I've decided to go black

My wife talked me into keeping the speedster a little longer so I would like to do a few things to it. One of which is paint it. It is currently in white gelcoat and has a few chips and some stress cracks which painting will give me the opportunity to fix. I like the off white color I currently have but have always loved black speedsters. I guess my question is to those who have painted their speedsters black, would you do it again? Are there any problems with owning a black speedster or advice to make things easier. My top and interior is currently tan which I plan on keeping.
Thanks,
Scott

all dust and dirt will be visible. I have a black one with a tan top and red interior... I would most likely do it all over again.

I have a white subaru, and I think I neglect it a little more since you can't see all the dirt.

Black does require more care. The color shows all the deficiencies and defects on a speedster body but it also shows off the curves/shapes like no other color can.

The combination of Black/Red/Tan is fairly rare in original cars but it is, in my opinion, a terrific combination. I actually chose black because I wanted red interior and my wife did NOT want a black top.

Black was originally on around 5% of the steel cars although you wouldn't know it at a show.

I would definitly do black again. It's true what "they" say "....you can't go back"

Something to think about. If you choose to paint your car black, meticulous and labor intesive sanding MUST be done prior to painting the car. If every little ripple or imperfection isn't removed, the paint job will look lousy. After fixing stress cracks and any other imperfections, a thick coat of high build primer needs to be shot onto the car then a thin guide coat. (This process might have to be done several times) Block sanding is done until all the low spots containing the guide coat are gone. Once the body is perfect, the paint will look like a million bucks.

Thanks,
Yes, I'm aware that black requires a lot more prep to look good which is why I have been debating. The more I look at my car the more I think that the wheels will be the best way to upgrade the look. I have the dumb 15x4.5 wheels. I may change the wheels and then decide if I want to do all the extra prep for black or just stick with an off white. I guess I will scout for some 67 drums and the spacers for the wide 5 conversion while I'm at it. I feel like if I don't go with black I will regret it although I like the off white about 90% as much and it is more practical. Decisions, decisions. Money, money.
Thanks guys,
Scott

Convert to wide 5 and the "look" of your car will change dramatically. Ask me how I know.

Wow thats a change..

The before looks humbel. The after looks fast setting still.

Lambros,
Are both your front and rear wheels 5.5" wide? I love the look of your car. Did you convert to the 67 drums?
Thanks,
Scott

Scott thanks

Yes,both are 5,5" wide.
Lucky me,the car came with the wide 5 but the previous owner had installed 4 lug adapters. Do not ask why, I have no idea.After you convert to wide 5 pattern,make sure to lower it 2",and you will have the same look. Good luck.
BTW,you will always get more looks with the speedster vs Boxter.

I have a swing axle so lowering more than it is now means I will have camber in the back. Other wise it would be a little lower. The only thing I really like about the current height is that I can still use a tow bar if needed. I have a 4lug disc brake/dropped spindle set up that I am going to sell/trade for some of the parts I need.
Scott

Love it!

Black is awesome! My Speedster is Black with Red Pearl!

Aloha, Kawika

Lower it Scott; you'll definitely have positive camber in the back and will be wearing the tires unevenly (just flip them in their wheels when they wear on one half and use the other half) but the car will have the stance of an original and will look mean (forget about extra oil sumps; I know from experience).

Hi Scott
I did have mine painted black- I would not choose that color
again. Gets hot in the sun, gets dirty in 5 minutes and as was
stated the body needs perfect prep work or all defects will show.
I've actually grown fond of white since getting an old 911 in that color. Also, a color change involves even more work, EVERYWHERE
needs the new color. If 2 body panels rub then sooner or later
you will see a little white streak on your black paint job. I'll
concede black looks very nice but white can look great also.

I think I'll paint mine white next time :)

Ive about decided to stick with the off white. That way if some paint rubs off or I get a chip the gelcoat under it will hide it better. I'm very indecisive lately. I've been pouring through tons of photos of wheels. I do love the look of the wide 5s without the hubcaps but now I'm leaning toward just getting wider 4 lug wheels. I found this picture of a real porsche with interesting wheels and spinners. I assume they are knock off spindle mounted wheels. I found some spinners that I could run on 4 lug wheels to pretty accurately replicate this look. Anyone know anything about these wheels? I think I read somewhere that they are very expensive and rare. As for lowering. I really wish my car was IRS. My car is fairly low now. From a straight side view the rear fender lip is even with the top of the wheel. I wish it were about an inch lower but like I said, it is nice being able to tow it with the tow bar. Thanks for all the replies. You guys are a great resource and I definitely have a renewed interest in my speedster. I think I just had the winter blues.
Scott

Rudge knock-offs. About $10K for a set in restored condition
with drums. If you put spinners on your car, get some chrome
lug nuts so they'll blend in.

WOO-HOO! Scott's back among the living!
(But I'd go with silver.)

Scott

Check this picture below. It belongs to J Froehlich. You can see pictures of his black VS with 4lugs and knock offs.
https://www.speedsterowners.com/files/view.asp?sf=J+Froehlich&f=Classics+%5F1%5F%2EJPG

If anybody has a better way than setscrews to mount the spinners, I'd like to hear it. I got them on my car, but found that they are tough to center, resulting in balance issues, and tend to loosen over time, presenting a danger to the bodywork should they come off at speed.

Those are the Empi ones correct? I have several pics of cars with them but the empi ones say they are only for the empi 8 spoke wheels. How long does it take for them to loosen?
Thanks,
Scott

A couple of hundred miles (or less). The aluminum that the setscrews go into is too soft to allow you to really tighten them down without stripping them. I've got an idea for a center hub that might work to mount them to, but I need to get a local fabrication shop I know to try a prototype. Haven't had a chance to do that yet.

Empi? Do you have to take the wheels off to tighten them?
Thanks,
Scott

I think they're the Empi ones but I didn't ask Carey. They are put on after and removed before the wheels. The setscrews are tightened to the hub that sticks out of the center of the wheel rim. Not the best arangement. The screws are a little tough to get to. Carey had to put them on as the spinner by itself doesn't seem to have anything to hold it on. Not sure how it works on the 8-spoke.

I do love how they look, but I got them in spite of Carey's concerns - my mistake. I'm still thinking of some way to make it work.

Scott, I love the black Speedster too. and I bought one last year in Feb.. and yes it's a pain, but it is also very painful when you have to wave at everyone at every corner in town when they see that shining thing coming down the road yet they can not tell what it is because of the dark color.. it looks black and then BAMM it's sweet.. Just keep a car wipe in the back seat and wipe off before driving.. should do the trick... Nothing looks as cool as black and chrome folks...

Speedster "D"

My experience with the EMPI spinners has been good. I've gone a couple of thousands miles and have managed to not loosen them. I do check them regularly when checking the tire pressure. It's very easy to tighten them up.

How are yours mounted, Justin?

After attending about 10,000 car shows over the last 40 plus years, one thing all the owners of black cars (replica, kit, custom, street rod, hot rod, etc) seem to agree on is that you got to have a lot of confidence to paint a car black. It will show every tiny fabrication flaw. It requires boo-coo maintainance to keep it show quality. I got the distinct impression that most owners of black cars were making a statement of personal pride about their own ability to create a flawless auto body.

I got black, warts and all. When the car was still a year old and real stock it looked pretty nice, probably a five footer. There was no orange peel in the paint itself, but the body had 'the Vintage wave'

Now that my car is well-seasoned I still like black as it looks as if it has 'lived a little' and that too is a look.

I don't think there is anything more luxuriant than a deep black paint job. I know there are a lot of great other colors, but for richness, black will always be my first pick.

The first time I had to repaint my 930, the guy asked me if I wanted it blocked and color sanded. I had no idea what he was talking about but the results were off the chart and it spoiled me forever! Of course that car had lines and curves to die for, you could get lost looking into...I have to take a time out

Lane, mounted exactly as you described. Little screw tightens to the nipple of the hub.

I went ahead and bought a set of spinners along with a set of 3" portawalls to see if I like the look. I have to wait til it warms up before I get to paint and body. I will wait til I get to the block sanding before I decide between black or white.
Scott

Just thought I would update. Took forever to color sand and it still isn't perfect but decent for a driver. I need to buy a snap. One rusted off during disassembly. The interior is going red too. Sometime this year the front is getting the dropped spindles/disc brakes I have put on.
Scott

I Like the retro look, nice to see someone think out of the box :)

Nice, whitewalls on a black car look choice.......

I was considering black as well instead of silver all because I hate the black interior that I have right now......then of course I saw silver with blood red interior........