What would you do differently?

I take possession of my first Speedster in a few weeks, any while I have the opportunity, I'm trying to siphon as much knowledge and as many tips from you guys as I can. I want to make as few of the newbie mistakes as possible. Having said that, think back to your first year of Speedster Ownership. What would you do differently? What are you glad you did? Thanks!

Just curious--who built your Speedster? v v

Do the cooling upgrades discussed in the Newbies thread, just keep on top of your maintenance with a couple of nice reference books such as John Muir's book and the Bentley Official VW Service manual and enjoy your car....

Brian!

The only mistake you could make as a newbie, is not driving your Speedy anywhere and everywhere at every opportunity!

Enjoy the thrill of open air motoring in a car with timeless design appeal and drawing looks of envy!

It's a 2004 Vintage (I just posted some photos that the current owner sent me). Hey Richard, thanks for all of the information - you have been a great help. Maybe I am being a little over cautious, but I want to enjoy this car for years to come, and I know that it starts with knowledge, proper maintence and lots of care.

Brian that is one gorgeous car. Well done. I think you need to know the little secret. Smiling and laughing all by yourself while driving is normal. No need to see a shrink. You'll have a blast. Cheers mate!

Brian--I had a 2002 Vintage as a daily driver until I discovered that every time it rained I had an inch of water in all floorboard sections front and back. Road water splashing in. My mechanic tried sealing it up 3 different times (Kirk paid), but to no avail. I don't have that trouble in my Spyder because of the frame and body design differences. Hope you don't intend to drive it in the rain very often. v v

Same here Vicki; it appears that's one of the "characteristics" of cars by VS. I enjoy it nonetheless but it limits the amount of use I can give it; I don't use it if rain is even possible which makes it rather stressful here in tropical weather.

"it appears that's one of the "characteristics" of cars by VS"

Completely UNACCEPTABlE ! ! ! I sure wish that you lived near by, I'd have it fixed in the time that it took you to order and eat a pizza.

It's just fiberglass, a metal sealing edge and a gasket if you're lucky. Sometimes it's just caulk . . . any other gaps or holes should be filled before the body is mounted. If it's leaking around a grommet or sleeve, replace it with one that fits tight and seals properly.

For cryin' out loud . . . these things are expensive!

I know TC; I tried with that self expandable foam under every joint underneath but still....I don't have even the slightest idea on how to fix it definitively! I've heard that even the original ones were prone to turning into swimming pools under the rain.

The one thing I'd do differently...

I wish my VS was prepped and painted to the quaity standards of JPS paint shop.
For example:
Vintage doors (especially drivers door) is pretty wavey. If your color is Yellow or Silver it's probably OK. Red black or any dark color and... well look down the drivers side of any Vintage that has the production paint job and you'll see the wash board I'm talking about.

GregB

TC, Viki, Ricardo, et al-

re: the leaking pan, subframe junction

The problem described is not unique to Vintage speedsters, I had two pan based speedsters (one CMC, one JPS)- they both leaked in this seam. The problem is that the pan shape is pretty complex in this area, and the body subframe is pretty simple.

It would seem to be easy to correct during the build with a liberal dose of expanding foam sealant- but my JPS had been foamed, and still leaked. I pulled up the carpet, and caulked the seam (twice), but getting to the seam from the underside of the car, once the transaxle is already in place is nearly impossible.

It's a really big problem. It's not just water that leaks- cold air just pours through the seam. I know it was a deal breaker for Viki, it was a large contributing factor in my upgrading to an Intermeccanica. A car that can't be used unless it's sunny is a good proposition, if you live in LA, and not so good in most other places.

I had significant amounts of leaking in my car as well. What worked for me was expanding foam sealant applied in the rear wheel well near the subframe. I just sprayed a huge amount of foam sealant in that area and let it drip down and expand. That solved my leaking issues from the back of the car. The front leaks in my car were mainly caused from water channeling into the windshield posts and dripping down where they are bolted to the body (inside the windshield posts). I rigged up a tube to catch this water and route it down one of the steel subframe tubes and out the bottom of the car. Those two fixes have solved about 96% of my leaking.

I probably sound like a broken record, but unless Vintage has upgraded their wiring and fuses, that area will be one of your first upgrades, do-overs or in my case, fall into the category of things I'd do differently from the beginning...

Otherwise, I don't see how a person can go wrong with a neat little car for around $25K+/-

I've done over my wiring, I've enhanced my sub-par paint job with a cool stripe. I have two sets of bumpers for two different looks. I have gone from 70HP to 135HP to more than 200HP. I have three sets of wheels, again, for three different looks. I have two sets of racing numbers, well most of two colors.

It is part of what makes these cars fun in my book. You can mold or morph them (no pun intended) into numerous looks. I don't think you can do that as readily with real-deal P-cars.

My next car may be a little more committed to one look, but it's a cinch I'll know what to watch out for the second time around in replicar country...

For those of you using "foam" to seal the water leaks, I believe there are TWO distinct types of foam, closed cell and open cell. I've used some of this stuff around the house, but not on a car. It seems to me that open cell foam is inviting water to be captured like a sponge and therby enhancing rust. Seems like you should be VERY SURE you are using closed cell foam before proceeding.

Reminds me of a story (sorry). Was working for G M in 1966 at a Pontiac assembly plant as a design engineer. We were investigating water leaks around the rear tail light castings. We would climb into the trunk with a flashlight and ride the vehicle through a water spray booth. I started to climb in the trunk when an assembly line worker pulled me back and pretended to show me something. Since the assembly line never stops, my boss, who was next up, climbed into my vehicle. When he got out of the water spray booth we found out there was no rear window in that vehicle. The trunk was filled with several inches of water. My boss was pretty wet. That assemble line worker was definitely after the "boss", not me! Just ask me about the quality of Detroit cars in the 60's!

Thanks for the great ideas. My car is scheduled to arrive on Sunday (my 30th birthday) and I can barely sleep at night.

Hey David - I (and I'm sure a lot of other people who read this forum) would LOVE to hear more stories from your days at an assembly plant in the 60's. Just start a thread and let the tales begin!

Congrats Brian,

I know the feeling... I just got mine 3 weeks ago, I still get that grin every time I walk out the garage door... (hope that never ends) And of course I say "Good Morning, you gorgeous thing, ready to go to work?