Oslo newbie checking in..

Welcome to the madness. You'll fit right in!

First, I'd suggest you read Paul Harford's article in the Resources Section about Speedster ownership.

Second, nail down what kind of driving you intend to do. That will help you make decisions about drive train, etc. Daily driver, weekend warrior, spirited driving, cruising?

Hear it gets cold where you are. How much of the year will you spend actually driving?

Straighten out with the government what you are allowed to do vis a vis importation. You might contact some U.S, builders direct. They are familiar with import/export rules.

What is the easiest way to get a car into the country? From the EU, from the States, from Canada?

Good luck in your quest. We are real good at helping you spend your money and defining your dreams on our terms!

I believe that some of the vw pan cars are titled as VWs based on the pan they are built on.  Vintage Speedsters builds the most pan based cars.  This might work instead of sending the chassis to California.  You might want to call Kirk at VS.  He has sold many cars and some I'm sure across the pond.

Lars, welcome to the Madness (and it really is that!).

It sounds like you have some $$$ to spend, what with shipping chassis back and forth (why?), so I propose you go top-line and contact Carey or Kevin at Beck Speedsters.

Their cars are built on a proprietary tubular chassis which give a few benefits over a pan-based car: stronger, more footroom, low (vintage correct) center channel, your choice of power (air or water cooled).

Most here would agree that their finished cars are worth the expense.

You might also want to contact Carey Hines at Special Edition (www.beckspeedster.com).  They manufacture the tube-framed Beck cars and I know that they sell in some European countries.

BobG posted:

Welcome to the madness. You'll fit right in!

First, I'd suggest you read Paul Harford's article in the Resources Section about Speedster ownership.

Second, nail down what kind of driving you intend to do. That will help you make decisions about drive train, etc. Daily driver, weekend warrior, spirited driving, cruising?

Hear it gets cold where you are. How much of the year will you spend actually driving?

Straighten out with the government what you are allowed to do vis a vis importation. You might contact some U.S, builders direct. They are familiar with import/export rules.

What is the easiest way to get a car into the country? From the EU, from the States, from Canada?

Good luck in your quest. We are real good at helping you spend your money and defining your dreams on our terms!

Thanks Bob!

I have read Pauls article. Very nice intro to it all. Contributed to the decision or at least the hypothesis on going for a custom build rather than a used car due to the lack of mechanical skills. AND that I want something specific.

Regarding type of driving, Ill guess its a combination of weekend warrior, spirited driving and cruising. Its going to be a spring/summer/autumn thing for me so Ill probably drive it on sunny days from april to september. Ill probably drive it "swiftly" as Jay Leno puts it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxSKO3Er-Yg (13:20)

I need to get the details on the importation / registration rules but what Ive heard so far is that it needs to be a buildt from an existing frame. That excludes builders making speedsters from new tubular frames like Beck and others since they are not approved car manufacturers. If had that option I would have gone for a new frame. To my knowledge at this point it has to be VW pan based with norwegion license plates.

There could be other options though. Importing an already EU approved Beck-type speedster from another European country. Ive noticed that Intermeccanica has a UK office.

Phil IM356D posted:

I believe that some of the vw pan cars are titled as VWs based on the pan they are built on.  Vintage Speedsters builds the most pan based cars.  This might work instead of sending the chassis to California.  You might want to call Kirk at VS.  He has sold many cars and some I'm sure across the pond.

Thanks Phil. Yeah, VS i definitively on the radar. Ive seen maybe 2 og 3 for sale in Norway coming from VS. And 4-5 from JPS. If its still possible to import a VW based as a classic car to Norway that would be the preferred option. Classic cars are exempt from import tax, but of course VAT needs to be payed.

Good on ya, Lars, for your plan.  Many new buyers pay for the car first, then try to figure out how to import it to their home country.  Please keep in mind that replicas are a tiny percentage of the auto market, so there's a good chance that the person(s) you speak to at Norway Vehicles Office may not be knowledgeable.  This is true in the US, and will undoubtedly be true in Norway.  It takes perseverance, but that person exists.  You just need to find out who they are.  You may want to contact car clubs in your area, as they are always an excellent resource for info about all things automotive, including vehicle laws.  Best of luck in your search, and please keep the group informed.  It's how we all learn.

Will Hesch posted:

Lars, welcome to the Madness (and it really is that!).

It sounds like you have some $$$ to spend, what with shipping chassis back and forth (why?), so I propose you go top-line and contact Carey or Kevin at Beck Speedsters.

Their cars are built on a proprietary tubular chassis which give a few benefits over a pan-based car: stronger, more footroom, low (vintage correct) center channel, your choice of power (air or water cooled).

Most here would agree that their finished cars are worth the expense.

Hey Will.

The reason for shipping it back and forth is to make it easier to get it approved back in Norway because it already has Norwegian license plates and a chassis number with a history. Note that this i a hypothesis until I get the details from the authority. I´ve had helpful mail correspondence with Kevin at Beck, and its a mystery to him how other Europeans get the cars approved. The message from the authority so far is that kit-car builders based on brand new tubular frames would not be legal to import, or would be considered as brand new cars and hence would cost a LOT to import. This is still in the blue...

Jim Kelly posted:

Good on ya, Lars, for your plan.  Many new buyers pay for the car first, then try to figure out how to import it to their home country.  Please keep in mind that replicas are a tiny percentage of the auto market, so there's a good chance that the person(s) you speak to at Norway Vehicles Office may not be knowledgeable.  This is true in the US, and will undoubtedly be true in Norway.  It takes perseverance, but that person exists.  You just need to find out who they are.  You may want to contact car clubs in your area, as they are always an excellent resource for info about all things automotive, including vehicle laws.  Best of luck in your search, and please keep the group informed.  It's how we all learn.

Thanks Jim! My thoughts exactly. Im going to be 100% transparent with the Vehicle Office and try to get them on board "the journey". The first mail is sendt and the case number is pending : ) Local car clubs is a good idea. There is a Porsche 356 Club here but Ive heard they only care about the real deal, but still worth a try..

Lars - 'Welcome To The Madness'! If you haven't already done so, talk with Kirk Duncan, owner of Vintage Speedsters (click 'Makers' tab at top of top site page). He ships a LOT of the cars he manufactures overseas to Europe and Asia. He may have some insight as to your quest.

Best of luck with your pursuit of Speedster Madness. As you may already know, this forum is the BEST resource for anything & everything concerning Speedster replicas. 

Welcome Lars, you got good taste and picked the best speedster color ever made!

MusbJim posted:

Lars - 'Welcome To The Madness'! If you haven't already done so, talk with Kirk Duncan, owner of Vintage Speedsters (click 'Makers' tab at top of top site page). He ships a LOT of the cars he manufactures overseas to Europe and Asia. He may have some insight as to your quest.

Best of luck with your pursuit of Speedster Madness. As you may already know, this forum is the BEST resource for anything & everything concerning Speedster replicas. 

Thanks man! Sendt an email to VS with much of the same info I posted here. Looking forward to where this is going : )

crhemi (Bill) posted:

Welcome Lars, you got good taste and picked the best speedster color ever made!

Nice! Like those mirrors Bill. Looking tight.

 

Lars, VS is sometimes slow to respond to email questions.

If you don't hear from them soon, you may want to call them direct. Best time to reach Kirk by phone is 9am - 12pm California time.

If you decide on VS, the SOC forum can be helpful in guiding you through specifying the build so you end up with what you want. There are many options - some not so obvious from just browsing their web site.

 

Sacto Mitch posted:

 

Lars, VS is sometimes slow to respond to email questions.

If you don't hear from them soon, you may want to call them direct. Best time to reach Kirk by phone is 9am - 12pm California time.

If you decide on VS, the SOC forum can be helpful in guiding you through specifying the build so you end up with what you want. There are many options - some not so obvious from just browsing their web site.

 

Thanks! Will give him a call. Have not settled on a builder yet but Im interested in hearing from you guys what the different builders do really well (But thats probably for another post). Regarding the options, now that is really something I would like to dig into. What are the different options? Or which do you consider the most important? I guess many of these options are general and not builder specific?

Your plan sounds workable, but cumbersome.

You know... if you were to want a pan-based car, the VIN (Serial Number) is stamped into the pan, just behind the shift couple access panel-- that's the only place in the whole car where it would appear. 

I'd never advocate for anything skirting the letter of the law... but if one was inclined to do so, one might purchase an old beetle in Norway, have an accident while stripping the car down to the pan (whereby the stamped portion with the VIN was cut out of the car). If this VIN-stamped plate were to somehow make it's way to the USA (say in a suitcase, or whatever), it would be pretty easy to graft into a shortened frame at a builder's or at some place afterward.

But I would never suggest that, as it's almost certainly illegal.

However, I'm not sure how much different that is than stripping a car down to the pan and shipping it to the US, except it would be about $2000 less in freight. It's just something to think about. Perhaps in the isolation ward of your local penitentiary, but still-- something to think about.

Lawsh posted:

 

... Regarding the options, now that is really something I would like to dig into. What are the different options? Or which do you consider the most important?...

I was trying to diplomatically leave to a later discussion an 'option' about which not everyone here agrees with me - that of having independent shops (like CB Performance and Rancho) build you an engine and transaxle and having VS install them in your new car.

And while I would never publicly endorse criminal activity, I kind of like Stan's suggestion that a VIN plate could theoretically be installed at the same time.

As others have noted, though, VS claims to sell a LOT of cars to European customers, so I'm sure he will have some suggestions for you about easing the pains of getting the car registered where you live.

 

 

Lars, I think you will in perfectly with El Guapo! Especially since you like step 6, 7 & 8 which is the El Guapo motto.   Also, make sure to test out your fitment in the car itself especially if you are long torsoed and / or tall .... not all seats fit all sizes  Velkomen!  Ray

Regarding the options, thats where it gets interesting. At this stage I need to get some kind of oversight on the decisions I need to make and research those. What are those options? For instance pros / cons on the CB + Rancho, an option that I am considering.

Lawsh posted:

Regarding the options, thats where it gets interesting. At this stage I need to get some kind of oversight on the decisions I need to make and research those. What are those options? For instance pros / cons on the CB + Rancho, an option that I am considering.

There is no downside to this approach. None.

To my way of thinking at this point, the smart way to get a great car, without spending Intermeccanica or Beck money is to commission a Vintage Speedster, lightly optioned, with a CB Performance engine and a Rancho transaxle. I'd get a 2110 CB with carbs and a programmable distributor (something with about 135 hp is a "sweet-spot" between too little and too much-- less and you are found wanting power a lot of times, more and the maintenance will likely start to get to be too much), and a stock geared transaxle built to "pro-street" standards, with a 3.44 R/P. Get a good clutch and pressure plate. I'd talk to Pat Downs about how you intend to drive, let him direct you.

I'd have the car built with "Wide 5's", which will mean a swing axle and drum brakes in back, unless you specify that you want discs (you do). I'd ask that a set of Vintage Motorcars (different company) Aluminum wheels be installed.

Trim it however you'd like, and go from there.

Thanks Stan, really helpful. Ok so lets build on that. Lets say we have 135-150hp in it with transaxle, brakes and wide 5s. How about chassis strengthening / stiffening to make it rigid, and suspension to accommodate the increased power?

Really like the way this one sits, looks aggressive. Guess its lowered?

I had a 2054 CB with a Rancho Pro making 140 hp. It's a slightly stroked 1915.

Last winter, I made the conversation to 2.5L Suby with 175 hp and a drag box Rancho to handle the torque. The CB was a gateway drug ;-)

My old Ranch Pro has less than 3000 miles on it.

If you go this route, price it out with a new Rancho trans and, if you're interested, we can talk about saving you a few bucks with mine.
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Good to know Tom! Cheers for that. For this first one Im feeling air cooled. But who knows what happens next  : )

Lars - didn't want to hi-jack this thread so I sent you a private message with some car pics. Check on tab at top of this page. 

IaM-Ray posted:

Lars, I think you will in perfectly with El Guapo! Especially since you like step 6, 7 & 8 which is the El Guapo motto.   Also, make sure to test out your fitment in the car itself especially if you are long torsoed and / or tall .... not all seats fit all sizes  Velkomen!  Ray

Thanks Ray. Im just over 6 feet (184cm). Any recommendations for seats?

So am I but my torso is very long so i found roadster seats unconfortable for long trips so i have Recaros now 

trying different ones is needed to see what you like

Ray

No way this is not worth 34NOKs a month.

Lawsh posted:

No way this is not worth 34NOKs a month.

?

crhemi (Bill) posted:

Lawsh posted:

No way this is not worth 34NOKs a month.

?

4$ = 34 Norwegian Kroner : ) mas o menos

Stan Galat, '05 IM, 2276, Nowhere, USA posted:

I'd have the car built with "Wide 5's", which will mean a swing axle and drum brakes in back, unless you specify that you want discs (you do).

learning a lot right now.. 

Could you explain what that means? When i google "wide 5´s" i get different results. Is it related to tires? brakes? Now that you mentioned swing axle Ive read about IRS vs swing axle and from what I read it seems like IRS provides superior handling?  (https://www.speedsterowners.com...-swing-axle-question)

Would I want a swing axle?

Oh, and I mailed Pat btw.

You want IRS!

Wide five is the bolt pattern on the early VW/Porsche cars.

IRS is the rear suspension of choice for sure

crhemi (Bill) posted:

You want IRS!

Wide five is the bolt pattern on the early VW/Porsche cars.

Of course IRS is better Bill and Ray-- I'd never suggest otherwise. I'd contend that disc brakes in the rear are something I'd want even more.

With a pan-based car, unless the car is a wide-body, it's hard to make IRS work with discs in the rear. All of the available disc brake conversions add at least 1/2" of track per side. I had a pan-based IRS car with EMPI discs, and I had to run 4-1/2" wheels on the rear for the tires to clear the fenders. Even so, I couldn't slide 2 credit-cards stacked between the fender and the tire sidewall on the driver's side. I'd bet that's the reason Vintage Speedster converts all pans to swing-axle, even if they start out IRS. JPS builds them with IRS, primarily to be able to say they do, I think.

Terry Nuckels runs 5" Pedrinis, I think on his JPS IRS car-- but one must pay super-close attention to wheel back-spacing. Terry's wheels are really cool on "Penny", but the look wouldn't work for everybody. 

All Becks are swing-axle. All IM's are IRS, but IM does a lot of really cool things (from a suspension stand-point). Moving the engine and transaxle forward "butterflies" the shafts, effectively shortening them. Since the torsion bar housings/mounts are custom, the whole arrangement allows the stub shafts to be moved in quite a bit-- enough that standard 5-1/2" wide-5s are no problem. I've got 6" Aluminum Bivens and plenty of tire clearance. 

The car Lars has put up a couple of times is a narrow-body. He's already expressed a desire for a pan-based car for registration purposes. He's let us know he's not very experienced wrenching, and he's said he wanted the car primarily to "cruise".

I'd rather drive an IRS car any day-- but not a pan-based IRS car with 4-1/2" rear wheels (I've already done that, and it wasn't all that awesome). 5-1/2" wheels are kind've the minimum for anything even approaching modern rubber. It'd be good if Vintage would just build a new mold, and "pie" the rear fenders so a narrow body could fit 5-1/2" wheels with the available rear discs (that all increase track) and IRS.

I suggested wide-5s because a sing-axle car rolling on 4-lugs is like all crust, no pizza. The new Vintage Motorworks Al wide-5s have some real advantages, and I'd advocate running them even if they weren't stupid-cool. It's a good thing for all of us they are.

Lars: additions you should absolutely do: if you do get a swing-axle car, get a "camber compensator" for the rear, and a sway-bar for the front. EMPI makes a front end stiffening kit, which supports the front beam more towards "the corners". It purportedly makes a big difference.

Others will chime in with specific instructions, but those are mine: get the best engine/transaxle you can buy, get 4 wheel discs, get Al wide-5s, get a camber-compensator and a sway bar, and get the EMPI front end kit.

Alright. just had a nice quick chat with Kirk at VS, and he had some news regarding importation and registration. The way he welds the chassis back together after shortening is approved by VW in Germany which makes it a lot easier for Germans to get their cars approved. That stamp of approval may help me as well as we use EU-approving also. Regarding sending him a "Norwegian" chassis, I only have to send him the back half of it (that has the chassis number). He would weld that to another front half. Big save on shipping.

Regarding stiffening, the body sits on a tubular steel frame that is welded to the chassis, but you all know that.. Does it need additionally stiffening? (spirited cruiser)

He confirmed the swing axle, camber compensator, sway bars etc without me asking, so thanks for schooling me on this lads. Wouldn't have understood what he was talking about otherwise.

Only problem Kirk have with CB-engines is their location, and that if something happens its going to be logistically challenging, and time consuming. He mentioned a Jeff Jarvis that has made him many motors. Anybody know?  Should that discourage me of getting a CB?

At this stage, which other builders should I contact? JPS?

If you guys want to PM me your experiences, heads up, do's and don'ts with these or other builders worth considering I would be grateful. Im 8567Km away from LA and want to be as informed as possible. Maybe I could get a SOC ally during the building process also. But Im way ahead of my self here : )  

Peace.

No other US engine builders are significantly closer to you than CB and they are as good as it gets, so I would still check with them.  JPS does some nice work on the body and interior, but there are some shortcuts that they use on the mechanical bits that might be an issue.  Also, they are not know for their long distance customer support.  If you have to go with a pan-based car, and it sounds like you do, you'll probably get the most recommendations for Vintage.

Don't forget you have a gently used Ranch Pro trans with your name on it in Bremen, IN ;-)
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Lane Anderson posted:

No other US engine builders are significantly closer to you than CB and they are as good as it gets, so I would still check with them. 

Ah, lost in translation, my bad. It was Kirk that mentioned if he was going to build the 356 with a CB and there was a problem he had to ship stuff back an forth, or at least that is my understanding of it.

Tom Blankinship posted:

Don't forget you have a gently used Ranch Pro trans with your name on it in Bremen, IN ;-)
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On the list Tom : )  is it this one? http://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/4465.htm

What ratio is it?

That's the one. It has 3.88 IIRC.
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