in love with the interior of this car

hi everyone,

i am getting ready to order a speedster from vintage speedsters and so far my hold up is that i can't manage to decide on interior and exterior colors. in my browsing of millions of pictures trying to get inspired i came across this interior

http://www.classiccarclubphuket.com/356Speedster.html

i can't seem to find any other pictures of this car besides the ones that are on this website. i am particularly concerned with the way the doors and the 'back seat' are done. i have spoken to kirk to see if they can do a lush interior like that for my speedster. he has asked to see if i can provide some larger images. does anyone know of another car with an interior done similarly?

thanks in advance. =)

i have had 2 VS. one had the speedsterseats(ouch) and the newer one i ordered the roadster seats which are more cushy. your butt will thank you.

hi bob,

i actually am not familiar with the difference between those two seats. do you know which ones are in the picture?

i am really mostly concerned with that stitching stuff done on the interior of the doors of this car and on the little back seat cushion and back area. i think it looks nice.

definitely want to choose the more comfortable seats!

btw i am referencing the interior of the ivory speedster on that website. want.

The seats in the ivory car are "Spyder" seats as used in 550 Spyders, as well as Carrera's and regular Speedster on ocassion. They tend to be "form fitting" and un yielding across the hips. Also, getting in and out of them requires more of a "stand up and step out approach" more than swivel around in the seat and put your feet on the ground approach. I like their looks, I have had 2 cars with them and 3 with the more conventional speester seats. I have a set of them uncovered in the garage now, but I have bomber seats in the car currently under construction. You can see more seat examples in Fibersteel's website, of both styles....

jim, you're a dream. thank you!

i am about 5ft 8. do you think i will feel too far back in those seats? is this a silly question? (probably silly) ;)

shit. seeing that blue car is making me doubt my color choices all over again. i looove that blue. it's so good.

mostly i like how the ivory interior that i posted looks like a luxurious little seashell. i want to sit in a porsche seashell.

Its interesting how we all like different things. I disagree with Bob. I much prefer the Speedster seats with the slots in the back over the "914" style seats.
Here are two pictures. The first one is the one I prefer. In the end (no pun intended) you just have to sit in them to see which ones you really want.
As far as modifiying the back seat to look more like the one on the white car in your pictures. Keep in mind that when your top is down, you won't be able to see much of that back seat area.

i am actually sort of glad that i have been so incredibly indecisive about my color choices because i have learned so much about porsche paints, and now, different kinds of seats along the way. and i think i've seen every single real and replica vintage speedster picture on the entire internet.

OK. If you like the blue, here are two links to blue cars that you can study. The first one is my personal car.

http://speedster.hopto.org

http://kvan.hopto.org/bluespeedster.htm

that blue is really pretty. i saw an IM (i think) for sale in newport beach maybe about 6 months ago that was the same color and really amazing looking.

right now i think i am leaning towards this color which i *think* is champagne yellow? it's hard to tell when matching color charts to pictures of cars i find online. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/6909792764_64d0e17cf3_z.jpg

my second choice has become the light blue/silver metallic color. http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-content/uploads/P1090520-148-Porsche-1957-356A-Speedster.jpg

The yellow is a Porsche color, but I don't have the name or number for it. Cars in that color almost always look georgeous.

The blue you linked to last, annaliese, is ugly IMO and would look even more cheesy as time went by. There are lots of mo' better blues, again IMO.

annaliese
I thought I made myself clear concerning color of interior, but I guess I didn't.....The lighter the color, the dirtier it will get, hence, you will regret it some time in the future....
Women......
Seats are another issue, my wife likes the thicker, softer seat. She has a rather nice a$$, if I do say so myself, but I chose the Spyder seat which I felt matched the "outlaw" appearance better, but is less comfortable. It's a decision that can be changed at any time, so don't lose a bunch of sleep over it....The Spyder seat makes you feel like your sitting "in" the seat, rather than the thicker one which is like sitting "on" the seat....Kabish....

Here is my IM in Midnight Blue with tan interior. You should try Roadster seats before making a choice. We need to talk, call me 561 301 7885. I will be in LA Thursday afternoon and nite. You really should see my car in person before doing making a decision.

Annaliese, I highly suggest you get someone to take you for an extended ride in a car with "Speedster" seats. I have them and while I love the look and thought I would be able to tolerate them as far as comfort is concerned, there IS NO comfort in them! Some of the earlier Becks had a slightly thicker lower cushion than the newer models (Lane Anderson has the thicker). I'm personally making plans to somehow change my seating to include more padding or a completely different seat type. Here's a link to some nice, though unless you can actually sit in them, hard to tell if they would be more comfy or not...plus they are rather pricey.
http://classiccarseats.com/solitude.php Also, attached here is a photo of a recent Speedster up for sale with a nice tan leather AND thicker lower cushion for comparison. Finally, since these cars you like appear to be located in Thailand, perhaps Robert Straghan (SOC member here), who lives in northern Thailand (the cars are in south-central Thailand) would have some more, in-depth-knowledge of them?

I'like that 'yellow'. Isn't that another version of Harvest Moon?

I'm with Vin..lighter seats get dirty easy

black seats will show ever crease and everyone knows you'll fry your arse if they get hot.

I hate to say it but brown/tan seats always look nice and are easy maintainance.

Exterior colors the same. Dark will of course show dust instantly. Light hides it

I'm voting for that Harvest Moon color. Find a bunch of those online to stare at

What about White/off White exterior? If your in a big dusty city white is a no brainer

As far as style of seat. Teh Speedster seats kick the Roadsters' ass for performance. Speedster seats ACTUALLY have side bolstering. Roadster seats are imho just mini bench style seats. However the Roadster seats are much easier to get in and out of and obviously more comfy.

Have you perused the 356 color charts online? Google any of those colors and you will find lots of pictures of 356's

Just my two cents.... You gotta talk to Will Pierson. His car is an Intermeccanica and it is priced right... Great long term investment and unmatched quality! Gotta Go with the Roadtser Seats...Good Luck whichever way you go... Chris

color was a hard choice for me. I went with lapis blue. Its a porchse color. I did not go for the speedster seats. The seats i have are very cozy. they do not hold you in place though. on windy roads you slip and slid on them.

one good point of the sppedster seats nis the slit in the back. you get a liitle ait flow.

Analiese:

Way back up there, you were asking about the "pleated" look of the door panels and back seat area in the white car. That's a spin-off of the old "Tuck and roll" used on seats from the 1950's. Any one of a dozen better Chicano auto upholstery shops in East LA can do this even today (it's still pretty popular). On seats it was done differently than on a door or side panel. The side panels are two pieces of material with a piece of thin foam filler sandwiched between. Then the "pleats" are stitched through all three causing it to pucker at the seam and giving it that look. The thicker the foam in between, the bigger the pleat effect. CMC rear seat covers were made like this and are pretty durable. It takes practice to get them to stitch/look right, so don't do this at home, trust me. Also, beware of "hot crimp", rather than stitching. Hot crimp is where the vinyl material pieces are fused with hot bars instead of real stitching and it's prone to de-fusing and then just looks scuzzy...

Where-ever you are, you should be able to take a picture of that car to a decent, custom auto upholsterer and they can easily copy it any way you want til your wallet is flat. If you want to find one easily, go to a local car show (we're talkin hot rods or street rods here) and, when you find one with a look you like, ask the owner; "Who did the interior"? Most of the time and on higher-buck rods, the owner hired an upholstery ace to do it and they'll tell you who that is. Make sure you ask to see examples of his/her work similar to what you're looking for and judge them by their work.

Good luck - it's a terrific look!

OR.....you could go to Phuket, Thailand and buy that one. Half the Vietnam Vets on here have probably been to Thailand and could be your guide.

Or not...... ;>)

Singha Beer and beautiful women, 1968, oh, those were the days. thank God it was only 5 days.` :}}}}}}

DONT GO THAT COLOR
IT WILL BE JUST LIKE VINCE
A BITCH TO KEEP CLEAN

annaliese...
I'm guessing you won't be making any trips to Thailand in the immediate future, (although I do have a close friend who owns a bar/brothel in Pattaya, and could show you a good time) the options are endless as you can see, but it's important to know that whatever you decide will be right for you, and if not, can be changed rather easily, so don't go into "overload" about it...

Color combo aside, and for what it's worth, get the thicker cushioned seats.

As an owner of a brand new VS Speedster (as of May 9), you will fully ASS-preciate it...trust me on that.

BTW, I went with the classic color combo of crystal silver exterior and wine interior with a black top.

As Cuz'n Vinny stated, don't hold up the build process with too much detail. you'll love your car regardless of the combo. The faster you place your order, the quicker you'll receive your new speedster.

The beauty of these cars, you can always change just about anything at anytime.

The roads and weather are awaiting you, Annaliese...it can't wait any longer.

hahahaha. i like you all a lot.

i am not hell bent on how light that interior i posted is. just the way it's stitched. mary emailed me back this morning and told me that it's called tuck and roll and they can do it for me for an extra 400 dollars.

i will probably choose a darker tan color. i am sold on this exterior color http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/6909792764_64d0e17cf3_z.jpg

if anyone wants to take me for a ride in their car i am in LA!

as for buying an IM car-- i am too scared of dealing with the registration process in california and also i am excited now about getting my own made by VS.

thank you all very much.

I like the interior.. and the white walls.. Both made the car more classey

gordon,

thanks a bunch for the in depth answer about the interior. i really appreciate it. you're right there are probably a LOT of chicano places i could have it done. but then would i leave VS with my speedster all naked? VS says they can do it.

barry,

i want the car to look pretty plush. =)

as vinny said-- "women..."

you can stop by and see my car. I'm in burbank.

Or you can come down to the Bu and put your A$$ in a wide one for a cheap thrill...

i am in the pasadena area but really i will go anywhere. who wants to teach me to drive manual? hahaha

I don't find my seats uncomfortable for at least a few hours. Mine are in the first of Troy's photos above. I think it may have to do with the angle or something. If leg room is a consideration the thinner speedster seats will definitely free up a few inches.

I have the extra cushion seats and the lower back support is horrible. They should add a little extra to the bottom and they would feel a lot more supportive. They suck when you take hard turns though. I have to use my elbows to stay in the seat. I am going to re do mine in a red color so I will try to make some mods.

Not to confuse the issue any more, but we are actually talking about 3 different types of seats here. The white Thailand car that she first posted in the picture below has seats similar to Vintage Speedster seats, but they have way more of a bucket shape and appear to have a thinner cushion.
One more thing. We are talking about a lady who probably weighs around 100lbs + or - and most of us are in the 200lb range. The Speedster bucket seats have more cushion that she will ever need.

annaliese,
This coming weekend is our "West Coast" yearly meet in Pismo, if you can break away for a few days, this would be a great way to meet all the SoCal Knuckleheads...there will be several seats available I'm sure..
If that does not work for you, after our yearly meet we get pretty excited and follow it up with some runs around town...
I also plan a "get-together" at my place in Torrance, probably in late July time-frame for the SOC....You need to get with us...

I'll be at Pismo, but all my seats are full. Vince's future ex is riding with me.

Friday morning an unpredicable number of cars will collect at the topanga ranch motel for the cruse to pismo. If you can't make Pismo it is an oportunity to see a bunch of cars in one place.

troy, i weight about 135 lbs right now. i am 5ft 8. i am really confused about seats now. not because of you but just because there are a lot of seats, i guess. mary from VS said i could come in next week and sit in a couple of different kinds of seats to help me decide.

larry, what time at topanga?

topanga ranch motel is about 30 mins from my house. depending on the time i would love to stop by and stare at everyone's cars. if you see a confused, shy, heavily tattooed girl with a mountain of hair then that's me and someone should adopt me for the morning.