Cool comparision

I know, I know, I spelled comparison wrong!


OK, onto to the point; I drove my first Beck today. I have to say it is a really, really nice car. If and when I do another speedster I'm doing it with Special Edition. I LOVE the leg room, the frame, everything! It was tight. My buddy has been looking for one and there is a guy not too far from where I live that built one with a 1967 912 engine in it. The engine is recently rebuilt by him (he has a repair shop that specializes in Porsche) and was bumped to a 1750. By far the car handles way better than mine, feels tighter and is soooo much cleaner (body only has 750 miles on it) than mine. My car has a little more umph but the 912 engine has plenty to keep most happy.
I called Carey and he was cool enough to chat with me a bit about the car and said the asking price of $23K was a steal. I hope my buddy pulls the trigger. Now I want a Beck!

I'll be happy to let you drive mine at Carlisle, Mickey, just to set the hook ;-)

Better not drive one of them new-fangled Intermeccanicas....

Yep, 5th gear 3000 rpm 75MPH flying up I-5 from Olympia to Vancouver BC yesterday to visit Henry at IM proved to me how potent the new IM configuration is. The engine redlines (limits) at 7200RPM so overtaking in 5th is just great! No down shifting, just a burst of power to get around other cars safely. The engine oil and water run at nominal temps all day. This was my first long freeway drive and I was very pleased. Be sure to check out the new IMs is my advice.

Ron, you going to the IM tour this year?

Tomm

i believe the IMs come with CBs 2110

Bob,

You are correct, Intermeccanica's can come with a 2110 and that is a nice engine. Henry (Intermeccanica) also builds cars with smaller and larger air cooled engines.

A couple of years ago, Henry started building cars using Golf (water cooled) engines. I believe that a VW suspension and trans is standard with a 1.8, but suspension options include 911 suspension, 944 rear suspension, 915 or 901 gear box. Engine options include 1.8 naturally aspirated, 1.8 Turbo and the 2.0 Turbo.

Tom's car has an IM frame built to use 911 suspension, 915 trans, and I think a 1.8 Golf Turbo.

Several water cars have been built and several are currently being built, including an Audi 2.0 Turbo.

Holy Crap! An Audi 2L Turbo!? My wife has an A3 and that thing flies! I'd be dead inside 3 days driving a Speedster with that engine in it.

"kinda like a flux capacitor"

Carey has done a few of those as well. He had one without the turbo at last year's Carlisle. Get him to tell you about a few other things he's been working on.

You realize, don't you Mickey, that we're all conspiring to make you want something new just as you get the one you have perfected. Hey, we're evil. It's how we roll.

Dale:

My thoroughly insane son (just like his Dad) has the engine configuration responsibility for my next build and he's been leaning towards the Audi 1.8T, but built towards something above 250hp. He's had the Winter to think about it and I'll soon be back near him and starting on the chassis. So far, we're going with an pan, but with numerous stiffeners here and there to take the torque of the engine (we've both been taking good notes on here throughout the Winter).

While the VW engine/transmision package is intriguing, I'm not too sure about serviceability with everything that far forward, although weight distribution certainly improves (and a 4-speed automatic would certainly be trick).

So this trip to Carlisle will be our main fact-finding mission; See what's out there and find out what's coming down the pike so we can do it once and get it right.

It's gonna be a fun car-building Summer in New England...stay tuned!

gordon

Gordon, hatch the back half. For real, no kidding.
You guys need a recip saw. It'll all very easy to get to if you "Spyder" it.

And I was thinking maybe the 5-centers would buy one of those spiffy, stiff, Mendeola pans to put it under. Unequal length control arms in the front is definitely Chris' language!

You're right, Cory, access to everything is a lot easier in a Spyder. Two hinge pins and a buddy and it's removed for all access.

Hey Gordon! the 3 speed ain't bad. I'm satisfied..

BUT! That would be sweet in a fastback gull wing spyder.. That gives me the shivers..

I've done a lot more of the Audi/VW powerplants in spyders than speedsters. It's all a bit more crammed in a speedster, but just about any of their combos will fit with little modification.
The biggest headache was always intake, hence the ITBs on the shop beater pictured. A good friend of mine at USRT is now making short runner intakes for almost all the engines, so that is no longer an issue. In fact, I turned Henry on too him, and I last I spoke with Scott, he had some of them headed to Vancouver. So... I'm sure you'll see them on some of Henry's cars as well.
Finishing a 16v custom 2.0 turbo now for Dubai, water/air intercooler, JE Pistons, etc... Last one out the door was another 1.8L 20v Audi TT turbo that we ran a CRAZY standalone management with 3 different fuel maps. Base map was good for just under 200hp, 2nd map was pushing 250hp and the "race" map was well over 300. Even with the base map you were approaching 120MPH in 4th and still hazing the tires. I only ever cruised in 5th... didn't have the balls to run it out. I know for many it is blasphemous, and I still love the aircoolers, but some of this stuff is just plain FUN! :)

Stop it, Carey! I'm droolin' all over my keyboard.

I can still remember the day I was in John Steele's and we were defining my cars specs. The conversation went something like this:

John: "What size engine do you think you want".

Me: "How much does the finished car weigh"?

John: "About 1800 pounds".

Me: "I need 180 Horsepower".

Yeah Carey, knock that crap off! That's just not fair. Now I won't be able to sleep tonight. I'll just be laying there saying "Now what color should I have Carey paint my new 250+ hp Speedster? Should I do color matched wheels? I guess I could do heat in this one cuz I don't want to skimp on the little things........."

I still have not dyno'ed the new 15PSI boost configuration I have now been running on my car for a few months but am quite sure it is well into the 200HP range as the 8PSI dyno run was 164 wheel HP or about 190 crank HP. This is dangerous power my friends and would advise you to think twice about pushing for 300HP in an 1800 lb car because, well, I want to get there before you! BWAHAHAHA!

The k03 (small) turbo with the ridiculously short intake and exhaust path in my car will do 200HP easy where it just craps out in the stock GTI configuration at 180 or so. I am considering either a twin k03 setup or a big turbo for my next increment should I proceed with this madness.

Liquid to air will be necessary to get the thermodynamic efficiency needed as the air to air intercooler space available is not there in the speedster design with the 1.8t engine.

Tomm

I love the K03 sport turbo. With a short run it spools so quickly there is almost no noticeable lag. Nicest thing about the spyder is that you can mount a small water/air intercooler virtually directly off the intake and then have about a 2' run to the turbo. The 20v is a bit trickier to plumb with the Audi TT intake, but it was necessary to get the throttle body off the firewall. Still VERY little lag.