Another Speedster project

@ALB posted:

I'm jealous, @AllnuttS! (and all you other guys with big space)  I live in a townhouse with a double (19x19') garage (which sounds large, and is for most people), and while my Speedster, work bench, tool box and the freezer are on 1 side, the other is taken up by Beth's car, shelves along the side holding stuff for 5 people, fridge and built in vacuum, so space is always at a premium.  Oh- I forgot the 5 bikes hanging from the ceiling, and I keep looking for a used milling machine- don't quite know yet where it would go- maybe dump the big lay down freezer? (somehow I don't see that going over too well, no matter what the reasoning is)  Work stuff gets piled around the Speedster so any time I want to do something there's always re-arranging to be done (and then putting it all back so the family-chariot will fit back in for the night).  I'm willing to move (and ready to try to convince my lovely wife) but have yet to find a townhouse with an outdoor pool, hot tub AND garage that takes up the whole basement...  Al

YOU'RE jealous? Hell, that "garage" is 50% larger than my entire 1200 sq.ft. house. I do have an attached garage, though, but Woopee!...it's a 1-car that houses a washer, dryer, gun safe, standing freezer, 2 four-drawer metal cabinets, and my "driver" car (2015 VW Jetta)...not to mention the bicycle and hunting+scuba gear hanging from the rafters. This means Speedie lives in its own 10'x20' secure storage locker 20 miles away. It's a royal PITA, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do! And, before anyone brings it up, I'm not looking for any "sympathy". I already know exactly where I can find all I need: In the Webster's Dictionary between "sh#t" and "syphilis."

I got it you just have to change that "gun safe" for a Dr Who booth and you can fit anything in it ... Ask Musbjim ) he can travel with all the things he needs in a speedster.

Just had to.

@Napa Paul- Yeah, I hear you- we make do with what we have, but always want more.  And the guys who have what we want have their own set of problems...

@AllnuttS Why did you put a wall down the middle of that gorgeous space?

I have 7 garage bays, 2 of which are in a 30'x30' detached garage (I call it my shop) that are xtra long... and it's still not enough.

@DannyP posted:

@AllnuttS Why did you put a wall down the middle of that gorgeous space?

@DannyP  , check out the shop below.  There was a thread on this build on the Jalopy Journal, but the pictures are all gone now.  The bay on the right side was walled off from the rest. He used this as the dirty room for teardown and then as the clean room with air filtration for painting.  It kept the rest of the shop for clean work.  The guys work was really good.  The shop was way nicer than the house!

At Texaco, we want you to come back, that was their advertising in the day.

@IaM-Ray posted:

At Texaco, we want you to come back, that was their advertising in the day.

Of course you'd go back, because you can trust your car to the man who wears the star.

Having grown up with a 120’ X 40’ garage and a well equipped shop, it’s hard to pare down to a 24’ X 24’ and scrunch my tools into that small a space.  My Dad’s snowmobile shed was bigger than my current garage!!  Still, you live with what you have and make the best of it.  I only know of one guy in town who thinks he has more space than he needs but he’s always been kind of a jerk, anyway. The only child of a wealthy couple, he did very little with his life other than waiting for his inheritance.   Just to spite him, his parents both lived to 101 before passing.......  

I am blessed with a bigger garage than I ever thought would be possible—1,200 square feet, nine-foot ceilings, about four bays—with a 4-post lift, a 60-gallon compressor and a lot of 120 outlets and overhead lights.

It's been a fantastic workspace for a decade now, birthing the reconfiguration of our deck, the refurbishment of our living room, a 60-ton garden terracing of our back yard, the Soobification and maintenance of my MGTD replica, Projeckt Spyder, and multiple tables, chairs, carts, bars, and various and sundry fabrications in wood, metal, stone and plastic. Plus a lot of potting and over-winter plant storage and the absorption of some 70 percent of the old Merklin Motors shop inventory.

I cannot put into words my gratefulness for this space.

Somehow it's still never quite enough. And of course it's due for a serious overhaul of the lighting, sheetrock, windows and trim.

I'd like to pretend that, once that's done, I'll become "neat."

Humor me, boys....

I'm still working with the county to confirm setback requirements so I can build my paltry 24' x 24'...  What is crazy is that my property is 1.8 acres, but the county requires a 10,000 sq/ft septic reserve area that currently overlaps part of my garage location. 

I talked to the surveyor who did all of the original work on the plat, septic, and well design and she said I should be able to get variance exceptions and told me how to position it with county well and septic guys.   They are just slowly drip-feeding me responses this week which is annoying, but I'm hopeful I will get it sorted out without having to re-survey the whole property and do new perc tests on the soil. 

If I can get the exceptions I want, I think I can get it up to 25' x 25' or maybe 25' x 26', which from the responses here would be well worth it. 

But alas, my fate is with the county government on this one. 

A family member inspects septic tanks and field bed systems and he says the newer beds are quite compact and do not need as much length in piping, tiles.

Also, I have found that the building permit clerk will answer questions one drop at a time so it could talke you 3 months to get enough info to get a preliminary sketch or drawing approved on the location of the garage vis a vis la maison/ your house to the  whole land.

My suggestion is to go with a sketch and keep asking questions daily if you have to and ask where in the building code can you find the rules clearly written.  Reading you might find a solution to your problem.  Another way is to drive around your neighbourhood and look as how others have built.  It can reveal a way that others utilized to get around or get a compromise from the agency.

1975 I did my parents septic system in a lake community. Back then the Health Department was the go to source for info and inspections. I drew up a simple diagram showing property lines, house and the proposed system. The H.I. said I'm impressed with the detailed drawings most waltz in here with a cocktail napkin drawing and expect that to fly. I told the H.I. I was renting a back hoe on the weekend and dragging friends into this project. The H.I. told me not to back fill it in as he needed to inspect and take photos on Monday. , I reminded him that I was renting the back hoe the H.I. says to me I'm sure you have Polaroid camera, just take a few photos and that will be fine, I would never get away with that these days . That project was the last thing I did with my dad, he passed 5 weeks later.

@DannyP posted:

@AllnuttS Why did you put a wall down the middle of that gorgeous space?

@DannyP,  Appreciate the compliment.   It’s been a dream to be able to have a garage like this and I am fortunate that my wife and kids enjoy the car hobby.  To be honest, working on cars and projects in the garage has given me the most rewarding and bonding time with my kids.   My son has exceed my mechanical knowledge and abilities in a heartbeat.  It’s amazing what they can learn on YouTube these days.  We had to buy Chiltons manuals when I was growing up.    @LI-Rick was correct.  Just that front corner is walled in for a clean room.  The studded wall next to the 4 post lift is now covered solid on both sides and ceiling being added to that area. That narrow area, left of the lift in the pic, is now covered with the wife’s door wreaths for every holiday and occasion. She uses the 2’ deep shelves to the right for other clean storage. I had to give her some room in the 1800 sq ft. The 4 post is really used to stack and store the toys for easy access and occasional oil change. The area in front of the clean room, is open and set up for a future 2 post lift.  That will leave the rear area open (~16’ wide by 60’ long with 12’ wide doors on each end).  I can drive straight through with truck, trailer or boat if needed.  Right now it has the zero Turn mower and too many toys in the way to do that.  Looking forward to many more years and projects with kids in this new garage. Enjoyed seeing other’s garage postings .

I absolutely LOVE your garage AllnutS! What is your first name, again?

@DannyP posted:

I absolutely LOVE your garage AllnutS! What is your first name, again?

Sorry, I always try to end with the first name.  
First name is Stephen

@IaM-Ray posted:

I got it you just have to change that "gun safe" for a Dr Who booth and you can fit anything in it ... Ask Musbjim ) he can travel with all the things he needs in a speedster.

Just had to.

I don't/can't understand "change the 'gun safe'." Where would I put all the firearms that don't fit into my other two gun safes in the house? I learned decades ago that while you can have too many cars and "toys" , ....you can't have too many guns.

@DannyP posted:

@AllnuttS Why did you put a wall down the middle of that gorgeous space?

I put a wall down the middle of my garage as well.

The longsuffering Mrs. Galat requested, "no more metal shavings" on her side or in the house. It works well to segregate the unwashed masses from more genteel folk.

I went from 3 stalls and 32 x 40 (x 14 ft high, then an 8 ft "hay mound" loft) barn at the "big house" to a space that defies description, but which is much smaller and at the same time more posh at the new "in town" place. Space saving went so far as to hang an 80 gal 2 stage Quincy  compressor from the ceiling above the blast cabinet. I can fit 4 vehicles in "my side" if I make use of both lifts. It's tight.

I can tell you this with absolute certainty-- it is far, far easier and less expensive to just build a big building that to try to make a small space work like a big one.

@Napa Paul posted:

I don't/can't understand "change the 'gun safe'." Where would I put all the firearms that don't fit into my other two gun safes in the house? I learned decades ago that while you can have too many cars and "toys" , ....you can't have too many guns.

well it was the only thing that came to mind at the moment that I wrote it. :_)

@MarylandGuy posted:

I'm still working with the county to confirm setback requirements so I can build my paltry 24' x 24'...

Can you do a mezzanine (great for storage) over part of it?

The design I have would make the garage ceiling about 10' high and it would have a 12/12 pitch roof which would give me an 8' x 24' attic space up top with 8' ceiling.  Plan is to put the steps up to it on the inside of the garage in the back, but some people in this thread have put them outside, which has me thinking about that.   

I'm going to stretch the dimensions as much as the county will allow me with septic reserve setback exceptions, but from what I'm seeing, 25' wide by 26' long is probably the upper limit unless I want to dig up and replace my septic system... at that point you sell the house and start over.   

"Plan is to put the steps up to it on the inside of the garage in the back, but some people in this thread have put them outside, which has me thinking about that. "

What about a spiral staircase inside to conserve space?

Also thinking about a rope ladder and fireman's pole if the county squeezes me to less than 24x24... 

@Stan Galat posted:

I put a wall down the middle of my garage as well.

The longsuffering Mrs. Galat requested, "no more metal shavings" on her side or in the house. It works well to segregate the unwashed masses from more genteel folk.

What is it with women and their distaste for metal shavings??

Conventional stairs take up a huge amount of space-- space you can't possibly have in a 24 ft square building.

You can't get anything but yourself up a spiral stairs, and spiral stairs are not inexpensive. They still take up a space 6 ft square.

When considering how to use the space above the shop for storing large and seldom used things in the big-house barn, I looked to old barns with haymounds for inspiration. Most of then had a ladder and small access on the gable end of the building (near the peak on an outside wall) then a large access hole with an insulated panel in the center of the space. The hay barns had a block and tackle arrangement hanging from the ridgeboard at the peak, allowing a person to lift heavy things through the large access. I had a scissor lift to use, but a simple Harbor Freight winch would lift everything you needed up into the "haymound".

I'd recommend a short extension ladder for the "man hole" access, rather than a straight vertical ladder on the wall, but either will work. Both access holes (man hole and cargo hole) can be drop-in insulated panels. This is much, much less expensive than any kind of staircase, and allows very large things (seats, spare engine shrouds, etc.) to be stored "up".

Whatever you build, plan on maximizing every square inch of the space, because you'll need it.

I may have mentioned this before, but my neighborhood was built and, years later the town came through and added a neighborhood sewer system.  That system has a “T” between my house and my neighbor with the mainline to the local pump/treatment center going between and behind our houses through a vacant field out back.  Everyone in the neighborhood connects to the sewer line right in front of their house.

I submitted the plans to the building dept and got a go-ahead for a garage next to the house and set back about 30 feet to allow access to the 1-bay garage under the house and was OK’d by the BI because there was no sewer interference.  So the next week I get a guy in to dig the trenches for the foundation and he starts doing a great job.  After getting the front and sides dug he started  across the back.  Suddenly, this pickup truck comes tearing into the driveway and some guy jumps out and comes running over to the excavator, waving his arms and jumping around and yelling “STOP!” until the operator stops.  

Then he tells us that he’s the Health Inspector and just checked the sewer drawings and my house is the only one in the neighborhood that doesn’t connect going out through the front yard - My house’s sewer connection goes out the back, across the back yard and connects to the main line between us and the house next door, kinda-sorta right where we’re digging.  

So, now that everything’s stopped he goes back to his truck and comes back with a “pipe sniffer” and starts at the back of the house, finds the exiting pipe underground and follows it across the yard and right behind where we’re digging.  The pipe is, quite literally, six feet behind where the guy was digging.  Normally, nothing should be closer than 8’ from a sewer line but he let us go because (1.) we had already finished the other three walls and half of the back and  (2.) it was only a garage and we weren’t going down more than 6’ for the footings, anyway (his drawing showed the pipe down 8’).

I’ve seen Mike, the HI, from time to time (he’s retired now) and we both get a good chuckle out of this house being unique in a neighborhood that has a lot of other eccentricities, too.  Just another day in the life of a small town.  

Great story, Gordon.

Sewers came through in Central Illinois farming towns in the late '50s/ early '60s, and are generally a mess. Many, many places just took the seepage bed line off their septic tank and connected it to the sewer (it was far less expensive and easier than removing the tank and doing it the right way).

The net/net of that is that eventually the tanks all filled up with sediment and plugged the laterals connecting to the mains running down the alleys. It often took 40 years, but we were still digging up long buried septic tanks and laterals across people's back yards in the 90s. I think I helped a friend with his in the early '00s.

Sewer work is why I never went into dad's (very successful) plumbing business. I just couldn't do it.

@Lane Anderson posted:

"Plan is to put the steps up to it on the inside of the garage in the back, but some people in this thread have put them outside, which has me thinking about that. "

What about a spiral staircase inside to conserve space?

Spiral stairs are terrible to carry anything up or down.

Pull down attic stairs is what I would use if space is that tight.

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@Stan Galat posted:

...Sewer work is why I never went into dad's (very successful) plumbing business. I just couldn't do it...

I think this is the same reason many people avoid careers in politics.

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Yes pulldown stairs are a good compromise, but are narrow to fit stairs and handrails between the joists. Consider the ideas above about a separate access hatch to hoist large objects up, or hay-loft doors at the end of the second story.

Sometimes those sewer pipefitters become heroes.  Chris Etre was the guy running the excavator for me that day, and he also does most of the sewer or water works all across town.  He's now a local hero.   I always buy him and his crew a "Box o' Joe" at Dunkies when I catch any of them in there.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/w...ng-vehicle/30230407#

how about a ladder,when ur done store it against the wall

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Incredible story, Gordon. Ten o'clock at night, probably 30-degree water, and he thought to dive in with a wrench in his hand!

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I've got a hatch into my rafters. The space above is small and cramped by trusses, but the PO—who was a head taller and 100 pounds heavier than me—did store several items up there "long term."

One such item is a stainless (or polished aluminum?) diamond plate locking pickup truck box, sized for an unknown make and model of common American Monster Truck (my guy had both Ford and Dodge parts strewn about the place when we moved in). I've never touched it in 10 year's residence but I probably ought to haul it down and put it on Craigslist.

Not absolutely sure how I could do that. The thing is big, if not heavy, and the slot in the ceiling is narrow. I foresee terrible trouble if/when I try to wrestle it down, even as I envision the PO having put it up there as easily as I might stow a box of facial tissues on top of the fridge.

The other great find up there was an engine hoist. To get it down, in pieces, I parked my pickup truck under the hole and bolted a comealong to the ridge beam. It did take some doing.

All of which is my long way of endorsing @Stan Galat's advice re big, outdoor hatch access with a built-in carrying beam above, with a smaller, ladder (or pull-down ladder! why not?) access inside.

It's easy and classic and inexpensive it just works.

But consider one other option, if you will:

The common 4-post lifts do not require bolting-down to the floor and, in the case of my Direct Lift, came with a snap-on caster set which has allowed me to roll it around inside the garage and even, on one occasion, out on the the driveway.

If a 4-post is in your plans, you will have what amounts to a built-in freight elevator—albeit a somewhat balky one.

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Ed, this reads like one of those FaceBook IQ tests.

How did Bob get both the truck box and the engine hoist out of his garage loft?

I'm betting he used the engine hoist to lower the truck box through the narrow opening, but it sounds like it's too late to do anything about that now.

When you sell the house, just list the truck box as an upgrade.

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I have seen people build a platform on Ytube to lift stuff to the second floor, it takes up essentially enough wall space.  Mind you, you could have rolling counters, or work bench under it but you will lose the height.  I also have seen stairs that are lifted in the air and locked in place when unused and depending on the location it might work to allow for workspace on the side of the car is it is on one of the walls.

Many ways to do it. but the more complexities the less you will like having to move stuff around to do anything.

"All of which is my long way of endorsing @Stan Galat's advice re big, outdoor hatch access with a built-in carrying beam above, with a smaller, ladder (or pull-down ladder! why not?) access inside."

Agree.  When I had my replacement 'barn' built, I specified an external lift beam at each end, and a swing door just below.  I haven't used them much, but they are there when needed.

To be clear, you don't have to put a large exterior door and extended beam in the gable end (although that works).

You can put a hole in the center of the ceiling of the building, and create a panel that lays in the hole. Then simply secure a cable hoist to the ridge board inside the building and lift up through the hole. This method is 100% weather-tight, and super-simple.

Very cool barn, Bob!  You know, you've seen my garage and I've just got a couple things...

@Stan Galat posted:

To be clear, you don't have to put a large exterior door and extended beam in the gable end (although that works).

You can put a hole in the center of the ceiling of the building, and create a panel that lays in the hole. Then simply secure a cable hoist to the ridge board inside the building and lift up through the hole. This method is 100% weather-tight, and super-simple.

A very neat solution!  That's similar to how I get into my attic, without the cable hoist that is, although that might be an idea...

@Bob: IM S6 posted:

A very neat solution!  That's similar to how I get into my attic, without the cable hoist that is, although that might be an idea...

Thanks. It really did work fabulously, and had the benefit of being stone-simple.

I have a pull-down stair to my garage attic and it is very difficult to get stuff up and down. What I take up and down most often is wheels with tires mounted when I do the summer/winter switch.  It is hard to fit me and the wheel through the opening at the same time.  One time I dropped a wheel when I was squeezing through the opening.  Maybe I should consider the added hatch scheme.

@Sacto Mitch posted:

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Ed, this reads like one of those FaceBook IQ tests.

How did Bob get both the truck box and the engine hoist out of his garage loft?

I'm betting he used the engine hoist to lower the truck box through the narrow opening, but it sounds like it's too late to do anything about that now.

When you sell the house, just list the truck box as an upgrade.

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Nope. The hoist cannot fit in the space when assembled.

Check out this video.  This is a car guys solution to pull down stairs in his garage. Pretty neat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=emb_logo

@LI-Rick posted:

Check out this video.  This is a car guys solution to pull down stairs in his garage. Pretty neat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=emb_logo

I really like that, Rick-- and bonus points for use of the strut trollies on his wall.

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Bonus points, too, for the Alfa GTV.

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@edsnova posted:

Nope. The hoist cannot fit in the space when assembled.

Alright, thanks for the clarification.

I never get these on the first try.

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Neat concept it could use a railing for safety

and the same concept with an electric hoist would work too,

Why complicate such an elegant design with an unneeded assistance?  I think I’m in love

That's a cool video, Rick.

I have an insulated plywood door in the end of my garage ceiling. It hinges up and leans against the gable end, and is about 4 x 3 feet. On the main beam down the center of the garage I have a ladder hinged to the beam. I simply unhook the ladder and drop it to the floor, then climb up two steps and push the door up. Then I climb up to my "loft". The hole was there, the garage was built in 1950 by my Gramps. I merely made the door and hinged the ladder.

I have a chain hoist and have attached it to the main ridge in the past. I had both a 2.2l Suby motor up there as well as an extra Vanagon motor up there. Easy peasy. It's now full of cut-up Spyder body pieces, extra wheels and tires and a lot of JUNK that needs to be thrown out.

Alan is making great progress on my speedster and doing an absolutely beautiful job.   I decided I wanted a different interior from the beige that came with the kit, and also wanted to do at least some of the build on my end, so I partnered up with my friends mom who is a master seamstress and 2 amazing leather hides (butternut rum from leatherhidestore) to do baseball glove color leather and gray carpet.  Such a nice color combo with aqua marine paint.   Here are some pictures as we get close to finishing.

That's a good looking seat and will really pop with the aqua marine.

Excellent!

Looking really good!

Wow, that's stunning!

Really nice. The Merklin Magic is alive and well.

@MarylandGuy

DANG! That is really turning out to be an awesome build!

Some parts that would normally be a simple bolt in  CMC's and FF speedster builds is not the case with the Thunder Ranch Speedster. The clutch pedal hook shaft, accelerator pivot cable arm both had to be extended to pass through the 1-1/2" square tube frame. I had to change the cable routing to make that function correctly. The pedal assembly sits 9/16" higher off the floor them normal that was a challenge too. Two new but slightly different VW gas tanks the bottom sections did not right into the molded fiberglass "Frunk" well so I'm having one of the two tanks reconfigured at a shop here. The firewall is 1-1/4" forward from the stock position so that moved the master cylinder forward that had... a pop in brake fluid reservoir so on the first turn of the assembled suspension it brushed the left tie rod against the reservoir just enough to make a brake fluid mess, went to Plan B installing the remote reservoir  in the Frunk, that's where most are located.  A lot of different challenges but everything is now coming together w/ all electrical done,  sound insulation material in and now working on the carpet. Even with the resolved quirks this TR Speedster is very well designed. The final door gaps, blocking and awesome Aquamarine Blue paint (done at Moorfield Collision here in WV) is stunning. The Arthritis and Emphysema have slowed my pace some ( I'm not letting the old man in so to speak) but a few more weeks and some sorting miles, it will be ready :~)

It has been a fun experience working with Alan on this, and luckily I'm only about 3.5 hours away and have been able to make a few visits throughout the process to kick the tires.   Alan truly is a master of the craft and a great guy in general. 

I will hopefully be able to show the finished product off to all of you at Carlisle next year, or maybe sooner if we can organize a local drive here in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area. 

@MarylandGuy - Consider the reasonable drive down to Brevard, NC in late September for the Tour de Smo'.  Some of the best roads on the planet.  Some of the best people, too.

"Another Speedster Project "  final update ! Paul and his family came out last evening for to fit Paul to driver's seat position, I finished the build at 11 last night.  Over the last couple of days I've put 18 test miles on it sorting out a few  things. I had Jack at Bug Stuff in West Brownsville, PA build a 1776 to my specs and it pulls very well. Working with Paul Luse has been an absolute joy and he just left this morning with a huge smile on heading for home. I am truly ecstatic as to how this speedster came together, it's a stunning beauty .
While Paul's build was going on, I snuck in two other speedster fixer uppers working on those two extra hours weekends and nights. Both projects (#'s 57 & 58) sold very quickly and now I have a Safari Trail custom dune buggy restoration under way.
Despite 70 and yet to  "let the old man in" my Dr strongly suggested I lighten my load and slow down because of my advancing Arthritis, Fibromyalgia and cruddy lungs. So, Connie and I drive south November1st or sooner for a month or so, visit our close friends  to the places I've never had time to see. May look in north central Florida for an active  senior community ....who knows but I hear change can be good for the heart and sole.

So far, we are about an hour into our drive home and the car is turning heads everywhere.   I will post more pictures later, but here is one from the lovely and eclectic Thomas, WV.   Alan has done a spectacular job on this one.... one of his best pieces of work?   I have to think so!

lookin good

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What, no live streaming of the drive home?

Only hourly reports and still photos?

That's the problem with these damned cars, Paul. We have to polish our presentation skills and learn how to cope with an admiring public.

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that car behing U is dammn near on ur bumper..i always park aways  and walk

That's funny...  the car behind me is my wife's.   She was following me back and we did get it a little close to leave room on the other sides.

Here is a good picture of a scenic overlook about an hour from Alan's place.   That is my oldest son with me.   

Congratulations! Wonderful family picture. Also thanks for letting me discover "Don't let the old man in". I am 85 and doing my best to keep him out!

" Don't Let The Old Man In " .. I'm starting another new thread ... and back to Paul's speedster.

@MarylandGuy- Congratulations, Paul, your Speedster looks great!

And @Alan Merklin wrote- "I had Jack at Bug Stuff in West Brownsville, PA build a 1776 to my specs and it pulls very well."

So, Alan, you know what I'm going to ask-

                                 What's in it?                                                                                                    

_{(and you know what I need to know- what cam, heads and valve sizes, compression, carbs, exhaust, how high it goes with power- did I miss anything?)}

Here is a shot of how the custom interior turned out that I was describing earlier in the thread.   The black carpet pieces are just temporary until I get my cocomats.  Really beautiful leather hide and color matched up perfectly with the paint I think.

That really is a gorgeous car.  Kudos to @MarylandGuy and @Alan Merklin.

Very nice indeed

Who did the seats?

My friend mom is a seamstress and does upholstery work.  She and I did them together.  We were replacing the leather covers that came with the seats and were able to use that for patterns.   Came out really amazing with the diamond stitch and contrasting threat color.

I’m looking to change to leather and would love a set like that!

@MarylandGuy posted:

So far, we are about an hour into our drive home and the car is turning heads everywhere.   I will post more pictures later, but here is one from the lovely and eclectic Thomas, WV.   Alan has done a spectacular job on this one.... one of his best pieces of work?   I have to think so!

@MarylandGuy @Alan Merklin what”s nice is Alan know this cars so well you get a closely sorted out car right of the vet go. Enjoy the Madness. 👍🚘😎

Well guys, I have to say this Speedster is awesome and the madness is quickly sinking in.   I've got about 450 miles on her and after getting a few minor things sorted as expected, this thing is absolutely beautiful and really pulls for a 1776.   

Here are some pictures.   The red speedster belongs to my friend Bill who bought it on here from John in Georgia a couple months ago.   He tagged along for part of the drive home.   

The only thing I want to change is the exhaust... which I guess is a matter of taste.   The standard issue tri mill on this engine build is really loud and throaty.  Hoping to either mod this one or replace with something that is quieter. 

Again, many thanks to Alan for a beautifully and expertly done build!

I was born in Merryland(now CA) sister lives in Crisfield(blue crab capital world).

give that trimill a chance,,going stock VW is quiet...maybe A1 has something, my A1 was deep and throaty,sounded like a sports car..

someone will chime in here..

Love the color.  Very nice!

@barncobob posted:

I was born in Merryland(now CA) sister lives in Crisfield(blue crab capital world).

give that trimill a chance,,going stock VW is quiet...maybe A1 has something, my A1 was deep and throaty,sounded like a sports car..

someone will chime in here..

With my engine setup the Tri Mil sounds more like a harley motorcycle and I would like to mod or swap for more of a deep purr... 

@MarylandGuy

I had the same issue with the Trimil. Swapping for an inexpensive single-outlet muffler was the first change I made to my car -- in a hurry because I was concerned for the neighbors (especially after the car had been delivered late on a Sunday night). I also found a badly sealing gasket on the Trimil as I took it out, so mine may have been worse than yours. I am not focused on maximum power so you may spend more time shopping for equal length pipes than I did. See comparison photos at https://www.flickr.com/gp/farsightful/b744S9

What is the exhaust you put on and how did it affect the sound?   I really love the look of the dual chrome tips, so that may not be something I can step away from, which is why a mod could be an option for me as well. 

@MarylandGuy

Amazon part as quoted below. Sound is still raucous, not a purr, but loudness reduction was in the significant-to-unbelievable range at 10 db (80 down to 70) based on Sound Meter app from Google Play Store, with phone sitting waist-high, 10 ft behind the car and centered, closed garage, 2500 rpm.

@Sacto Mitch video sounds amazing and has your preferred dual tips. I should look again at the price of that. Look out for alternatives that require the exhaust be removed to adjust the valves -- that took at least one alternative off the table for me.

If you go exactly the way I went, note you have to modify or replace the rear engine tin to clear the intake manifold heat risers that the Trimil doesn't have.

Have you asked @Alan Merklin or his engine-builder for his quieter-muffler thoughts?

Bill

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Brain fog , I'm not sure if that model Tri Mill has baffles built into the tail pipes, if not no reason why a slip in  motorcycle baffle wouldn't work.

I like the one @Sacto Mitch has, but it is about $650 shipped from Taiwan, so I would probably want to hear it in person first.

Funny story.   I was driving around my extended neighborhood tonight testing a couple things out and a guy came out in the street and flagged me down.  He said the car was beautiful but didn't sound right at all.   He then proceeded to show me his 356B that hasn't ran since 1983 and his working 914 in his garage.  It was great talking about the history of both and how he wants to get the 356 to turn over.  Really great guy I would never have met without my plastic car.  Now I have someone local to test my vw engine to porsche sound  when I adjust the exhaust.