What about the back seats on a replica

Just a thought, but whenever I see a picture of a replica I never see the back seats. Are they there? I know what the original 356 had. If they are there, are there any pictures of a VS,IM, or a JPS?

Paul
There is a flat area which the top folds into but is pretty much useless for carrying anything other than a jacket or small cooler.
We used to drive around in our MGB with both kids in the small area behind the buckets but that's not a good idea. Oh, the kids were both under 10 then.
ed

My VS has an upholstered pad for the shelf space, but I leave it out. The other makers may include such a pad also. But don't think of it as having a useable back seat, it aint.

is that a seat pad i have back there? i thought of it more as
an accident launch pad. if our seats are "back breakers"
then what is that area called? i'd only use it around the block,
no where else.---bruce

It's a cushion to protect the beers. 12 Beers and 2 bags of groceries and of course my tool box. That's all that fits on my back pad.

I actually used the back seat in my old Porsche Speedster once - girlfriend's two small children on a 100 mile trip in the rain. The kids actually went to sleep which just goes to show how adaptable children are.

I think Mike has the right idea. It is called a "package shelf" isn't it? BTW, if you leave the groceries behind, you might have room for 36 beers. That's well on the way to 99 bottles of beer in the Porsche, 99 bottles of beer......sing it guys.

John, for us Tennesseans - should be about 5 jugs of Moonshine, right?

Actually, I have wondered about installing a couple of hooks/eyebolts, etc so I can harness in the 2 spaniels. Anyone ever put anything like this in?

2 Squirrels? Oh, Spaniels... that could be cool. Remember on hot days to put the top up....

Mike, you been into the beer already?

You store your tool kit in the rear seat area? I though everyone had one of those handy-dandy HAZET tool kits in their spare tires.

You have a spare tire???

Spare Tire? Yep.

Jim

Jim, what spare tire are you referring to? My spare tire has gone from a 135mm to a 205mm in just 10 years.
Ron

My question is whether the back seat arrangment on the real 356 is the same on a replica; two small seats that fold down on to each other

No. They are not the same. In the coupes there is small seats and a folding backrest. In a speedster there is the bottom cushion but no backrest(s). The original speedster does have more storage than the replica, there is area under the rear cowl where the top mounts. I'd guess that the replicas do not have this extra area because of mold concerns.

Ron, I would try a few more situps to get the spare tire size back down again. Greg.....moonshine.....shhhhh! I was actually considering learning to make it. I understand it's legal if you don't make more than a gallon at a time and for non-commercial purposes. I have made homebrew beer for years, but shine would be more appropriate here.

Years ago my college roomate's dad used to make the stuff. They were from the East TN hills, I am sure it was an authentic 'recipe', but one taste was enough for me - WHEW!

There are repro Hazet tool kits available. If you want a full sized spare and are handy with laying up fiberglass you can probably modify your front trunk well to store a spare tire like the original Speedsters did. Or if you're ordering a new IM, I believe Henry now offers this as an option.

Ron,

Just got in from trying to reduce my spare with a workout and my weekly yoga session with a class full of thirty something women (Tough meditating.... )

My "other" spare is a standard 15" chrome VW wheel and 135 tire. Built and braced a spin on hold down. Put a scissors jack on one side of the battery wrapped in shop towels, and a hydraulic on the other side with a fold up lug wrench.

A real side bennie of my set up is this provides the ballast that many add to their front ends... except in a more useful way. Between that and my oversized tank the Speedster just charges through crosswinds and the wake off Semis. The dropped spindles also help alot IMHO. Car seems real stable at 90-95 with no floating.

I think my tank must be 13 Gals with reserve. I too have played with the float on the sending unit and that's what I have assumed as the size now without running out of gas to prove it.

Has anyone seen the article in the last trends about the zero offset rear disc set-up? What do you think?

Jim

Jim, your comment about stability is interesting. Henry is building my new Speedster with stock spindles instead of dropped, and the steering is VW Golf non-assisted rack and pinion. Front/rear 19mm anti-sway bars, Koni adjustable shocks (red), large tank, and full sized spare up front. It will be interesting comparatively to see how my new car handles at speed and in the buffeting conditions you described.

The Konis may be a bad match, in which case I'll switch to Bilsteins.

I have a back seat in my CMC flare . The kids love it.
Joe

Joey,
Where does the top go?? I rode in a CMC yeaterday for the first time, and it ahd a seat cussion, but no back cussions. Again the question; maybe a bigger pic would answer

Boy, you've got a lot of room back there. What a great spot for the kids. But, where does the top go?
Ron

I usually fold the top neatly and tie it up with two straps. The late 1920 cars did the same thing with their tops. Never had any problems with it. I'll search for some pictures and post them later.
Joe

I realize this is an older subject but while surfing around, from my chair not my board, I noticed a great back seat picture on the Chesil site. www.chesil.co.uk/info/frames.htm. Go to the page and click on "news" Bam! right on the monitor. Rear seats! At least they look like rear seats and with seatbelts and shoulder straps too!

It depends - some speedsters had the hinged rear pseudo-seats and others didn't. Even when fitted a back seat in a Speedster is pretty useless...

George: I'm running standard spindles and a lowered front end with Avis adjusters. Shocks are KYB's but standard length, not short ones. Tank is standard 1969 beetle, and the spare is a 16" space-saver from a full size Cadillac mounted between battery and top of tank with a modified cadillac hold-down and stowage cover. I was surprised that the bolt pattern matches a Porsche 911. I'm not using the space within the spare wheel for anything yet, but it is crying out for some use......maybe full of ice as a cooler!?!?!?!

I'm using Jim's trick of putting the tools and modified (Ford Windstar) scissors jack on either side of the battery (an over-size marine job for the added weight - ok, so I pulled it from my sailboat).

Handling has been pretty good, so far.......little, if any buffeting from cross winds right up through the 90's - nice and smooth with no wandering or "float". I can power past a snub-nosed tractor trailer without much more than a tweek of the wheel at the corner - WAY better than the wife's Honda CRV. I haven't installed the front sway bar yet. Have a 1" sway-away waiting for warmer weather in the garage for the install. Shaould be interesting to see what a difference that makes. I also have a set of Bilsteins waiting in the wings, but haven't bothered to put them in yet, either.

I'll bet you'll find similar, if not better, response from your new set-up.......especially with the larger tank and full size spare. I'm curious about the "feel" of the rack and pinion setup - should be nice. Does Henry have to fabricate a lot to mount it in there?

Gordon

Gordon, my first IM also had an unassisted VW Passat rack and pinion (now Karl Macklin's car) and the steering response is totally slack-free and perfectly positive. My new car has an unassisted VW Golf R&P (smaller and lighter); sorry - when I was in Vancouver I didn't pay any attention to how IM mounts the Golf unit.