If you were starting anew?

I am about to start a new build based on a CMC flared body, and likely will use a tube chassis with a-arm front suspension, rack and pinion steering, and Subaru engine mounted in rear using the Beetle rear chassis parts to retain the VIN. Stuck with rear engine mounting as a full on mid engine custom chassis is bending the rules too much and I need to use an existing Beetle VIN.

Driving all this is that I am the guy that bought "barn find" and need to import it to Thailand with all the parts in a single sea shipment to make my life easier with Customs. I just do not have the luxury of ordering up what I need or trick parts as needed and must buy it all now.

Everything else is a blank sheet and I am interested in what experienced builders would use the next time around?
Things like what rear brakes, wheel offsets, coil over VS torsion rear, transmission mods, LSD, gearing, CV joints, master cylinder with discs, etc

Your experience would be greatly appreciated. Beer on me if you visit Chiangmai!!

Robert

Why not have it built in US and shipped as a complete car? Probably no way you'll get all the right individual pieces together for one shipment.

Have it built then taken apart, ship as "parts". I don't know about thailand but it gets very
expensive(taxes) and troublesome to Bring in a complete car. I hate to play monday morn.
Qtr back but....Hoghead, why wouldn't you buy your kit in Brazil along with all the other goodies you would need. Their cheap, tube chassis (if desired) and brazilian money is
2.1 to $1 (last time I checked).

Over here you are screwed anyways even if you build it out of parts because to get it registered at the DMV you need to get it inspected and appraised; you need to pay taxes on the completed car before you get it registered.

Importing a complete car is impossible. The only way is to bring one in when immigrating and even so the duty and taxes triple the price. I left my Sunbeam Tiger in Canada for this reason.

Importing a kit is possible. The registration process while theoritically possible, in practice will never happen due to corrupt officials.
Even so the duty and taxes again triple the price. Customs take the position that if it looks like a car, it is a car, so shipping in parts is the same 300% hit.
Anything but a Japanese brand, made in Thailand is 3 times the world price. Beer and food is cheap but they get you back if you want anything but a Toyota.

I am importing a body and bunch of parts at 80% duty plus 7% VAT on the CIF Bangkok value - IE duty and tax is charged on total including freight. May make 2 shipments to reduce duty on parts to 30% but body remains at 80%. This is mounted on a Thai registered Beetle chassis. I then apply for a body change and pay 20% excise tax to change the description in the registration documents.
I think this will be the first one in Thailand.

I am the buyer of "barn fine" in the classifieds. At this price it is equal or better to buying in Brazil, and a known entity. Import from Chamonix Brazil in either complete or less powertrain is impossible as noted above. Mufacar in Brazil charges 5000 USD for a bare body alone.

I wish there was another way, but my inventive mind has been looking into this for almost 2 years and there is no way around the problem.

robert, sounds like you've done your homework, good for you.
I was talking with a brazilian mfg in ref to a hardtop, $200.===nice!!! Thats the reason I thought Brazil might be a better choice for you. Not looking to change your mind this far down the road.----good luck

Bruce

Is that Mufacar Brazil for the hardtop?

I would like to get one and am about to search the archives.
What is the story on one for a CMC?

Robert, I did a tour of duty in Thailand and if I remember correctly they drive on the left and the cars are right hand drives. Are you building a right or left hand drive Speedster? It will make a big difference as the instrument hump in your barn find will be on the left and is probably molded with body. I suppose you could cut it and move it to the right but there's quite a bit of glasswork involved.

Yes we are RHD here and the Beetle donor is RHD. The Rorty Design tube chassis I posted is also RHD, and I will get a Ford Taurana (Unique to Australia but I think is a Mustang II and need to confirm) steering rack from Australia.
If I cannot get the Rorty Design chassis past the Authorities, I will use the bolt on subframe design, using a Golf rack from Australia.

Speedster body is CMC, and LHD. I intend to fabricate a new dash, and re&re.

I am a Canadian and driving on the wrong side while OK and somewhat natural now, would be too confusing if I had a LHD car here.

Any comments on what you would do if starting anew?

I am getting the parts shipped in a single lot via sea and need to buy it all now to minimise freight and duty costs.

Good luck on your build. I drove a TR4 LHD and a 1969 Javelin in England for four years and had no problems with the difference although passing (overtaking in English) sometimes gave my passenger chills when I would creep to the right to see if anything was coming.