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I like the hardtop shape, a lot, and the semi-flat body color is really pretty cool.

The two money shots, however, tell me everything I need to know here.

porsche-speedster-replica-1965-v7104-060

^ Panel gaps - they're a thing. A half inch on the leading edge of the door, a credit-card thick gap at the back.

porsche-speedster-replica-1965-v7104-079

I'm not ever sure where to start here - but tidy wiring was clearly not this guy's strong suit. There's a wire-nut in there somewhere, I just know it.

It also might have been nice to find some insulating material that didn't come from a pole-barn, but what do I know? I might have kept the foil backed tape off the edge of the body to the left of the latch, regardless.

The deck-lid hinges are... something. Painting them would have been a nice touch.

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Last edited by Stan Galat

Hard tops are difficult to fit as there are differences in the windshield placement and angle. Greg and Carey could, make them as I assume their Speedsters are assembled using use templates hence all the same windshield position. CMC / FF would be a crap shoot as I did a hard top fitting for David B.  about 8 years ago and that one took a ridiculous number of hours adding 2.5" to get the length correct. Then even it out fit all the latches, back acrylic window, rubber trim & headliner. It's not as easy as perceived to be.

Last edited by Alan Merklin

I don't think anybody who's ever built anything thinks it's easy, Al (aside from the guys who are always going to ask, "well, how hard can it be?" when they have zero clue just how hard it could be), but it's a great look - to my eye, far, far better than a coupe.

Anyhow, as @LI-Rick suggested, I think that's a Beetle rear window. If anybody remembers Ollie (from England)'s handmade hardtop, this one looks similar. It's different, in that it has more of a bubble above the windshield (which would make it much more usable), but the same basic idea.

The top is gorgeous. The rest of the car is a hot mess, but the top really works. I wonder if any of the European builders are offering this on their builds.

Complete aside - has anybody really looked at what Gary from Speedster Clinic in England is doing? There's some really neat stuff there. I'd like to see one of his cars in person.

Hard tops are difficult to fit as there are differences in the windshield placement and angle. Greg and Carey could, make them as I assume their Speedsters are assembled using use templates hence all the same windshield position. CMC / FF would be a crap shoot as I did a hard top fitting for David B.  about 8 years ago and that one took a ridiculous number of hours adding 2.5" to get the length correct. Then even it out fit all the latches, back acrylic window, rubber trim & headliner. It's not as easy as perceived to be.

Hi Alan.....I have Dave B.'s car now and the top fits really well accept I'm having problems keeping the plexiglass rear window contained in seal that is around it, any suggestions? It's like it was cut too small?......

Larry - I wonder if air pressure is building up inside the car as you speed along pushing on the plexiglass?  Maybe some kind of vent either side - Lane had some clear one from an airplane.

Shipping from Europe would be big bucks!  When I first looked at it - the first thought that came to mind were the short side windows and low top.  It needs some Abarth bubbles on the top to avoid head contact.

Guy near me picked up this one from Alan years ago - drove up from FL to get my son's wrecked Subaru in NW VA.  Here' the DR trying to fit it to Wild Bill's Speedster - 23 years ago!

bill top1

Here it is sitting on my garage queen Speedster.  It actually fit quite well.  I know he worked on it some - to add a rain drip edge above doors - but haven't heard from him for a while. This is one that Alan worked to fit to a car - rather than extend the top a couple inches - the rear glass part was cut to compensate for shortness.  It looks like it would have fit put back together on my car.

speedie HTSpeedie HT3

For visibility, I like the OEM ones for the Cabriolet.  Lots of glass.

OEM hard top

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Last edited by WOLFGANG

Hi Alan.....I have Dave B.'s car now and the top fits really well accept I'm having problems keeping the plexiglass rear window contained in seal that is around it, any suggestions? It's like it was cut too small?......

Larry, I had a mobile glass guy do the rear window install. .  Maybe a bit of GM black glass adhesive will keep it in place but be aware do not get that black adhesive stuff on anything or your hands, nothing take sit off and has has to wear off.

Last edited by Alan Merklin

I too sent the auction seller an email asking about the hardtop.  They responded simply saying it was done by the previous owner during a “body off restoration “.

LeadPedal found the company responsible for providing the hardtop.

http://www.356-speedster.nl/index.html

Note that website is not secure.

From their website, here is the Google translation of the hardtop option:

Hardtop Speedster on Demand

• Polycarbonate rear window

• Locking material

• Must be sprayed

So perhaps not a window from a Beetle.

I think the following photo is the owner of the subject speedster taken 5 years ago before 356-speedster.no sent the body and hardtop to paint.  Their Facebook page said the customer wanted to see if he fit with the hardtop on.  Looks like he has plenty of room (but he may be 5’5”).  

FF328EC1-0F8D-4717-90B5-ABB5BC268C44

Here are a few photos from another speedster with the same hardtop.  Clearly this represents a lot of work and is likely pricey even for someone living local.

E271E863-E8EF-41E5-B622-85DD570996819F042D9A-3331-4D5B-9B25-230C0F937FB749F9D62E-B157-4C0F-A5E7-A700DB73AA44C0BE31A7-741A-44C5-9EC0-17CCB6F5CAA08B2AD8D9-2839-4435-9002-5B1C40267E9A83E68263-ED4C-41AE-B462-A04D1AA7044D2CA06554-959B-4D32-8F1A-2CA26C760709C54C22AE-A1EB-490B-ABC2-591B84DB8D6A7284A5A4-795B-4E4C-AB8F-C2432570788C95CF5D26-082F-4B52-9603-EF71765F7084

Their window…also outlaw

A60530FA-3A50-4B69-B83C-30941C19DB14

These must be the engine lid hinges:

A938D048-4AEF-4FA0-97DC-10DF8CA5DC76

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The reason it looks so good is that every other hardtop I've ever seen tries to follow the back edge of the "tub", which makes the car look like a notchback at best and like it has a tumor at worst. This one extends down onto the area between the tub opening and the engine lid opening.

It sits on the paint. It looks cool, to be sure - but that's a disaster waiting to happen.

Early corvette owners have hardtops that sit on the paint too. They remedy this by using plenty of wax at the seal contact points or install a clear protective film where the hardtop seal meets the paint. The top clamps down firm so there’s not a lot of flex or movement, but over time if you leave the top on for long periods you will get friction. Not really a big problem.
91EF5A80-64F4-4DD9-A015-363EFCA007BB

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