Dream Rides!

So as a person flirting with buying a "Tub" (learning lingo as i surf the site) I'm often found dreaming about what my perfect ride would be. .

No, seriously! The other morning, 4 am, I woke out of my sleep and logged onto SpeedsterOwners.com because I was having a nightmare about engine sizes. If I buy one too small I'll hate the car. Buy one two modded it will explode and I will die and some guy I don't like will get my kidneys...

I digress

If you could order it now and it arrives at lunch tomorrow,
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT 356?


For me money no object,
356 Speedster
Suby turbo, rear engined. (Porsche tradition in that respect)
Tube frame (im not opposed to VW pan, but hey if we are dreaming...)
5-Speed manual
4-wheel disc
Coil overs and IRS
Heat/AC
NO RADIO!
RIGHT HAND DRIVE!
Comfy seats

Black Top
Stone Gray Metallic
Tan guts
Moon Nipple caps

and a great big smile

something like this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Replica-Kit-Makes-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2563dca061QQitemZ160589193313QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks#v4-40


What about you?

Holy crap check out this engine!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2qwEpDfnVM&NR=1

1st post - Nice!!

2nd post - YIKES!!

The perfect ride? That's easy. The Jim Ward designed IM "Ruby" with Jack Crosby's Raby motor in it.

and Red Eye coil over suspension

Alan.
Did you mean Red Eye or Eyeball Engineering?

There's a "Red9design" out of the UK and an "Eyeball Eng." in California-what's in a name anyway? Red-eye, Nine-ball, Red-ball...eh

Yeah and thnx Troy I have a Smirnoff head right now...

Imagine that ;-)

I'm shocked! Maybe Alan can rename his Black Ops garage to Pink-Eye Engineering! 8-)

any one got an opinion on Naturally aspirated v. Forced (turbo/super) when it comes to your speedster?

That's a loaded question. For air-cooled VW engines, adding a turbo makes a huge difference, but drastically reduces time between rebuilds. Bigger, tougher cases, upgraded metallurgy, and dedicated engine builders have allowed for large HP gains, but when you go too high with HP, reliablity suffers. That happens with Subis as well as VW's, but you can take the HP higher with the larger Subi platform before you sacrifice reliability.

For many years, the offroad buggy/sand/desert guys were almost strictly VW air-cooled. However, in recent years, the need for more power for bigger sand buggies has prompted many hobbyists and engine builders to "go over to the dark side" with Subi H2O power. Lots of engine builders offer 400-500 HP Subi engines with race gas for offroaders in 4-seaters. That's tough to do with VW. There's lots of guys on this site who are very experienced with on and off road power and all its ramifications: air vs. water, 4 cyl. vs. 6, etc. There's no right or wrong answer. What's right for me may be wrong for the next guy. Many of us have changed over the years also. What worked for me 30 years ago doesn't work now that I'm old, feeble, and usually confused. Best of luck in whatever you choose. You can't go wrong asking for advice on this site. Measure twice, cut once!

Eric-In your 1st post you wrote:
".....If you could order it now and it arrives at lunch tomorrow,
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT 356?

For me money no object......." (selected out of your context)
Alrighty then, ask yourself these questions: "How am I going to drive this car? And, what are my driving skills? You don't want to out-drive those skills." Once you wrestle with this and come down to Earth a bit, your head will be in better focus. There are sooo many ways to out-fit your car...patience young man. I say this to calm you of the nightmares you had about "size"...hmmm

lol@Slater "size" indeed

Good night young man, sweet dreams. This old fart just realized it's after midnight.

just a beautiful piece of work right here


http://robson.m3rlin.org/cars/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/porsche-356-speedster-4.jpg

Indeed quite beautiful! But if a top & side windows were on your list, just wouldn't cut it.....me, I'd like roll up windows!

Can you get roll up windows in a speedster? That would be ideal.

Only in a recent model Intermeccanica (IM). Other such choices are recent model (IM) roadsters or an old CMC for which you found one of the rare optional Roadster conversion kits.

While we were at Carlisle a comment was made that "Ruby" was the quintessential speedster. My dream ride! Many will imitate,none will equal!

Lane, do you think IM would just sell me the doors?? lol

I know its not very Sports Car but anyone ever thought about putting a bench seat in their 356?

It would make cuddling with the old lady a lot easier... among other things

What do you think?

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/304110.jpg

another bench

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/669500.jpg

Al--I enjoyed Tom's post about his ideal Speedster. Al, you know that I LUST after Ruby and you are lucky it was still outside your room after I departed the hotel Sunday morning. I was sure you had a guard posted to lookout for me loading my stuff into Ruby!

Tom is right about the Raby engine too. At least I have the engine half of Tom's dream car! Thanks, Tom!

We just returned home to Hot Springs after a wonderful Carlisle trip
that started Tuesday 5/17 and ended today 10 days later. Overnights were;
5/17, Knoxville,TN
5/18, Christiansburg, VA
5/19-5/21, Carlisle,PA
5/22, Washington, DC
5/23, Richmond, VA
5/24, Charlotte, NC
5/25, Memphis, TN
5/26, Home.

Total mileage; 2,584 miles
Fuel consumed, 103 gallons
Oil added, o-n-e quart! (Added after 1,506 miles)
Fuel cost $407 @ 3.95 average / gal.
MPG total trip, 25.0
MPG, best tankfull, 27.6 (4-car caravan from Bristol. VA to
Christiansburg driving at 60-65 for Dave and Francine.
MPG, Lowest MPG, 22.7, Charlotte to Canton, NC. killer steep mtn's!

When not caravanning we traveled at 75 most of the time. Quite a few miles at 80 which the car seemed to prefer---but not my wallet for tickets!

I really enjoy my car and the Type IV is sensational.

Jack, I am very glad that you had a good trip.. We have received several inquiries about your engine already, most wondering how we built something so universal.

I need to make it to this event someday, but its always at the height of our season and when I have other things that need to be done..

Your consumption numbers are textbook, I'd say my powerhouse is in perfect health!

Maybe next year engines from my latest evolution of the Raby Power plant will be in attendance :-)