Joel, it'll be spectacular, but you have a ways to go yet (6-12 months). Relax, have a glass of your favorite adult beverage, and imagine all the fun you're going to have. Meanwhile, I hope be able to meet up with you in December for your "test fit".
Dudes, you need to chill. I was only kidding around. I was not upset at Ray's comment. But I appreciate all you concern. After a while you will understand me.
I was up in Breman picking up my car a couple of weeks ago. Carey's shop is about 4 hrs from my front door, and I picked up Tom Boney on the way. We were able to spend the day together, which was long overdue.
We got at least 2 hrs. of Carey's precious time, getting the tour of the operation as it stands in 2022.
All I can say is, "wow".
What Carey and crew have accomplished and are accomplishing in (now) 4 buildings is nothing short of amazing. The super-coupe program took a while to come together - but the suspension, etc. is now fully integrated into the new Speedsters, and it's light-years ahead of the old setups. IRS. Coilovers on all 4 corners, A-arms front and rear, rack and pinion steering - they're modern cars (at least in how they drive).
They laminate in-house, and will be curing under UV lights. Frames and fabricated bits are done by certified welders (union pipefitters). I was amazed when I visited Intermeccanica in 2005 - Carey's operation is 4x the size and scalable because he's not located in the most expensive city in North America (as Henry was).
I'm posting this here, because I saw Joel's car in the body shop, and the flares blended so well into the lines of the car that they kind of disappeared. Pictures are weird, because we focus on the particulars of a build, rather than the whole. These are tiny cars, easily taken in their entirety with a glance. It's the overall impression, rather than the details that speak with these cars. Does the car draw you in? What's the initial impression? Is the car overly "cute"? Is it serious? Does it look like a child's toy? Does it look fast?
I'm not a flared car guy. Not just with Speedsters and Spyders, but with all cars - flares just never looked great to me. They look especially silly when I can see the entire tire in the wheelwells. I always thought SAS cars looked kinda' odd.
To my eye, Joel's car looks great. The flares don't draw attention to themselves. I'd still probably not get a flared car if I were doing this for the 4th time, but it's not my car. It's Joel's car, and this is his thread. I'm not so sure it's important that I understand Joel, because I'm not following this thread so much to see what Joel chooses as to see how Carey executes Joel's choices. It's really a masterfully built automobile.
Special Edition has really got it going on.
Glad you got the Speedy back to Stanistan. Tinker tinker......
Stan:
Thank-you for the observations and comments about my car.
I have never seen one of Carey's/Special Edition's cars in person, and I have yet to lay eyes on my car.
All of my build, from selecting Carey and Special Editions, to the components and choices I have made in connection with the building of my car has been done on-line, and through emails, and text messages and several phone calls with Carey and Lane to talk with him about his car, and comments from the members on this site. So, I really appreciate your comments about your observations on my car. It helps me to visualize my car a little better. I am planning on going up to the factory to see my car and meet with Carey before it is finished. But, in the meantime, photographs, emails, text messages, phone calls and comments from people like you are all I have. So, thank-you Stan.
Now, I wanted to say something about Carey and Special Editions. Carey and his crew at Special Editions have been nothing short of amazing. Carey's knowledge and professionalism have been first rate. I think his knowledge and experience in not just building these cars, but in driving them and in racing the 904's really gives him a unique perspective and understanding of not just what the finished product will look like, but also how it will perform and handle. I think of Carey as my guild through a 2+ year trip through the car building wilderness. I had a vision of what I wanted. Carey provided the expertise to bring my vision into reality. I think of him as not just my builder, but my adviser, and my friend.
Joel
Exactly right, Joel. You’re building a relationship that’s going to last a long time.
Happy New Year to everyone.
My wife and I are in Savannaha, GA on vacation, and we were going to Charleston, SC for the day, so I contacted Lane to see if we could get together to see his car in person and to talk with him about his car and the choices he made and the build process. Lane was kind enough to take time out from his busy schedule and show us his car and talk with us about it. Thank-you Lane.
First, I have to say that the overall build quality of the car is outstanding. The exterior, interior and fit and finish were excellent. The Oslo Blue exterior color Lane selected with the Cognac color leather interior is just beautiful.
Second, while Lane's car is a Mid-Engine and mine will be a Rear Engine, the interior driving position and leg room was not uncomfortable. However, I can definitely see how an extra 2"-3" inches of front seat travel with the Rear Engine location will be of great benefit.
Third, before seeing Lane's car in person, I had never seen or been inside one of these cars in person. The cars are smaller than I realized, so keeping things simple and elegant is very important. Changing the front seats from the Speedster style seats to a Monte Carlo style seat in my car will improve comfort and driver position. Lane also recommended adding an amplifier and 2 extra speakers to improve sound quality, which I will talk to Carey about doing. Lane's AC controls are mounted under the dash, which makes them a little hard to use. I already spoke to Carey about adding an axillary pod below the radio to house the AC controls, which should eliminate this issue. Lane also recommended not using the front faux side windows and just going with the standard side windows to improve air flow into the cabin. I am also using the rear "pop-out" windows which should also help. Lane also recommended adding a rear center mounted brake light to improve visibility and for safety, which I will also talk to Carey about adding.
Fourth, the standard body coupe looks beautiful. But it limits the size of the wheels and tires you can put on the car. For the purists and when using the standard engine this is not a problem. However, when you bump up the engine size and/or horsepower you need more wheel and tire to keep the car on the ground. As you know, I elected to go with the Rear Engine location instead of the Mid-Engine location. In doing so I also elected to increase the engine size and power by going with a Porsche 911 water cooled motor and 6 speed manual transmission. This led to the need and the decision to add front and rear fender flares to be able to add larger wheels, tires and brakes to the car. Fender flares are definitely not for everyone, but when done right they can look beautiful and enhance the look and handling of the car by allowing wider wheels and tires. With the horsepower of the motor in my car we definitely needed this. Carey did an outstanding job of shaping the flares and integrating them into the body so they will not have that "bubble" look. My car definitely has a much more aggressive and 911ish look. I love it, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I am very glad I got the chance to see Lane's car in person and I thank him again for making the time to do so. It greatly helped me to understand the car and visualize the changes I am making.
Next will be a trip to Bremen to see my car in person and talk to the wizard to finalize all the little remaining details.
Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy new year.
Joel