I hope to start a speedster kit someday. Is there a VW that is more ideal than the others for this purpose? Can anyone recommend valuable reading matterial? There is sure more than enough out there.
Airday
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I hope to start a speedster kit someday. Is there a VW that is more ideal than the others for this purpose? Can anyone recommend valuable reading matterial? There is sure more than enough out there.
Airday
Airday
Jason,
You found IT! All the info, may not already be on this site... however the info is in many of the members heads. So ask a ton of questions.
I'd be of little help for ya. I'm not that handy, plus I bought a "turnkey". I can give you lots of advice for a finished product. I've had my share of changes and upgrades.
Good luck,
David
You found IT! All the info, may not already be on this site... however the info is in many of the members heads. So ask a ton of questions.
I'd be of little help for ya. I'm not that handy, plus I bought a "turnkey". I can give you lots of advice for a finished product. I've had my share of changes and upgrades.
Good luck,
David
Jason,
You might want to take a look at my build site. Either follow the link on the main page (building a speedster), or you can go to this link:
speedster.chriskate.net
You might want to take a look at my build site. Either follow the link on the main page (building a speedster), or you can go to this link:
speedster.chriskate.net
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Jason:
Lots of guys look for a 1969 - 1970 pan, since that was when VW went to the more desireable independant rear suspension (IRS). They still had ball-joint FRONT ends then, too, before going to the McPherson Strut front ends on the Super-Beetles around that time. Super-Beetle front ends and pans are not really useable for a Speedster as the struts are too high to fit under the front fender line and it is a MAJOR job to change them back to a torsion tube front end - MUCH simpler to just get the right thing to start with.
Having said that, there are a LOT of unfinished kits out there just waiting for some kind soul to come along and finish them. Why start from scratch if you can find a partially completed kit to be finished that has had a lot of the major stuff already done?
Wander through the "Knowlege" section of this site to get you started, check out some of the build sites of members (there are several, like Jerome Smith's and Chris Sutton's - both excellent).
Also, check out the library section of this site for the on-line assembly manuals for CMC cars. CMC's are no longer available new (although the company came out of bankruptcy as "Street Beasts" and is still around) but the manual is a good example of what needs to be done to build a car and is reasonably well written (at least the newer version is.....) The Library section also has several "must-have" books for the early Porsche enthusiast to get you salivating even more for these nifty little cars.
These cars are not for everyone........you have to remember that they are pretty true to their early 50's design AND early VW Beetle eccentricities, so creature comforts are minimal, they often leak rain water from hard-to-find places, they often need tinkering with things that loosen or break or rust or whatever, and we all never seem to get over changing something on them to make them "better".
On the other side of the equation, they ride and handle pretty well for the dated suspension design, they are a BLAST to drive with the top down (and claustrophobic with the top UP!), with the right engine size they have plenty of "zip", and they turn heads and get attention where ever you go (sometimes, too much attention!!). They're really a VW Beetle underneath, so parts aren't too dear and they are quite easy to work on if you've a set of metric tools, a little mechanical ability and some common sense.
Hope this gets you started, and watch the classified section of this site for that occasional unfinished kit (there was one in Fall River, MA just a short time ago).
Gordon
One of the "Speedstah Guys" from Rhode Island
Lots of guys look for a 1969 - 1970 pan, since that was when VW went to the more desireable independant rear suspension (IRS). They still had ball-joint FRONT ends then, too, before going to the McPherson Strut front ends on the Super-Beetles around that time. Super-Beetle front ends and pans are not really useable for a Speedster as the struts are too high to fit under the front fender line and it is a MAJOR job to change them back to a torsion tube front end - MUCH simpler to just get the right thing to start with.
Having said that, there are a LOT of unfinished kits out there just waiting for some kind soul to come along and finish them. Why start from scratch if you can find a partially completed kit to be finished that has had a lot of the major stuff already done?
Wander through the "Knowlege" section of this site to get you started, check out some of the build sites of members (there are several, like Jerome Smith's and Chris Sutton's - both excellent).
Also, check out the library section of this site for the on-line assembly manuals for CMC cars. CMC's are no longer available new (although the company came out of bankruptcy as "Street Beasts" and is still around) but the manual is a good example of what needs to be done to build a car and is reasonably well written (at least the newer version is.....) The Library section also has several "must-have" books for the early Porsche enthusiast to get you salivating even more for these nifty little cars.
These cars are not for everyone........you have to remember that they are pretty true to their early 50's design AND early VW Beetle eccentricities, so creature comforts are minimal, they often leak rain water from hard-to-find places, they often need tinkering with things that loosen or break or rust or whatever, and we all never seem to get over changing something on them to make them "better".
On the other side of the equation, they ride and handle pretty well for the dated suspension design, they are a BLAST to drive with the top down (and claustrophobic with the top UP!), with the right engine size they have plenty of "zip", and they turn heads and get attention where ever you go (sometimes, too much attention!!). They're really a VW Beetle underneath, so parts aren't too dear and they are quite easy to work on if you've a set of metric tools, a little mechanical ability and some common sense.
Hope this gets you started, and watch the classified section of this site for that occasional unfinished kit (there was one in Fall River, MA just a short time ago).
Gordon
One of the "Speedstah Guys" from Rhode Island
Chris, I've already read through your site. Great job. It sounds like you had a lot of fun. It gave me a good look at what I'm in for and a ton of valuable information.
Gordon, thanks for the tips. I will spend the next few months or so just reading up on this, checking out the "knowledge" and "library" sections. Good idea about checking out a partialy built Speedster. I do not have any welding experience and it seems that Chris had to do some.
So far I'm leaning toward a flared body. I am wondering though if it is possible to combine the rear end of a flared body with the front end of a classic???
Thank you both for your help. I'm now off to read and hopefully learn then build.
Jason
I would love a rear-only-flared Speedster, too, but, alas, haven't seen one yet.
gn
gn
I haven't either. It was just a thought after seeing some of the kits available from JPS and Vintage Speedster.
Are these kits uni-bodies? Do you know if anyone has contacted JPS or V.S. to see if they can combine the two styles? Eh....who knows maybe they'll come up with one by the time I'm prepared to start mine.....
Jason
I keep forgetting to mention that I would like to hear more about the upgrades and mods that David has done to his speedster. So if your still watching....
I'm not quite sure about luxury items such as stereos, heat or A/C ( I'm from S.E. Wisconsin it can get humid as ever in July and August and frost on the windows in May.
I would appreciate a point in the right direction for a good source for tags/logos/emblems or classic mirrors, dash kits, shift kits, steering wheels, knobs, handles, etc, etc, etc,.....Thanks for the help.
Jason
I'm not quite sure about luxury items such as stereos, heat or A/C ( I'm from S.E. Wisconsin it can get humid as ever in July and August and frost on the windows in May.
I would appreciate a point in the right direction for a good source for tags/logos/emblems or classic mirrors, dash kits, shift kits, steering wheels, knobs, handles, etc, etc, etc,.....Thanks for the help.
Jason
Parts Obsolete has a lot of what you are looking for in the trim department...as for performance oriented items like shifters, etc, a lot of guys have had good luck with CB Performance, Pelican Parts,eBay etc, etc... Stereos, like all wiring issues, in my mind, is an area where a lot of detail is needed. Because of moisture and vibration a lot of things are susceptible to early failure (corrosion)Overload (many kits come with too few fuses, not sure if I said that right) is a problem and since I went to a rigid mount, my CD skips...didn't used to, but hey, that's part of the learning curve.
Audio is a challenge also from the standpoint that today's technology allows for terrific refinement & listening enjoyment. Our venue (an open-air car) only needs a loud button; the subtle nuances are left in the wind!
Good luck and get building!
Audio is a challenge also from the standpoint that today's technology allows for terrific refinement & listening enjoyment. Our venue (an open-air car) only needs a loud button; the subtle nuances are left in the wind!
Good luck and get building!