My Speedster is done and ready to ship

Very nice! Congratulations.

Congrats for sure.

Beautiful color combination. Congrats!

Lots of good choices there

Ivory and red does look good!  Refresh my memory- what engine did you go with?

Thanks!  I went with the 2332 / 3.44

Stunning.  Not usually a big fan of white walls on Speedsters, but this combo really pops.  Lots of heads will turn -- you'll see.

PS I run a 2332 also.  Be sure the seat belt is fastened.  Securely.

@wardog (Warren)

Very cool specs on that build!

Now the tortuous wait for it to be delivered to your driveway.

I love the whitewall tires !   I'm too chicken to put them on my own.............Bruce

Thanks. I know whitewalls aren’t for everyone and I don’t think I would have done them on any other color, but I love how they look on ivory.

@wardog (Warren) very nice. Let the madness begin 👍

@aircooled posted:

I love the whitewall tires !   I'm too chicken to put them on my own.............Bruce

Please, please, please don't do that to your Spyder. That is a faux pas of gargantuan proportions.

But yes, that Speedster looks awesome like that.

Very cool, Wardog, congrats! The white and red interior looks great. White walls are a nice touch.

@wardog (Warren)wardog is the video on the VMC facebook page of a test drive in your new speedster?

NJ-SpeedsterGuy, yes, they also just put photos on their Facebook / Instagram pages.  

Danny.............No way......Would I put whitewalls on my Spyder ! But I would have on my Red Speedster ! If I had the guts !  I would have had the guts to put them on my Speedster if it was that Ivory/Creme colored paint like "wardog" has !  I think it's just a perfect combination !

Well done "Wardog" !!.....................Bruce

Love the color combo too; I am also not too fond of whitewalls on these cars but then again; it is your car and do what makes you happy! With that big motor you might need a mid mount for your transaxle or you'll be breaking transaxle nosecone mounts fairly regularly, depending on your driving habits.

@wardog (Warren), did the Speedster finally make it home safe?  Would love to see some driving and walk around videos is possible.

@Impala posted:

With that big motor you might need a mid mount for your transaxle or you'll be breaking transaxle nosecone mounts fairly regularly, depending on your driving habits.

Greg puts a transmission mid-mount in all his cars and he does a kafer bar like arrangement tying the frame horns to the body subframe. One of the reasons I like his stuff.

That is awesome!

Thanks everyone. It arrived in 4 days from CA to LA. Not bad and earlier than expected.  

I got the title on Tuesday and showed up at the Office of Motor Vehicles early on Wednesday  to be first in line. I was armed with the invoice, pictures of the car, pictures of the VIN, the title, and proof of insurance. I was hoping I’d be good to go. Denied. They need a signed bill of sale with original signatures. So Greg and Anna immediately sent that and I should get it tomorrow. UPS usually arrives around 1pm so I took the day off tomorrow to go to the OMV if the timing works out. With any luck I’ll be walking out with plates tomorrow after noon and will be able to drive it this weekend. Not holding my breath though. Wouldn’t surprise me if they come up some more B.S. and it takes a few more trips.

I’ve driven it around the neighborhood a few times but that’s it.

Rule of thumb no two MV agents think alike when in doubt go to the next nearest DMV.. Never offer any additional documents then they ask for as that sometimes becomes your enemy. Always keep a smile on the ole' puss and ask... "I was hoping you... might be able to help me" .

If it makes you feel better, Massachusetts (your totally opposite "sister-state" way to the Northeast) also requires an original, signed bill of sale, too, regardless of a new sale or a used car sale.

Just to add to Alan's comments (all good)  - Be prepared with ALL of the documentation you can possibly find to support what you're trying to do, but ONLY give them what they ask for unless it's all going south and you think that additional info will help your cause.

It's also OK to simply say, "I don't think this is working so I'm going home to re-think it," and get up and walk out.  They won't really care, trust me - You're just one of dozens they see every day.  

Then go to a different DMV office as Alan recommended and try again there - Different DMV people might (probably) understand things totally differently.  And don't be afraid to ask for help from their supervisor - Sometimes that can make a big difference. too.

I've also found, here in Massachusetts, that visiting the head office of the DMV has ALWAYS been easier than dealing with a satellite office, but that might not be an option for most of you in bigger states.

So, of course the 1 time I really needed UPS to deliver at the time they always have before (1pm), they deliver at 7pm. Try again next week.

@wardog (Warren) posted:

So, of course the 1 time I really needed UPS to deliver at the time they always have before (1pm), they deliver at 7pm. Try again next week.

BUMMER! Well, next week then.

@wardog (Warren) any luck getting your speedster registered and on the road?

Yes, finally got a license plate today! Took her out for about 40 miles around my small town, the freeway, and some back roads. Received at least a dozen waves, a honk, and several nods of approval. Filled her up with gas and got two complements at the gas station.

Getting used to the handling. She tracks straight and true on good roads. Cruised quite a bit at 70mph and got her up to 80mph. I think that’s about as fast as I’ll take it.  Straights are fine at those speeds but even gentle turns at 50-60 were a little unsettling, or maybe I just need to learn the car more. I need to check tire pressures and maybe try some different pressures. On the freeway in the right lane I traveled over some bad rutted and grooved pavement and at 70 that was a little spooky. Constant corrections and then corrections to the corrections. But, I didn’t buy this to really be used as a sports car. I have an Alfa 4C for that. This is for leisurely cruising and traveling back in time.

Glad I got the 2332 but I think the 1915 would have been ok.  Acceleration feels strong, especially when you hit 2nd and 3rd. 70 mph is about 3k rpm in 4th and the engine seems happy anywhere between 2k and 5k.

Overall, I’m thrilled. It is so beautiful I can just stare at it. Being able to drive it around is icing on the cake.

That is great! I bought mine 17 years ago and I still drool over it; I can just sit and stare at its beautiful curves for hours. Well done! You’re in for a lot of enjoyment!

Yeah. I’ve had my Spyder for almost 10 years now and almost every time I’m around it, I spend a minute or two just admiring it.

Congratulations, Warren. Glad you are on the road!

Great news!  Glad to hear that she’s officially registered and that you’re starting to drive and enjoy your speedster. If you have the time could you make a short video on your next trip of the 2332 and 3.44 running through the gears. Would love to see and hear how she performs. Cheers!

Well, I now have over 400 miles on the Speedster. I really love it.

I found out how to solve the problem of drought. Buy a convertible. It’s been raining or threatening to rain every day except one since I got my license plate. I chuckled a bit to myself when I learned that you have time the shut off of the wipers yourself.

It’s super fun to drive except 75 mph or so on the freeway can be a bit of a chore. Wind buffeting and tire grooves can make it a bit unsettling with continual corrections which seem make it yaw a bit side to side. I saw another thread regarding sway bars and I may need to do a little research on that. Still need to also play with different tire pressures.

I’ve been to a couple car shows / meets. The car gets lots of positive attention. Everyone seems to love this car. I’ve run into many people at gas stations and the grocery store (who may not be “car people”) who like it but don’t even know what it is. Meaning they’ve never heard of or seen a Speedster.

Now that I’ve driven it for a bit I’m really glad I got the 2332. I wouldn’t want any less power. The first 3 gears seem pretty low and it gets off the line easily.

No issues to report other than finding the wing nuts on the air cleaners kept working their way off. I bought some regular nuts with built in nylon collars that should resist coming loose from vibration.

NJ Speedster guy, sorry but I’m not able to do videos at the moment.

If you don’t have a camber compensator (if your car is a swingaxle transaxle) install one. Also make sure you have at least a stock anti sway bar on the front beam. Set up your tire pressures as recommended here. Also these cars sometimes need caster shims behind the front beam to handle well at higher speeds.

Caster shims, slight toe-in on front AND rear, proper tire pressure and ride height.

My car is not twitchy, doesn't need to be chased. It has no camber compensator in back and didn't used to have a front anti-sway bar. It wasn't twitchy then either.

Start with at least one set of caster shims and a good alignment.

The first summer I had my Spyder on the road I called it “The Rainmaker.” I could leave for a drive under a cloudless sky and it would be raining before I got home.

I use these wing nuts with nylon inserts on my air cleaners.

That's cool, Dave. I've never seen wingnuts with nylocks in them. I believe the thread of 99% of the air cleaners out there is #10-24.

I drilled the wings of my wingnuts and use a spring between them, haven't lost one yet.

I have noticed that if your carbs are not in perfect synch, the tendency will be for things to vibrate off...

@DannyP posted:

That's cool, Dave. I've never seen wingnuts with nylocks in them. I believe the thread of 99% of the air cleaners out there is #10-24.

I drilled the wings of my wingnuts and use a spring between them, haven't lost one yet.

I have noticed that if your carbs are not in perfect synch, the tendency will be for things to vibrate off...

Depending upon how "hard" you're driving, they might vibrate off YOU, too.

@DannyP posted:

That's cool, Dave. I've never seen wingnuts with nylocks in them. I believe the thread of 99% of the air cleaners out there is #10-24.

I drilled the wings of my wingnuts and use a spring between them, haven't lost one yet.

I have noticed that if your carbs are not in perfect synch, the tendency will be for things to vibrate off...

You have to get the ones with the brown nylon. The clear will melt. But a pack of 10 is like $7.95.
And yes, they’re #10-24.

And there’s a spot there to drill them out. Springs are a good idea. I was going to safety wire mine. (But I’ve never had one vibrate off.  Or fall in a carb, knock on wood.  I use spring washers underneath them. I’ve lost two stepping on my air cleaner lid, though!)