Questions on speedster turnkey

My wife and I have just discovered the Speedster kit car and are serious about ordering a turn key car. We have a some questions.

1. In the US it appears our choice is Vintage or JPS in California. They both seem to be good choices and we will look closely at both.
Are there others that we should be looking at?

2. This will be a daily driver. Does anyone make roll-up windows for these cars? How well do the standard top and side windows work? i.e convience, noise, leaks, etc.

3. We want as much speed and handling as is reasonably possible. Any suggested set-ups? We noticed JPS offers optional 914 Porsche engine option and IRS. Anyone have experience with this engine set up? Also, any estimates on Speedster 0-60 time, top end, etc with peformance VW engine or 914 engine? Is a 911 engine out the question in one of these cars?


Thanks for any help.

Steve

Your first decision is financially based. Basically how much do you want to spend? A fully optioned NEW Vintage or JPS with a few creature comforts will cost around $21K but neither will have roll up windows in the base design (I've heard of a few guys that have customized these with roll-ups, but they are not "factory" based). If you want a car with all types of comforts from roll-ups, AC, etc. you should check out Intermeccanica www.intermeccanica.com. However, for a custom built kit (turnkey), you may be in the $40K+ range after you are done.

Used VS or JPS speedsters in decent condition are priced in the 12 to 17K range or there about. Used Intermeccanica's are almost impossible to come by.

Vintage, JPS, and Intermeccanica are the top three in North America. Each one seems to have a great customer following and all have basically good referrals and a large base to inquire with.

For timing, I think both Vintage and JPS you can be in a car within a couple of months. Intermeccanica, from what we are reading, is a 8 month+ process/build/wait time.

Good luck, but decide first how much you are willing to drop$$$.


Andy

There is a used InterMec on ebay right now... A T-IV engine provides more torque and is easily arguably the top choice. However, a nice 2110, or a 2332 is a Mustang killer. The 2110 will spank a boxer and the 2332 will shock any 911, except the turbos. You should stay with, or outrun all 80s 911s until it comes to top end.

If you are talking daily driver, where are you? Does it rain there a lot? The side curtains are passable if you don't have a bunch of rain. If you are in LA r AZ, it's definately cool. If you live in cold weather, you want to be sure you have your heater system sealed up good. Most of us SpeedsterOwners are more performance and tune-it ourself oriented, so we avoid airconditioners. The fact is that an airconditioner with dual carbs is a tight fit to work on. But, if you are going to have it all new, and let someone else wrench on it, who cares!

Here are my thoughts. (Keep in mind I know little about where you are, how long your commute to work is, if you are business casual or in necktie and wingtips 5 days a week.) I lean toward a 2110. Go for the airconditioner if it's a daily driver and you have hot summers. If you are going new, live with the sidecurtains, and learn how to seal them up. In the rainy season, get two sponges and a coffee can. I've learned to wedge the sponge in the corners of the sidecurtain and they work fine. I dump the coffee can when I arrive, squeeze the sponges, and carfully close the door, refitting the sidecurtain. When I get back, I pull the towel out of the package tray, blot the seat and jump in. It's livable. Hey, I have other daily drivers, one is kinda luxurious and I still drive the Speedster on a lot of days.

If you prefer the very nice roll up windows, buy a slightly used Intermec... you can find them. A guy wants $25,000 for one with 5000 miles on it. He has the paperwork showing he paid $40,000 for it two years ago. Basically, he is taking a huge hit. If he would have driven it 10 years, he would have been OK, but two years and 5000 miles is a hit.

Welcome to SpeedsterOwners, we are an opinionated bunch. A lot like a family, we fight among ourselves, but don't let anyone cross our Speedsters! That's when the family pulls together as we all have a dog in the fight. 8) Happy motoring.

I have a JPS Carrera version- louved rear deck and t-4 2000 cc engine. Lots of goodies- best is 8" f & 9" r wheels with discs. This gives the cornering and handling. But the t-4 was supplied with stock 1-3/8 exhaust and performance size is 1-5/8. The engine had great torque but no top end.

Traded that engine and upgraded to a Jake Raby 2370 with 2" exhaust and 150 hp. Worth the $1,500 more in price- wow- this is not in the same league with the JPS- the fan on that sounded like a blender- the shroud was installed with nothing bit the belts to hold it on. The Jake Raby fan screams like a racecar. Jake gives you the reliability, quality and performance you waht. The 150 is just right for my car.

I also own a Audi TT 225 hp and the Speedster Carrera has similar performance, but with the raw sensations- smell of leather , and gas on turns. Its so much less refined than the Audi, yet more fun to drive- those sensations are what hooked me on '60 sports cars. With Raby engines- you can can have excellent performance- no more is needed or probably safe.

Roger Dawson

My IM with 165 to 170 BHP 2,110 and Porsche 901 5-speed transaxle gets driven to work occassionally in cold weather and sometimes rain. It is NOISY with the top up, but so was my original '56 Porsche 1600 Super Speedster years ago. Unlike the old Speedster the IM seats are comfortable, visibility with top up is not unsafe, and you (and the cockpit) don't get wet when it rains. Tubular frame with IRS rear suspension, good shocks, anti-sway bars, and 4-wheel disk brakes make for a reasonably safe road package. More expensive and longer wait, just depends on what you want.

Steve, re: performance - my 1,850 lb. IM with 2,110cc has a 165 to 170 BHP type 1; I can't see any reason for a type 4 (Porsche 914 is same) or 911 engine. My cars zero to 60 time is probably low 5 seconds. It did a "test and tune" 1/4 mile in 13.22 seconds - launched at 3,000 RPM with 32 psi in rear tires (Michelin radials), shifting at 6,500 RPM with close ratio Porsche 901 5-speed; I cut a good light and had good shifts. It will probably pull 6,500 RPM in 5th gear which would be about 136 mph; realistically lets say 130 mph top speed (original 1600 Super Speedster was about 105 mph). Cruise it all day at 70 mph (3,250 RPM) with gas mileage in the high 20's.

It also has IRS rear suspension instead of swing-axle, 4 wheel disk brakes, Bilstein shocks, 19mm front and rear anti-sway bars, and non-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. As long as you have some experience with high performance road cars you probably wouldn't get in over your head driving a car set up like mine.

Important points for a daily driver - IM convertible "D" visibility is good in the rain, heat/defrost work, and inside of the car stays dry. The tubular steel frame is probably safer in a collision than a shortened VW pan.

Hi Steve. Not knowing you or much about you, it is hard to know how best to advise you. Speedsters and the more refined roadsters made by IM are great, fun cars. I consider mine to be the best toy I own, but would not ever think of it as a daily driver. If you are acquainted with the "raw sports cars" of the fifties and sixties and love them, this may be the car for you. If you are more comfortable with the plusher offerings of today, you may not really like these cars at all. From the number of nearly new Speedsters which show up on offer in various places, I suspect many owners didn't do enough research or soul searching prior to making their purchase decision. Think about it carefully.

These cars can be made to handle well, produce great amounts of power and go like bombs. If you like spanking Mustangs and Boxters, you can find one or have one built which will do this rather nicely. How good a driver are you? Make certain you are good enough or become good enough to keep yourself safe with this or any performance car you purchase. Also remember that the years of engineering which have been applied to keeping drivers/passengers safe in modern autos are not in most of these cars. Consider crumple zones, air bags, door reinforcements, collapsing steering columns, anti lock brakes just to name a few. What will happen if you hit something at at speed or something hits you. What about a roll over accident? The potential for injury and death increase dramatically with speed.

I'm not trying to discourage you. Just think carefully about what you are getting into, particularly if you are looking for high performance in your Speedster. I love mine and accept the risks, but I recognize that they are present.
Just my two kroner
John H.
puttin' along happily in my little 2000 VS with 1776cc wheezer

(Message Edited 10/21/2002 2:44:51 PM)

(Message Edited 10/22/2002 8:06:58 AM)