Intermeccanica

I swapped emails with Henry this week about a possible new Speedster and he told me they have expanded their staff with two new people in the shop and one in the office in order to reduce delivery wait times without compromising quality.

A lot of the previous wait time for an IM has been due to Henry acting like a one-man-band fielding customer calls, emails, and shop visits, while trying to help sort out office paperwork questions and also manage all of the construction processes. Now he'll have more time to devote to building cars; production quantity is not the issue, but with the additional staff IM may build a few more cars each year.

George, seeing how pleased you are with your conv. D,I'm courious as to what changes you would make on another IM. Also why a speedster, and give up all that comfort?

I guess nostalgia and/or deja vu would be most of the reason for my thinking about a Speedster (I had a real one back in the '60s). Also, I might keep the IM convertible "D" as my everyday transportation car and put the 225 bhp 2,387cc type 1 engine and a 901 4-speed (or 5-speed) in a new IM Speedster "Carrera" look-alike.

Changes? Pretty much the same mechanical build as my "D" (see my "files" entry) but with VDO repro 8,000 RPM tach; 160 mph speedo; combo gauge with oil temp, oil pressure, and fuel gauge; Speedster under-dash parking brake; Speedster heater control knob (dummy; Ebersbacher gasoline heater; 4-wheel disk brakes with "wide five" lug pattern; silver powder coat Porsche repro wide five Mangel wheels; Carrera rear deck lid and badging; and custom merged exhaust with Carrera style tail pipe. And little things like correct instrument placement (speedo on the right, combo on the left, tach in the center). And of course bee-hive tail lights, headlight grills, Speedster and Carrera scripts, and a real Hella shine down light chrome shell. I have a vintage NOS pair of Cibie chrome "Super Oscar" fog/spot lights that might go on the front bumper.

1956 Speedster red, black interior and Speedster replica seats with red piping (and more comfortable seat cusion), gray square weave carpeting, and black top and half-toneau with stay-fast fasteners.

Life is short; might as well have fun while you're here...

(Message Edited 12/27/2002 12:45:48 PM)

George,

I am with you with your Carrera GT ideas... though different engine :), and perhaps different color, but everything else sounds perfecto.

Would be curious about the quote minus engine when you get that far along. Bravo.

George,

Whose doing your engine build?

Jordan

Originally I planned to "co-build" the 2,387 with Kurt Metzger at his shop in Pennsylvania and install it in my current car there when we finished.

But since Karl is buying my IM (God, selling it is like marrying off my favorite daughter) the engine will go in a new IM Carrera Speedster replica (ah, but with roll up windows). I'll get around the heater box issues by using an Espar B1LC gas heater for heat/defrost; that way any 1 3/4" equal length merged header that clears the thermostat and stock tin will work.

With a new IM the engine builder will be Pat Downs at CB Perf. Pat builds all the engines for IM (unless a customer specifies otherwise) and ships them in batches (easier for paperwork and Canadian customs). I talked to Pat a few months ago and he said he would build my 2,387 even though it isn't using CB case, crank, rods, etc. Of course I'll be paying for shop and dyno time and a "foreign parts" bonus (they have to make money to stay in business). And, the new car will be using a lot of other CB Performance parts. Hopefully Pat will let me fly out for final assembly and dyno runs.

Erik, the "base price" for an IM Speedster is about $25,500 US, or about the same as a convertible "D". My new car will run somewhat more than that - chassis mod for 901 5-speed transaxle, CB Perf. wide-five 4 wheel disk brakes (non-assisted), front trunk mod for full sized spare, Espar gas heater, radio pod, internal radio antenna, 15 gallon gas tank with reserve, two speed windshield wipers with intermittent option, CB Perf. rotary electric fuel pump and upgraded hard fuel line, Carrera rear deck lid, 24mm rear torsion bar upgrade, 19mm front and rear torsion bars, Nardi woodrim wheel (standard on most Carreras), key-locking front and rear deck lid releases (internal), Porsche under-dash parking brake, Porsche heater control knob (a placebo since the gas heater is installed), beehive rear tail lights (1956 style), Porsche rectangular rear reflectors, Euro bumper guards, "upgraded" body prep and paint, and non-assisted rack and pinion steering. VDO Instrument upgrades will be 8,000 RPM tach, 160 mph speedo, tri-combo gauge (oil pressure, oil temperature, and gas gauge), and matching clock. A dash mounted cigarette lighter (American sized instead of Euro) for 12V electric accessories.

The 901 transaxle also requires different CV joints, etc.

I also want chassis mods to include a front center jack point (for easier servicing) and a front towing eye/hook to use if the car has to be winched onto a flat-bed tow truck. And we're thinking about an SCCA spec removeable rollbar.

All of that stuff added to the base price can get a bit expensive.

(Message Edited 12/31/2002 5:23:10 PM)

Wow George, it sounds great! Everything does. I have to hand it to you, when you do something you do it right!

I was a bit surprised your going for a Speedster as for the past couple of years you were a "D" spokesman, but it is good to be flexible.

Did you decide against going with a through-the-hood gas fill set-up? Spydersports.com can sell you perfect reproduction GT mirrors and gas cap, and other rare parts, etc.

Henry sent me some photos of the GT Carrera with the 911 engine in it. Beautiful car.

Erik, there's more that I didn't list - sometimes it seems endless. But no, I won't be using the center mounted, through the hood gas tank filler. To my knowledge only the factory cars with the big tanks used those. I saw a clapped-out 356 "Continental" notch-back coupe in Detroit in 1967 at Erhard motors that had the big tank; there literally wasn't room for much of anything else in the trunk except the spare tire, jack, and battery.

It's like having a house built. It takes a couple of tries to get it the way you want. I had a log house built, on our 10 acres, three years ago. I thought I had it all planned out...I was wrong. Boy, would I build a different house if I could do it again. Most of us can't do it again...George can...go for it.
P.S. (I'm jealous, but don't tell George)
Ron (and his old 84 IM)

George, if you're going to pick up your IM, in person, I'd like to meet you in Vancouver (I live about 60 miles to the east). If you are going to have it shipped, forget all the hassle...I'll drive it out for you. By the way...what will the red line be? Sounds like the making of a good movie...tired guy has to deliver a car across the country. It will be a non-stop trip...pedal to the metal. We could call it 'Vanishing'...something. (no bulldozers please!)
Happy New Years
Ron

Ron, rather than a west-to-east solo "Cannonball Run" I plan to take a leisurely couple of weeks and visit friends and CLF acquaintances in
Washington state, Idaho, Utah, California, Arizona, etc. So sure, we can "do lunch" or something in Vancouver before I hit the road.