Build Update

I've updated my profile as well with spec of the car.

Good choice on the seat color/piping

Nice seat color.. be sure that they carefully apply a heat gun to remove the seat wrinkles at the slots.

Looks great, is that a ball joint front suspension you are using ?

Alan Merklin posted:

Nice seat color.. be sure that they carefully apply a heat gun to remove the seat wrinkles at the slots.

Will do, thanks for your advice and keen eyes..

Danny

Bob Z posted:

Looks great, is that a ball joint front suspension you are using ?

 

 

Sorry Bob I am a novice at this. I did not inquire with VS if a ball joint is used or even its purpose/advantage/disadvantage to tell the truth.

Newbie Danny of Nipomo Ca. posted:

Bob Z posted:

Looks great, is that a ball joint front suspension you are using ?

 

 

Sorry Bob I am a novice at this. I did not inquire with VS if a ball joint is used or even its purpose/advantage/disadvantage to tell the truth.

Vintage Speedsters (when it was owned by Kirk) used ball joint front ends. Here's a picture to show the difference:

Easy way to distinguish king & link pin from ball joint beam- look at the top shock mounts. The bj beam has a horizontal piece for the vertical stud from the shock to go through while the k&l uses a horizontal bolt through the shock bushing, just like the bottom.

pix clearly shows BJ

Got it Guys, thanks for all the info, I will absorb all you have to offerlike a sponge! They don't call me a newbie for nothing...I guess you could call my speedster an "entry level" one...

Hi All,

I'm new to the site and forum. I've been looking and researching companies for a Speedster or Spyder.  Might have one built or look for a good pre-owned. I would appreciate any comments you all might have as to the better companies. 

Thanks

Mag9

Try clicking above on Resources and then Speedster Manufactures and check out their websites....I just wanted  a new built so I would not have to worry so much about the unknowns that have occurred to a used one.

Thanks I've looked at all the websites and in fact contacted some of the manufacturers by email. They all seem very helpful but I was wondering if you guys on this forum and any opinion on the better builds. Beck and VS seem quite good. Tube frame vs VW pan? Some have tops and side curtains others do but at a high cost . Both necessary for Florida

Mag9 posted:

Thanks I've looked at all the websites and in fact contacted some of the manufacturers by email. They all seem very helpful but I was wondering if you guys on this forum and any opinion on the better builds. Beck and VS seem quite good. Tube frame vs VW pan? Some have tops and side curtains others do but at a high cost . Both necessary for Florida

@Mag9

Start a new thread Mag9 and ask away. The guys here on the forum will be happy to share all they know. Post every question you can think of. Share where you live, options you desire, budget if you will and any other pertinent questions you want answered. Most of the guys here love to spend other people's money. LOL

My only advice (and what do I know?) would be that few people going into this “hobby” actually know what they want in their car at first blush.  It is usually best to find a used car that has been sorted well (they show up semi-frequently on here) with most of the options you think you’ll want and go for it.  Drive it for a year or two, get used to its’ idiosyncracies and then decide if you want to stick with it (maybe with a few upgrades) or go for another car with exactly what you’ve now found you really want.

"hobby" - uh-uh, it's more like "addiction!"

Just curious, I noticed in the chassis picture the stabilizer bar is touching the inner front bumper bracket. I was wondering if you are going to notch out a space for the stabilizer bar?

Careful, we might be sending you more suggestions than you can handle ... 

JB356SR posted:

Just curious, I noticed in the chassis picture the stabilizer bar is touching the inner front bumper bracket. I was wondering if you are going to notch out a space for the stabilizer bar?

Can you please explain the purpose of notching out a space? In the picture I don't think it is definitively touching though. It may be a mute point because I think the body has already been dropped/attached to the chassis and engine installed just recently. Again, I am a newbie here so please forgive my ignorance if something seems obvious to you and not me..