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It's been about a year since my last post, so I decided to start a new thread.  If you're not familiar with the background look for "Lane's Beck Super Coupe #2", on this forum, for the story.

So where are we?  Well in the time since my last post they have completed the two prototypes and gotten them on the road.  Those of you who were at Carlisle this year saw Carey's car, the first prototype, which I was lucky enough to drive.  Despite being the first one on the road, it felt much like a finished product, with only a few tweaks needed.  Chuck, being the perfectionist that he is, made a few more, hence the delay.

This morning, at 0700, I got a text from Mike Fincher that he was meeting Chuck for lunch to pick up my partially assembled car to take it from Chuck's place in northern GA to the factory in Bremen, IN.  Pictures below.

First a teaser from the smartass. 

IMG_0450

Followed by the real deal.  I find it fitting that parked next to it is Chuck's V12 Lambo-bike.

IMG_0451

Now the fun really begins!

1964 Beck Super Coupe

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I was out West last week and stopped by the SE/Beck shop. Spoke to Brad and Carey. They both took the time from their very busy schedules to show me what was in the works and all the new addition /changes to the shop since I was last there. Thank you Carey and Brad. I took a few pic's and Carey showed me his personal prototype 1 coupe and fired it up. Man it is sure cool. Lane is going to have an awesome car. There have been a lot of neat shop changes, including a new chassis welding area, lift and more room for all the projects. Of course I asked Carey if he'd consider selling me his coupe....but he's not parting with it at this time.  Sorry my pic's are not so good and don't do the shop justice.  PeteIMG_E5690IMG_E5689IMG_E5669IMG_E5671IMG_E5672IMG_E5673IMG_E5674IMG_E5675IMG_E5676IMG_E5677IMG_E5678IMG_E5679IMG_E5681IMG_E5682IMG_E5684IMG_E5686

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You're one of a kind, Lane. This car is one of a kind too so that makes you...well..two of a kind, eh ? You are in excellent hands with Carey et al. 

But don't forget, shipping such an animal can be a risky task at the best of times. Some prefer to have a reliable long distance driver do the right thing and drive it straight from the builder to your home. I know of such a person with some time on his hands and will do it for a plane ticket. Have beer Will Travel.........

Bob: IM S6 posted:

Lane

You want holes in the body?

Calling ALB....

David Stroud IM Roadster D posted:

But don't forget, shipping such an animal can be a risky task at the best of times. Some prefer to have a reliable long distance driver do the right thing and drive it straight from the builder to your home. I know of such a person with some time on his hands and will do it for a plane ticket. Have beer Will Travel.........

Lane Anderson posted:

Bob, I think Al focuses on metal holes.  I’ll leave the fiberglass ones to Carey.😬

Oh, and thanks for the generous offer, Dave, but I think we have this covered. 😂

 

I can do them in fiberglass. Just haven't had any reason to....so far  

You really should seriously consider Dave's offer; I hear he's very good at this sort of thing. And someone will need to be in the right seat to keep Dave on course (and to open beer). I'm available...

Mid engine cars...

Interesting but not made for a real man.   

Well, we can't get into the car without being bent like a pretzel, our knees are up to our chest and well you know, sometimes we hit the root, it just not comfortable...

Just kidding of course but I don't fit in your car!   Glad you do. 

P.S. How about a 6 speed Subie Tranny in there might make it even more quiet at cruising speeds.

Last edited by IaM-Ray

By the way, I just registered the car for the Cars on Kiawah (https://www.carsonkiawah.com) car show next April.  This is the third year in a row I've registered it, but this time I truly expect to have it there.  If any of you are in the southeast next April, I urge you to drop by the Charleston area for a visit.  This is a wonderful show in a beautiful setting, and it brings out some seriously beautiful (and expensive) cars, as you may have seen in some of my photos.  April is a wonderful time of year in the area, so those of you up north could use it to get your first taste of warmer weather.

Last edited by Lane Anderson
David Stroud IM Roadster D posted:

You're one of a kind, Lane. This car is one of a kind too so that makes you...well..two of a kind, eh ? You are in excellent hands with Carey et al. 

But don't forget, shipping such an animal can be a risky task at the best of times. Some prefer to have a reliable long distance driver do the right thing and drive it straight from the builder to your home. I know of such a person with some time on his hands and will do it for a plane ticket. Have beer Will Travel.........

@Lane Anderson being one of the closest SOCers I will volunteer my time and skills to drive it to SC for you. 

Also a set of knock offs would look amazing.  IMG_7249

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TRP posted:
IaM-Ray posted:

Lane, I am part of a unique group but there are a few more on the list who's head is above the windshield. 

Anyone else ever been hit in the forehead by a bee at 55mph? It stings...

I rode a motorcycle (last bike an 1100cc Suzuki) for 5 years in my mid 20's and always wore decent shoes, long pants and a leather jacket just in case. The jacket wasn't always done up, and once on the freeway got hit in the middle of my chest (just above the tank top underneath- hey it was summer!) by a large fly or bee. At 60 or 65mph it hurts wicked! Last time I rode with the jacket not done up...

IaM-Ray posted:

"I rode a motorcycle (last bike an 1100cc Suzuki) for 5 years in my mid 20's"

750cc Suzuki 18 y.o. lol

Reminds me of those who buy a speedster to sell it the next season... my story with a MC.

Still have an 1800 CC monster touring bike that almost as long and heavy as some of the Speedsters on here. Been riding off and on for almost 40 years and I'll continue to ride as long as I can throw a leg over.

barncobob posted:

must be a honda goldwing, 6 cylinder,1832cc, thing was comfy and FAST,,big heavy bike..the bike had a reverse gear, newer ones had a electric center stand....it had electric seats,handlebars, cruise control, plugs ins for every device known to man..just dont drop it, need help picking that monster up..

Close. Same company, same cc but V-Twin.

VTX 1800R with a Harley Street Glide fairing (8 speakers and amp, great stereo), 4 piece Ultimate seats and custom fenders and fibre glass bags. Over 8 feet long and yes....heavy. No reverse but plenty of forward 

Oxblood leather interior, probably with oatmeal carpet.  No bumpers or side deco.  Raydyot aluminum racing mirrors on the fenders and (probably) leather hood straps.

I believe the largest tire that can fit in back is a 195, Al.  Going for Vredestein SportTrac 5s on Stan’s recommendation.  Wilwood disk brakes on all four wheels.

Still working on the wheel choice, but leaning toward color matched steelies with Beck hubcaps.

Lane Anderson posted:

Oxblood leather interior, probably with oatmeal carpet.  No bumpers or side deco.  Raydyot aluminum racing mirrors on the fenders and (probably) leather hood straps.

I believe the largest tire that can fit in back is a 195, Al.  Going for Vredestein SportTrac 5s on Stan’s recommendation.  Wilwood disk brakes on all four wheels.

Still working on the wheel choice, but leaning toward color matched steelies with Beck hubcaps.

I second Stan's recommend on those Vreds. I didn't know much about tires but I sure like mine after one year of driving on them. Congrats on your car's progress, Lane. It's going to be a winner big time. Sure must be nice to specify what you want. 

Latest update from the Marvelous Mr. Hines: "Drip rail fabrication and installation.  May not look like a lot but its nearly 2 weeks worth of work to do a proper drip edge/rain gutter.  Driver side is done, passenger side will be done middle of next week."

I have to agree that - at least at first glance - it doesn't look like a lot, but when you take a closer look at the work you can see the attention to detail, particularly at the leading end.  The body surface looks almost ready for paint and most of the interior panels are in.

Coupe DS Drip Rail 1Coupe DS Drip Rail 2Coupe DS Drip Rail 3Coupe DS Drip Rail 4Coupe DS Drip Rail 5Coupe DS Drip Rail 6Coupe PS Drip Rail

 

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Lane Anderson posted:
JMM (Michael) posted:

A Lanester always pays his debts.

??  Please elucidate.

Well, Stan came up with "Lanester" and Ray came up with "Lanester Coupe" and you're copywriting it, so someone is owed a beer somewhere in there.  And then some wee group of cells in my brain went to Game of Thrones...Lanester/Lannister.. and, well, you got it now.

 

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RacerX posted:

You know how you always want something you don't have? Well a year ago or so, I began noticing some early sixties 356 cars done up right. Also, I thought it would be kinda cool to have a car representing your birth year. Bottom line, I want your car bad ...cutface1 I mean really bad!

There’s something intriguing about owning a car representing ones birth year. I’m envious of those that are able to participate in that “exercise” and drive an amazing car. 
Unfortunately for me, I’m not into screaming chickenhawks or Cartier Lincoln’s. 1977 wasn’t exactly a banner year for the automotive industry. 

IaM-Ray posted:

Well that may be true but when I think of the automobiles today, there is absolutely nothing that gets me excited to go out and drive. I mean they only are DDs and do the job but excitement... well no. nada. bli, nothing, rien du tout. 

I have that problem every time I get a new or newer car. Nothing really excites me that suits what I need for work and weekends/lifestyle. 

Kevin - Bay Area posted:
There’s something intriguing about owning a car representing ones birth year. I’m envious of those that are able to participate in that “exercise” and drive an amazing car. 
Unfortunately for me, I’m not into screaming chickenhawks or Cartier Lincoln’s. 1977 wasn’t exactly a banner year for the automotive industry. 

Here ya go, Kevin. Yr welcome!

f car 1977

https://www.hemmings.com/class.../308gtb/2352515.html

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Last edited by edsnova

@ALB, actually this was in the middle of my 30-year Speedster build. So, the Speedster was the first.  This was one of the distractions that made the Speedster build take so long.

There was a company in Michigan that did Fiero re-bodies and sold them back through Pontiac dealers.  They built 247 of them before Ferrari got after them. This one originally belonged to the owner of the company and I got it with 1500 miles.

It had the Fiero V-6.  After a while, I put a Northstar engine in it.  So, it had more power than a real 308.  Kind like our Speedsters having more power than an original Speedster.

edsnova posted:
Kevin - Bay Area posted:
There’s something intriguing about owning a car representing ones birth year. I’m envious of those that are able to participate in that “exercise” and drive an amazing car. 
Unfortunately for me, I’m not into screaming chickenhawks or Cartier Lincoln’s. 1977 wasn’t exactly a banner year for the automotive industry. 

Here ya go, Kevin. Yr welcome!

f car 1977

https://www.hemmings.com/class.../308gtb/2352515.html

Problem is I can’t really grow I mustache. And I’d never wear a Dodgers hat. 🤣

Spoke to Carey a bit yesterday about the manuals I'll be doing for them and he tells me that the body is in final primer and being blocked for paint.  They're also about ready to laminate in the dash.  Once paint is done the final assembly will begin.  Still have a ways to go, but it's moving along in the right direction.  The Kiawah show in mid-April will be tight, but is still possible.  I hope so since I've optimistically registered again.  Certainly we'll have it by Carlisle.

Lane Anderson posted:

Ok, here are some rough designs.  The trick will be getting Mike Lempert's aluminum cutters to program their water jet machines correctly.  Anyway, these are some of the top contenders.  The top one is mistakenly labelled '7' in the upper right.  It's actually #8, and the current top contender.Wheel 3

They look kinda cool, I guess if your bent out of shape you can feel at home. 

More seriously having holes is a bit more genteel for a 50's car while the others are a bit more chunky.  I like this one and it looks a bit like Bob's 

This wheel is from a hudson but looks a lot like a Banjo P wheel with half ring.  Benzai had the P one on his car. 

I think the more slender the wheel and the spokes the more 50's Euro it will look. 

Or an early 50's 4 spoke. 

 

 

Momo Style Emory style build wheel, notice the 58 dash a la Greg in CA. @JMM (Michael) might be a choice for you.

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Last edited by IaM-Ray

Terry Nuckels has called replica speedsters "paper dolls for middle-aged men" (or some such thing). He's right.

And when you drill down to the bottom of all the personal decisions we make deciding how to make our cars "just so", what each of us decide to use for a steering wheel is probably the most intensely personal decision any of us make specing our cars.

I don't care for any of Lane's choices, or really any of the suggestions any of us have made for him. But what I like doesn't matter even a tiny little bit. This is Lane's car, and what Lane chooses to stare at every time he's inside his car is Lane's decision. I'd no more suppose to know what's best for Lane than I would suppose to know who he should marry or what food he should like to eat.

Some choices can't be made by committee.

I don't think I can like Stan's comment above quite enough!

That being said, for a darker wood, check out some ribbon Mahogany, Lane. It might be what you're after. I built a bass guitar out of a 2" x 12" slab of it. I think it's a gorgeous hunk of wood. I built the guitar because a friend of mine at the time told me I couldn't build a guitar LOL! He didn't know me very well. I dood it!

If I were to ditch the wooden wheel, and get one for more spirited driving, I'd go with a MOMO leather wheel, in a smaller diameter.  I actually have considered doing this.

https://www.ecosia.org/images?...%20steering%20wheels

You can't beat one of these for giving confidence on the track (or on the road).  You just want to drive when you grab one of these wheels.  

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Marty Grzynkowicz posted:

I think Bob  and me are just showing Lane the color of the wood.  For an outlaw he can do many things.   Even some cool leather.  

Agreed, Marty.  The discussion got on about different woods, and that's all my post was.  No committee gang up here...

Lane wood have to make up his own mind, wooden he?  Or, he could ask his wife, and leather make up his mind. 

 

Stan Galat posted:

I don't care for any of Lane's choices, or really any of the suggestions any of us have made for him. But what I like doesn't matter even a tiny little bit

Some choices can't be made by committee.

Stan likes NONE of the choices Lane has depicted and NONE that have been suggested??

wtf dood?

I mean, yeah, that page of modern Momo contestants was pretty wrong for this application but...really? None?

ALB posted:

@MusbJim wrote- "THIS is what a MAN's car has for a steering wheel... "

And the shifter too- you know, I've always wondered what something like that feels like to drive...

Al, That chain-link shifter is OK, but a real lady's man has this shifter to impress the babes...3.1950-Studebaker-Convertible-Hot-Rod

...plus a Gold Star on your 'Man Card' if you use only your cheek and shoulder to shift it!   @ALB

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More pictures from the lovely and talented Mr. Hines.  He tells me it should be in paint soon.

Somehow  they were able to salvage the headlight buckets from my Speedster, despite the front end damage, and incorporate them here.

Front view - Speedster bucketsBucket backsideGas cap opening

The gas cap opening incorporates a spill tray.

Hinges assembled

New engine lid (really a trunk in this car) hinges from the laser cutter, freshly assembled.

Mounting engine coverDash

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For you "Newbies" in here, Lane's car being built at the Carlisle show, 2006.  AFAIK, this was the only car ever built at the Carlisle Kit Car Show to this level.  14 "builders" from the SOC, 16 hours, lotsa swears, one happy customer:

Before:

Speedster build 007

During:

Speedster build 025

After:

Speedster build 129

The awesome build team (a few more guys were elsewhere).  Any of you who want to meet Carey from Special Editions, he's in there, but help me out, guys, left to right:

Bill Drayer, Greg ?, Gordon Nichols, Rocky Cimbrec, Tom Buchanan? (or is that "Schu"?), Bruce Stumpp, Guy in back ??, Chris Nichols, Carey Hines, Danny Piperato, Karl Macklin, Lane in the driver's seat.  I know we're missing 4 or 5 people here.

buildteam

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Last edited by Gordon Nichols

A couple more pictures from the erstwhile Mr. Hines (I'm running out of adjectives).

"dash is in and it is in line for final primer.  QC will go over the body and then we’ll know if it is just a light scuff before paint or if anything else needs addressed.

I do know they were not 100% happy with a few gaps and were going over this one last time, but thats quick and easy"
 
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