Afternoon all, I have my speedster up and running thanks to all of your input. I have been noticing in the Highway that the 4 speed obviously has the engine revving high. Was wondering if there is a 5 speed swap I can put into the car. It's a stock 1600 motor with the swing axle rear end.
any thoughts?
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IF only that question was really that easy. Look for the "Search" tab (small magnifying glass looking thing two tabs left of your avatar) and enter "five speed transmission" or "5 speed transmission" and there is more information than you'll probably be able to process in one afternoon.
And if I were to use the little pricing symbols you see for hotels and restaurants this would be: $$$$$ out of a possible 5.
That is actually the way air cooled engines function. A stock engine has to rev high to cool properly. There is a freeway flyer 4 speed that uses a 3.88 rack and pinion vs the normally stock 4.125 R&P. It decrease RPMs at 60-70 by maybe 200-300 RPMs. Yeah, 5 speeds are available but doubt a stock engine would pull the normal 5th gear. Gene Berg makes a kit that converts stock swing axel transaxle by adding a 5th gear ($2-3k). The other alternative would require converting to IRS - it normally uses a 912/911 901 series transaxel - it requires clearancing of frame horns and pan to even fit - plus messing with the CVC joints. 901's are not cheap - plus costly to rebuild and gear properly depending on hp. I guess the cost could run $4-6k.
" I have been noticing in the Highway that the 4 speed obviously has the engine revving high. "
What is your tachometer reading at highway speeds?
As Wolfgang mentions, you should be, at minimum, 3,000 rpm at 60-65 mph and it goes up from there. If the engine/fan ran slower the engine temperature rises and that's not usually good. It's OK to run these engines at 3,500-4,000 rpm for hours at a time, provided that they're cared for properly.
Run at 4500 RPM's http://www.vw-resource.com/rpm.html
A Berg 5 will cost 4-$5,000 by the time it's finished. The benefit is more being able to use close ratio gears while maintaining a stock 4th for 5th gear. As Wolfgang mentioned, you're not going to be able to use a much longer top gear, especially with a 1600. Al
Thank you to all. I was just curious if there were any options out there. My girl hits around 3-3500 at 65 I just was curious. Everything is good, just need to try to manufacture some tin to enclose the gap between the back of the car and the engine tin. I also am thinking of building myself another motor with 90.5 pistons. But I love my car! Thank you all for the help!
"Everything is good, just need to try to manufacture some tin to enclose the gap between the back of the car and the engine tin." You're just sucking air heated up by the exhaust and muffler without the proper sealing especially in back but also on the sides. OK in NJ in winter - but never in Key West FL. "We've" seen everything from aluminum siding with wood grain, Lowes 1/16 sheet aluminum to 1/8 fiberglass bits from boats. The '72 up VW Bus "H" engine seal will close the 3/4-1" remaining gap. Easy to make a cardboard template. Is your's a CMC? If so it came with double fiberglass upper/lower pieces for over the muffler (see build manual).
Actually she's a very early IM. Early like before they even came to the US from Italy. I spoke with a great guy from IM who ran the cars info and told me all about the history. Before and after they moved to the US.
Ah, I remember you said it was coming "home" the first of the year! The Speedsters never came from Italy - although Frank Reisner himself and the Omega Italias and few others did. Your's was made in Santa Ana, CA. Get a copy of Intermeccanic: The Story of the Prancing Bull by Andrew McCredie. Great reading! 200 Speedster were delivered in 1977. Is there still a build sticker with # on it?
http://intermeccanica.com/athird.net/about/history
Jzzzake, I wish I had a fish taco for every post on this forum that starts out,
"I love my car, BUT..."
That 'BUT' may be the most expensive word in the English language.
Reasonable people stop at 'I love my car' and drive their Speedsters just the way they are. There are a few sensible, well-adjusted folks here who have done just that and they appear to be quite happy. But not many.
Most of us are a little funny. We appear normal at first, but after a while you'll figure out we are at least a little delusional. We have spent untold fortunes on all manner of stuff to 'improve' our cars, thinking just this one more thing will finally make our dreams come true. And it makes us doubt our wisdom less if we can convince someone else to do the same.
The sad truth is the VW engine and gearing were never really designed for today's highway speeds and traffic conditions. There is a whole lot you can do to keep up with traffic better, climb hills better, and run quieter on the interstate. But almost none of that is cheap or makes good business sense to rational people.
Welcome to the madness.
Musbjim has it right: better to want what you have than to always be trying to have what you want.
(says the man who sliced up his car a month ago for expensive new wheels).
The two best materials I use for horizontal tins are black painted aluminum that is used on cargo trailers or at Lowe's, flat sheet pieces of heating duct work that has ribbed milled into it for additional support. I first do a template for an elongated U piece across the back then I make a 3 1/2 / 4" x 8" or so for each side above the valve covers, leave a 5/8" gap between the motor tins and the fabricated tins. I install with 5/16 head self tapping hex screws for easy removal.
.063 Aluminum sheet, custom-formed and powdercoated. All. The. Way.
Also: Wolfgang's got it right. No Italian speedsters from IM, ever.
Loved Ed's comment "Love what you have" I am so happy to be able to say that I have reached that plateau with my VS. Very calming to be completely satisfied. That goes for lots of things besides Speedsters too.
Jzzzake....That heat baffle makes a huge difference in helping keep your engine cool !
Here's some photos of what I made out of some flat fiberglass sheeting. An aluminum one using pop rivets would work too...........Bruce
"I love my car, BUT..."
Maybe someone should start a thread. I'll start. I love my car, BUT...I'm terminally OCD and I just can't keep my hands off of it. I love tinkering with it just about as much as I love driving it.
WOLFGANG posted:Ah, I remember you said it was coming "home" the first of the year! The Speedsters never came from Italy - although Frank Reisner himself and the Omega Italias and few others did. Your's was made in Santa Ana, CA. Get a copy of Intermeccanic: The Story of the Prancing Bull by Andrew McCredie. Great reading! 200 Speedster were delivered in 1977. Is there still a build sticker with # on it?
http://intermeccanica.com/athird.net/about/history
Neat piece of history and I feel like my car is just a little bit of it. My build sticker says May 1978 and the number appears to be 8B0223.
Just like Bruce, a couple of posts up, I made a set of heat shields out of HVAC sheetmetal. Figured, "What the heck!" - It's easy to work with and already galvanized so it won't rust. Made up some paper templates and went from there - took about a day to complete.
Here's build page from the CMC manual -
There is a speedster that came over from Italia, si si,
si chiama Henrique (Henry) . la villa natale Torino 
(Turin)
La prima lingua sonno ingles pero .... la segunda lingua sonno italiana.
