How do you make it rain in California?... buy a speedster.

James posted:

TRP posted:

The case is only about 3" longer. I am running heavy duty side plates and stiffeners.  It just looks big because it's silver. Black is slimming.

Just out of curiosity, how do you accommodate the extra 3”?  Does the coupler change? Does the engine move to the rear?   Are the mounts moved?

Like I said, just curious about how it all bolts back up.  

Although the gear cluster is longer (both main and pinion shafts extended so 5th sits on the end) and the new nose cone housing is a little bit more bulbous, overall length is the same as the hockey stick (shift selector) is shorter. The rear trans mounts bolt to the trans and yoke the same, but the front mount is reconfigured and the torsion tube is notched a just little to clear the nose cone. It all fits quite nicely just like it did before, with the engine still in exactly the same place.

Edit- And I see you've already answered James' question, Ted, with a comparison pic and everything. And it sounds like your torsion tube clearancing was way more civilized than mine...

just a bit of berg 5 speed insight.  Gene made a few versions of the five speed. The design before the present one used a stock nose cone and you were able to mount the trans with a stock mount.. the current version has a new intermediate housing and nose cone which does not accommodate a stock mount therefore the berg 5 mount is required. Also if you purchase a new berg 5 version  mount, ask for the front mount to come with the alum spacers rather than the cheap rubber studded ones

happy new year!

Gordon Nichols posted:

Now that we're back to the 5-speed and if any of you folks are considering making the leap to a 5-speed and want a used one from a front-corner-crashed 912, @Matt Berry has a front-shift 901 available from Carl's stash.  You can PM him on here for more info.

If your car is irs this is a great way to go. Where's Stan- will this fit in a newer IM?

@TRP

The shape of the 5 speed nosecone necessitates a new front mount, mid-mount, and bracket which you buy from Berg. You also need a new shifter. 

Didn't you just put in a new mid-mount? If you did and you want to get rid of it let me know. I would be interested.

The midmount I put in was the one for the Berg5.

TRP posted:

The midmount I put in was the one for the Berg5.

D@mn it!

It's official. My Speedster finally has a 5 speed!  I need to finish futzing with the adjustable spring plates before I can button it all up.

Just in time for winter!

Bam!

Looking good, Ted!

Nice!

WOW!  Look at THAT!   

Congrats! Excellent.

I like how the transaxle mount is adjustable.

Rusty S posted:

I like how the transaxle mount is adjustable.

It's not really adjustable.  What you're seeing is a "Stiffy" Kafer Bar from @coolryde.  It went in a few years back. The bars can be set up for different amounts of pre-load and all of that.  I didn't bother.   I just made sure they were tight and that each bar was equal length.  

I'll get in there this week and tighten everything down.  Next up will be the stainless fuel lines, a fuel pressure gauge, and a few other do-dads. I keep contemplating sending the long block to Ken Jansen and to have him swap out the heads for a pair of the Panchito's.  That's more of a distraction at this point. Not sure I need them.  

@TRP wrote- I keep contemplating sending the long block to Ken Jansen and to have him swap out the heads for a pair of the Panchito's.  That's more of a distraction at this point. Not sure I need them

Refresh my memory, Ted- engine specs? I do remember it's a 2 liter of some sort- cam/rockers? how high is redline? what heads are on it now? IIrc, 44IDF's and 1 1/2" sidewinder? compression ratio?

Unless the heads on it now are seriously holding it back, I don't know if you'd notice enough difference to be "worth it"?

And that's all a kafer/truss bar does, is hold everything in place. Tran/engine should be level, with maybe the smallest bit of pre-load on each of the rear bars. Al

PS- remember, I want to hear what you think Immediately after your first drive!

TRP posted:

I keep contemplating sending the long block to Ken Jansen and to have him swap out the heads for a pair of the Panchito's.  That's more of a distraction at this point. Not sure I need them.  

 You don't, but they'd be cool.

Gordon Nichols posted:

WOW!  Look at THAT!   

Would you look at that.

That's the hot setup right there. Congrats.

Out with the old. In with the new!

AC Industries wide 5 front discs and Rear stock spring plates - GONE!

CSP front discs and Sway-A-Way Adjustable rear spring plates - installed!

Shaved off about 10lbs off the front.

Waiting on the new shocks. Also installed drop spindles so i can raise the front beam back up to stock ride height. Hopefully regain some ride comfort.

Considering installing a residual valve for the rear discs. One project at a time.

Have you driven it with 5 gears yet?

Terry Nuckels posted:

Have you driven it with 5 gears yet?

Motor is still out of the car. I am working on installing stainless steel fuel lines. Once I get those all worked out I'll be able to put the motor back in and start using all 5 forward gears.

Ted

Waiting for the baptism...

TRP: With the right MC, you won't need a residual valve.

Looking good!

Yup. About a net even on the scale. To be honest, at first glance the CSP brakes are pretty close to on par with the AC Industries kit.

:shrug:

TRP posted:

Yup. About a net even on the scale. To be honest, at first glance the CSP brakes are pretty close to on par with the AC Industries kit.

:shrug:

The CSP front brakes look like they have aluminum hubs- can you weigh 1 and an AC Industries hub?

They are aluminum hubs, really light. 

The AC Industries rotor and hub are all one assembly.  I can weigh the hub/rotor assemblies, sure.  The big difference I see is that the caliper bracket for AC is GIGANTIC cast assembly. For CSP - it's a stout aluminum plate.  The AC caliper is smaller than the CSP.  CSP also use 14MM lugs.  

The only things I didn't like about the CSP fronts were the screw-in studs, the heavy caliper, and the price. For that coin, a lightweight Wilwood or something else would be expected, instead of the GM/Opel cast iron.

I didn't like the press fit studs offered by AirKewld. I would love a set of Kevin's brakes but the way the hub attaches to the disc requires those 5 raised nuts on the hub face. Might look  great for a custom car but they would prohibit me from running drum skins. (sad trombone)

The other upside is that the CSP's are MOT compliant. (grabbing at straws here)

@Troy Sloan - Do you need a complete set of AC Industries Wide 5 front discs? (calipers, brackets, discs, pads, new front lines etc.)

Interesting, the pressed in studs and thick flange sold me on Airkewld. My old CSP brakes are now on Lenny's Spyder as he converted to wide5. Looks so much more the part now with the Vintage 190 wheels.

Airkewld brakes do have their problems, and the front install wasn't easy. It required some machine work on the seal area and the grease cap. Everything else went in fine. I will add that the CSP solid rotor brakes are DEFINITELY 3/8" to 1/2" narrower than Airkewld. My new car has a 2" narrowed beam to keep the tires under the fenders.

I don't think it's possible to have stock track width with a ball-joint drum spindle and a wide5 conversion. Lowered or king pin no problem I believe.

Okay! Long overdue update:

• Ridetech shocks are all installed
• CSP Brakes are installed
• 5 Speed installed (we covered that)
• Stainless steel fuel lines and pressure gauge installed on the motor
• Installed new clutch disc (the old one was fine, but the motor was out... so...)
• New oil filler installed (brushed aluminum) 
• Polished aluminum alternator has been scuffed down to look more brushed aluminum 
• Removed the 'Santana Style' degree pully and replaced with 'OEM style' black degreed pulley.
• Removed silver alternator pulley and replaced with black oem style pulley  
• 2" drop spindles installed
• New outer tie rod ends
• Adjusted select a drop to the highest setting
• Rear spring plates & bushings replaced
• New stainless rear lines with banjo fittings
  
  

What's left:

• Adjust valves
• Clean up motor tins
• Relocate Setrab
• Install motor
• Double check all of the nuts and bolts

Ted is aiming (and is well on the way) to have the nicest CMC on the planet. 

Ha! Unfortunately Mango has me beat.

I still need to get mine painted.

TRP posted:

Ha! Unfortunately Mango has me beat.

I still need to get mine painted.

I thought you had a plan already?

It would be a pretty big pain to have Greg do it. There should be many qualified shops closer than 500 miles away.

TRP posted:

...I would love a set of Kevin's brakes but the way the hub attaches to the disc requires those 5 raised nuts on the hub face. Might look  great for a custom car but they would prohibit me from running drum skins. (sad trombone)

 

You mean you passed up the Coolstop brakes so you could keep the drum skins?

ALB posted:

TRP posted:

...I would love a set of Kevin's brakes but the way the hub attaches to the disc requires those 5 raised nuts on the hub face. Might look  great for a custom car but they would prohibit me from running drum skins. (sad trombone)

 

You mean you passed up the Coolstop brakes so you could keep the drum skins?

Yup. As odd as it sounds, I really don't like the look of the Coolstop brakes with the 5x205 adapter. On more of a custom car, they are amazing. But for a vintage car trying to retain its original look and feel, they are very busy. Ultimately they detract from the classic look of the wheels without hubcaps.  In retrospect? I'm not sold that the AC Industries kit vs. the CSP kit was worth the price difference.  

I dunno’, Ted. Those AC Industries brakes are like having barbell plates bolted to the hubs.