VMC Delivery This Month

Their customer service is superb.  They made a new mat for me at no cost when I didn't like where the heal pad was.

I have Cocomats for my Speedster and for my Fiat.

@dlearl476 posted:

I forgot to link it. It’s, surprise, surprise, cocomats.com.  They’re pretty pricey, but AFAIK, they’re among theh best there are.  

You get what you pay for. The set that came with my car were over 45K miles old before they had to be replaced. And the only place they were worn was where the heel of the gas/brake pedal foot wore through.

I have a set of black rubber mats with the square block letter, Porsche emblem that I put in my 1969S in 1990. I transferred them after 60,000 miles to my RS America and put another ninety thousand miles on them.  They look brand new. Haha. I put the original RS America Porsche logo mats in the attic, and they are pristine in case I ever want to show it.

Did the orginal Porsche Speedsters have rubber mats or full rubber flooring? I've always liked the look and durability of rubber flooring in older cars, but the Cocomats do have a flare to them. 

IIRC, on the original Speedster there was a rubber mat in front of the seats that was continuous piece across the car.  I think there was another mat across the rear behind the seats, but I can’t remember if it was a single mat or two separate ones.

There was no carpet in original Speedsters, only in Cabriolets and coupes.

@Teammccalla posted:

I decided to order samples. I will get the beige, the Jasper, red/natural, and especially that sisal tan. I’ll look and get any others. I’ll post some photos too for others to use in the future. I’d love to have a photo of my car!!!!  I asked Anna to get some from Greg.

I chose the black & natural Coco Mats with the oatmeal square weave.  I wanted some contrast but also liked them because they have a similar look to the original speedster with a single black vinyl mat covering both sides and the floor board.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

IIRC, on the original Speedster there was a rubber mat in front of the seats that was continuous piece across the car.  I think there was another mat across the rear behind the seats, but I can’t remember if it was a single mat or two separate ones.

There was no carpet in original Speedsters, only in Cabriolets and coupes.

Speaking of…

I’ve been thinking of replacing the cheap carpet in my Spyder with a single rubber mat. My carpet is red. Or was, before I started driving it with dirty shoes.

(Which is why I suggested darker mats, especially with biscuit square weave)

How cleanable are Cocomats?

Very. You just pressure wash them like any car mat at the car wash. Then dry them in the sun.

I think I’ll go with something lighter. If they get stained, so be it. Lesson learned.

I’ll still get the samples. The chocolate brown with natural spots is a possibility.  But I bet I’ll go with some combo of light brown/tan.

@NTrav Did you buy your car from Troy Sloan? I ask because that's the car that got me hooked on the oatmeal carpeting. Great color combo throughout - exterior, interior, carpeting. The only thing I wonder is this: how would a matching red vinyl boot cover look against that paint? I first thought it would be over the top, but I can never shake the idea that Meissen Blue is the one paint color that pairs perfectly with a statement color. All that said, great car!

I was very tempted by Troy’s car too. That one was a beaut. I love the way Porsche pulls off the unusual colors. Avacado. Signal orange. Aubergine. Early 911s in aubergine!  

I went with signal red in part because of the one I rented from Maui Roadsters in Hawaii. It is just such a statement. Thanks Jerome!

@dlearl476 posted:

Speaking of…

Ive been thinking if replacing the cheap carpet in my Spyder with a single rubber mat. My carpet is red. Or was, before I started driving it with dirty shoes.

(Which is why I suggested darker mats, especially with biscuit square weave)

I had the same problem with mats in my roadster. They are red and started to show sign of wear and faded color. An upholsterer friend told me to get some SEM carpet spray and redo them. It worked out great and I just respray them went they start looking bad. I only have to do this about every two years.

Those with new VMC cars (or other cars without Porsche badging), how did you do your Porsche badging?  I’ve seen a bunch of threads that have convinced me not to do the front one.  I’ll have a Porsche body shop do it.  What about the rear lid?  

The interior dash?  

The Reutters side one?  

What else am I missing to bring it closer to the real thing?  

I have the horn button coming from Sierra Madre.  

What were Porsche seatbelts like?  I may go three-point.  The three point seatbelts in my ‘69S were awful, but I imagine I should look for something like that.

Where did you get your emblems?  What about grill badges?

The only ones I have are the crest on the frunk handle and the Speedster script on the sides.

I do have 2 recently added grille badges - early SOC & 356 Outlaw.

I shopped around quite a bit, and ended up buying my emblems from Pelican: 

Regarding grille badges, I've found eBay and Amazon to be great resources for these, with eBay having tons of vintage German examples.   

John, so the original front and back emblems are the same?  Did they match the 1600 lettering and color that came with your car?

@Teammccalla posted:

John, so the original front and back emblems are the same?  Did they match the 1600 lettering and color that came with your car?

I have a Thunder Ranch Spyder, and my research showed that on original Spyders the front and back both had the same "Porsche" emblem and smaller, 356-type Porsche badge affixed above.  I'm unable to speak with authority on your questions regarding the 356, only to tell you that the Porsche stuff that I bought from Pelican was for a 356.  Stoddard offers these pieces as well -- again for the 356 -- and they're the same size as the ones I purchased.

@JoelP posted:

@NTrav Did you buy your car from Troy Sloan? I ask because that's the car that got me hooked on the oatmeal carpeting. Great color combo throughout - exterior, interior, carpeting. The only thing I wonder is this: how would a matching red vinyl boot cover look against that paint? I first thought it would be over the top, but I can never shake the idea that Meissen Blue is the one paint color that pairs perfectly with a statement color. All that said, great car!

Thank you @JoelP.  But I can't take credit for the build specs as I purchased it used through @Troy Sloan.   Actually, Troy was helping a friend sell it... so on paper, I bought it from the original owner, Troy's friend.   However, Troy did add his signature Cruzin Windows, luggage rack, and vintage suitcase & straps for me so it definitely has the Troy Touch!

As far as the boot color goes, personally, I really like the black boot & tonneau cover.  The car has plenty of red.

@NTrav posted:

Does anyone else cringe watching the first video or is just me?  :-0

Only when the oil light comes on at idle. And the way he’s hauling ass around on a cold engine.

Speedster Floor Mats:

As I mentioned up above, here is an original, 1955 Pre-A Speedster with the original rubber floor mats.  There was square-wave carpet on the kick panels and the sills, but not the doors.  The seatbacks were carpeted on the backs and the seats are hinged so that they can be flipped forward for rear storage access.  There was also carpet behind the seats (on the floor) as well as what we know as the rear seat area.

This is Rich MacKoul's car.  It has the original interior but the bodywork, engine and transaxle have been rebuilt.  Matching numbers everywhere.  He bought it for $500 about 30 years ago, restored it himself (body off chassis) and I can't even guess what it's worth, today.  He drives it all over the upper East Coast and has been as far as Georgia and Indiana.  It has the lower, flat, central tunnel the same as all 356 cars, but on the Pre-A there was a piece of wood under the rubber mat on both sides of the floor to bring the floors up almost level with the central tunnel, and then rubber mat over everything.  When they went to the 356A, Porsche eliminated that floor wood, but continued the angled wood piece behind the pedals on both sides.

Below is Rich (long, white hair) and Hot Rod Jimmy at a cars & coffee this morning, Jim is wondering why Rich's windshield wiper arms are held together with zip-ties....  Probably because the arms lift at sub-sonic turnpike speeds  (he cruises at 60mph, and seldom any faster)  🙄

@Teammccalla Just found out that all my build is waiting on are the wheels. So excited. I went with charcoal grey carpet; hence, your dilemmas are much worse than mine. I almost went with the oatmeal, but I’m sick of being uber-careful/anxious when sitting in a car. My current car – 2018 991.2 C4 GTS – is pampered like no other. I’m so looking forward to the simple design of my speedster.

I cleaned out the garage to make room for the new car. The red yet-to-be-named arrival will sleep at night next to the RSA.  Woohoooooo.  Speedster day WEDNESDAY!!!

I bought my girl a pink sequined beret for the ride (long blonde curly hair - yikes). Now I’m thinking of what I’ll wear on chilly NorCal nights. Something with a hood maybe….  I have a windbreaker thing maybe I’ll leave in there. Maybe some tight fitting sport sunglasses too.  What do others in the board leave in their cars for the wind?

@Teammccalla posted:

What do others in the board leave in their cars for the wind?

The only thing I keep in the Spyder is a leather bomber hat. It’s goofy looking enough that I only wear it in ear-freezing emergencies. (It’s slightly less goofy with the visor buttoned up, but still)

Otherwise it’s either an IMS windbreaker I got on my first trip to Indy or a Lands End bomber jacket I’ve had since the 80’s, depending on the weather.

Cool. I could do an ear flap snow cap. I was thinking a wool cycling cap. Goofy but covers ears. Maybe even a neck mask in case I reallllly time it wrong. It doesn’t rain here 8 months of the year so that’s a plus.

I suggest era-correct gear. The "Snoopy hat" (i.e. leather pilot's helmet), plus a pair of Halcyon goggles. There are over-the glasses goggles that also work and look '50s racer if the Halcyons aren't right. A gaiter or good cashmere scarf unless you've got a nice mock turtleneck. A well broken-in leather pilot's jacket with a zip-out lining. All this is good down to the mid 50s at least. Colder than that? Zip in the lining, add a techwick layer below all this where nobody can see it. And activate the seat heaters....

You want to effect the illusion that you have just pulled in from 1958, and you do not need directions.

Trust me on this: fully embodying The Bit makes the whole experience almost magical, for you and everyone around you.

I’m a big fan of 60’s style. Somehow quite by accident I found a pair of Bolle ANSI rated safety goggles that had Rx inserts. It was a trick to find the insert bits as I think they’re close to being NLA, but once I did I had a cheapo online company make me a pair of Rx clear and dark lenses for like $35/ea. Much better than wearing OTG goggles over eyeglasses.

The timing was great as I’d just started to get really paranoid about my luck running out wearing unrated sunglasses with my lexan windscreen.  

I also found the real thing, Bouton goggles, and bought 5 pair from some lab supply company, but my eyesight has deteriorated to the point I can’t really drive (safely) without glasses. I kept a pair in the Spyder for the rare evening I didn’t make it home in time to wear my wraparound RayBans.

btw: Bolle Chronosoft if anyone else is interested. The Rx lens inserts are part# 40103

@JoelP posted:

Did the orginal Porsche Speedsters have rubber mats or full rubber flooring? I've always liked the look and durability of rubber flooring in older cars, but the Cocomats do have a flare to them.

From Bruce Canepa, this is his restoration of a 356 Speedster w/ a good view of the rubber flooring mats. This is the inspiration car for my build  

Wow.  Canepa’s team sure does good work!  His place is about 10 miles from here and I have never been!  I dream of getting my RSA seats redone there…

I need to drive 200 miles at varying speeds Weds afternoon in Orange County to break in my car.  Where would you all suggest I go from Hawaiian Gardens round trip 200 miles?  One friend suggested I-5 south to Capistrano and then east out through the hills.  Do you have other suggestions or favorite drives?

I have to say, the folks at Canepa are so kind. In my long long march into The Madness, I looked at so many combinations (all fantastic) ... and then I saw his triple black restoration and it hit the mark. I grabbed some screen shots and wrote him a note asking some questions - and Bruce Canepa wrote back the next day with a link to the high res images! Just so kind and stand up! I really appreciated that. As I have experienced over and over on this forum and with other car enthusiasts - they give back! My 356 should be done right around November hopefully (no need to rush, I don't plan on going anywhere) - so I plan to keep paying it forward

I haven’t become familiar with everyone here.  Original Porsche, I assume?  It doesn’t look like there is a heater control there on the tunnel.  Is that a sprinkler under the dash?

@Teammccalla posted:

It doesn’t look like there is a heater control there on the tunnel.  Is that a sprinkler under the dash?

Fuel petcock/filter. Early A’s had the fuel petcock and lever for reserve under the fuel tank in the cockpit.

I researched it and they put the fuel under the dash?!  Combo filter, shutoff, reserve? How far away was that from the aforementioned cloth wiring loom?  OK, I take back everything I said about great Porsche engineering!!!

@mhickey posted:

From Bruce Canepa, this is his restoration of a 356 Speedster w/ a good view of the rubber flooring mats. This is the inspiration car for my build

Those were standard issue in original cars at least in my 59-356A coupe but you would see coco mats on top. The pet cock reserve was a handy feature for sure .

A nice break-in drive to me would be :  Head south on the 605 fwy (it's close to the VS shop) and get off on Studebaker Road south. Right turn on PCH. (Pacific Coast Hwy) and head north.  Just stay on it until you have 100 miles on it and then head back. This is the beach route and you will get plenty of TUM'S in both directions (Thumbs Up per Mile) There will be some fast driving and plenty of stop and go on this trip. On the way back you can stop at places you saw and thought interesting on the way north...............Bruce

Thank you!  

What’s the drive between Capistrano and Hemet like, meandering slightly north through towns?  I am not going to tempt fate going on some of those tiny tiny mountain pass goat trails.

@Troy Sloan what is the route you do in your drive videos?

@aircooled posted:

A nice break-in drive to me would be :  Head south on the 605 fwy (it's close to the VS shop) and get off on Studebaker Road south. Right turn on PCH. (Pacific Coast Hwy) and head north.  Just stay on it until you have 100 miles on it and then head back. This is the beach route and you will get plenty of TUM'S in both directions (Thumbs Up per Mile) There will be some fast driving and plenty of stop and go on this trip. On the way back you can stop at places you saw and thought interesting on the way north...............Bruce

I agree with Bruce. When I picked mine up, that's was my plan. I went up the PCH heading toward Ventura with a planned stop at Neptune's Net for lunch. Turn around and drive back taking the freeway near Santa Monica and back to Gregs. The traffic was stop and go all the way up to LAX. and at that point the turn signal on the car stopped working so I caught the freeway back to Greg's.Didn't make it as planned. But  I mainly wanted to see how the Subaru would handle the slow traffic heat wise. It did well with no problem and the clutch got a good work out too. Have fun with your drive back on pick up day.