Newbie seeks advice......

I'm looking into purchasing a Speedster within the next year. from what I've seen, completed/turnkeys can be had for anywhere from $14K to $25K. Kits are a fair bit cheaper. I'd like to build a kit, but I neither have the time or mechanical skills to cut a VW donor and build from scratch. Is there a happy medium I can reach? Perhaps a kit with a chassis already cut, powder coated, and ready to have the body and engine mounted? How long would this process take? How do you insure the car once its done? I've read most places that the car is titled based on the donor chassis. Does insurance apply the same way, or are there special rates for the mods made to the VW? Can I get a kit with A/C. Living in Arizona, its a requirment. And does anyone have an opinion on the Specialty Autoworks, watercooled Speedster? vs. traditional VW based Speedsters? I appreciate the input. Any advice would really help a boot out here. I hope to be motoring, top down within the next year. Thanx.

My advice- if money is an issue, buy a used completed car. There have been a lot of really good deals on this site, as well as ebay in the last several months. Building a car is no small project, and unless you have connections for suspension setup, paint, upholstery, etc- you'll end up approaching the price of a new turn-key.

Don't expect to spend a great deal less if you build from a kit. My opinion, as an at home builder of my own car, is you build the car because you want the pride and joy of building the car, not to save money.

My $.02

Jerome

You will be way ahead if you buy someone else's labor and parts at a fraction of what they have into the car. Time and money are very expensive if you are trying to also have a life with family and career and sleep and .......................

You should check with your Insurance provider as far as coverage goes and with the local vehicle registration office. Some agencies turn a blind eye to the fact that the VW pan is really to only thing left aboout the car being a VW. They will only input what you tell them unless you have to have the vehicle visualy inspected.

If you want to build a kit, then go for it. If you have a life besides building the car, it could take you 3-4 years to complete. If you get a car partially built, it could take you 3-4 years to complete. If you buy a used car, you could save $5K-10k, and drive it now with the potential for some repair be needed. If you buy a newly built car you will not save but you will be able to drive the car now with the potential for some repair being needed.

A/C can be adapted to any car with a qualified mechanic and/or fabricator depending on application.

Water cooled?........that's what you do on a hot day, jump in a pool.

I'm going the kit route, but much like Jerome said, I'm doing it because I love a project and have a lot of the tools and mechanical experience to make it fun.

As far as costs go, a kit really is not going to be much cheaper than buying a turnkey. With my kit I bet I will put 20k into it when done, and that doesn't include all my labor, and the fact that my friend has a powdercoating shop and all of that was free.

So, if you are looking to save a little I like the suggestion of buying a used car.

Duane, I am planning to purchase a replica from Specialty Autoworks and believe that this will be a great product. Living within an hour's drive of this builder is a strong motivator, plus I have met with the owner on several occasions and I am confident in his company and the qualified staff members. I have been the pan-based VW powered route and, for me at least, I think that this will be a better option.
my 2 kroner
John H.

Thanks for the advice. John, please leave a post about the SAW Speedster. I'd love to read about it.

Duane,
If you have not done so already, look up at the top of this or the home page. There is a link to Specialty Autoworks (SAW as we have been calling it on this site). If you have questions that this most informative website does not answer, I'll give you my perspectives, on or off the board, pertaining to the cars Steve Lawing builds.
John H.
ps. Steve has orders for two cars for Dubai where daytime temperatures reach 120 degrees. I think that will cover Arizona.

And I'm guessing, but I'll but they go for the optional AC.....of course Dubai is a dry heat right?

John, I love that front bar on the bumber. Gives it that authentic look.
Ron

John, thanks for the info. I've checked out that webpage a couple of times already. Everytime I look at it, it just gets better. Sounds they built one hell of a car. (Hope I can say that, without getting booted of the site.) Az- Not so much a dry heat, as a arid wasteland. J/K

Ron, Steve said he would do that but I think I am going to go with plain bumper overriders.