george brown speedster and a few other has a clock

George brown car has a clock in the dash is this period correct. I would think if they were removing hubcaps to save weight why would they add a clock?

Is this a philosophical question, a rhetorical question, a style question about a specific car?

Back in 'the day', weight concerns would take top priority in race cars, so they were mostly strip-o, unless it was rally-racing requiring certain specific time pieces. In theory less weight ultimately translating to better HP gains through weight to power ratios, no argument.
GB built a car to his liking and had planned for much more HP than a stock car (and most garden variety replicars) would muster... the weight of a clock, true to period-style or otherwise, was a non-issue for that car.

A friend of mine (a cycling enthusiast) recently spent $2,500 on a new bike and excitedly pointed out it was 5lbs lighter than his old bike.

I looked at him (he has a slight paunch) and said, wouldn't it have been cheaper for you to LOSE 5 pounds!! I realize there's logic for the lighter bike, but I thought the situation (re: this thread) presented a funny oxymoron - like 'jumbo shrimp' or 'military intelligence'.

...anyway, I'm just saying....

Weren't some of the clocks actually used to time laps?

You know who has the coolest clock? Hans on the spyderclub site. Hans is German (go figure with that name) and his dash clock is from a vintage Panzer.

angela

sprung vs unsprung weight would be the answer that you could present
and sound very technical but I bet the real answer is "thats they way he wanted it".

I guess I should have asked did orginal speedster come with a clock mounted in the dash. Like GB car and others kit cars. I am sure George had a rolex So why the clock?

Oringinal speedsters did not have a clock dash. The clock only appeared with the convertible D throught the run till the 911 appeared. I liked Georges clock and selected to do a 52mm clock, GB"s was a 60mm, which took up too much room if you also want the Meistershaffen dash badge, speedster script. I like the look. Who needs original? Im not going to fool anyone with a 3.2 6 hanging out the back anyway.

Gene-

The whole idea of a replica is the ability to do the things you'd like without worrying about hacking up an original. The further down the road I go with this, the less slavish I am to "originality". It's a plastic car-- a nice one to be sure, but plastic none the less.

An earlier post made reference to unsprung weight. That was GB's thinking behind the CB AL brakes and Biven's wide 5s. I suspect the no-cap thing was more related to personal choice, since West Coast Haus makes really cool spun AL moonie caps for the wheels if desired, and they probably weigh half of nothing. I think GB (like a lot of us) wanted a "racy" look for his car, and "racy" cars in the '50s had no caps. I've got CB AL brakes and chromies with no caps for this reason... and I have to explain it to everybody in town. I don't care-- it's cool to me.

As far as the clock-- that, along with the machine-turned Nardi, was something that was just 'ol GB's cup-'o-tea. He wanted it, he got it, and he was happy with it.

Garcia Aviation on the web often has cool military time pieces which could be adapted to our cars. Also good for leather head gear, kill stickers and host of non-essential stuff! "on the dash" also is a good source for rally time pieces. Hanhart is still affordable and offers some period-looking models but a lot of what they trade & sell are the pricey ones, Heure. ooo baby.

Actually, Speedsters were available with a clock, provided you ordered it from the factory or had it dealer installed.

Back then, Porsche would do just about anything a customer was willing to pay including the installation of a 547 engine

"Special Wishes" cars. If you have money, they will grant your special wishes. There's a German term for it that escapes me...Sonderwunschen?

angela

Not original spec, but a cool way to get a clock without cutting anything...

http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C24%2D113%2D415%2DCLOCK

James

Ha, James I saw that a while back and thought about it... at least for a few seconds. I decided a nice watch would probably make more sense.

Ya, its more than a little tacky, thought it was neat though.. wonder if they have ever sold one...and to who....

James

to whom?

I think Liberace was the last person to buy one of those!

Speedsters were stripped down Porsches developed specifically to be affordable to the US market. I doubt that a clock was actually an option. In fact, I'd bet not.

Speedsters were stripped down Porsches developed specifically to be affordable to the US market. I doubt that a clock was actually an option. In fact, I'd bet not.

Jack,
During the 50's all the way up through the 70's, Porsche would accomodate their customers in many ways. A clock wasn't a listed option but if you ordered the car with a clock and of course plunked down the money, the factory would install it. In fact, if you ordered and paid for a 547 engine, they would install that also.

Max Hoffman, the sole importer of Porsche cars during the era of the Speedster was eager to promote the product in the USA. Max encouraged Porsche to build a stripped down version of the 356 Cabriolet for the USA market. Quickly the Factory realized that the Speedster wasn't popular in Europe but Americas taste for sporty cars created a huge demand for the sporty and quick Speedster.

Because the Speedster was stripped down of all of the normal amenities and accessories, it was sold with "speed and handling" in mind so therefore no options were "normally" present.

This didn't keep Max from accomodating his customers and either via factory or dealer installed option, clocks were available.

Stan, I am constantly asked why no hub caps. I am tired of explaining it so I just say it is that way because I made it and like it that way. There are Spyders(replicas) with clocks, and I'm not sure if the originals had them but so what. It's your car, make it the way you like it.

What is all this about clocks?? When you're haulin' ass around the twisties, figuring out what gear to use next and where is the red line, who gives a flying feather what time it is? Wear a watch. But seriously folks, in the latest Car and Driver there is a long term road report from staff there on a Boxter, essentially given to them by Porsche to drive 40,000 miles, more or less, and write about it. They could order the car any way they wanted it, and as money was no object, of course, they ordered all sorts of stuff, including the fancy clock. at the end of the time, when summing up impressions and so forth, the only item they said was useless and certainly not worth the money was the clock.

PS: Also in that mag is an article on the new GT something or other, just to let you know how the other half lives. One option on that car is the ceramic rotor disk brake system, basically off their racing machines, no doubt. Added cost for the fancy binders (which BTW the C&D staff said stopped you ABSOLUTELY without fail) is only a cool $18,500 -- just for the brakes!! You really can't comprehend what the whole car costs -- or at least I can't. Does 0-60 in something like 3 sec.

REasons for a clock on a "race" car:

1. Get to the race on time. Many gentleman racers DROVE to the event.
2. On a rally the co-pilot uses it for navigation.
3. Looks cool


Reasons to remove hubcaps:

1. So the dang things don't fly off
2. Some savings on unsprung rotational weight
3. Some racing organizations REQUIRE the hubcaps be removed.
4. Looks cool

angela

"his dash clock is from a vintage Panzer." ...
Dang! Where was I when they were handing those out?!

Kelly ... For the love of God, man. Tea is at noon. You need a clock so you won't be late.

Gene, a picture is worth a thousand words -- build it the way you want it. I'll cite these examples:

I use my clock to get to work on time....LOL

One of the best installed options I made, don't knock it till you try it!!!!!!!

I gave up wearing a watch when I retired (the same time I turned in my beeper).

Who the hell needs a clock?

Isn't High Tea at 4pm?

Gordon, I'm getting flashes from EASY RIDER, the scene early in the movie where Captain America takes off his gold watch and throws it on the ground. Now that he and Billy have made the "big score" time is no longer relavant.

Personally, I want to know when it's "tini time" on those increaingly more rare occasions when I do a mixed drink. Usually, I do a non-alcholic blend of lime and diet tonic water instead. This and cutting out caffeine dropped my systolic pressure down ten points and made my doctor smile. Life is good in TAN-na-see.

Hoss
ps. I think Steve O's clock and dashboard arrangement in general look just great. Good planning and execution there

I don't need a clock, because the party doesn't officially start until I get there!

Jim, you'll have some competition with that claim when you come to Carlisle next year.