Styling ideas

I'll be honest- I'm a fan of keeping it simple. I think 356's in general (and especially Speedsters) are pretty hard to customize- too much and it's starts taking away from their iconic shape and just look junked up with add-ons. I give the SEMA Speedster (with the Magnus Walker wheels, which btw I thought looked bitchen on that car!) of a couple? few? years ago as an example; from the outside the car hit all the right buttons, until I (and a number of other here) saw the interior (and frunk, and engine compartment- I mean, really- who the h*ll hangs red leather in a Speedster engine compartment???). A little gaudy doesn't begin to describe (for me, anyway) the upholstery (and all the other crap in that car. I think someone here called the builder's vision a cross between a Parisian bordello and Russian museum.

All that said- I think most of the stuff you're talking about could probably be done tastefully. Keep in mind a couple of things, though- "just because it is different doesn’t necessarily mean it is better" (your words) and (to quote Uncle Stan) "it's a big tent, and there's room for everybody". It's ultimately your car, so do what you like. Not everyone will like everything you do, but if you build it by committee and try to please everyone that probably won't work either. PS- just remember your words above.

I hope this helps. Al

Hey Al, 

Thanks for that. For sure any change would be subtle and I like keeping it simple too. I have been marking my car up this way and that way, but I am always drawn back to the subtle, timeless styling. In my former Hot Rod world, guys would change their bumpers and grilles out without thought and a lot of time it looked like Carap! I am a mock-up kinda person who has to see it on the car before I do anything permanent. You know, I want to be different, Just like everybody else! It is a blank palette for now ...

Brian

The front treatment on the yellow coupe is very art-deco looking to my eyes. More an artifact of the 30's than the 50's, but I like it. I think any additional trim between the body and the snugged up bumper would look best if kept very simple and thin, just enough to define where one ends and the other begins.

I would like to make rear wheels "spats" that would cover most of the rear tire for a stream-line look.  Not digging the front one so much.

@Troy Sloan has a car he's working on and the bumpers on that car are maybe a 1/4"-3/8" tighter to the body than the bumpers on my car and just that little bit of a change makes a huge difference in the look. Tight to the body for me is a bit too much. But that might be because of the size of the bumpers on the cars I've seen it on. 

Panhandle Bob posted:

The front treatment on the yellow coupe is very art-deco looking to my eyes. More an artifact of the 30's than the 50's, but I like it. I think any additional trim between the body and the snugged up bumper would look best if kept very simple and thin, just enough to define where one ends and the other begins.

I agree, the trim would have to be understated. Here is another example, however I think it could be thinner as well as shorter. It would look better to have the trim from the yellow Gmund done without the license plate surround, just straight pieces.

Moving the bumper closer should be easy - most brackets have elongated mounting holes so loosen and slide it back.  Or elongate the holes and slide it back.  

Carl (RIP) and I discussed shaping surfboard foam to make a buck for rear wheel spats.  Once shaped it would be used to produce them from hand-laid fiberglass.  My left rear tire is so close to tire - I doubt it would work on my CMC though.

How abouts a little more extreme.

The shape of my existing bumper isnt even close to that of the car. I was considering modifying the bumper so it fits well and then sending it off to Trevor’s Hammerworks and have him fab some metal ones up. 

Robert M posted:

@Troy Sloan has a car he's working on and the bumpers on that car are maybe a 1/4"-3/8" tighter to the body than the bumpers on my car and just that little bit of a change makes a huge difference in the look. Tight to the body for me is a bit too much. But that might be because of the size of the bumpers on the cars I've seen it on. 

Just to be clear, you're saying you liked the bumpers on the car I'm working on, but right up tight to the body is too close.  I agree. 

Troy Sloan posted:

Robert M posted:

@Troy Sloan has a car he's working on and the bumpers on that car are maybe a 1/4"-3/8" tighter to the body than the bumpers on my car and just that little bit of a change makes a huge difference in the look. Tight to the body for me is a bit too much. But that might be because of the size of the bumpers on the cars I've seen it on. 

Just to be clear, you're saying you liked the bumpers on the car I'm working on, but right up tight to the body is too close.  I agree. 

Yes. I pointed out how I thought they looked tighter to the body than mine. But I wouldn't like them right up tight on the body.

After I get a few more things done on my car I may investigate what Greg (wolfgang) mentioned. I didn't think it would be hard to make the bumpers tighter, just whether or not the rubber bumper between the bumper and the body would cover the elongated hole.

I'm a fan of the early cars—both the 356 and the 550s. There were a lot of subtle design changes in both, so a lot of material for the tasteful hot-rodder or customizer to draw from. I'd love some day to build a copy of the "Bucklewagen" 550 and especially love the art deco look on the nose of the earliest 356s.

That said, I don't think that would work well on a modern Speedster replica. I think it would look too tacked-on. Same thing with the spats.

Tighter bumpers? Oh yeah. All day. Have fun making them.

The two-gauge dashes are underrated as well, I think. Porsche did a number of different gauge configurations and I think it'd be cool to bring one of them back that people don't see often.

Most of the changes that turn heads and draw accolades on Speedsters involve subtle (or not so subtle) deletions. Seems like, with these cars, less is more. 

I would not, however, substitute a three-speed automatic.

The  "Gmund" coupes bumpers look to be almost on the body, separated by what looks to be a little rubber trim piece. ( See Sept. 2018 issue of Panorama, pg. 49-52 )