Outlaw Speedster Build.

Please, for the love of God, put a real motor in this one. And I'm talking bigger than a 1915.

Like, a 2110, 2165, 2276, or 2332.

@DannyP posted:

Please, for the love of God, put a real motor in this one. And I'm talking bigger than a 1915.

Like, a 2110, 2165, 2276, or 2332.

Edit: New 2165

I have a like new, gently broken in 1200 mile 2332 Pat Downs motor that will be crated and ready to ship by Feb. Would be willing to offer a very good deal on it if you haven’t already pulled the trigger on the 2165.

@Alan Merklin.   ^^^^Do This!!!^^^^

Either that or a T-4!

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@Alan Merklin.   ^^^^Do This!!!^^^^

Either that or a T-4!

Absolutely. No half measures.

@Chappy posted:

I have a like new, gently broken in 1200 mile 2332 Pat Downs motor that will be crated and ready to ship by Feb. Would be willing to offer a very good deal on it if you haven’t already pulled the trigger on the 2165.

I have a new on a pallet 2165cc engine came with the project ~

Carry on!

Must follow build...

@Alan Merklin wrote:
”I have a new, on a pallet, 2165cc engine that came with the project”.

That’s good - Use it!   Way better than a Ho-Hum 1915 with lots of chrome, fer sure!

Outlaw : The last three days have been spent discovering that the VW flanged stub axles on the Mendeola suspension are VW Bus and not Beetle so I'll need to make up  axles that have Beetle CV joints on one end and Bus CV joints on the other.  The disc brakes are made by Neal Inc ( now out of business) I wanted to add E brake so it's probably going to mean replacing the entire rear disc brake $ set up. ( vs a cheap $45 Park Line Loc) ...Also fixing stuff that was not done right like changing out door latch bolts for oval head screws, switch door cables for door rods, fit the battery box that gets located under the driver side rear seat base. Also hood and deck lid prop rods, aligning the doors & refitting the windshield to the car ... that, was a half day magic wand stuff :~)  I am impressed with the frame and suspension design as well as Rafael's speedster body is thick with additional glassed in bracing. Tomorrow I'll pick up the HD specific built trans.

I think that I have seen rear calipers with a mechanical lever for the E brake ,

are there any modern cars with this setup ?

@Alan Merklin, change the flanges on the transmission to Type 181/Thing flanges and then you can use Type 2 CV joints all around.  

@LI-Rick posted:

@Alan Merklin, change the flanges on the transmission to Type 181/Thing flanges and then you can use Type 2 CV joints all around.  Type 2 joints are wider than Type 1, so you will have to use narrowed axles.

PM Sent

Ham sandwich lunch time Outlaw update. My mis-matched flanges fix was to switch out the stub axles for Type 1's to match the Type 1 built trans.

Today, I'm in the process of putting a square peg into around hole. i.e being able to fold down the top carriage frame, still have room to attach the fiberglass quarter tonneau, still use part of the show bar and the cloth 1/4 boot cover so that it can all be on the speedster at the same time switched out as desired ....stay tuned~

Edit:  ......With much help from my wife Connie, an afternoon of cutting, grinding and drilling, I was able to adjust the scissor top frame fit so it now clears the rear lip on the tub body and the adjusted fiberglass header bow still captures the windshield frame along with having room to set the fiberglass tonneau over the stored top and can also now replace the fiberglass tonneau with a Stay-fast 1/4 boot cover and it all fits . With this configured, the "show" driver's hoop bar can remain and the horizontal cross brace that supports that too. The padded fairing will also be on the car. .........So the way it will work : Outlaw mode: Open polished aluminum wide five wheels, fiberglass tonneau, hoop bar & padded fairing in place. Stock configuration: Porsche wheel caps, replace the fiberglass tonneau, faring and hoop bat with the Stay-fast 1/4 boot cover. Owner's choice so to speak. I'll post a photo early next Week .......... Merry Christmas All !

@Alan Merklin posted:

Ham sandwich lunch time Outlaw update. My mis-matched flanges fix was to switch out the stub axles for Type 1's to match the Type 1 built trans.

Today, I'm in the process of putting a square peg into around hole. i.e being able to fold down the top carriage frame, still have room to attach the fiberglass quarter tonneau, still use part of the show bar and the cloth 1/4 boot cover so that it can all be on the speedster at the same time switched out as desired ....stay tuned~

Edit:  ......An afternoon of cutting, grinding and drilling, I was able to adjust the scissor top frame fit so it now clears the rear lip on the tub body and the adjusted fiberglass header bow still captures the windshield frame along with having room to set the fiberglass tonneau over the stored top and can also now replace the fiberglass tonneau with a Stay-fast 1/4 boot cover and it all fits . With this configured, the "show" driver's hoop bar can remain and the horizontal cross brace that supports that too. The padded faring will also be on the car. .........So the way it will work : Outlaw mode: Open polished aluminum wide five wheels, fiberglass tonneau, hoop bar & padded faring in place. Stock configuration: Porsche wheel caps, replace the fiberglass tonneau, faring and hoop bat with the Stay-fast 1/4 boot cover. Owner's choice so to speak. I'll post a photo early next Week .......... Merry Christmas All !

Your theme song, Alan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...b_channel=CarlySimon

@Alan Merklin wrote- "I'll post a photo early next week ..."

Looking forward to it!

Outlaw update ..... . After many hours, the body is off the chassis and bolted to a rolling cart I made and ready to go to the paint shop on Monday. It took me quite a bit of time to fit the top carriage frame assembly stored under the hard fiberglass tunnel ( shown loose on the body )  while being able to keep the rollbar cross brace intact. This involved moving the windshield slightly forward, not get too close to the wiper pivots on the cowl a lot of other fabrication, that you don’t see to get things to fits well. . The previous owner did a professional job on extending the Berrien dune buggy chassis slightly more than 8" inches to fit the Speedster wheelbase with a sleeved square 2 inch tubing...Goes to paint in PA on Monday and I'll be working on the chassis.  Color is: Ferrari Grigio Silverstone        ( dark gray metallic ) w/ baseball brown leather interior.

@Alan Merklin wrote: “The previous owner did a professional   job on extending the chassis slightly more than 8" inches with a sleeved square 2 inch tubing.”

What’s up with that?  Is this car 8” longer than a “regular” Speedster?  Looking at the chassis photos, it doesn’t look different but maybe it’s hidden well.

What’s da Scoop?

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@Alan Merklin wrote: “The previous owner did a professional   job on extending the chassis slightly more than 8" inches with a sleeved square 2 inch tubing.”

What’s up with that?  Is this car 8” longer than a “regular” Speedster?  Looking at the chassis photos, it doesn’t look different but maybe it’s hidden well.

What’s da Scoop?

I changed the text to add: 8" from Berrien buggy chassis to speedster wheelbase ...tnx !

OK, and glad it wasn’t just me.  

Thought I was having a “Senior Moment” there………

Looking sweet, Alan!

Outlaw update, the body has been at paint for ten days and hopefully I'll get a call that it's done in a week or so which is ok as the winter weather forecast for the coming week is not good.  There was no tunnel or cables tubes mounting points etc. so that was done over a couple of days. I had a sheet metal tunnel bent to size, installed the transmission so that I could get the exact shift rod length I also moved the shifter placement back a little.

Spent a couple of days making brackets and mounts, going back over weld tacks and welding beads for the 1.5: dropped floors, tube mounts, pedal mount, shifter mount, shorten the shifter rod and rear sway bar bushing mount plates using a like new Hobart mig welder that a friend here gifted to me a few weeks ago !  Pulled the four Fox shocks from the chassis they will need 100 lbs of nitrogen and softer rear QA-1 springs. Did seam sealer on the floors yesterday afternoon, found a rattle can match for the 2 x 2" square tube red paint did that that and semi gloss black on the floors tonight.  Next is to bolt the trans back in the chassis, bolt the Neal calipers back on and bleed the brakes to see if the calipers that have sat for sometime are any good as no caliper rebuild kits are available. Will post a few pics tomorrow.

Went back to an old post from 2017 also an Outlaw build where I mentioned the plan for retirement and were moving to WV and there it was, me saying this was the last project..... Well that was just about six years ago and 16 builds....   Found I have early onset of COPD (age shyt )  &  get tired sooner than later but not a crisis but told to take it easy . Connie's extended recovery time from the PE's aka lung blood clots, so these issues have confirmed it's time re-examine my priorities. Hey we're good,  it's just another chapter & perhaps another trip to Carlisle is,  in the cards :~)

@Alan Merklin wrote, in part: "I also moved the shifter placement back a little."

Sacrilege!!!  "How You Rune a CLASSIC"  ?!?!?!?!?   😉

And I saw that Hobart in the photo and thought, "Wow.....   I wish I had neighbors like that.  Mine just borrow stuff and bring it back broken.)

"found a rattle can match for the 2 x 2" square tube red paint"   Must be nice to have a heated shop.  I've brought my pre-cleaned pedal parts into the house to warm up, masked off things and was ready to paint everything in the garage downstairs in the house (now an attic space) when I heard "Don't you even think of painting those inside and stink up the my house!"   😖  

Sorry about the "getting old" $#!+.  No jokes there, Al.  I think many of us are dealing with an ache that you wake up with every morning - It just moves to different parts of the body from day to day.  My two docs and PT lady say I'm "just getting old" and paying for earlier sins, but it still sucks.  

@Alan Merklin

And besides.......    What would you be doing if you weren't building the most awesome outlaw speedster in Wilkins, WV - Maybe the whole East Coast?  

Hanging out at the Side Tracks cafe for coffee with a bunch-a local vets, complaining about the weather and how the local select-board screwed up another good thing in town?

Then, later in the afternoon at the local VFW, with a bunch-a old guys with big ol' bellies that precede them into a room?  Complaining about how kids these days are "screwin' everthin' up!!" and how it was so much better back in the '70's before these "Millennials" showed up, when we could screw things up on our own!

No......   Dr. Clock is looking "Mature Living" right in the eye  👀  and saying, "Hell, NO!  I'm gonna do somethin' useful with those days I have left!  I'm gonna keep busy!  I'm gonna build a Porsche Outlaw and do burn-outs past VFW post 3647 in Elkins while wearing the biggest SEG there is!   🖕

THAT's what Dr. Clock is doing......  Keepin' BUSY!   👏

Merklin The Magician.  Has it all, knows it all, does it all.  'nuff said.

@El Frazoo posted:

Merklin The Magician.  Has it all, knows it all, does it all.  'nuff said.

Whimsical thoughts   Mr. Frazoo'

Kelly....Do tell herein of your recent wonderful deed and dealings, I am proud and blessed to know you  :~)

@Alan Merklin posted:

Whimsical thoughts   Mr. Frazoo'

Kelly....Do tell herein of your recent wonderful deed and dealings, I am proud and blessed to know you  :~)

Yes.  Kelly performed quite a magnanimous act to help out his friends.

'Nuff said.

@Bob: IM S6 posted:

Yes.  Kelly performed quite a magnanimous act to help out his friends.

'Nuff said.

Stand by ..... :~)

Outlaw build update as of this evening ..... had to dry fit everything, ran all the tubes and lines in the tunnel framework I made, also did the sheet metal tunnel cover.  Removed most everything to weld the floors etc. then seam sealer and paint. The Fox coil over shocks get nitrogen charged and resprung with softer QA1 springs by Friday.  The wheels and tires will be different. Tom my body guy say's the body is close to being ready to final block sand.

Very neat build.  Keep the updates coming.

@Alan Merklin

Damn!  That thing keeps looking better and better.  It's a work of "aht" and that suspension system is the Bomb.  Tell me, again....   Is the rear suspension Mendeola, too, or is it from someplace else?

I like the auxiliary shop heater, too.  I especially like that pedal cluster, warming on top of the heater.  Go ahead - Torment me with it.  

Can you cook a turkey in that heater like my "Big Easy Heater"?   (At least now I don't feel like the only nut case heating his garage with a turkey cooker, but, then again....  I probably am).

Gordon You have good eyes , I set the pedals there on purpose :~)  The propane heater is brings the garage up to temp quickly then I use the ceiling electric fan forced to maintain 70 degrees.  Yes rear suspension is Mendeola too. Dropped the shocks off this AM to get Nitrogen and I'll install and bleed the Neal brake calipers today to see if they are still good after sitting.

@Alan Merklin, are those rear control arms stock width or were they built narrowed?

@LI-Rick posted:

@Alan Merklin, are those rear control arms stock width or were they built narrowed?

I believe the control arms are stock width as the rear of the fiberglass body was extender 1" and those 7 x 17's with 205 40 17 barely fit. I'm not using the 15" Airkewled chrome center smoothie rims because I can't come up with a color for the outer rim to go along with the dark gray body paint.

As to magnanimous, I will demur.  I saw a thing, considered that thing, knew I could make a sad thing (Drewek's bad fortune) into a better thing (Drake's good fortune).  And so a scheme was hatched, and endorsed by all parties. As for the Drakes, all who know them understand that one often reaps what one sows.  Cory and Jeni are very special folk, who sow good cheer, integrity and friendship in abundance.  So what goes around, comes around and they, as very special people,  will enjoy a very special car, that looks under its skin very much like the one you see coming together here.  'Nuff said.

Alan, your craftsmanship with metal melting is astonishing.  To say nothing of your unique vision when it come to automotive (should I say: "Hot Rod"??) creativity. In your hands, it is, as the man from Bahston said: aht.  I'll still say that I think your Candy was the best of the best, which is not to say that many others, and likely this newest one, were not, or will not, be spectacular. I'm lovin' the progress reports, and hope to be able to see this beauty in person somewhere along the way.

El Frazoo, I get by with metal working but I am not 25% of what you think I am.  I know three things,  the stuff I was graciously shown by way of my machine shop Randy in PA. I know how to source stuff and other's skills in exchange for cash & lastly, I know I could be a much better welder than I appear to be.  "~)   All these builds have had their specific challenges, nothing has just suddenly pulled it together and I still am learning.... Connie has learned quite a bit too over the past ten years. Project fumes and related dust are now my adversary...... Agree " Candy" was the best !

@Alan Merklin posted:

I believe the control arms are stock width as the rear of the fiberglass body was extender 1" and those 7 x 17's with 205 40 17 barely fit. I'm not using the 15" Airkewled chrome center smoothie rims because I can't come up with a color for the outer rim to go along with the dark gray body paint.

paint it body colour?

Adria blue metallic.  Porsche used it from 48-55.