You two must be related.
The original Porsche engine is based on a VW engine.
Intermeccanica replicas are assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.
Do any of you own an original Porsche Speedster or an Intermeccanica Porsche Speedster replica?
You two must be related.
The original Porsche engine was based on the VW engine.
The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.
Who else should I take it to?
DannyP posted:I would never bring a replica to any Porsche dealer. It's not a Porsche.
You two must be related.
The original Porsche engine was based on the VW engine.
The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.
Who else should I take it to?
ALB posted:I agree with Danny- why did you take it to a Porsche dealer?
You two must be related.
The original Porsche engine was based on the VW engine.
The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.
Who else should I take it to?
Have you tried googling VW (not Porsche) specialists local to you in Australia?
No need to stutter (repeat response). Surely there are air-cooled dune buggy or motorcycle shops. Even Subaru mechanics since their engine is based on the VW one. The car is simple - buy a couple VW manuals and you can maintain. Idiots Guide to Air-cooled VW is good start followed by the Bentley manual. You can get lots of help from here - there are other replica Speedster owners down under too.
The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers. Yes, the VW air-cooled engine is related BUT the 356 has a 3 piece case vs VW's 2 piece case. Nothing is interchangeable on the engine - except perhaps some metric bolts. On the rest of the car - may be the windshield is Porsche and I think link pins (or tie rod ends) are interchangeable. So really just the PORSCHE scripts are originals - building vendors won't put them on (due to PORSCHE AG lawyers).
I can't see how even not having the engine open to the air is dangerous - it just shortens the engine life. When it "cooks" - replace it with a Subaru engine.
Correction - open = closed off
Highlander356 posted:ALB posted:I agree with Danny- why did you take it to a Porsche dealer?
You two must be related.
The original Porsche engine was based on the VW engine.
The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.
Who else should I take it to?
Well, Danny and I are brothers from another mother, but that's a whole other thing (we do like to drink a beer or 2 together, give each other a hard time and share the odd laugh at Carlisle!) 
The reason I (and Danny) wondered why you're taking the thing to a P dealer- although, yes, the original 356 engine was based on the VW engine of the time, a Porsche mechanic, even if he had experience with 356/912 engines, wouldn't know what to time it at and probably wouldn't know what the valve/rocker clearance should be. And I'm not surprised the P dealer told you it shouldn't be on the road- the official stance of Porsche has always been these cars are abominations and they'd love for all of our cars to just disappear.
I'll say it again- look for an aircooled VW guy to take care of your car. It'll be a little work to find him but you'll be much better off with someone more intimately familiar with VW aircooled performance (and the platform in general).
If I'm off base please tell me so, but I have to say this- I get the feeling you really want to part of "that" world. What you own is a replica, considered a fiberglass or plastic abortion by the Porsche organization (and a lot of P owners), and the sooner you come to terms with it the better off you'll be. Some of us won't run original P badging for that reason- it's not an original car and don't wish to lead people on. It's not an original Speedster and will never be, and for most Porsche owners and clubs it's end of discussion. I said it in the other thread- get out, drive your car and feel the wind in your hair- that's what it's about with these things!
If acceptance into the P fold is what it's about, a different car is the ticket in. Al
Tonyvan posted:Have you tried googling VW (not Porsche) specialists local to you in Australia?
There are no experienced Air Cooled Mechanics in Australia.
This is the main reason I joined this site.
Most people on this site have issues.
I call it the ‘Tall Porsche Syndrome’
There can be only one...!
I call BS on that "no experienced VW mechanics". There are plenty of aircooled guys left the world over. The numbers are dwindling but they are out there.
Try thesamba.com
I own a Vintage Spyder, it is aircooled. I work on a bunch of guys cars near me in the US. I build engines and transmissions and rebuild and tune carbs as well as fabrication.
P.S.: Al is buying all the beer this year LOL!
DannyP posted:I call BS on that "no experienced VW mechanics". There are plenty of aircooled guys left the world over. The numbers are dwindling but they are out there.
Try thesamba.com
I own a Vintage Spyder, it is aircooled. I work on a bunch of guys cars near me in the US. I build engines and transmissions and rebuild and tune carbs as well as fabrication.
P.S.: Al is buying all the beer this year LOL!
Ok
Al is buying all the beer... no argument from this end.
There are no experienced air cooled mechanics in Australia.
If I was in the United States I would not be in this situation.
BS. I just went to the samba.com
There are aircooled clubs in Perth, Sydney(3), Townsville(Queensland), another in Queensland, Melbourne, Central Coast, Burnie, and Canberra. Surely one of those guys can either do the work or point you in the right direction.
Thanks
I will check them out.
Australia is a small country (population), these mechanics all know one another.
They probably know the ‘so called air cooled specialist’ mechanic who destroyed my engine.
i need to find a mechanic who is not affiliated with the former Moron mechanic.
That's why I directed you to the enthusiast clubs. Those guys know who to go to, as well as who not to go to.
You might also join thesamba.com and ask on there.
Good luck.
@highlander356 ‘Most people on this site have issues’...
Really? Because in the myriad threads you have contributed to with tales of how someone else destroyed your engine, I’ve seen nothing but courteous and helpful responses. You’ve provided little or no background on your car or what actually happened or how long you’ve owned it or how it is ‘destroyed’.
People on this and any other site can only help with opinions and advice, and from what I can see, you’ve been offered plenty of both.
Highlander356 posted:Do any of you own an original Porsche Speedster or an Intermeccanica Porsche Speedster replica?
I own an Intermeccanica, and mine's a Vancouver tube-framed car with roll-up windows. My car is nice, but it's fundamentally no different than anybody else's replica. It's a beautiful car with VW running gear. It's a nicer purse made from the same sow's ear.
Intermeccanica builds a really nice replica, but it isn't (and will never be) a Porsche, or even anything very special to anybody outside of a very few people who dig pretty deeply into this hobby. I know you are hung up on this, but the company that built your car is pretty much irrelevant.
At any rate, at this point I can pretty much guarantee that the engine in your car is not the engine put back there 45 years ago. And here's something else to chew on-- for at least 25 years, Intermeccanica has used engines from CB Performance for Type 1 Speedsters and Convertible Ds, so there isn't anything unique or special about the engine in one of their newer cars either.
It's a popular sport in service businesses to tell people that the last people who worked on anything (your electric panel, your furnace, or your car) were idiots who didn't know their backsides from a hole in the ground. Sometimes that is true. Sometimes it is not.
I would never take a Speedster replica (of any make) or any air-cooled Porsche to a Porsche dealer, because Porsche dealer service departments are equipped and trained to work on Porsche models in (or just out of) warranty. They're not equipped, trained, or experienced in any vehicle for which there is no longer factory support-- which is to say, no vehicle older than about the 10 most recent model years.
It's the same at a Mercedes, or Volkswagen, or Honda, or Toyota, or Ford dealership. At some point, independent shops take over, and at some point after that, it's straight-up vintage enthusiasts and a smattering of shops catering to the various hobbies.
I wouldn't take a modified '32 Ford with a 351 Windsor to a Ford dealer and expect decent service. I wouldn't take a '69 Camaro with a blown small-block to a Chevy store and expect they would know what they were doing.
The Porsche mechanic may know less than the guy who changed your clutch. Your engine may indeed be ruined-- but it may not be. It's super-hard to see what the problem is from your pictures.
I know what it is like to feel like there aren't any people in your city or area or time-zone who know what they are doing. I felt like that for a long time as well. But after going it pretty much alone for 15+ years, I began to figure out that there were other people in my part of the world who knew a lot about air-cooled cars.
I can guarantee it's the same in Australia.
@Highlander356 , your profile shows that you're only about 25 miles from Melbourne, home of the Volkswagen Club of Victoria, which, according to their website is...
"Australia’s oldest and largest Volkswagen Club...In existence since 1954..."
And...
"...we are one of the oldest Volkswagen Clubs in the world. The aim of the club is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of all models of Volkswagen, including Beetles, both old and new..."
This sounds like the perfect starting place to find local air-cooled VW mechanics and hobbyists who will probably be more than willing to help you out. Unlike most Porsche clubs, VW clubs are usually enthusiastic about our cars.
Also, through the wonders of the Google, I've just learned that Melbourne is where the Australian VW factory was located, so there must be hundreds of grizzled old VW mechanics in the area.
A six-pack of anything but Fosters may be all you need to get back on the road.
Here's the link to the VW Club of Victoria.
PS: Here's a shot from their annual event in 2016. Maybe you can take a trophy next year!
Sacto Mitch posted:
@Highlander356 , your profile shows that you're only about 25 miles from Melbourne, home of the Volkswagen Club of Victoria, which, according to their website is...
"Australia’s oldest and largest Volkswagen Club...In existence since 1954..."
And...
"...we are one of the oldest Volkswagen Clubs in the world. The aim of the club is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of all models of Volkswagen, including Beetles, both old and new..."
This sounds like the perfect starting place to find local air-cooled VW mechanics and hobbyists who will probably be more than willing to help you out. Unlike most Porsche clubs, VW clubs are usually enthusiastic about our cars.
Also, through the wonders of the Google, I've just learned that Melbourne is where the Australian VW factory was located, so there must be hundreds of grizzled old VW mechanics in the area.
A six-pack of anything but Fosters may be all you need to get back on the road.
Here's the link to the VW Club of Victoria.
PS: Here's a shot from their annual event in 2016. Maybe you can take a trophy next year!
Thanks for the information.
i will contact them for further information.
i am considering installing an electric battery and a new engine to complement the electric battery.
i am not interested in winning trophies, I just want to drive and enjoy my vehicle without risking my life.
Cheers
Good Luck on your 80 kilometer driving radius with the electric version. I'd stay with gas. Especially in such a large spaced-out country like tours. Beautiful too !....Bruce
But $17k for an electric conversion! Then finding someone who can tweak and fix it? I can see electric speedster may be for local commuting (in a warm climate with the sun out). It would be perfect on a small island where gas is costly - like Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Could set up your own solar panels to charge it.
You could do a dependable Subaru conversion for 2/3s that cost!
This is going nowhere.
I thought they said Australia:
