wheelbase CMC widebody

Nope - exact same size. Both shortened 10" (11 1/8" with 1 1/8" overlap) according to manual.

thanks guys,  glad to be here..

If you want the actual number, the 356 wheelbase is 2100 mm.

They sure look good when done right. Mine is a rework in progress...

They do look great, I just started my build, I recently picked up a cmc california body,  I will post my progress..

Nice, we like pictures and progress!

Although the FF/CMC build manual is rather cryptic it is a big help --- along with advice from DrClock who can put them together virtually in his sleep.  The manual is located in the Library here but does require you to be a donating member.  You can view, print or download it.

 

The instructions there are comical for shortening.  It involves the use "straight" wood 2x4s".  Good luck finding those at Lowes or HD!  I did mine that way but I'm sure there are more precise ways to ensure an arrow straight chassis that doesn't "crab" down the road or have a hump in it.

 

The CMC 359 seems to have a longer chassis - with more room in engine by.  Have never seen a manual for it.  There aren't many 359'd around.

I resemble that statement !

You're showing your age Curly.  I just chimed in because I want to follow the progress on this car also.  Good luck Paisa62.  Do you have a real name?  Oh, and where in the hell did you find a CMC body?

the name is John, down in Tampa FL ,  I am a car builder with a few builds done so far, I have been wanting to build a speedster for a while now and decided to get it going so that I might make next years Carlisle show, I have taken other cars to Carlisle but this will be my first 356,  a few months ago I picked up a complete set of molds from a CMC speedster C and just kicked off the project a few weeks ago. I am glad to have found this site as I am certain everyone's input will be very helpful. I have a few twists in mind just to be a little different, but I am still researching and trying a few things out.  I will fill everyone in later on all the details and I will certainly post my progress on here.  thanks again to all, glad to be here.. John B 

Just a few ideas for flared bodies

Very nice, Thanks

John,

If you want, send me an e-mail note as to how I can contact you in FLA.  My winter home is in St. Pete Beach.  I have a CMC wide body I bought three years ago.  I am in FLA mid November thru end of April.

 

craig (deweybeachcraig@msn.com)

 

There's another set of CMC wide body molds here in Crestview, FL. Is your's C - Calif (wide body) or C - Classic?

 

Same guy has a hard top that I'd like to see him flash a few copies of! 

Damn, Craig!! - That car looks awesome !!!

It is a California wide body and it is the crestview molds, I picked them up a few months back, my plan is to make a few cars with them....

 

I'm in for a hardtop for my CMC widebody if anyone makes any. - Bayniac

Yeah - FL time seems to be more slow paced that northern time (heat and humidity have big impact).  Argh, Not that I'm that Speedie! One Soc'er even suggested a nice carbon fiber pattern.  Need to find an out of work/retired boat builder!

There's more to making a hardtop fit than you might expect. It certainly will not be a plug and play situation for anyone. If you're not comfortable frigging with fiberglass, frigging with the top bow,  frigging with rubber trim, then the rear window stuff and ancillary attach stuff, perhaps allude to another direction.

 

On the other hand, I really like my hardtop. Much more headroom and more baggage space behind the seats for luggage etc. No more noise than a soft top either. You'll need another set of side curtains too.

With a speedster the roof line is already low so how much higher is it with a hardtop. Also David, I could hardly fit in a speedster, so I have a roadster and I got all sorts of mods to accomodate a long torso, so I passed on the hardtop but I think they are so cool and I need to try one before I jump to get one. Ray 

How about -

 

 

Here's a pic of the hardtop last Spring and another of the same angle with the soft top. I'm a medium size guy ( say 5' 10" )  but with age and any top up, it's slow to get into and slow to get out of. My favourite scenario is convertible roof down. I only put the roof up if it rains.

 

Thanks to Carl Berry...I had an opportunity to try a hardtop and I love it. Great for after summer seasons or early in the year and I have plenty of heat to go with it.

 

The hardtop is a little higher in the side window area but way higher inside ( headroom ).  I'd really like to have a Roadster too but they're hard to come across at the right time.

 

Anyone been to Oatman, Az in a Speedster ? If so you might have met the lad in the third pic. He runs the joint....

David,

Even with the heads up the third photo was a surprise!

Nicely done.  If you had the high bow softtop I guess you would have more room.

 

3rd picture, I met that guy or his brothers in another country his name is Hamoor if I remember.

WOW

a lot of great insight here, I personally can do with out the look of the hardtop although I can see the obvious advantages of having both, I will most likely design a hardtop for my build and if anyone is interested I can pop out a few.we will see how it goes..  thanks all.  John

Interesting comment, John. Coming from a lad in Tampa, Florida it makes some sense. I can personally do without the look of it too, but the ambition of having one completely outweighed the cost and effort to make it work. I do enjoy having it, again thanks to Carl Berry. The reality about popping out a few is that NONE will "nicely " fit the customer's car. It will still be a cut / add / fit and tweak scenario. These cars are not all the same.

 

This is late August 2015. Check in a year later ?

As far as I know David all builders go through the same routine if they offer a hardtop, file, cut, fit, and on an on it goes until you get an exact fit then off to the painters and refit weatherstripping and final adjustments. not for the faint of heart great job on that fit. Ray 

Damn, Craig!! - That car looks awesome !!!

 

Thanks Gordon.  I sent you a private message with a link to see more pics.  The more I read about this simple car, the more I'm concerned that "IT IS NOT SIMPLE".  

Glad you are along to help those of us getting our feet wet in the sinking madness.

 

craig

I'll honestly say that I am not a big fan of silver cars - it seems as though everyone has one in various shades from liquid silver to shades of gray.

 

BUT.......When they're done right, with a little more vision of the finished product and tastefully brought together, they can be awesome, as is yours.

 

Good job, Craig.

Gordon, Colours, most popular is white, followed by black & silver  etc etc. Porsche always seemed to have a classic silver colour I had a dark brown metallic and it looked black most times and it was a lot of work to keep clean, I went with a Lunar Grey Jaguaar colour because it made the jag look like a 60's saloon that I remembered from my youth. I think it looks pretty cool on my new IM. But your right you can get bored of seeing the standard boxter in silver, all over. Ray

Silver is the German Formula 1 color
> On Aug 23, 2015, at 12:40 PM, SpeedsterOwners.com <alerts@hoop.la> wrote:
>

Tom's right, of course.  And British racing green, french racing blue, red for Italy, white with blue stripe (aka Shelby Mustang) for US, Gold for Mexico and of course pale violet for Egypt.

 

Hey Todd, now you know what color to paint your next car... pale violet ;-)

Sorry John, we have a problem getting off topic at times.  However, it's still good reading.  As to the Silver color; when my car was for sale, several buyers asked the seller what was wrong with the paint.  He had taken all the pictures on a cloudy day and it did look dreadful.  I went to see it in person and was impressed.  Slight metalic in the paint and it glowed.  This car is an older CMC (no record of the build date). Some of the mechanical damage was from years of wear even with low milage (under 7000).  Original paint (No signs of repaint anywhere) while it looked as if the car sat outside, uncovered for an extended period due to evidence of interior water damage and leaves under the seats.  If you looked at this car up close, you would think the paint was brand new. Smooth as glass, no orange peel. Whoever did it was good.  Silver was why I went with black wheels. I didn't think chrome stood out with the silver paint.

 

Craig ,,I think it's great that these threads get off topic sometimes and so many conversations can be had, bringing all of us together from a'll over the world . I think it's amazing.. as for me I think it's all about the accent colors interior, trim, dash, rims and how much chrome is what ties it all in. I think all of your cars on here look great and the stories and  history of each car preaty amazing. I belive most of you feel the same way that's what makes us all car guys. John