I have a '57 replica plate on my replica Speedster. I keep the state-issued plate under the floor mat.
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Florida doesn't require a front plate. Our Cayman came with a license plate frame on the front, but no plate. I removed it and was able to purchase paint matching plugs for the holes in the bumper. Fit perfectly and the color match is exact.
Bumperplugs.com was the source.
@beemerb0y posted:please elaborate
Im in California…do i search ebay for a yellow plate and get a reproduction sticker of the year matching my chassis and register it without hassle?
Not that simple. In order to wear original YOM plates you have to have a chassis within the corresponding time frame. So if you want an original black lettering on yellow plate you have to have a chassis from 1956-1962. If you want the yellow lettering on black plate you have to have a chassis from 1963-1969, if you want yellow lettering on the blue background you need your head examined as those are ugly plates.
In addition to having the correct chassis you have to find a set (2) of plates that are in serviceable (good) condition AND it has to have a registration sticker on it from the same year as your chassis. See the photo up a few posts with the black/yellow plate I posted. That would be good for a 1962 chassis. Some people on several other forums I visit have had good luck finding a set of good plates and then finding a reproduction year sticker. YOM plates and registration stickers can be purchased from www.oldplateguy.com or find plates on fleabay and get your sticker from him. He's been in business for a very long time and all the hotrod guys talk about his stuff.
Nothing at the DMV is ever without a hassle. Once you have what you need take it to your local DMV and ask to speak to someone who is familiar with the YOM or Year of Manufacture process.
Other people have just purchased replica black on yellow plates and ordered them with the same numbers as their current plate and run with those. Others have just purchased yellow and black original plates and put them on the car for car shows and forget to take them off. As always, carry your real plates in the car with you at all times if you do any of the other methods.
@Jon T posted:@beemerb0y you can click here for information about California Year of Manufacture plates.
There is a troubling statement:
- Replica vehicles, such as specially constructed vehicles (SPCNS) and Kit cars (for example, a replica of a 1928 Duesenberg Model J)) do not qualify for YOM license plates.
That is correct because there is nothing on the vehicle that was around when the plate was issued. For a Speedster replica still registered as a VW with a qualifying chassis they can get YOM plates.
@TheMayoMachine posted:I have found several sets of yellow California plates on eBay and other sites. As I understand it they can be purchased and you can register your vehicle with those plates IF, and only IF, the plate is no longer in the DMV system. Although I have not confirmed the DMV aspect of things. For what people are asking for those old sets I don’t know if the risk is worth the reward.
As a disclaimer I don’t advocate being a scoff-law. But I’ve always been a bit of a rebel.
I have no knowledge of CA DMV system. I will say I had a very nice experience with the NY DMV with regards to YOM plates. There was no risk involved other than dealing with an unknown dude on ebay.
I called the NY Custom Plate Bureau, which consists of one very nice lady in Albany. We spoke briefly and she told me what to do. I found three 1956 plates on ebay, then called her back. She put them through the system and two out of three were OK. She reserved the one I picked for me(and me alone) for 60 days. It was a 1955 plate with a good condition '56 metal corner tag with it. I hit buy-it-now and waited, then mailed the paperwork in after the plate was in my possession.
A couple weeks later my new registration arrived. Both old and new plate numbers were on it, so I could display either one for that year. The next year, only the vintage plate was on the registration. Could not have been easier or more pleasant, which is the opposite of what I've come to expect from the guvmint.
@Teammccalla posted:My guess is that it’s titled as a ‘62 VW on a ‘62 VW chassis with a ‘62 VW VIN. It’s a ‘62 VW so can have yellow plates. I am sure Robert M will chime it to elaborate.
Yes, but it also needs a '62 registration sticker on the YOM plate.
Old Plate Guy dot com has a YOM plate with a '62 sticker for sale right now but it's over $400.
here is my solution to the CA front plate law...i installed the hidden license plate device used by some of the corvette guys....which some put on a little motor on a key fob switch to retract it .....i usually just leave mine up since it's a perfect fit for the car 
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@TheMayoMachine posted:I have found several sets of yellow California plates on eBay and other sites. As I understand it they can be purchased and you can register your vehicle with those plates IF, and only IF, the plate is no longer in the DMV system. Although I have not confirmed the DMV aspect of things. For what people are asking for those old sets I don’t know if the risk is worth the reward.
On the other hand, I found a company who will make a “copy” of my current plate with yellow background and black lettering. It wasn’t terribly expensive, but could cost me a ticket. If you know what your looking at they are not quite the same, but it looks period correct-ish.
I have resigned myself to keeping the correct plates with me at all times while wearing the aftermarket 1956 plates I purchased. I figure if I get pulled over I can just make the swap under the guise of saying I only wear the aftermarket ones for shows, etc.
So far, so good. But I’ve been fortunate.
As a disclaimer I don’t advocate being a scoff-law. But I’ve always been a bit of a rebel.
That’s pretty much what I did. I went to great pains to recreate a 55 plate as close as possible. And I keep my “real” plates and current tags/registration in the door pocket. So far, so good.
As for front plates, the regulation here is (or was when I took my written test back in ‘69) front plates are required “if there is a provision for them.” ie the car was designed for them. Consequently, when I had my 911 painted and my 968 front clip replaced, I gave strict instructions NOT to redrill the holes and mount the plate holders. My Spyder doesn’t have any “provision.”
FWIW, I’ve never once in my life had any problem with not having a front plate. Neither in NV or NY.
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What the law requires and what gets enforced can be two different things.
California still technically requires all cars to have turn signals, but you'd never know that driving here.
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@Michael McKelvey posted:I have a '57 replica plate on my replica Speedster. I keep the state-issued plate under the floor mat.
Well ordering a plate to match your car colour... Awesome... here that would make you embassy level. 
It just happened that the 1957 Michigan plate was that color - a happy coincidence.
Welcome to the madness and congrats. I’ve had my VMC for almost a year and love it.
@Teammccalla what did you mean when you wrote "Convertible Top, top boot and side curtains- Tan Square cut"?
@JoelP posted:@Teammccalla what did you mean when you wrote "Convertible Top, top boot and side curtains- Tan Square cut"?
What I think he is saying is that the convertible top, tonneau covers, and side curtains will be in the color of tan and in Haartz cloth not vinyl.
I think the formatting from copying off the invoice is a little bit off. What that means is that the top and side curtains are tan. The top boot is tan but that it is square cut across the front like an original speedster rather than curved.
Part of this is to make it look original but I also just like the thought of having my stuff more covered up in the back.
@Teammccalla- If no one else has done it, let me say Welcome To The Madness! we call Speedster ownership. Your Speedster will be a great looker. A suggestion- if it hasn't been thought of yet, go for the Vintage 190 aluminum wheels. They are substantially lighter than steel wheels- taking off rotating weight on a car is the best place to do it, improving acceleration, braking, handling, and even comfort (and as a small aside, brake pads and shocks will last a wee bit longer as well!), they're not much more than steel wheels and they look great (and very period correct). In the end they're a very worthwhile addition.
A couple (well, we'll see how many I come up with, but for now I just want to lure you into a false sense of complacency that it's easy to humor me and this won't take that long- little do you know what you're getting into!) simple questions- does Greg give a horsepower figure (and at what rpm's) that his 2332 produces? I've seen the spec sheet for this engine and he lists a "VM2" camshaft- any chance of asking him about cam specs- advertised duration, dur. @ .050", lift at the cam, and/or what it's similar to? And you mentioned maybe getting the heads ported- any mention of what heads come on this engine? Power increase with porting? If you have a copy of the spec sheet and could post it I'd really appreciate it.
It's my understanding (from other people here reporting about their VMC 2332's that people really like this engine- from all reports Greg (and his engine builder) have come up with a great combination, and I'm just trying to learn something today. Al
PS- don't forget to post/share pics at all stages of the build- we'll all want to see them and there ain't nothin' better than Speedster build p0rn! Oh, and 1 more thing- a lot of us are on a first name basis- we could call you your screen name for the rest of our days but it would be nice if you volunteered your first name. It would make it easier if we should ever meet (and my apologies if you've already divulged this somewhere else; perusing your previous posts came up with sweet boom all). Thanks again for your time.
@ALB posted:It's my understanding (from other people here reporting about their VMC 2332's that people really like this engine- from all reports Greg (and his engine builder) have come up with a great combination, and I'm just trying to learn something today. Al
@ALB In case it hasn't been said, Pat is building all of Greg's motors now.
Pats renowned for his engines, just takes forever to get one...Roland was doing Kirks engines but R passed on
Pat Downs? AFAIK, yes.
Pat is no longer with CB Performance. Pat has opened his own shop building engines and is just getting started.
The square cut top boot is the one similar to original speedsters, rather than curved. I like the original look and I want to tuck my stuff under as I am out and about. I think it will be the same material as all the others but I don’t really know.
I asked about aluminum wheels, and Greg or Anna said they were standard. I’ll double check.
I think a 2332 will be fine pretty much no matter what if it’s professionally built. Am I wrong? I’m not sure extra power is really that important on its own. I want it to run smooth and clean. Powerful and torquey is good as long as it’s very drivable. Porting heads seems like a no-brainer, but everyone’s input is welcome. I haven’t started asking questions on the engine yet because we are still a ways off. I just ordered 3/15. In short, I’m all for power as long as it doesn’t break the car (haha) or make it a PIA. For example, light flywheels are great, but I don’t want one. Same with loud exhaust. Sport medium exhaust is good. Gutting baffles is not my style.
@ALB My name is Randy. Nice to meet you all!
I wonder who took over the engine building duties at CB? Those are some big shoes to fill!
@LI-Rick posted:I wonder who took over the engine building duties at CB? Those are some big shoes to fill!
It's not just engine building. Pat was the driving force with CB's head development program.
All of the currrent CNC 044s and the design of the Panchitos is all Pat.
@Pat Downs is the man.
I thought Claude’s dune buggies was a family business and PD was a family member ?
all speculation on my part based on my knowledge of the company from my years as a youth reading VWGreats, HotVw
And all these years I thought it was Claude and Bob Tomlinson.
Claude, then son, Bob, and now grandson, Rick Tomlinson, runs the company.
CBP makes a lot of what we take for granted possible. The CNC head program in particular has moved the hobby continually forward. As recently as 15- 20 years ago, 200 NA horsepower from a T1 was bleeding edge technology. Now, lots and lots of builders hit it as a matter of course using CB Wedgeports, and they're doing it with combinations that are reasonably streetable.
That was all Pat Downs. I'm not sure what happens to the CB program of continual development and improvement of various CNC ports at this point.
DRD Heads used to at least position himself as a competitor, although his ports were nowhere near CBP's (I feel like I can say this because my twin-plug heads were done on his CNC), but DRD sold the entire setup to EMPI. This was a leap forward for EMPI, but I can guarantee you that all development stopped at the moment of sale.
I wish Pat nothing but success, but I hope for the hobby that he continues to develop ports for various applications, and makes the heads available for sale.
@IaM-Ray posted:I thought Claude’s dune buggies was a family business and PD was a family member ?
all speculation on my part based on my knowledge of the company from my years as a youth reading VWGreats, HotVw
Many people thought Pat owned/co-owned CB or was related to the owners of CB because of his loyalty and commitment to their business. Pat was the innovator there and designed and developed nearly all of their engine parts. Even so far as to travel to the part of the world that eventually manufactured the stuff just to insure they were going to do it right.
And there are some seriously big shoes to fill there and it's not certain how they are going to do that. Me and Pat's other friends are encouraging him to solicit that business for CB and just keep building their engines. He'd just keep more of the money instead of letting CB profit off of all his knowledge and skills.
Pat will not stop innovating. His shop is looking impressive and he will continue to make advancements in porting etc. I and a couple other guys have lunch and dinner with Pat all the time and this is all we talk about. As Pat grows and expands his business you'll see the developments that are being made. His dyno room is complete, he has a lathe, and a CNC machine and all the tooling to grow and be successful. His website is currently in development and when it's done he'll showcase what is happening.
Well, I am sure that those who are innovative never retire. Speaking of Retirement... ahhhh, it can bring more business that you think if you have a good idea and a son that is interested but mostly if your spouse can handle not living the dream of travelling the world.
@Teammccalla posted:Robert is correct on both fronts. I want the dash to look like a real speedster. It just bugs me to have the ends sticking out.
I spoke to Anna at VMC to see if they could have the leather dash go edge to edge. She mentioned multiple people have been asking about this. She checked and confirmed that they cannot do that at this time 
Honestly, never bugged me til I read your comment. The seamless look is SO much better!
We all need to talk to Greg to make it happen. There is NO reason it can’t.
@Teammccalla posted:We all need to talk to Greg to make it happen. There is NO reason it can’t.
while i agree there *shouldnt* be any reason that they cant do it.. maybe, the leather piece they use comes pre-cut.. or maybe the aluminum strip is pre-cut.. or maybe the curvature on the edges does not allow for the leather to sit right or stick properly.. or it is too costly to redo these pieces.. but yes, theoretically, there should be no reason. My Speedster's ETA is October, so hopefully by the time the build begins, they can make this hapen
@Teammccalla Randy, a caution for you about the square-cut boot cover you mention. Depending on how far back you slide your seat(s), you may have to unsnap some snaps of a cover that comes all the way to the door edges. I had a special tonneau cover made with extra zippers so that the cover could open far enough back to clear the driver's seat. Most full tonneau covers only unzip back to the door edge line or so. When they are unzipped, they are similar in coverage to your square-cut cover and have the same problem for arms-out drivers.