Planning your build

Planning your build

Planning Your Speedster Clinic Project
Many people get caught up in the dream of owning a Speedster Clinic car and as we want all of our customers to realise their dream then we want to make sure we give you the best guidance possible to ensure you complete your project.

Planning
If you are planning a build then we would recommend that you go through the list below and make as many decisions as you can up front so that you can work out what the project is likely to cost 

Budget
Building a car can cost anything from £15k upwards. As a guide to get a speedster road ready using all donor parts and second hand parts that you refurbish yourself with little or no replica parts then you could get a car on the road for under £15K but you will need to be resourceful with your parts sourcing.

Donor Car
We would always recommend that you buy a donor vehicle to build your kit from as there are so many small parts that will be needed new that can be recovered from a donor vehicle e.g. IRS rear pivot bolts are nearly £50 new but can be recovered and refurbished from a donor car. Often it is easier to buy and dismantle the donor car prior to receiving your kit especially if garage space is limited. When you dismantle the donor vehicle it is recommended to clean and label all parts and store them away safely for re-use at a later date. Any parts you are not planning to  reuse especially interior parts can be resold via Internet sites as there is a strong market for second hand VW parts. 

Style
Classic recreation or Outlaw style, the choice is yours, but no 2 cars ever end up the same and customers always individualise their builds to meet their idea of their perfect car. It os often good to research cars on the Internet or magazines so you set the direction of the car from the outset as changing your mind always adds delay and normally cost too.

Decision Making
When planning your build you should look to make decisions on the following items:

• Body Style - Speedster, 356 A or 356 Pre A
• Chassis - Bolt on or Speedster Clinic Chassis
• Front Suspension - narrowed beam, original width beam or Independent front suspension such as Red9 or Mendola
• Rear suspension - IRS or swing axle
• Brakes - drums, disks or a combination of the 2. Also need to decide if you will go with beetle, 944 or bespoke (needs to be selected in conjunction with your wheels to get the right stud pattern)
• Wheels - see separate section on wheels as this is a key decision
• Petrol Tank - late beetle for external cowl mounted filler or bespoke tank with through the bonnet filler
• Engine - Type 1 or Type 4 VW or Subaru water-cooled
• Gearbox - select for speed or motorway cruising
• Wheels - You can use 15-17 inch wheels and widths from 4-6 inch. Tyres need to be a maximum of 195 and 205 on the back. Exact wheel specification and fit will depend on the offset and rim diameter chosen
• Interior - We have successfully fitted low and high back seats from an Mazda MX5 and these fit very well in the car and can be styled to suit classic and outlaw styles. These seats are also readily available in the second hand market
• Glass - Full glass is available for all kits through Speedster Clinic, made from original templates, this is toughened to meet IVA Specification. Heated Screens are available front and rear where the front is an IVA requirement
• Self build or Professional build....We offer turn key cars or specific jobs or you can build the whole thing yourself if you have the skills required
• Space - You need to have at least a single Garage to build the car in.
• Time - To build a car to standard build then there is at least 300 man hours of work - however this can go up significantly if its a non standard build with bespoke fittings and components
• Parts sourcing - this can be quite time consuming and it is good to make a list of parts you need at the beginning of the project then search these out on Facebook and EBAY as often the parts you are looking for come up for sale at a fraction of buying them new.....

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