34 years in the making! - DW's project

I prefer everything connected to be in 1 place so it's easy to find and you're not chasing multiple threads looking for something specific- other people's opinion may vary.  Sooo... tell us about your Speedster- swingaxle or irs? drums or discs? engine size and specs- basically, we want to know EVERYTHING!!!  (well, at least I do )

Welcome, @DW!

We don't have a bunch of rules - and while I really like the "build threads", they seem to get long enough and head off on enough rabbit trails that I think for a question, I'd just start another thread.

Do a search first (the spy glass).  You'll be surprised how many times the same question has been asked.

"What's the best oil?"

"Who is the best builder?"

"What the rotation of the toilet water South of the equator?"

I'd start a build thread to show people what you're doing, and ask individual questions separately if you can't find the answers on here.

Most of the questions have already been asked, multiple times.

Welcome DW, what's your first name?

Thanks for the replies and it seems the consensus is for a hybrid model - a build thread showing progress (it will be slow because I want to take my time and enjoy ) with questions on seperate posts - makes sense!

WOLFGANG I'm happy to answer your last question (I live in New Zealand!)  I've been a forum lurker for years and have always found the search tool most useful, however there are some specifics I'm just not finding easily enough so rest-assured I'll always try the search first.  I teach high school and always tell my students not to ask questions to which they already have tools to answer.  You might need to remind me that in the future.......

Thanks for the welcome Stan and DannyP, I'm happy to go by DW as it's one less letter to type than my real name of DAN, but either will do.

Here's a rundown of the vehicle specs ALB-

Built in 2001 on a McRae chassis using a Platinum Speedsters body. 1915cc type 1 engine with remote filter & cooler, twin 44IDF Webers, Vintage Speed exhaust, IRS with drums, ball joint front with VW discs. Banjo steering wheel, vinyl interior, 5.5 wide Mangel wheels.

It's a great car, but could (will) be so much more.  Hasn't been run for the past decade and is in need of a strip down and refresh.  I'll take the opportunity to make some changes along the way to get the car more suited to me. I love the look of the speedster and love the customisation opportunities of the VW componentry so it's a perfect match for me.

DW, sounds like a great platform to build on. Welcome to the madness and looking forward to seeing your progress and questions.

Welcome to the group, Dan. You did well in buying a complete, running, driving car. IRS is also a big plus. And kudos to you for having the patience to go through it before getting on the road. Ten years' sitting is a lot. Definitely start with the rubber bits.

Thanks Michael and Edsnova, I became obsessed trying to find one. This took me 8 months intensive searching to find as they are few and far between in this country. It's a great starting point, although not running (poorly set up and blocked carbs), not road registered (needs to be re-certified and or/registered).

It was dry stored, and although it has LOTS of scratches/nicks and is in much need of a thorough cleaning it's generally in really good condition. I suppose I could tune it, clean it, then run it but the compliance and certification process is somewhat arduous so I may as well do it right once.

I'm enjoying taking my time with the refresh, although it's partly forced upon me as most parts have to be shipped from overseas.  Over the Christmas break deliveries started to arrive (nearly 3 months from Germany!), so I'm nearly set to begin the transformation into a well sorted useable car.  I'll try and get started on that build thread over the next few days and share progress made to date.

@DW posted:

I had hoped to rebuild the garage before starting the project but supply chain issues with building materials put paid to that for now.

If I had to choose, I'd rather have a cool car parked in a shed than a crappy car parked in a show room. The Red Barchetta cues up in my head looking at that picture.

I don't think it's been said yet, Dan, so- Welcome To The Madness known as Speedster ownership.  Looks like a great car- I'm a fan of the stripped down, no bumper uprights or side trim look.  We are going to need another pic or 2 though- a couple different angles, and an engine shot would be nice as well.  Do you know anything about the engine's internals- cam, heads, compression?  Does it have heater boxes?  Do you know what ring & pinion is in the transaxle?  Any ideas of the changes you want to make?

And btw- I agree with Carlos- that's a great shot of your Speedster in the garage!  If you don't know what Carlos is referring to, Red Barchetta is a song by Rush.  It was inspired by the short story 'A Nice Morning Drive'- google both and I think you'll find them very fitting.

And call me Al _{(come on, you know the tune!)}

PS- to further Wolfgang's list, the Great Gear Debate and whether the hole in the firewall actually helps cool the engine are other favorites of ours as well!

I did have to Google it Al; obviously I'm not sufficiently cultured to have got Carlos' link, but I think I'm in good company with people who can change that for me!

Having read the lyrics Carlos I can certainly agree with your analogy. Most fitting. You know, I've hated this garage for the past 8 years and was looking forward to the day I could rebuild it (needed to renovate the house first), but the more time I've spent in it the more I've grown to like the 'old shed' aesthetic. I now think the new garage will be more of a vintage garage style than the showroom I'd originally planned. 

I've always disliked silver cars but i have to say the Speedster just looks right in this colour! I will repaint it, however I'm not sure of the colour yet. There's a short list, but a long time before I have to decide.  

It'll retain the bumpers (front one is damaged at the moment), no overriders, no trim. I'm really liking the outlaw look, so there may be some design cues following through into the build. I'll get my act together soon and start that build thread where I can divulge the plans for the car. For now, here's some more photos as requested.

The engine was built using a new case in 2003, with 1916cc, ported and flowed 044 heads, 9.3 compression ratio, counter weighted crank, Engle cam (don't know which one), Spanish IDFs, welded and balanced fan, full flow oil system with remote oil cooler & filter, braided oil and fuel lines (hard lines from the Holley pump to the engine bay). The transmission is a 3.88 ratio IRS box.

The hood is generally serviceable, albeit quite dirty.

As is the interior. I really don't like the feel or smell of vinyl so will be changing it in the future, but for now it's getting a good scrub.

Nothing better than being surrounded by bits of car whilst just tinkering away!

Do you have any idea what specific silver the car was painted in, Dan? Paint code, perhaps? It's a really nice color.

Thanks for the pics and info, Dan.  I'm thinking your garage is just perfect!                    I'm guessing the engine probably has an Engle W110 (or something similar).  If in 3rd gear it goes to somewhere in between 5500 and 6,000 rpm with power you'll know that's (more or less) what it is.  And the (very) big screen tv that looks just like a window looking out at the ocean is pretty cool too.  Al

PS- reading the engine specs again, with that much compression it may have an Engle W120 and go to over 6,000.  It's going to be a fun little beast!  _{(think big evil laugh here!)}

Another PS- when you look down at the engine can you see ground or is the engine sealed around the edges so spent cooling air and exhaust can't recirculate into the engine compartment?

Dan!  Great car and welcome to the Madness!

That Silver paint looks still liquid and I love it (and I'm not a big fan of silver, but that looks awesome).  Sounds like the car had been well thought out during it's build so now you can just bring it back to life.

I've had a couple of garages/shops like that, but neither with an ocean view.  Watch for garage auctions for vintage car signs for the walls.  Or maybe put them on the outside, like this guy in the Southern US.

Seeing all these pictures makes me realize waiting for mine to be completed sometime the spring/summer of 2023 is going to be more difficult than I think!

Thank you so much for all the welcomes, it's very much appreciated and I look forward to sharing my trials and benefiting from your great collective knowledge.

@Stan Galat the silver looks great in photos but a little washed out in real life. The front has been resprayed at some point and the colour match isn't perfect, aside from the countless scratches over most of the body.  I do like the 'liquid metal' effect and there's a 40-50% chance it'll end up being silver in the re-birth. Unfortunately I don't know the paint code though.

@ALB Al I hope you're right about the engine.  I haven't driven the car yet apart from on and off the transportation trailer (patience is a virtue!) due to the poor running, cracked windscreen and not being road registered but I do look forward to the day.  The car had a head job before going into storage so the engine bay tins were supplied with the car but not fitted. There doesn't seem to be provision for a front seal (flywheel end) but I'm not too concerned about that.  The side/rear seal was also provided but needs to be renewed.

@Gordon Nichols that's a nice looking speedster there, the pearlescent paintwork really suits the style. Dressing up the old garage isn't a bad idea! The long term plan is to embellish the walls with vintage racing posters, think 30s-50s Monte Carlo style, but that's a long way off. For now I just enjoy the view from the window which is quite special.

@NeenahSpeedster yours will be ready before mine I'm guessing! actually scratch that, your's will DEFINITELY be ready before mine   I work full time and still have renovations to progress both here and at a friends house so working on the car is generally 30mins here and there during the week and if I'm lucky a full day at the weekend. I'm enjoying the slow progress and savour the time tinkering. Once I get compliance and certification underway I'll be ramping up my time on the project for sure.

One final garage shot (I really need to tidy up!)-

@DW - I’m having my finished in Carrera GT silver……it looks close to your color. I’m not mechanically talented enough to undertake a project like that, but I can vicariously live through people who do!

I saw an article in VolksWorld magazine a few months back with a bug painted in GT Silver and loved it.  I've never seen the colour in real life but it's definitely on my short list. Looking forward to seeing yours NeenahSpeedster once it's in colour as I'm sure you are!

Great car and Wow what a view out those windows. I would have a hard time deciding on refurbishing a car or a boat, but maybe you already have that covered.

That steering wheel is the bomb.

The view is pretty spectacular @sethsaccocio. When I rebuild the garage that end window will become doors opening onto a deck.  That way the speedster gets to enjoy the fresh air too!

The steering wheel is grey @edsnova which wasn't my first choice so it'll probably get painted at some point. The car came with a banjo steering wheel which is absolutely the nicest wheel on a Beetle or Bus, but I just couldn't gel with it in the Speedster so I got this one from MSW and it's a really great reproduction.  The horn button has a very poor logo (but then it can't be a true copy) so that will be changed with one from SMC.

OLD WHEEL:

NEW WHEEL:

The horn ring is a really nice addition, but I think I prefer the simple lines of the 'bare' steering wheel so I'll give it a go at some point. Even the steering wheel adaptor is a thing of beauty!

Two spoke Banjo. My old '56 356 had that wheel.  I hated it as a wheel, but agree it is oh so cool looking and very very vintage/authentic.  A three spoke version is made, as I understand.  Back in the day, however, I can tell you that everyone I knew was all over about having a Nardi st wheel, including me.  Sad truth, I had no money so that never happened.  I found the original two spoke way to flexible, a characteristic that comes to the fore during spirited driving.  And the plastic cracked, as did the horn ring.  So just random facts of life, FYI.  Also:

"Welcome to the madness!"

PS: I toured NZ a few years ago, found it delightful.  Must say I never saw anything remotely resembling a Speedster.  But I did run in to a totally awesome 356 coupe fit out for rallying out in the far reaches of Tasmania in a subsequent tour of Australia. THAT was a huge surprise.

PS, my Speedster has a Nardi wheel --- so I have arrived!!

Hey @El Frazoo thanks for the welcome. NZ is a very nice place to live with some spectacular scenery and I'm pretty lucky to be living with a view of the sea. I've seen a couple of local Speedsters and a couple of genuine coupes over the years, but they're certainly hard to spot!

I hear what you're saying about the wheels flexibility.  The Flat-4 banjo was VERY flexible, even after tightening the spokes however the reproduction 356 wheel from MSW is really very sturdy.  Absolutely no flex from the spokes, and just a little from the top of the steering ring, and that's with really trying to flex it. Really impressed with the workmanship, albeit on the pricey side.

I had a Nardi wheel in a 67 Karmann Ghia convertible and sold it 12 years ago to someone who was desperate for it. If I still had that wheel it would've gone on the Speedster for sure, but in many ways I prefer the two spoke.  Keep hold of yours- they're special!

@DW wrote- "There doesn't seem to be provision for a front seal (flywheel end) but I'm not too concerned about that."

Yeah, I don't think it's anything to worry about either.  Guys in fast street bugs have proven that removing it actually lets the engine run cooler; the thing you have to worry about is road debris (plastic bags, rags, leaves) getting sucked into the fan.  In a Speedster it's dead air-space in front of the firewall (and the reason apparently the hole in the firewall in front of the fan intake doesn't do any good either) so the trick is to direct air from underneath to pressurize the area- I think something like this would do the trick-                                                                                                                                      the guy said it made a big difference in oil temps.

You know what doesn't make a big difference in oil temps?

More oil, as referenced by that huge oil-spill-waiting-to-happen-sump-gets-hit.

The deflector looks like it would certainly direct air into the bay Al, but might need a little more thought with regards to aesthetics.  Adequate cooling will be on my 'to do' list further down the line. I plan on removing the heat exchangers when I replace the exhaust, and I'm aware these big lumps of metal play an important role in sucking heat from the surrounding area.  I think I'll pretty up the front tin area, but hadn't though about the possibility of detritus getting sucked in so that'll definitely feature in my solution!

@DannyP I'm afraid mine has a similar deep sump feeding an external filter and external oil cooler under the LH rear floor.  I might need to consider some form of protecting cage, but again that's a problem for another day. 

@DW posted:

The deflector looks like it would certainly direct air into the bay Al, but might need a little more thought with regards to aesthetics.

I'm only the idea man, Dan.

We love sharing ideas Al, it's how collectively we can come up with such varied takes on how to do things. It's great we have a hobby where we can try stuff out without fear of not being 'true to the original'.  Keep the ideas coming!