Hi all - CMC Speedster C

@A Shubox

First off, you might notice that we usually use first names on here.  I'm Gordon from Massachusetts and I built a CMC and you are???

There's nothing wrong with a CMC.  Generally, the bodies were well made, if a little thick in places.  They typically had orange peel in the gel coat and, let's be honest here, things included in the kit were not the top grade and usually didn't fit their respective place.  It was up to the builder, whether a family affair or a semi-professional builder (usually a local autobody shop) to sort all that stuff out and make a safe, drive-able car that looked nice.  If it is new to you, I would look under the front trunk (the "frunk") to make sure that there is a body support just in front of the gas tank.  It's important to have to hold up the front of the body and some backyard builders left them out.

I built mine back in the 1990's without the benefit of this forum, and since that time have gotten a lot of stuff upgraded a little at a time.  I've also added a lot of things, like those tush-cushy seats, the driving lights and a gas heater, among others.  There are a number of others on here, and Alan Merklin in Pennsylvania has built or rebuilt quite a few, as well.  We used to have a couple of second generation CMCs on here (a Street Beast) but I have lost track of where they went after sales.

Anyway, CMCs are as good as the person who built or refurbished them.  Most are very good, some are very, very good and a few, like from George in Texas (you don't want to know him) turn out kinda on the yucky side - But un-caring George sold it to someone who cares and I think it's a pretty good car by now).  So remember that as you're plotting out what you want to change, improve or make nicer:

Always make it look like somebody cared.

Good luck with the new toy, don't be afraid to ask questions and don't get upset if your thread drifts - That's what we're best at and that's usually where most of the really good hints and kinks come from.

Gordon
The "Speedstah Guy" from Massachusetts.

Oh!   And a hearty "Welcome to the Madness!"

Hi, where are you in the GTA? I'm just north of Burlington, BobIM6 is 30 minutes north of here and there's a handful of ON 356 owners here and a few others across the country.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@A Shubox

First off, you might notice that we usually use first names on here.  I'm Gordon from Massachusetts and I built a CMC and you are???

Nice to meet you Gordon. Thanks for the heads up on names.  I've updated my message now.   I'm Ashu Faruki and this is the first in what I hope to be a long line of toys.

@WNGD posted:

Hi, where are you in the GTA? I'm just north of Burlington, BobIM6 is 30 minutes north of here and there's a handful of ON 356 owners here and a few others across the country.

I'm in Milton - just north of you.  I picked up the car from its previous owner in Dundas, ON this past Friday.  Do you ever visit the Optimist Club 'cruise nights' in Milton?

CMC is actually the early IM's step child.  Frank Reisner sold bodies, mold and tooling to CMC (also sold as FF) in 80's.  Where the IMs were built by Frank's team (about 606 cars), the CMC/FF were sold as kits for DIYers. So hit or miss on assembly and finished product.  The bodies were finished gel coat so not as show room as a $4k paint job. Lastly, the company had agreat (nefarious) sales team lead by a crooked CEO (George Levine).  Many customers got incomplete parts leading to the FL State Attorney General stepping in to shut the business practices down. No internet or YELP to complain to back then!

Yes - striker plates can be adjusted - from build manual -

Disclaimer - I have an '88 CMC bought new from them in Miami.  I arranged my own shipping through my brother's company for under $500 (to Northern VA).  I gave CMC my shipping number and they shipped under their own with a COD bill of $1450!  Fortunately it was same company (Pilot Trucking) and my brother was able to use his account.  Then discovered many out of stock/back ordered parts.  Had to keep on them to get parts (no 800# and no free long distance then).  Ended up with 2 hoods (still have a spare) and 2 engine lids (sold extra).  So I got off to a bad customer relations experience.  Then the 40 hour build estimate ....

@WOLFGANG posted:

Yes - striker plates can be adjusted - from build manual -

Thanks for pulling this information together so quickly. It is appreciated. The biggest challenge I'll be having is working with a car that has long been built, loved, rebuilt, painted and loved some more. .  I won't have the luxury of starting from scratch but a little effort won't scare me off anytime soon.

Welcome to the forum Ashu!  As Gordon and others have mentioned you need not feel second class by owning a CMC Speedster. I own a Fiberfab Californian which is is a CMC sold under the Fiberfab name. My car is an unbuilt kit from the late 80's that was assembled by a company in Florida that specialized in building AC Cobra kits and Speedster kits. My Speedster was built in 2006. The owner of this now defunct business kept this Speedster for himself and parked it in a climate controlled building for 11 years before selling it to me with less than 100 miles on it. The car is nicely built and has given me little trouble. I bought the car in 2017 and a year later I sent it to Special Edition to have the VW engine swapped for a 2.5L Subaru engine. It made the car 100% better and even more fun to drive. All said the CMC cars are owned by many on this forum so you are in good company. I like the color of your Speedster. It is similar to mine, which is a Jaguar color.

@A Shubox posted:

I'm in Milton - just north of you.  I picked up the car from its previous owner in Dundas, ON this past Friday.  Do you ever visit the Optimist Club 'cruise nights' in Milton?

Yes I have but don't currently own a 356. My sister and brother-in-law used to have a 120 acre horse farm on 3rd line north of 5th Sideroad back before the town was blown up by development.   

I see VERY few for sale in Canada and never saw that in Dundas. Good score!

PS

Love the colo(u)r

Sweet Speedster.  Kind of an odd intro though, about not feeling second class by owning a CMC Speedster.  I have never felt that way at all about a CMC  in fact, I have always thought that the shape of a CMC Speedster was superior to my Vintage as far as reproducing the Speedster shape. My car has that weird flaw in the panel  in front of the right wheel well that all Vintages have, although maybe that has been corrected by now by Greg Leach.  The CMCs belonging to members of the SOC are almost all great looking cars.  And this blue one with a Suby engine is the epitome to me .  Anyway, no one should denigrate a CMC-- and I'd say that there's not a prettier car out there than Gordon's, which is a CMC.  Just my two cents.

@A Shubox, if you become a supporting member you can download the CMC build manual under Resources at the top of your screen.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@A Shubox

First off, you might notice that we usually use first names on here.  I'm Gordon from Massachusetts and I built a CMC and you are???

There's nothing wrong with a CMC.  Generally, the bodies were well made, if a little thick in places.  They typically had orange peel in the gel coat and, let's be honest here, things included in the kit were not the top grade and usually didn't fit their respective place.  It was up to the builder, whether a family affair or a semi-professional builder (usually a local autobody shop) to sort all that stuff out and make a safe, drive-able car that looked nice.  If it is new to you, I would look under the front trunk (the "frunk") to make sure that there is a body support just in front of the gas tank.  It's important to have to hold up the front of the body and some backyard builders left them out.

I built mine back in the 1990's without the benefit of this forum, and since that time have gotten a lot of stuff upgraded a little at a time.  I've also added a lot of things, like those tush-cushy seats, the driving lights and a gas heater, among others.  There are a number of others on here, and Alan Merklin in Pennsylvania has built or rebuilt quite a few, as well.  We used to have a couple of second generation CMCs on here (a Street Beast) but I have lost track of where they went after sales.

Anyway, CMCs are as good as the person who built or refurbished them.  Most are very good, some are very, very good and a few, like from George in Texas (you don't want to know him) turn out kinda on the yucky side - But un-caring George sold it to someone who cares and I think it's a pretty good car by now).  So remember that as you're plotting out what you want to change, improve or make nicer:

Always make it look like somebody cared.

Good luck with the new toy, don't be afraid to ask questions and don't get upset if your thread drifts - That's what we're best at and that's usually where most of the really good hints and kinks come from.

Gordon
The "Speedstah Guy" from Massachusetts.

Oh!   And a hearty "Welcome to the Madness!"

@Gordon Nichols which brand of seats are they from?  Nice car Shubox. Happy Holidays to all.

da plane da plane! Cordoba Corinthian Leather

Welcome to the group Ashu!  Another CMC/Fiberfab owner here.  I built my car a few years ago, but it's never "finished".    Do you have more pictures?  I always love looking at other 356s.

James, luvin ur car,,,,...thats what i was shooting for but its not what turned out happening..

@James, what size is your spare tire?  I have a space-saver spare now but am thinking of changing to 155/80 if it will fit so it will be approximately the same diameter as my other tires.

@calmotion Those seats are from a 1992 Chrysler LeBaron GTS convertible which I found in a salvage yard.  They are a perfect color match to my CMC vinyl interior.  I pulled most of the easy-to-pull-out interior parts; seats, seat belts, anchors, trim bits, etc.  The bases were about 19" wide so I had to make them narrower down to 16" to fit into the VW pan on the CMC.   All that is talked about here:

https://www.speedsterowners.co...2#426750525251663482

Welcome to the Madness Ashu!

I used to work for Tim Hortons USA, here in Central Ohio, and spent a lot of time at the mother ship in Oakville, just down the road from you!

AS they say, welcome to the madness! Love your topic because I was futzing with my CMC doors last week. The CMCs are fine. Little by little I've been buying better hardware etc. for mine.

And mine went together in 40 hours -like the manual says. Wait for it...  In reality, I started mine when my son was in Jr high, he's a senior in college now. But I'm in the adjustment stage.

Amazing group out here.

I think I hold the record for CMC build time.  I started in 1983 and drove it for the first time in 2013.

If and when Wolfgang finishes his he will surpass me.

Welcome to the group Ashu! I'm sure the folks here will be at your service, and we'd all love to hear of your adventures as you sort and modify your new toy.

That's what we do.

IT'S ALL WE DO!

My wife says she'll bury me in mine and that I'll need 12 strong pallbearers.  Bought mine November 1988. Need to make the decision top up or top down?

Bwaaaahaaaaaaa !  That's the funniest thing on here in a long time !

I guess the bottom has to be very Stiff to hold the occupant

@James posted:

Welcome to the group Ashu!  Another CMC/Fiberfab owner here.  I built my car a few years ago, but it's never "finished".    Do you have more pictures?  I always love looking at other 356s.

I really like the look of the 'classic' 356s.  I hope to get another one in a few years.

One classy and one sassy.  This blue one is going to be the sassy one.

I was thinking of a Subaru swap but I'm leaning toward electric in about 8-10 years.

As for photos... I don't have many since it's only been mine for about four days.  When the weather warms up I'll be taking plenty.

Hi Ashu! welcome to the group. I've got a CMC speedster "C" as well. I'm in London On. I think I saw your car on KIJIJI the other week; wow that didn't take long to sell. Like the other guys have said, you can build these cars to as high a quality as your budget affords. You are going to love the attention and just the sheer fun of driving your speedster! Enjoy!

@jesse postill posted:

Hi Ashu! welcome to the group. I've got a CMC speedster "C" as well. I'm in London On. I think I saw your car on KIJIJI the other week; wow that didn't take long to sell. Like the other guys have said, you can build these cars to as high a quality as your budget affords. You are going to love the attention and just the sheer fun of driving your speedster! Enjoy!

You're right! I bought the one that was listed on Kijiji! Yours looks great with the bumper deleted and those bullet style mirrors.  Did you remove the roll bar or was one never installed?

Hi Ashu, my speedster never came with a rollbar, I have the bumpers and mounting hardware, but just couldn't bring myself to put them on (it's all about personal taste on these cars) The Carerra mirrors I got from Greg @ Vintage Speedsters. The beauty of these cars is you can do what ever you want as far as personalizing them and no one is going to condemn you for it on this sight. You will find an immense amount of knowledge here and overwhelming support in whatever you choose to do with your car.!

@jesse postill posted:

Hi Ashu, my speedster never came with a rollbar, I have the bumpers and mounting hardware, but just couldn't bring myself to put them on (it's all about personal taste on these cars) The Carerra mirrors I got from Greg @ Vintage Speedsters. The beauty of these cars is you can do what ever you want as far as personalizing them and no one is going to condemn you for it on this sight. You will find an immense amount of knowledge here and overwhelming support in whatever you choose to do with your car.!

@jesse postill @@a shubox. The sight wants to contribute to you madness 😎🤙👍🤘

Shubox,

Folks who tell you that they have finished their car are prevaricators of the truth!

None of these cars is EVER finished. There is always something else to do.

One other thing; the limiting factor, on multiple toys, is the time you have to put into each one. My Speedster shares the garage with 4 motorcycles, a scooter, a small machine shop, all kinds of wood working tools and so much other stuff I can barley walk around. Two motorcycles and the scooter need to go!

In my considerable experience 3 devices with engines is about all you can keep running (not including yard tools which always need something).

Best of luck

@Jim Gilbert - Madison, Mississippi posted:

Shubox,

Folks who tell you that they have finished their car are prevaricators of the truth!

None of these cars is EVER finished. There is always something else to do.

One other thing; the limiting factor, on multiple toys, is the time you have to put into each one. My Speedster shares the garage with 4 motorcycles, a scooter, a small machine shop, all kinds of wood working tools and so much other stuff I can barley walk around. Two motorcycles and the scooter need to go!

In my considerable experience 3 devices with engines is about all you can keep running (not including yard tools which always need something).

Best of luck

Jim makes three declarative statements that should be included in the car-guy charter. I'm at 2.5 "fun cars"-- a speedster, a '64 panel bus, and an '05 Cadillac limousine and a DD for my wife. It's perhaps one car too many.

With the eleventy-billion gas-powered lawn/snow devices, there's always one of them which is completely incapacitated (often 2 or more).

I find that I take care of a all the kids DD and that adds to my time constraints so after my IM and my new GTI the others are somewhat neglected.

I'm at 2.5 too. Spyder, Cayman, and Beemer R100.

I got one of them

Ah, snowflakes. Sweet bike. Mine has them too. But mine is a naked bike, no fairing.

I love the Michelin Classic radials I put on it. Really makes it feel planted.

That 'ole Beemer has the CC Products catalog in the engine. This is an old photo, it also has 40mm  DellOrto's.  It's the fastest R100 I've ever ridden...don't ride quiet as fast anymore. I loved the 1975 R90S, so painted it those colors. Not available in 1979.

It is the last in a string of Airhead BMW's I've had. It's my favorite bike.

My friend Mike has a set of Dells, but I'm leaving mine stock. It has a LOT of torque with that 1000cc.

I did the Ton on it, once. That was enough. I usually don't go over 60 on it LOL! The bike rides great, it's me that doesn't like the speed, all exposed out there with no protection.

Pretty sure it's going down the road this spring. I was going to sell it this year but figured I'd wait until after Covid.

Danny,

I had a friend who put 300k miles on an R100. I've got about 70k on this bike. You can likely get about what they cost new, now. I sent a R75/5 to CA last year for $7,500 plus shipping.

Why would you sell a really great bike? I'll probably have this one when I go to my reward ( hopefully I won't get what I deserve).

It'll warm up sometime.

Welcome Ashu - I also own a CMC & have no complaints about mine at all.  Mine has a steel tube frame, glass custom fit hard top and only 3.000 miles on it.  it has every desireable accessory for an OUTLAW version except AC, heat , defrost & rool up windows.  it drives like a go kart with plenty of power and turns tight in curves with 225x15 tires & disc brakes all around.  I love it and do not wish I had any other brand. It was purchased as a kit in 1987 and put on the road in 1991.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

@James, what size is your spare tire?  I have a space-saver spare now but am thinking of changing to 155/80 if it will fit so it will be approximately the same diameter as my other tires.

Mike,

Sorry for the slow reply, but I had to double check the size because I didn't remember! It is a 125/70 donut spare that I mounted on a '67 VW 15 x 4 wheel.  There is a little extra room in there and a 155 may fit.  I was originally going to try a 145, but ended up buying the donut spare for a little extra room in the frunk.  My constraint was the width of the tire.  With it laying flat, a 165 width tire was too tall for the hood to close completely.  Hope this helps.   @Michael McKelvey

James

@James, thanks for your reply.  You have the same size as me. I thought yours might be bigger.  I don't want to buy the 155 until I know it will fit.

Sometimes I think I still want to keep the smaller one so I retain more space in the frunk.

@DAVID BAYNE - BAYNIAC - Camp Hill - PA⁷ posted:

Welcome Ashu - I also own a CMC & have no complaints about mine at all.

A pleasure to meet you David.  I used to live in Mechanicsburg when I worked for Carlisle SynTec all those years ago. Both my kids were born in the area.  Your car looks great!

.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

...I have a space-saver spare now but am thinking of changing to 155/80 if it will fit so it will be approximately the same diameter as my other tires.

Here are some photos of the spare kit Kirk put in VS's as an option.

4.5 - inch wheel, with a narrow 135x15 Nankang road tire. Maybe somewhat better than a space-saver in that you can (sort of) drive on it at freeway speeds - although I've never had to. It is a tight fit, though. The tire just clears the frunk lid, brushing the carpeting when closed.

This is how Kirk mounted it, although with a slight mod to the mounting bolt you can mount it upside down and use the space inside the wheel for tools.

.

Thanks, @Sacto Mitch.

with my little battery, I am able to slide the spare all the way toward the front. I don't know if that makes the fit better or worse.

OEM VW rims in 4x15" with 4x130mm bolt pattern are available too - they came on 1968 bugs (and I believe up until 1970).  These may not clear disc brake calipers - so you'd need spacers. Most aftermarket wheels are 4.5 or 5"x15.

page18.jpg (794×1071) (thesamba.com)

@Jim Gilbert - Madison, Mississippi posted:

I got one of them

Nice Jim, my friend had a 74 ?  I think that I rode for a bit and I really liked it.  He was a busy guy so he when the Honda Goldwings way when those came out.  He liked the turn the key and go,  but I really like the controls the stability differences.

Greetings Ashu. Yet another CMC Californian owner here. I'm at least the 4th owner, and my car came without any documentation.

Like you, I bought Little Red intending to tinker, and she hasn't disappointed. I've had the engine out twice, once to replace the main seal, install a new clutch, adjust the crankshaft end play correctly, install a sand seal and new crank pulley, and replace the stock rocker shafts with aftermarket ones having proper spacers. 3000 miles later I pulled it again to replace the heads when a valve seat came loose from its bore.

Along the way I've replaced the crappy "Vintage" gauges with VDO, upgraded the generator to an alternator, rewired the dashboard and engine compartment, and repaired "butt sag". You'll want to search for that, read up, and plan to make repairs if someone else hasn't already.

I've added a front sway bar, transmission mid-mount, Kafer bar, and Vintage Speed shifter. I also replaced the hub/rotor assemblies with ones drilled for Chevy 5-bolt pattern, which I promptly had a machinist friend modify with pressed-in studs. This made a world of difference, as I couldn't press her hard in corners with the silly adapters the previous owner used to mount the 18x8" wheels, which make the look of the car, IMO.

Good luck with your CMC. I think you'll find its construction quite sturdy, provided the builder braced the front end properly and modified it to address the "butt sag" issue. Welcome to the madness!

@Michael McKelvey posted:

Thanks, @Sacto Mitch.

with my little battery, I am able to slide the spare all the way toward the front. I don't know if that makes the fit better or worse.

When I was trying to determine the size of my spare, I found that sliding the spare forward (which is the way I mounted mine) makes it worse.  The way the spare is mounted in Mitch's picture was the "sweet spot" to allow as wide a tire as possible in my car.  A 155 will be really tight, if possible.  The width of the wheel (either a '67-68 VW 15x4" or a more common 15 x 4 1/2") didn't make much difference.  The width of the tire is what caused the interference with the lid.

BTW, you may be able to find a worn out tire at a tire shop for testing purposes.

I thought about trying to find a worn-out tire to try but thought my chances of finding one are slim due to it being an uncommon size.

Maybe it is unlikely I will ever need to use the spare and I should just live with the small one.

The original 356 placement of the spare was standing up in the well where your battery is. There is more room in the original car.

I don't carry a spare because leaves no room for anything else. When is the last time you needed one? The spare on my 2002 Dodge pickup has been used once on 18 years. I have 175k miles on the truck.

The main reason to carry the spare is the effect it has on handling. The weight is required. I have added weight to the front beam for take care of that issue.

@IaM-Ray posted:

Nice Jim, my friend had a 74 ?  I think that I rode for a bit and I really liked it.  He was a busy guy so he when the Honda Goldwings way when those came out.  He liked the turn the key and go,  but I really like the controls the stability differences.

Ray, I've owned BMW's for 50 years; also had 3 Goldwings. They didn't feel like a motorcycle. I have a R1200RT now. In the right weather, if I was going to CA, I'd still take the R100.

I have never had to truck one home. They are like these plastic Porsche's. If it breaks I can fix it. If the electronics go out on the RT I'll be right where it stopped until the truck arrives.

In the past, part of motorcycle riding (and car ownership) was to be able to work on it yourself. I'm that kind of rider. Lots of these younger folks have never got their hands dirty; can't fix anything, don't have to and don't want to. What a pitty.

Seems like it's true now; "You don't know what you don't know".

The personal satisfaction of doing something yourself and doing it well is has value greater than cash.

@Sacto Mitch posted:

.This is how Kirk mounted it, although with a slight mod to the mounting bolt you can mount it upside down and use the space inside the wheel for tools.

.

@Gordon Nichols has a tupperware(?) container full of stuff that fits inside the wheel.  Gordon- could you elaborate?

i had an 1150 RT way back, nice bike, not too heavy, same one the CHP were riding

Spare parts holder to fit a spare tire well:

@ALB is close.  It's made by Rubbermaid.  Here's a very old post about it:

"I was just walking through WallMart and saw this thing just sitting there. It is a Rubbermaid, 16 inch, "Tag-Along" condiment tray, and is made for taking chips and salsa to a picnic. (Note:  Remember that I have 16" rims on my car, not 15")

It has a round central tub for the salsa with a separate lid, three molded bins for chips (or spare parts in my case) and then a large lid that goes over everything. It's also water-tight (as I found out yesterday).

The whole thing fits into the well of a 16" space saver spare like it was made for it, and all you have to do is drill or punch a hole through it so the spare hold-down peg fits up through and then use the spare's trim cover hold-down spinner to secure it."

I just checked on both Walmart and Target and couldn't find one, so Rubbermaid may have discontinued it.

Here's what it looks like:

@Jim Gilbert - Madison, Mississippi posted:

Ray, I've owned BMW's for 50 years; also had 3 Goldwings. They didn't feel like a motorcycle. I have a R1200RT now. In the right weather, if I was going to CA, I'd still take the R100.

I have never had to truck one home. They are like these plastic Porsche's. If it breaks I can fix it. If the electronics go out on the RT I'll be right where it stopped until the truck arrives.

In the past, part of motorcycle riding (and car ownership) was to be able to work on it yourself. I'm that kind of rider. Lots of these younger folks have never got their hands dirty; can't fix anything, don't have to and don't want to. What a pitty.

Seems like it's true now; "You don't know what you don't know".

The personal satisfaction of doing something yourself and doing it well is has value greater than cash.

I made all my kids learn how to change a flat tire.    

Gordon very nice job, does the lid also hold the tire down?  IM used tie down straps that hold the tire down face up and fill the tire with an air pump and miscellaneous stuff. then I cover it with a tire cover.  Here are a few build picts with the trunk empty, the trunk with the inflatable 16 inch 911 spare, it helps that I have 911 susp and front gaz tank .

@IaM-Ray I used a spare tire anchor from a Cadillac but it's the same for any GM product with a spare in the trunk - Just a threaded post with a hook on the bottom that fits through a holder bolted to the floor.  There is a metal disk that threads onto the post and that holds the spare wheel in place, and then another disk that holds the molded plastic cover over the wheel to make it look nice.  I deleted that cover, flip the spare over so the back side well is "up", drop the spare parts holder into the well and use the disks to hold everything in place.

Don't know whassup with that photo - Looks like it got squashed or something but you get the idea.

Thanks for going to the trouble of digging out your old post, @Gordon Nichols (and for pointing out that it is 16" in diameter).

Why not stick with the marque?

Lots of places sell these repro Hazet VW spare tire tool kits. I need to start water boarding my brothers. I know one of them has the one from our '60 Kombi and, by rights, I should be the one to have it since I'm the only one with a VW-based vehicle. I do have the pliers. But I'd really like that combination box end. It's 21-36.

@barncobob posted:

i had an 1150 RT way back, nice bike, not too heavy, same one the CHP were riding

That bike is like a 90s 911(964 series). Feels great but newer electronics. Jim and I like the older, rougher, less refined 356-like Airheads.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

Hey Gordon, shouldn't the Eberspacher have a sign on it that says "Firestarter", and the Blazecut a sign that says "Firestopper"? LOL!