Saying Hello to the Group — Just Order from VMC!

@wrkinprogress

That is good input. I am 6’0”, so medium tall. How tall are you?

So you’re saying the curved boot is to allow the seats to slide back more?  I will have standard speedster seats.

@Teammccalla

Randy: Also 6 feet or a little less now. https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVVYBCt has some tonneau cover related shots of my car and some real speedsters. You can see the curved cover is cut deeper than it needs to be to clear the seats, and the straight cover that comes to the door edge is not cut deep enough. If your cover is installed and you inadvertently lean any weight against it, you'll tear it at a snap and have to repair it. Been there, done that.

Hope you can fill the passing months with designs and redesigns of every aspect of your car.

Bill

What was your solution?  I’m not that fond of the quarter moon look, but maybe that is unavoidable because of my height?

@Teammccalla

Randy: Please see https://www.flickr.com/gp/farsightful/4K0588

I commissioned a new full tonneau cover with a longer center zipper and two additional side zippers so I can unzip one or both sides back to the size of the crescent moon quarter-tonneau but can zip the whole thing up whenever it is parked. The standard full tonneau covers don't unzip far enough to have only the driver's side open, and even if you open both sides, you need to unsnap two snaps beyond the door edges to clear the seatbacks.

Bill

@wrkinprogress   Really? So you’re saying you can’t drive with the passenger area closed without a custom cover?  

@Teammccalla posted:

@wrkinprogress   Really? So you’re saying you can’t drive with the passenger area closed without a custom cover?  

You can. It depends on how far back the seat is etc. I have driven plenty of times with the full tonneau on and just the driver side unzipped. A longer center zipper and the two side zippers like Bill had done is the absolute best in terms of usability and comfort. I'd like to see @chines1 and @VSpyder start to incorporate something similar in their new builds. The current design is usable but the new design Bill came up with is perfect.

@Teammccalla

Randy: I can't, although I'm sure there are people who can. I suspect that back in the day the "normal" sportscar driving position was elbows-out, close to the wheel, easy reach to the ash tray.

Bill

I have a full tonneau cover in my two month old VMC speedster.  I didn’t ask for any mods so I assume this is Greg’s current standard issue.  I do have lowered seat pans so my seats may sit a little differently, but I would think that if my unique seat position affected my ability to drive with the tonneau cover it would be worse for me, not better.  

I’m 6’0” with a 32” inseam and I normally sit tall in the saddle.  I have zero issues with the tonneau in the fully open or half open position, but I don’t position my seat all the way back.  For kicks I slide my seat all the way back and hopped in with the driver side zipped back.  My upper back was touching the tonneau.  I assume that would bug me but I didn’t try driving like this because that put me far away from the pedals and steering wheel - my legs and arms were just about fully extended to reach their target.  Not how I like to drive.  

I took a few photos, not sure if they are helpful.  This first one shows the length of the zipper in relation to the snaps (if it isn’t obvious I pulled a string between the leading snaps).

Here are a few photos with the seat all the way back. I tried to position the camera lens directly above the seat back.  If I needed the seat in this position this wouldn’t work.

Same shots with the seat moved up two clicks, which provides me plenty of leg room and is perfectly fine with a full tonneau.

Jon

For now you can just unfasten the forward turn buckles, if the snaps are too loose over the stud you can gently squeeze it with a pliers to slightly egg shape it to give it more tension. Ideally a longer center zipper would be the fix., but not sure how the tonneau " will  ride" with the forward turn buckle in place and the center zipper back further than that .

@Jon T

Thank you so much. We have the same height/leg length.  That looks like it will work fine. Excellent. Looks nice too!

@Teammccalla just a quick follow up.  With the full tonneau installed and both sides rolled back (to expose driver and passenger seats), I do find it helpful to fully unzip before rolling/folding behind the seats.  If left completely zipped, my back will touch against the stowed tonneau even when my seat is a few clicks from the full rear position.  It is still drivable but I prefer the slight extra room offered with the zipper fully unzipped.   If I’m going to a cars and coffee or know I won’t need to deploy the tonneau while parked, I spend 4 minutes to swap the full for the half.

@beemerb0y posted:

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!

just an update, as its been about 4-5 months since the last conversation. Spoke to Anna again today and confirmed they cannot have the dash leather go edge to edge unfortunately.

.

I've always wondered about this, too, and suspected that the material used is available only in a width that won't quite reach from door card to door card.

So today, after nine years, I finally measured the vinyl on my dash and, sure enough, it is 48 inches, so that's probably why they can't do it.

Does anyone know for sure?

.

On my CMC the vinyl goes farther:

Also, I have always wondered why some Speedster makers don't do the dash pads.

Wondered the same thing myself; I installed a set of the CMC rubber dashpads that were sold to me by a fellow forum member here many years ago. The dashpads on real 356's are not that thick; I imagine they could be better recreated by an upholsterer than using the CMC pads.

Well others do it …it is simple as that really…

Here's a shot of the real deal in a 100-point car:

And here's my CMC:

A nice shifter would really help .  
I got one last year and it is surprising how it changed the feeling of the car !

I prefer the chubbier CMC pads.

@Impala posted:

Wondered the same thing myself; I installed a set of the CMC rubber dashpads that were sold to me by a fellow forum member here many years ago. The dashpads on real 356's are not that thick; I imagine they could be better recreated by an upholsterer than using the CMC pads.

This is another place where I like the replica better than the original. I've seen a lot of "authentic looking" dash-pads that looked pretty cobby, and almost none of the half-moon CMC/IM pads that looked anything but lovely.

I generally go with stock. Manufacturers like Porsche knew what they were doing. I don’t know how that apples to VMC though. One example is the VMC engine. I probably won’t fiddle with the 2332 much, if at all. It’s not meant to be a hot rod really. Fast is fine, but no reason to make it a 911. 2332 should be smooth and powerful for that weight. That’s part of why I didn’t go Subby. It’s meant to be a slightly modernized 356!

@Teammccalla i respect your opinion...i have lots of aircooled VW experience from my youth...the big displacement VW engines have improved immensely over time but still have very thin cylinder walls.. and still need to have close attention payed  to them to keep them reliable...HEAT is the Achilles heal along with proper timing and carb settings...ask me how i know ....it is a good thing to have the knowledge or know someone that does....my SUBY is turn key with minimal fiddling...which is why i chose that route...and with the deck lid closed...no one is the wiser...that's my story and i'm sticking with it...haa!   happy motoring

@jncspyder posted:

@Teammccalla i respect your opinion...i have lots of aircooled VW experience from my youth...the big displacement VW engines have improved immensely over time but still have very thin cylinder walls.. and still need to have close attention payed  to them to keep them reliable...HEAT is the Achilles heal along with proper timing and carb settings...ask me how i know ....it is a good thing to have the knowledge or know someone that does....my SUBY is turn key with minimal fiddling...which is why i chose that route...and with the deck lid closed...no one is the wiser...that's my story and i'm sticking with it...haa!   happy motoring

They've come a longer way than you think.

My engine came with Mahle 94mm cylinders. I beat the living snot out of that car for over ten years and 40,000 miles. 6500 rpm shifts, every time I drove it(once warmed up, that is). Thick wall 92s are even better.

Just so you don't get me wrong, I like the Subaru motors too.

@DannyP   i was a  VW semi-expert...but that ship sailed long ago...you on the other hand are THE MAN!...you probably have forgotten more than i ever knew!!....