IM Watercooled update? JPS Coupe Update?

Hello All,

Just wondering if anyone has any more news on the watercooled IM projects or the JPS coupe? Photos? Videos? Dancing girls?

-Jeff

Jeff - the first JPS Coupe is being built right now and there are plenty of photos of the process on the JPS Motorsports website.

Tom DeWalt is supposed to take delivery of the second coupe at Carlisle in May.

HIJACK ALERT ! ! ! ! !


Anyone getting one of those coupes and wants a real 356 A Coupe dash to replace that piece of crap that's being used? I have one almost restored that I'm not going to be doing anything with.

I've offered it to Cory umpteen times but he's all about the "boy racer" look . . . I just don't seem to be able to slap any class into the lad.

So, it's available.

Ouch!
If you REALLY want the Aero mirrors ...
Ouch again!

TC I might be interested. I'm looking to do something with my dash. Can you send/post me a pic?

BT

Sure, it's still a LITTLE rough on the ends where I filled and sanded, but as soon as it's finished up, I'll shoot you some pics.

An early (split window) VW bus dash is also a near perfect fit, I mean practically a no body work fit and looks killer with that single speedo pod. If you cut it out and back mount a cream colored panel in the opening, maybe with an aluminum trim piece, it mimics the Pre-A center section pretty well. Maybe even put a rotary blinker switch just beneath the speedo, one like the Pre-A had on top of the dash. I have a sweet Bus speedo that's been reworked and done up beautifully to fit it, along with the deluxe clock, fuel gauge and grab handle. I also have an aluminum wrap-around, bead rolled Ghia dash and a '57 Ghia dash with all that early drop light charm and then some, especially since I have the three '57 gauges as well.

I'm kinda flush with Ghia stuff . . . even got a full fiberglass tilt front clip . . . though that it might look good on a Speedster body. Actually it was meant for a type III fastback that I wanted to make look a little like a Henry J.

New shots posted of the silver coupe today on the JPS website:

http://www.jps-motorsports.com/JPSCoupe/index.html

Looks sweet!

VERY impressive. I officially want one.

Will there be a JPS coupe at Carlisle? I am presently having a 57 coupe restored. However, the JPS coupe looks so well done I am thinking about ordering one as a daily driver.Thanks...

I saw the coupe in "real life" this past weekend while I was at John's shop. It is GORGEOUS !! I am eager to see detailed shots of the finished interior. I am sure someone is going to be VERY happy.

Drive fast, drive safe, smile big,
Dusty

I think Tom Dewalt is supposed to take delivery of his green coupe at Carlisle. We need to have some kind of ceremony - involving beer, of course.

Now Lane, I'm starting to see a common theme in your recent posts. Do you want to give the left coasters the impression that we right coasters like beer or something? he he he ;-)

Hoss - too late! The word on Lane (beermeister) has been out for a long time already - but I'm guessing that he's a lot of fun at these Carlisle events.

I'm a legend in my own mind!

Dusty, I hope you're right. I'm giddy with anticipation.

What happens if you take the tape off?

I've been driving my IM watercooled for several months now and I've had no trouble at all with the mechanicals associated with the engine. There were some rattles and the exhaust was pretty loud so Henry is going to rework that, but otherwise the car's been great.

It's back in the shop because I was rear ended a month back and they have to replace the back end, but the frame was not bent and when it comes back out it will be new all over again.

Gz

John,

Thanks for the update on your car. It sounds like its been an enjoyable daily driver so far, accident aside.

How do you find the handling with all that weight in the rear end?

-Jeff

Unrelated: The JPS coupe photos do look gorgeous... I'm hoping someone can post some video soon.

As you know the rear engined 911 style engine placement is actively trying to kill us all. I tried to find a book or a website about driving this configuration of car but came up empty handed, perhaps I did not look hard enough.

What I found in real life ( where you have no UNDO ) about driving the IM was the the weight of the engine is high enough that it feels like the car is going to roll rather than skid. I was eventually able to get the back end to skid out, but it does not feel solid enough to really push it. We are going to look into front and rear anti-sway bars to see what effect they will have.

I have found though experiene that when I'm in a tight fast corner if the car feels a bit wobbly you just have to tap the throttle and it bites into the road, which is counter to all of my normal driving exprience, even with my mid engined MR2. It takes some getting used to, since with front engine rear drive cars that would be a good way depart from controlled flight.

The tires have really good grip and the brakes are good, you just have to really stand on them. I have not been able to lock them up so I always wonder how much more there is. The rack and pinion I have is not standard, and I find the steering is very good. It feels a bit heavy at slow speeds like all manual set ups but feels very good right at speed. At speeds about 90 mph the car starts to feel a bit light and is too affected by road surface, not exactly bump steer, but not as sure footed. Above 110 mph it is happiest going in straight lines or very gradual turns, if the road is turning in but banked out you feel like you really have to bleed off some speed before going in. You need good control of your sphinkter muscels for this manouver. IM are tightening up the front end and we'll see how that feels;... for the car, not my butt.

I went for the leather Nardi wheel rather than the wood one. I like to drive rather than look at the car, so I find the leather wheel gives me better grip and feedback. I also went for the Nardi anatomical shift knob, which I really really recommend. It has some flex in it so you can really drive it into the gate and it gives once it hits the stop. Henry and I are still bending the shift arm around to find the perfect place. I'm 6'4 so we moved my seat all the way back and down, and the shifter originally was so close to the wheel that I could not get my knee though. We moved it over 2" but then I could not get it into 5th gear with the baby seat in place or get it into first because my elbow was against the back of the seat. I was getting car-pool tunnel syndome from my car. We have a plan for the final position, but the shift knob made a huge difference.

So there, the car is good and will be great soon, all freshly repainted and good to go.

Gz

Porsche cars respond to throttle and brakes (both sometimes) to control the dynamics during turns. Not at all like FWD cars where you can just let off the gas to gain control back. A great little book on this is Porsche high-performance driving handbook by Vic Elford. It is a hoot to read. Available at Amazon and most big bookstores. Here are some details:

Elford graduated from the Porsche factory race team to run the Porsche Owners Driving School for Porsche Cars North America. An engineer by education and a driver by profession, he is a renowned driving instructor with experience racing Formula 1, sports cars, rally cars, Can-Am, Trans-Am, and Nascar on road circuits, superspeedways, and off-road rallys.

Porsches have a reputation for being hard to drive. This is the first guide to explain the details of how to drive Porsches to their maximum potential.

Includes all Porsches from the rear-engined 356 to the 911, 930, and 959; front-engined 924, 944, 928, and 968; and mid-engined 914

The book Tomm is referring to is Vic Elford's Porsche High-Performance Driving Handbook, MBI Publishing Co., 1994. Highly recommended. I can't attest to the wc cars, but the air-cooled, set low, will handle with the best. There's a beautiful black JPS out there (you know who you are) that does too.

I meant black Vintage. Sorry Mav.