how fast is your speedster?

Dan's original question was slightly confusing.  The header asks how fast is your car, but the question asked top speed.  How fast a car is normally refers to elapsed time, how long it takes to get from point A to point B.  Fast car = low e.t., whether it's a stock car, rally car, road race, drag car, etc.

 

Top speed has very little to do with how fast a car is, rather has to do with how a car is set up, i.e, transmission, drive train, suspension, steering, balance, weight overall, etc.  I'm sure I'm not alone in remembering some cool road cars of long ago that were awesome on long freeway trips, but not much fun around town.

 

I don't have my Subi sorted out yet, so I can't give an accurate answer on top end or quickness, but it's MUCH quicker than my CB 2110 was. 

Isn't that interesting? Growing up I was tutored that "fast" meant "top speed." Quarter mile ETs were to be described in terms of "quick." Geared up for the strip, most quick cars were not fast, most fast cars were not so quick. 

 

"He's pretty quick, but my car is faster," Victor said. "On the highway, I can play with him in third gear, then shift to fourth and walk away."

I know I have the quick and the fast.  I have fun with the quick but even though I know the fast is there (over 100mph).....for me its not fun nor worth the risk.   I must be getting old

chris I know for a fact u can get that 2332 to 110mph

I've had mine a few times up to and just past 125mph with more gear and rpm to go. I've got a 2165cc Turbo injected with a Porsche 5 speed 915 gear box to back it up. The only problem I have is slowing down. The four wheel 11" crossdrilled but not vented rotors do great at first but by the time I get down to 60 mph I get brake fade. So I developed some big brake kits for just this type of issue. Now slowing down is not an issue........

Hi Jimmy  Would you share how your car was set up to perform like that.

Sounds like a blast.  Was it dependable?

Thanks

X2- Jimmy, we need to hear what was in it!

I know it ain't a Speedster but I'll weigh in here with my Spyder. Really the same car minus a few hundred pounds and a few inches, right?

 

Carlisle to home in three hours flat, 235 miles, which is about 78 average. One bladder stop and one fill-up. I stayed at 110 for miles on that trip in 2006. There were some slow spots, 45-50 through Scranton area as always.

 

My car seems to feel really good at 90 to 110, kind of a sweet spot. 55 is 2500 rpm, so 110 is 5k, still plenty of revs and motor left. I once did 125 indicated with Cory in the passenger seat, Eberspacher attempting to warm our legs. It was probably less than 120 actual, but felt fine and very planted. Buh bye, Mitsu turbo!

 

I've gone through a few set of shocks, alignment settings, and ride heights to get the car where it is, decent ride, great handling, crisp turn-in, but enough self-centering that high speed doesn't scare you. The fact that you are surrounded by not much certainly does scare you though.

 

Zero to sixty is under 5 seconds, but haven't ever really put a stopwatch on it. There is so much more to the whole driving feel than quick or fast.

 

Kevin, I now know I need more brakes, I really pushed the car hard this fall and got fade slowing down through 80 mph!

Vindicated!!!  In college one of my English professors redlined the word quick and changed it to fast (in a paragraph about a Hemi Dart).  I mounted a strenuous rebuttal, but she was not swayed.  Old brown sweater, wool skirt, sensible shoe wearin' beotch.

Well mine will do 100+ on an on ramp to the freeway and I have handed my share of corvette and other high performance car owners the ars..... The nice part about my speedster is having the 5 speed and the chassis to be smooth and well mannered in the triple did-gets is the best part.......

Turbocharged and fuel injected 2276: (all parts were new - not rebuilt)

 

Aluminum Bubble Top Super Case

82mm Forged Crank (VW journals)

5.4 CB Performance H-Beam Rods

94mm Mahle Forged Pistons and Cylinders (Zero deck)

.040 Copperhead Gaskets (for positive deck)

CB Performance CNC Round Port Heads (42 x 37.5) with extra porting & VW650 Dual Springs

Compression set at 8.63:1

SLR or XR 302 Camshaft (260 duration and .529" lift w/ CB Performance 1.4:1 rocker setup)

CB Ultralight Racing Lifters

Chromoly pushrods (Jaycee spring-loaded tubes)

1.5" Turbo Header from Lowbugget

T3/T04e Hybrid Turbocharger from Shag Leone Racing

Water-to-air intercooler with large radiator, 2.8 gallon reservoir and Bosch high volume pump

Tial 38mm wastegate

Type-S blow off valve

Hallman manual boost controller

Magnaflow exhaust (to quieten it down)

RC Engineering 550cc fuel injectors

CB Performance fuel injection end castings

Automotive fuel pressure regulator

225lph fuel pump

Labonte Motorsports methanol injection system (set to activate above 11psi)

EDIS wasted spark ignition system

BENCO pro-street trans AT code SSC (3.88 w/.89 4th, welded 3rd and 4th)

 

Ignition and fuel were controlled by Megasquirt 1 V2.2 and the car was tuned up to 20psi. I typically kept the boost at 18psi and ran on straight 91 octane fuel. This setup ran awesome and I never had an overheating problem. I ran a 26mm oil pump and a 3.5 quart deep sump and built the engine myself. I also built the majority of the turbo system and had lots of help with the fuel injection system from Mario at the Dub Shop and many other fine folks from the ShopTalkForums.

 

While I'm sure I've forgotton some things, this setup was not only super reliable but was also a LOT of fun. My wife and I owned this car for close to 11 years and decided to get something different but will definitely own another Speedster in the future.

 

Hope that's what you were looking for.

 

Jimmy

 

Thanks that was it.

sounds like you have some skills

Will you go a similar route with your next one?

Definitely will but will most likely go with the super wide body as I really like the look.

 

Thanks!

Nice rides gentleman! Mine isn't all that pretty on the engine compartment side of things but it is clean and very functional. My 180 hp and light weight means the only thing that ever passed me was a bike, so far! Happy driving, but be safe out there!

I got the privilege of riding in Danny's car @ Carlisle on Friday evening while Natalie was grounded with a broken valve cover gasket.  A neck brace should be required equipment.  Awesome acceleration!

My engine bay wasn't half as pretty and clean as Kevin's is but it made a ton of power.

^ Nice set-up, Jimmy! 

Thanks a bunch!

Jimmy, I really like your single throttle body/turbo setup.  Where did you mount your air-to-water intercooler?

Thanks Ron!

 

The cooler itself is mounted behind the drivers rear wheel.

The radiator is mounted in front of the front axle

The pump is mounted behind the nose of the front end

The reservior is mounted up front

This photo shows where the cooler passes through the side wall

And this one shows how it is connected to the throttle body

 

Here's the eBay link with more photos of the car: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-Other-Speedster-Classic-Motor-Carriages-CMC-1956-Porsche-356-Speedster-Widebody-/161112906247?forcerrptr=true&hash=item258313da07&item=161112906247&pt=US_Cars_Trucks#ht_2974wt_1318

My Speedster is faster than my fiance's '67 Mustang. In fact, I'm pretty sure at my top-end speeds, the Mustang would blow itself to pieces. Our (meaning MY) plan is to use the Ford for weekend cruises in the slow lane.

 

Y'all tell her that, and I'm finished -- you know that, right?  ;-)

Mum's the word ,Cory.

I'm sensing some blackmail opportunities here, guys.

Cory:  Stock 289's aren't that fragile, and going to electronic ignition makes them well nigh bulletproof.  I had one ('66 4-speed, same color/shape as Jeni's) for half of my college years, finally selling it to a teenager with over 180,000 on it.  Made quite a few late-night interstate trips to Connecticut or Vermont sitting at about 100+ mph (I was a whole lot younger then......Now I would only do 80 or so ).  That's how I learned that Vermont state troopers are cruising I-91 in the middle of the night and that they (1.) all seem to be 9 ft. Tall and (2.) they were young once, too.  

Lane, Jeni already saw it!