That would be me! To celebrate our second day under 100 degrees I decided to drive the Lafer to my doctor’s appointment. Black car. Black top. High 95. But managed to catch mostly green lights all the way there, AND found a shady parking spot. Not even the dreaded yearly prostate exam could keep me from smiling on the drive home.

Those side curtains are just one more reason for me to believe that “TD” really stands for “Top Down”.

I like tan. When the time came to redo my Lafer’s interior, my wife picked out a butterscotch leatherlike vinyl that really sets off the black exterior. Couldn’t be happier. Went with a black top, though.

Hey, those both look very nice! Were all 50 of them the same color?

I’m happy with my Lafer and not really in the market for another project, but could someone tell me what a “Schweppes car” is?

My best friend lives in Andover, NJ, and apart from a spot of what he called “seepage” in the basement, he and his wife got through it OK. Haven’t heard anything yet from Aaron White in Lake Lure, NC. Fingers crossed.

As a veteran of countless hurricanes and tropical storms since 1960 here in Houston, my sincere best wishes are with all of you who either live in or have loved ones along the Eastern Seaboard. If you’ve never gone through a hurricane, you have no idea how truly terrifying they can be. And the cleanup afterward can be dangerous, too. While…[Read more]

I took my Lafer to a local trim shop and had a new Stayfast top made to order. It was cheaper than buying one in Brazil and having it shipped here. They were highly recommended and did a beautiful job, installed nickel-plated brass marine fasteners, and reconditioned and repainted the three-bow frame. Not cheap (about $800), but truly excellent…[Read more]

I was on FB for a while. It got to be such a time-waster, though, that I deactivated my account. Don’t miss it at all, and I’m sure my two grown daughters are happier without me lurking about online.

Welcome, and feel free to merge right into the fast lane.Where are you? First-hand help may be closer than you think.

So true. To be fair, the seller does offer to send more photos and answer questions. Still, Conroe is a long way from San Antonio — especially in the triple-digit heat we’re having down here.

I replaced my lap belts with a pair from O’Reilly’s. Made by Superior, very rugged. Cost $36 for the pair. My trim shop installed them when they redid my interior.As for the radio, I just listen to the song of the open road. If I ever do decide to wire it up, though, it’ll probably be from these guys:http://www.retrosoundusa.com/TexAg7140780.573900463

Found another listing in Conroe, north of Houston on I-45. Be a long haul for you, but the asking price is only $3,200:http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/2507392754.html
One concern is that the seller says “what you see is what you get,” and I see no side curtains, top or even a frame for a top.TexAg7140780.5785532407

My engine doesn’t look great, either, but it works fine and I keep it in good running order. The Lafer is pretty much a cash-and-carry project, so my extra bucks have been going to the more visible bits here lately. Giving up expensive whiskey helped.

Hey, Tyler! I’m just up the road apiece in Houston. Nothing available here at the moment, but there are usually a couple on the market at any given time. I looked on the San Antonio craigslist and found a FiberFab TD replica in New Braunfels. It’s VW-powered, red, and supposedly has current inspection, Texas tags, assembly books and records.…[Read more]

Hmmm. Well, since Lafers aren’t anywhere near to being accurate replicas of TDs — or anything else, for that matter — I’m not too concerned about authenticity. I guess I’ll fall back on what’s worked for me in the past: trial and error. I just don’t want something that would slide up under the pedals and cause a problem.

I can also suggest sticking some masking tape on the hubcap and marking the center on it before drilling. The tape should keep your bit from wandering away when you first start drilling.

I really like that grille treatment and dash, although the speedo and tach look a little small.

I replaced a bulb in my dash a few months back. Just pulled the old one and took it to the nearest auto parts place (O’Reilly’s, I think). Found a replacement, paid a couple bucks for a pack of four and popped the new one in a few minutes later. I’m a mechanical moron, but not even I could mess that up.

It’s just called Hagerty Magazine. I think you can read some of the back issues online, and maybe even order a copy if it’s still available: http://www.hagerty.com/Hagerty-Online/Resources/Hagerty-Maga zine