Hi everyone,
Just here to introduce myself before I start with the silly questions 
I've been coveting the Chesil Speedster since Nov 2013 and after going to my second Classic Car Show in Birmingham last Nov, started the search in earnest. I had my trip to Chesil in Dorset and then eventually found the car in December. Budget worked, colour worked, condition worked and here she is...
Here's my new toy...
All the best....Paul.
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Welcome to the madness Paul. Nice looking car.
Yeah, you got a beauty, Paul.
Now practice your "wave" to other motorists - you'll be doing it a lot!
Beautiful car. Love it.
Well done, Paul! Very nice looking car. Welcome To The Madness known as Speedster replica ownership! 
Is that Aquamarine Blue?
Engine? Breaks? Chassis? Built time...give us more detail !
Hi Forest. I'm in the UK too. I have a Chesil...see my avatar. The guys here love to see the whole spec....me too.
Hi All,
Thanks for the nice welcome.
It's an early 90's build by Chesil. Originally finished in white but repainted in VW SpeedBlue in 2007. It's got a 1600 engine with 38k miles on the clock.
Condition wise, it had a new rear floor pan to the drivers side to get through its MOT, but other than that the underside was solid. Mechanically, it was a very poor starter and runner struggling to get anywhere above 50mph if you ever managed to start it!
Since I bought the car in December, my first purchase was 3 books - "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" by John Muir, "How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air-Cooled Engine" by Tom Wilson and "The Volkswagen Official Service Manual" by Robert Bentley. Plenty of reading time later, I started my work.
Engine & Mechanicals
If I could strip it, I did. My only panic came when the fuel pump stand broke off in the engine block. I eventually got the bits out with a very big drill and a steady hand, phew!!! Other than that, it just needed a really good and thorough service.
The car is now purring. There's no end play, and the compression readings are all around the 130 mark. It starts first time and accelerates, stops, and runs excellent.
Bodywise
After the replacement floor pan, I decided to have the whole underside steam cleaned/pressure washed and then fully undersealed by RustMaster in St. Albans. Here's the during and after shots...
On the top side, I've got to get the front bumper filled and repainted as it's got a crack in it but other than that, there's bits and pieces of "road rash" but nothing much. I've just bought a "paint repair system" by Chipex. I'll let you know how I get on when it arrives.
I was looking at getting the marks professionally sprayed but would have ended up virtually getting the whole car re-sprayed which really isn't needed. I'm not looking for a concourse car as it looks very "age appropriate" at the moment. The chrome work is pitted in places, but to me it makes the car look so honest and original.
Interior
My biggest job so far....
It had a black vinyl interior (to go with the original white exterior), but it was poor. There was a tear in the passenger seat taped up and holes and wear in the carpet. It was a mess. So it all had to come out, gulp....
Here it is currently
The whole interior and the roof is down in Dorset with a "Sail Maker". Whilst he's not a car trimmer, he's probably the most talented trimmer I've come across when it comes to boat interiors, so I figured as the car is fibre glass, why not!
I've decided to go with a "rich burgundy" leather for the seats, door/side trims, dash eyebrow, and black for the carpets.
The roof is being stripped back, colour treated and then waxed to weather proof it again.
Current estimate is about another 4 weeks for the interior to be finished and then the rebuild starts.
I'll keep you up to date......
The silver/blue with "rich burgundy" is going to be gorgeous. Welcome aboard!
Love the silver black and red combo. Owned a silver boxster with a black interior and red leather seats. It was very sharp.
Forrest:
Terrific progress thus far, and sounds like what a lot of us go through over here, too.
I had my full-tonneau stitched by a boat guy (specialized in canvass for fishing boats) in Bristol, Rhode Island years back. He listened carefully to what I wanted and then made exactly that. Can't beat boat guys.
Other than the panic with the fuel pump stand, it sounds like things have gone well and the end result sounds terrific. sounds like you're well along toward the start of driving season ( as soon as it warms a little and the rain holds off!)
All the best......Gordon
The Speedstah Guy, outside of Boston
I like a silver Speedster with burgundy interior.
End play should be .003 - .004 No end play will quickly seize the motor
Hi All,
Thanks for your kind comments...
The steering column was obviously made by the same guy who built our roads over here as they're also on the wrong or right side depending on which side you hang
Thanks for the pic Bob, looking good. I was talked into the black carpets (over the biscuit colour) so that it would match the roof rather than introducing another colour. The boat guy I'm using has a very keen eye for detail so I decided to trust his judgement.
If it turns out as good as I'm hoping, I'm planning to get him to design a zip style sectional tonneau cover to allow me to tidyup the soft-top when it's not in use and then keep it on the car. The body lines are very clean without the roof as all the fixings are internal so my brief was to design something without any additional body fixings or studs needed. He thinks he can do it by sowing zips on the internal side of the roof. I'll let you know how it goes.
Hi srblower, were are you based?
Alan,
There is some end play (although I haven't measured it), I was really referring to it not waving in and out like some of the worn engines you find. Is there an easy way it can be measured? I've always just pulled and pushed it and gone by gut feel.
Regards....Paul
Welcome, Paul! Now you know why we say "Welcome to the madness". As soon as the interior is complete there will be something else that needs attention. Good luck and have fun.
End play measurement is done with motor out of car and with a dial indicator
Hi Forrest, I'm based just south of London, Morden - Surrey. I've had mine since 2007. I have listed my spec in the past, not sure how easy it is to find.
Steve
I'm up in Scotland, been on the road with my Florida sourced, LHD CMC for a couple of years now
patiently awaiting arrival of springtime.....Enjoy !!
Well after some long days and nights, I finally have the old girl back on the road.
Winter works: Whole car undersealed (including arches), floor pan stripped and treated, additional floor sound proofing and cushioning added, new carpets and full interior including dash eyebrow and door tops, mechanics finally sorted, and all interior cabling stripped out and re-done (not a cable in sight now).
Next jobs: New front bumper rubber insert (current one has shrunk), and all minor chips and scrapes to be tidied up. I have bought a "paint repair system" from Chipex which is meant to give invisible repairs. I'll let you know how their claim pans out in due course.
It was lovely to get her back out on the road
Yes. The car looks fantastic. Very nicely done interior!
Let's hope you have a good summer of driving. The few of us who are in Canada always hope for the same.
Thanks guys.
I was getting very concerned that I'd bitten off more than i could chew with this as I've been away so much with work this year. Thankfully, i didn't come across too many big problems so just kept plodding along hour by hour not thinking too hard about the long list of things to do.
The interior was actually done by a sail maker / boat trimmer. I met him a few years back and saw plenty of his work. His attention to detail was excellent so he was the obvious choice once I'd convinced him to give it a go. Very happy that he did.
Enjoy your summers too.
...Paul
A very nice car Forrest. I especially like the side window treatment. It appears they are sized to fit when the top is down and shaped with molding to seal with the windshield. If they fit as tight as they appear to you may need to consider ventilation when driving on a rainy day.
They're a pretty good fit but by no means air tight. Fortunately, unless I'm caught out, it's unlikely to be out much in the rain.
Your car turned out great, Forrest! I like the interior with the black carpet. Great recommendation from your boat guy!
