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So, are you a newbie when you join the site or a newbie only after you get your first car? Can you be a newbie and have a community rank under 100?

 

Regardless, you all know I started my search for the right speedster in mid December of 2013. I reached out to many members for advice. Troy, Alan, Bob G, Tom, Alb, Jane, MusbJim - etc; the list goes on and on. If I forgot any of you, it's nothing personal. You all helped me get where I am today. Each of you told me the same thing - "Be patient, you will find the right car...".  You know the rest of the story... I spent the next couple of months running around like an a**... er... lunatic. I scoured craigslist and the samba, daily - trying to find a car. I think I asked poor Troy to sell me one of his cast offs, at least 3 times.

 

Musbjim and ALB were integral players in my search. Both volunteered to go look at several cars for me. Jim kept me from buying that clapped out car from Topanga Canyon. ALB risked deportation and drove across the border to check out a car in Norther Washington. That car turned out to be a solid project, but with the tiny motor and high asking price, I kept looking.  Then there was the mystery owned white IM in Texas. Another SOC member offered to go have a look at that car for me, before we learned that it wasn't even in Texas. It was 600 miles North! This may have been my wake up call. About that time I wound up drinking a six pack of beer with Theron in his garage. All the while, trying to get him to let me drive one of his cars!  BobG kept me from throwing in the towel on more than one occasion. I think I've called and/or emailed about no less than 10 cars. Man, there were a lot of frogs out there. The first car was that complete bucket in San Francisco. Then there was the clown car (blue IM with orange empi 5's.) - It's a wonder I didn't end up with that gray 'one of a kind' speedster that's listed as 'make offer' on the samba right now.

 

This was literally the second car I called about back in December. At the time, the seller told me he was tired of being low balled so he was going to pull the ad. He finally called me back in early January. We played phone tag and for a while. We locked own a meeting where Jim could once again take time to go check it out for me. Once we had a break in the weather, the car checked out to be a real solid prospect. I worked with the owner and we struck a deal. The car was delivered to Kirk today. Kirk is going to correct a few items and then ship it up North to me.

 

Here is the original ad:

 

Here is the car behind Sir Jim's car (I'm going to put in to have Jim knighted):

 

Here is the car, unhooked and sitting at the shop. It's inside now waiting for some minor adjustments:

 

Jim - no joke, you made this possible. If it weren't for the kindness of your heart and your extreme patience I wouldn't have been able to purchase this car. I owe you a lot for making this possible.

 

/me flashes Jim's trade mark 'hang loose' sign...

 

 

Let the madness begin!

 

Ted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by Rich Drewek:

Way to go Ted...didn't you say you didn't want black? 

Hey Rich, I think I did! LOL!!!

 

That was my party line, right up until the second I saw a black one, then I couldn't think of anything else!  It just looks right. I think the 'Bad Speedster' out of Reno, NV was the one that turned the tide for me. That car is spot on 100% out of sight.

 

Thanks for the well wishes,
Ted

 

 

Originally Posted by art:

Ted;

 

Great news, good luck with your new speedster.  Nice pipes btw.

 

Art

Hey Art!


I think those pipes are coming off soon. I'm going to order up a set of Kadrons and an A1 Sidewinder from the Kaddie Shack.

 

I'm also going to put some wide 5 disks up front.

 

Is it spring yet?


Ted

Originally Posted by MusbJim - '95 VS SoCal:

I'm flattered by the bromance abounding here! 

 

I told Ted that there are a lot of guys on this site that would do the same if the car were in their area. That's the kind of gearheads we have on SOC!!

 

Looking forward to meeting up with Ted and his 'new' Speedster at the 2014 West Coast Cruise in San Luis Obispo!! 

Jim,  I enjoyed your post on the Sidewinder.  But I also noticed in the vid, a very smooth shifter,  who's is it?  I have an Empi and it reminds me of a 1976 Volvo I had.  Thanks,  Art

Originally Posted by Troy Sloan:

Ted.  Why are you buying an A1 Sidewinder from anyone other than directly from Tiger at A1, where they are made?

Huh?! I wasn't aware I could do that.   Great idea. I'll use the search button to find out how.

 

They aren't any cheaper going directly to Tiger are they?

 

Ted

Uh, Jim...in the last photo there looks to be an open pizza box sitting in the right seat.

Would you care to divulge the variety? Let me guess, Hawaiian?

 

Good eye, Terry! Actually, it was the 'Guamaniac Special' (pepperoni and fish heads)! 

 
Originally Posted by art:
Originally Posted by MusbJim - '95 VS SoCal:

Jim,  I enjoyed your post on the Sidewinder.  But I also noticed in the vid, a very smooth shifter,  who's is it?  I have an Empi and it reminds me of a 1976 Volvo I had.

Thanks, Art! I have only a stock VW shift stick. I just gots mad shifting skilz! 

 

 @Ted - I don't think A-1 Performance has a website. They are located on Grand Ave, Santa Ana, CA. Tiger is the owner proprietor and is very a knowledgeable & cool dude! 

Last edited by MusbJim

OMG JIM!? The mere thought of peperoni and fish heads made my skin crawl. Full body goose bumps! I know you were kidding, but DAMN dude.

 

I searched the interwebs and found the number for A1. I called Tiger directly. He set me straight. It turns out that the version being offered by the Kaddie Shack isn't an ORIGINAL A1. It's a reproduction. Apparently not always true to form. To be fair, Jeff didn't say it was an 'A1 Sidewinder', he said "Sidewinder".  I'm the one who assumed it was an A1. Shame on me. I didn't know the cost of the original until Tiger told me. The difference was a huge indicator that something was amiss. As such,  I went ahead and dropped the coin for the original.

 

I work in an industry were our work is 'knocked off' all day long. I believe in giving the original artist their due rewards. If we don't pay for the R&D that went into the original, there is no motivation for others to create new goods and services.

 

I'm still going to upgrade to dual carbs and ratio rockers.

 

The madness has officially taken hold,

 

Ted

Hey Tom!

 

Thanks again for letting me bend your ear while I was looking. Much appreciated.

 

I thought the looking was hard. The waiting is killing me!

 

 

I talked to the shipper at 6:00 when I was leaving the office. He said he was about 100 miles out.

 

I'm thinking that he'll be here before 8:30 or 9:00.  You know what's funny? Any noise outside sounds like an 18 wheeler crawling up the hill to the house. My wife thinks I've lost my mind. She may be right.


Ted

You are too funny, Ted! Many of us have been through the same thing!

 

Make sure that fridge has plenty to drink and snack on, because once the car is dropped off and in the garage (I bet a dollar you take it for a quick spin around the block first), you'll be spending the rest of the night staring and gawking at your new ride from every angle possible and probably fall asleep in the driver seat! 

It's here!  I present the Schwarz Fräulein:

 

 

 

WOW. There she is.  My face hurts from the giant SEG. l drove it around our little town and back up the hill.

 

I'll dig into it a bit more tomorrow after work. She's really dirty and has a burned out tail light. Other than that, just as Jim described her.

 

Thanks, Troy for the info on the shipper!

Thanks, Jim for the excellent brokerage!

 

I think I might sleep now. I'm exhausted from all this anticipation.

 

Ted

Originally Posted by Theron:

Ted,

Send some pictures of the interior please. I may have owned that car in the past.

Seriously!

-=theron

The guy I got it from has owned it since 1998. Al something or other. The interior is basically overstuffed speedster seats and black carpet. Kirk did a bunch of work on it in 99 and 2000.  He did a little bit more work on in 2014 too! 

 

I need some SPEESTER logos and a new rear deck grill. New tail light rubbers, etc.

 

Dr Clock - what do you have in your pile o bits?

 

 

 

 

Last edited by TRP

Thanks gang for all the well wishes. I'm beat. Going to bed.

 

Jim - I received the title and the doc you shipped. I owe you a few rounds at SLO.

 

Thank you, and good night... (Elvis has left the building... you can find him in the garage sleeping in his car.)

 

P.S.

I fixed the tail light. It wasn't burned out, the connections were corroded. Just cleaned 'em up with a little emery cloth.

 

 

Last edited by TRP

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