents to help out with my mothers care and help my dad go through a hip replacement. I was doing a major cleanout of their home and ran across a box of magazines that I had left there in 1977. There on top was a Hot VW's with a red and a white speedster on the cover. Thirty years flashed backward to me buying that magazine at the 7-11 on PCH & Balboa in Newport Beach in July 1977! I read the article about Intermeccanica making fiberglass replicas and remembered how cool I thought that was back in 77. I Googled Intermeccanica and got their website and then Googled Speedster and got SpeedsterOwners.Com. I learned a lot from the site and some members that I contacted for information about replicas. I saw pictures of Jim Wards IM and his trip down the Pacific coast and decided that I was going to do what he had done. It has a been a great experience with the cars and the people I have had the pleasure to meet. I only regret that Jim Ward passed away before I could thank him for inspiring me with his trip and his attitude.

Somewhere around 1962 I met the coolest guy in my young world. His name was Ralph Bohm , and he drove my father's modified stock car all around the tracks of New England. He also raced planes and flew gliders and sometimes flew his own plane to the races. He had a grey 356 coupe and always drove it near the red line. Since then I have owned many muscle cars and several Brit sports cars but always lusted after a 356. In 2007 my wife convinced me that life is too short and you're "a long time dead" and all that stuff. She was the one who bought the best "entry level" car we could afford off E-bay over my (somewhat feeble) objections. When the car arrived Jan. '08 I crawled around it and found a few problems that I had no answers to. Enter SOC. With the help of you guys it has become a pretty good car and I love getting out whenever it's above 45 and dry. We attended Carlisle the last 2 years without the car and met many new friends. The cars are fun but they secondary to the quality people we have met. The only time I miss it is during the cruises. Once you get there it's like a family reunion ... except that you like everybody. Maybe I'll bring my car when Vince brings his. Thank you all. Al

... and now a word from our sponsor . . . well, not "from" our sponsor, but let's just say "about" our sponsor: MUSBJIM you have REALLY touched a nerve here, and gotten some truly wonderful stories from across the SOC. Great idea for a post. And our "sponsor", I guess, is actually Theron. So I will again take this space to say how much I appreciate the way he has built and maintained the mechanics of the site that allows us to do our demented thing as well as we do. This to me is the prime example of how to do the web based BB thing right. So many others have tried and failed, IMHO. Theron: sorry we could not meet at Morro bay this year, as I was looking fwd to meeting you. That will have to wait for another time.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

I need a handkerchief
I'm going to cry