Just joined... I’m interested in wide body Speedsters

I believe Troy Sloan ( @Troy Sloan) has a nice on for sale.  Troy?

I did have one, but it's sold.  I think John is looking for that needs work.  Give me a call John.  @JohnRomano 559-908-3258 

CMC Widebody, Lift off Hard Top, racing tube frame, $29,500

Outlaw style too!  2110 cc, louvers, GT mirrors, outlaw badge, etc.

@JohnRomano    Check out David's flared red Speedster,  a great deal and it's done right !

It’s beautiful!! 

Too much to undo tho. 

Min looking more for this:

This was a fender bender special I redid about 6 years ago.

What motor was in that?? It’s a gorgeous car! 

1915 cc engine

@  JohnRomano   I can build you a CMC flared body turning  out a custom look similar to these. I know of two donors  that are available to me soon.   This will be Project build number 50, completion in May for Carlisle 2020 where you,  can pick it up !   I may even sign this one :~)

Thanks Alan...

your cars are beautiful. But, I prefer the Vintage Speedster super wide look

Alan Merklin posted:

1915 cc engine

What can expect to pay for such a motor, and how much HP does it put out??

You're looking at 80-110 hp.  A 1915 could use all stock parts with just the case/heads opened up to accept the 94 mm P&C.  That would give low hp.  A decent cam, heads and dual carbs would push hp up.

Are the ultra/super-wide VS cars still swing axle transaxles?  

WOLFGANG posted:

Are the ultra/super-wide VS cars still swing axle transaxles?  

Wolfgang.  IRS was an option on the Vintage Super Widebody and my Blue one was IRS.

There haven't been any Super Widebodies built since Kirk sold Vintage Speedsters and Justin moved it to Arizona in 2018.  Greg Leach, who moved his company, Vintage Motorcars of California Inc., into the old Vintage Speedsters location in Hawaiian Gardens has control of the Super Widebody molds, but told me there just wasn't a big demand for them.  Additionally, the really nice custom made wheels, that resemble Fuchs, need to be ordered in large quantities and are very pricey.

Stock dual port heads will limit any engine's power to somewhere around 80-85 hp so in a 1915 there's no point in building it to rev much past 5,000 rpm. Anything more than an Engle W100 cam will take the engine past it's power peak, and revving it higher does nothing but wear out/break parts. For the budget minded, Ict's are a perfect fit here, although kadrons and 36 or 40 mm Webers or Dellortos will work really well too. If your only aircooled experience was a stock Beetle, an engine like this would be a blast to drive in a lightweight Speedster (especially with a 4.37 ring & pinion!). With electronic points and high energy spark, really no more maintenance than a stocker, and driven sanely most of the time it will get better mileage than that stocker.

Properly ported dual port heads (still with stock size 35x32 mm valves) will support 120 hp. On a smallish engine (anything with a stock stroke 69mm crankshaft is still considered small) with a cam/rocker combo that allows the engine to rev to 5500- 6,000 rpm and lift the valves up close to .500" (to take full advantage of the porting you paid for) and a little more carburation you'll get 110 -120 hp with great bottom end/ lower midrange power. The Ict's are now too small (they will only support 92-93 hp tops) and either kadrons or Webers/Dels are required. And you thought the engine was fun to drive before- this thing would be a hoot! (and still no more maintenance than normal) and might even get ever so slightly better mileage than the engine in the first paragraph (again, it all depends on how you drive it!).

Of course, everyone wants to be able to brag that their engine has 40x35 mm "big valve" heads, but now the engine has to rev above 5500- 6,000 rpm to make them even begin to work. 150, 160, even 170 hp is possible, but now the engine is set up to rev to 6500 or 7,000 rpm (or more), Webers or Dellortos are essential, it takes more maintenance to keep it running well and the car is really no longer in the "jump in any time and drive anywhere" category. And the bottom end/lower midrange (where we do most of our driving) isn't quite as nice as it was in the previous combo, which will show up in an ever so slight reduction in gas mileage.

To have that 150-160 or more hp, 5500 or 6,000 rpm redline, huge bottom end/lower midrange power and "jump in any time and drive anywhere" option- stroking the engine to 21, 22 or 2300 cc's will make it happen. 200 hp is even possible but now we're talking 42 or 44x 37 mm heads (even more expensive) and setting up the engine to run to 6500 or 7,000 rpm and lifting valves over .500". Read again the last line in the previous paragraph for the warning/cautionary notes.

Of course, each of these steps costs more money- how wide will you open your wallet?

Hope this helps. Al

With those big wide tires and heavier wheels you can use all the power you can get. The wider the fenders, the more engine you'll need and want.

My 2 cents.

I respectfully disagree Danny.  I've had lots of Super Widebody Vintage Speedsters with 1915cc motors and never felt like any of them needed more.  I think it's just a personal preference rather than a need. 

More Power the Better!! My son says go Big or Go Home!!

I’ve been thinking about a SUBY like Marty’s or something like this

Arden posted:

More Power the Better!! My son says go Big or Go Home!!

@Former Member the subjects in both your pictures are definitely bad-a$$!! 

Don’t know witch way to go .  Both have the Cool factor !! I think people say SUBY would be more economical but I like being different can’t afford Porsche Motor but I like keeping  it German any input would be appreciated!!

The choice is yours why don't you try to get a ride or better yet a drive in two potential engines... you might make a more informed decision. 

The torque band on a subie is pretty awesome from the get go at 175-180 hp NA.  

My 2110cc was nice but no comparison.  I no longer have to feather the trottle starting off and the torque band was much later coming in. 

You can start off in 4th gear with a subie that is how the torque is available to you. 

Heck why don’t you invite me down to Florida when you get there and we can go for a ride have a few cocktails and I could come to a conclusion lol

Heck I’m  just messing around I love hearing other people’s responses how else would I get know anything about anything!

Arden posted:

I’ve been thinking about a SUBY like Marty’s or something like this-

(note- "this" is a CB Perf. 2332 cc fuel injected/turboed engine making 315 hp at somewhere around 7,000 rpm)

I can see the appeal of that engine! If you're a VW aircooled  diehard, competent mechanically and enjoy doing all your own maintenance (and I'm sure that engine will need more work than normal) then go for it! Note that aircooled VW engines, unless under relatively low boost, are not known for long life and I wouldn't consider something like this in the 'jump in at a moment's notice and drive 300 miles to go for the weekend" category. Letting someone else do all the maintenance will probably not work out well- mechanics familiar with aircooled engines are getting hard to find and someone with the knowledge to deal with the f.i. and turbo systems will be even rarer, the car will probably end up sitting more than it's driven (we've seen this before with non-aircooled people buying aircooled engine'd Speedsters), you'll end up selling 3, 4, 5, or?? years down the road with very little mileage and overall the experience leaving a bad taste in your mouth. The dream really didn't come close to meeting the reality.

If the above makes any sense to you at all, go Subaru. Once the install is done and it's running/cooling properly it'll be pretty maintenance free, other than regular oil changes, spark plugs every once in a blue moon (and whatever else those Franken-engines may need) and you'll be able to jump in and drive it any time. Some of the (I think it's) turboed STI engines make the power level you're drooling over and they're factory engineered (so they'll last way longer). It'll probably be cheaper in the long run as well.

My apologies if you know all this and have already thought it out. It's just that almost every year the forum sees a Speedster (or 2 or 3) for sale where people have commissioned builds (or bought existing cars) with aircooled power (it's period and so cool! We'll be roaring around like James Dean!) they aren't mechanically inclined enough to take care of it (and aren't willing to take the time to learn), the car sits way more than it gets driven because they can't find someone to maintain it to their (probably somewhat unrealistic) satisfaction (it's not a modern car, never will be and they just don't get it) and their expectations of jumping in and driving around, carefree, all over the place aren't close to the reality of owning an antique aircooled relic that was designed with the technology available so shortly after the birth of the automobile. 

Just one more thought- if you put a turboed Subie in it- what are you thinking for a transaxle? With that much power it's gonna have to be something stout. The idea of a subie 5 sounds so appealing...

Hope this helps. Al

"(it's not a modern car, never will be and they just don't get it)"  

How true this is the crux of the matter, 50 year old tech basically with semi modern engine if you go subaru.  And, there can still be issues with the engine like any other modern engine like MAF, Oxygen sensors etc with a subie. 

You also get to be the learner and then the teacher if you take it to a mechanic who obviously has no clue about your car so he is looking, learning and you will need to know your car to be able to inform him or let him learn by trial and error.  Just saying.  

To live beside the builder is the way to drive these cars with a lot less stress especially at the beginning. 

“It’s not a modern car, never will be...”

Al, those are the words that should be writ large at the top of this forum.

They’re one of the main reasons a lot of us got these silly things in the first place, but you’re right, they also explain why so many cars are resold with so few miles.

I guess it helps, going in, if you’re old enough to remember when starting a car in the cold was a diplomatic conversation between man and machine. When cars needed, ‘tuneups’. And when you bought gas at a service station.

First thing you’d always be asked after a 100-mile trip was if the car ran OK.

" I guess it helps, going in, if you’re old enough to remember when starting a car in the cold was a diplomatic conversation between man and machine. When cars needed, ‘tuneups’. And when you bought gas at aservice station.

First thing you’d always be asked after a 100-mile trip was if the car ran OK."

Very true, you reminded me of a 1971 Maverick I owned and subsequently was owned by my brother.   In the cold that car was very temperamental and the auto choke would kind of drive you crazy.  I remember how it was a dance to just pump it the right amount and then turn the key to start it.  I could do it no sweat... no so much for my brother.  So occasionally when he got too frustrated I would go help him and Brummm it would start.  We laugh at that car even today. 

So... it's the winter of 1985/86. I'm 22, living in a second floor apartment with my child bride and a 1 y/o daughter. I'm a very reluctant first year apprentice, given the oldest/most tired service truck in the fleet-- a 1976 Ford E250 Econoline van. It was (of course) parked outside every night.

Every morning below 20*, or if it had rained or snowed (or heavily frosted) the night before (which is to say every single morning), I'd head out 1/2 hr before I needed to leave (5:30 or so, pitch darkness). I wouldn't even try to start it-- the first order of business was to open the hood and pop the distributor cap. I'd then get a can of WD40 from the back of the truck and liberally spray everything under the cap. The next thing to do was to remove the air-filter top and hold the choke plate open with a screwdriver, and the throttle plate open by hand while spraying ether down the throat for a couple of seconds. I'd always be leaning across the driver's side fender with the door open for this, because once sprayed, I'd need to jump in the driver's seat and immediately crank if I had any hope of lighting the fire.

If I was blessed, it'd catch, and I'd feather the throttle for 3-4 minutes until the block started to heat up. If it was a normal day, it'd catch... then die. I was afforded no more than 4 tries (repeating the ether process) before the battery was spent, and I'd need to pull the Dodge Dart over to give the truck a jump. The alternator on the Dart (my child-bride called it the DRT because the "A" had gone AWOL) was not enough to crank the small-block Ford, so the battery would need to charge. At this point, I'd head back inside, take a pee, and wait to start the entire process over again. It was like this every single morning from November until early May. I was late getting started 50% of the time. The owner of the company thought I was oversleeping.

Speedsters are a piece of cake.

One of my first big diesel car carrier trucks required a starting fluid spray start so I cut a 3/4" hole in the fire wall ran a piece of heater hose from the air cleaner to the cab. Then sitting in the cab out of the howling winds shoot starting fluid into the hose , I had to blow into the hose  as hard as I could to get the vapors to the intake and crank over the CAT engine ...always held the open end of the hose against the dash just incase it tried to back light into the hose..

Arden posted:

I’ve been thinking about a SUBY like Marty’s or something like this

That engine is awesome.

It'd be super-easy to live with, too-- only requiring the maintenance, monitoring, and money of a small-ish nuclear reactor, or surplus MiG fighter. It'd be the baddest of the bad on the two or three days every 5 years that it was operational and running well.

Stan Galat posted:

Arden posted:

I’ve been thinking about a SUBY like Marty’s or something like this

That engine is awesome.

It'd be super-easy to live with, too-- only requiring the maintenance, monitoring, and money of a small-ish nuclear reactor, or surplus MiG fighter. It'd be the baddest of the bad on the two or three days every 5 years that it was operational and running well.

Come on Stan; I'm sure a super competent enthusiast could have that thing running optimally for a week or so at least every 2 years!

How about just buying a Subaru with the engine of your choice and have it 'wrapped' to look like a Speedster! 

Reading Stan's saga of starting his E250 van made me remember why my Dad always insisted on housing his fleet of school buses inside of a heated (50F) garage.  Not only did the entire bus heat up quickly so the kids would be comfortable inside, but every single bus started right up when the drivers arrived, so no one was ever late.  In 30 years of busing for the town, I can't remember a single event of non-start or late out of the barn.  Occasional breakdowns on the road, yes, maybe one every couple of years, but no non-starters.  That heated barn made all the difference (and in servicing them, too!)

The town has been served by a national carrier for the past 20 years or so and hearing tales of late High School morning buses in the winter has become all too common.  Once the HS bus is late it throws off all of the subsequent schools unless the carrier has a few spare buses in the yard to sub in.  I wonder which is more expensive; have 2 or 3 spare buses on hand 'just in case' to expense and depreciate, or simply building a heated, insulated building to house a (smaller) fleet in?

When I was in high school I got the idea that it would help to put a blanket over the engine of my '37 Packard hearse.  When I started it the next morning I forgot about the blanket and it caught on fire.

ALB posted:

Come on Stan; I'm sure a super competent enthusiast could have that thing running optimally for a week or so at least every 2 years!

I'll concede, but will note that for at least 50% of that week the transaxle will have begun making frightening noises.

Econoline Van.

A friend inherited his dad's 1960 Econoline around '66, when dad upgraded. With a three-speed column shift, the Econoline was super reliable.

As long as you knew about the shift linkage.

About once a week, the spirits wouldn't quite align going from second to third, and neutral was all you got. Hammer time. A three-pound, ball peen hammer, that is. Which was kept handy under the driver's seat for just such occasions.

A quick jump under the truck, two or three whacks at the stuck linkage, and you could be back in your seat and underway before the light changed.

Another friend eventually bought the truck - and the hammer - and drove it out to California, where he daily drove it for another 15 years or so. Like I said, it was super reliable, if you don't count the hammer.

In all that time, no one ever suggested that the linkage be repaired. After all, all you needed was a hammer to get going again. No big deal.

I think we expected less of our cars in those days.

Mike and  Mitch :     Mike I pulled into the HS parking lot, friends carb was on fire, I have a moving pad in the trunk, smothered the minor fire with that and my error was tossing it back into my trunk .  Fifteen minutes later in Home Room period the classroom intercom phone rings to let me know MY trunk has smoke pouring out of it !    

Mitch  I had a 1953 Chevy, the three on the tree shifter linkage would bind out on the firewall from bad bushings l...same thing a whack with a hammer and we were good to go. 

MusbJim posted:

How about just buying a Subaru with the engine of your choice and have it 'wrapped' to look like a Speedster! 

I think there is some manufacturer who is doing exactly dad including the drive train, breaks and even leaves the dash board in behind the 356 replica dashboard.