new car

Congratulations Tom. She looks awesome. 

Tom.  Very nice. Lots of nice touches like the cruise control.  What transmission do you have?  I see you have wide 5s.  I'm assuming you had to go with vw torsion bar suspension up front to accommodate the wide 5s.  Or has Henry yet figured out how to use wide 5s with Porsche front suspension?

Beautiful. Lots of good choices made there.

Tom very nice!  

Phil, I just checked the build picts and it looks like Tom has 914  front end frame and A arms so Wow with wide 5's I guess you can get them now and it looks like a

VW Type 1 - 4 speed 

Tom I think you have my set up for the engine and cooling .... Congrats. Ray

Beautiful build, Tom.  Nice that you do a combination Speedster/Roadster approach, and of course the Pre-A look is the best (IMHO).  Henry does so many little touches in these cars to suit whatever the owner wants and needs.  Brings back memories of my own build.

I really like the Wide Five wheels, and the overall 'racing' look to the car.  Drive that car as it's meant to be driven...

Wide 5s with Porsche running gear up front.  Hallelujah.  I see a suby outlaw in my future.  Now if Henry could just figure out how to do a watercooled car without bumpers.   My car currently has the 914 running gear up front.  I switched out my 914 calipers for BMW 320i calipers.  Huge improvement in braking. If I was building another car with 914 parts up front I'd go with 1965-69 "M" style 911 calipers for solid rotors up front.  I wonder if Henry can do wide 5s with modern 911 parts like Bob and Marty's cars.  Bob you should inquire.  Bob, you're car would look incredible with wide 5s.

I know Henry is busy and likes to keep a low profile but Porsche front suspension with wide 5s is big stuff.  Better handling, more trunk space.  Inquiring minds (or lunatics like us) want to know.

Here is a pict of his front end before the brake mod for wide 5 ... not sure if they simply have wheel adapters of a permanent mod... 

Phil, watercooled without bumper I think it is dooable for sure. 

Picture shows conventional 914 brakes with 4 lug rotors. What's the trick. 

Bones!

Great to see you back!!!!!!

Here is a pict of the front and Rear.... the Smooth cap is the front... how is it done... not completely certain but looks well done as all things IM usually are. 

I know Henry has ordered some special wide five wheels to fit on the 911 hubs, using special adaptors, but I assumed the adaptors would have to be covered with hub caps. 

I can't see how he has done what he has done with this set up, but I would be interested.  The only problem with wide fives is finding a tire shop that can handle them, for changing tires and for balancing.

You're right, Phil, I'd love wide fives on my car.

Ray, Phil:

There are a couple of shots on the second page linked by Ray above, that show a wide five adaptor somehow attached to a four lug hub.  Not sure how it's done, but it was done.

You'll have to copy and paste this link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65579473@N08/29567489783/in/album-72157667685579585/

Wow great looking car @Tom Boney, we are going to need to get a summer or fall driver put together. What say you @Stan Galat  @Marty Grzynkowicz @Rich Drewek

Bob: IM S6 posted:

Ray, Phil:

There are a couple of shots on the second page linked by Ray above, that show a wide five adaptor somehow attached to a four lug hub.  Not sure how it's done, but it was done.

You'll have to copy and paste this link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65579473@N08/29567489783/in/album-72157667685579585/

 

Dang Tom! You've been holding out on us! It looks stupendous!!!!! As Joe mentioned, we'll need to some more corn cruising. I picked up a little, "unloved Porsche model" myself a couple of weeks ago. Hope to see you in the summer, been a LONG TIME.

Well, Rich, looks like the cat has escaped from the bag...

Panhandle Bob posted:

Bob: IM S6 posted:

Ray, Phil:

There are a couple of shots on the second page linked by Ray above, that show a wide five adaptor somehow attached to a four lug hub.  Not sure how it's done, but it was done.

You'll have to copy and paste this link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65579473@N08/29567489783/in/album-72157667685579585/

 

Hey, Bob, it's Bob (I have to get another handle - but it can't be Panhandle).

What's the source of that shot?  That explains a lot, and I guess the adapter is hidden by the drum skins.  But it looks like the adaptors/wide five hubs that Henry uses are more robust than those ones.

That is what's on my car. I have been looking for ages for the flat head torx bolts to replace the four holding the 4 lug to 5 lug adapter to the disc brake system.

McMaster-Carr doesn't have them in the correct fine thread configuration to fit. Closest I could get was their #91294A440.

I want those flat heads so that I can run drum skins. As it is now, the bolts stick out so drum skins won't work. If you find the right bolts let me know.

By the way, I routinely check the system and though I have heard about issues with running adapters, these have been fine for the 5 or so years I have owned the car. No sign of wear or trouble with loosening up. Also pushes the wheels out and fills the arches well.

Congrats, Rich! Sorry we couldn't get together when you came down to pick it up.

Bob:

Look forward to seeing Henry's solution. Please keep me in the loop, thanks.

Bob: See the attached photo. Note the four bolts connecting the adapter. Flush with the adapter itself so as to allow drumskins or virtually any wide 5 wheel.

Bob, the rear brakes seem to be disk brake wide 5's  .... I no not how they were done but they are not adapters for sure.   They look like Empi, and with drumskins to make them look nice and match the front... 

For the front... in theory any hub could be sent to a machine shop and something could be done to accommodate wide 5's but ... who is going to sign off on them? 

It will be interesting to hear Tom or IM chime in on this one. 

Ray 

Panhandle Bob posted:

Bob: See the attached photo. Note the four bolts connecting the adapter. Flush with the adapter itself so as to allow drumskins or virtually any wide 5 wheel.

Not mine. Photo came off the Samba.

I have wide 5 drums on the rear, and the four lug disc to wide five adapter thingie on the front...I asked for solutions and this what I got back on the Samba.

So "Canuck Bob" needs a new handle?  Something better than Bob: IM S6?

Well, how about Canuck Bob?  

Or Poutine Bob?  Ooooo....Waffle fries with Gravy and Lobstah - Love it!

or Toque Bob?  Real Canucks wear their Toque year round, right?  "Hey!  get your Toque!  There's Weather Out!"

Dude's too old for Pablum, so THAT's out.....    

Maybe Muskoka Bob? (Think an Adirondack Chair from Ontario)  

Then there's always that wonderful MacKenzie brother term which could be "Hoser Bob" , but he's way too cool and cultured for that.

Maybe "Maple Bob" since Canada IS the hugest producer of Maple Syrup in the whole, entire world, especially in Ontario (which is just left of Vermont, almost, ya know?)

Ooo....Oooo...."BackBacon Bob"!!  It's got a nice ring to it.

Beavertail Bob (it's a pastry - a really good one, too - been served at the White House!)

Maybe "Caesar Bob"  (kinda like a BloodyMary the way Ming Tai makes them - with clam juice).

That's all I got for now - You'll have to carry on without me, Bob IM S6........

All I got left is "Spoofer Bob"

Obama came to Ottawa and had a Beavertail pastry in the Colonel By Market where they are sold.

Gordon:  What the devil were you drinking today...LOL.

Thanks, but I think I'll stay just plain old Bob.  No need to make the list of monikers any longer. 

Agreed: I think Gordon has slipped a cog, or been dippin' in the Oban a little early today.  ???

And so, "Is that you, Bob??"  MUSB . . .

As to the car in the photos" "WOW!!"  So much put into that.  Engine just looks like it belongs in there.  Henry, and the other folks swinging over to water cooled, are slowly but surely chipping away at my old-school, gotta be air-cooled, what the Old Doktor did way of thinking.  Still, I  think that Henry's all-911-underpinnings Speedster is the epitome of the replica art, but ya know, this here one is pretty damn close.  Just not too cool on the roll bar.  Does not look like a real one (would not be strong enough to help much) and really does nothing, IMHO, to the appearance, which is otherwise immaculate.  Yeah I know: tough crowd here, sorry . . .

I really don't have a problem with an adapter on the front wheels as long as its robust.  But all of this stuff adds to extra weight for the front wheels.  I'd like to know if Vintage Motorcars aluminum wheels would work with this set up.  I could care less if the car has vw rear disc brakes.  Who cares about rear brakes.  The vw rear discs are fine.  If I build an IM outlaw I'll do everything I can to make the car as light as I can.  Would 911 running gear be great?  Sure it would.  But with a super light car the 914 stuff would be fine particularly if you can improve the crappy 914 front calipers. Like I said before the 65-69 911 "M" style calipers are stiffer that the 914 calipers and have bigger pistons (they actually use the same pads).  The wheels in my head are turning.

Best to keep unsprung weight to a minimum.  But then some will have to have "the look", and whaddarya gonna do about that??

"Just not too cool on the roll bar.  Does not look like a real one (would not be strong enough to help much)"

Actually, Kelly, that roll bar is the same as on my car.  It's solid steel, with diagonal braces, and solidly anchored to the solid steel frame and special mounts that Henry welds to the frame.  

I am sure that Henry would not put a faux roll bar in one of his cars. 

I hope I never have to test it, but I'm fairly confident it would do its job.

OK, copy that, just looks a little small in dia., and I see where it's bolted, which often means it is a "show piece".  The ones that really mean it also have front-to-back braces, which I don't see here, but maybe just not shown.  Here's the real deal:  keep it upright!!

That tach. Hilarious. 

Great detail there and a beautiful car.

Most excellent.

(and in your typical "Bones" manner, a very low-key roll-out of something really special)

Hi Guys,

 Thanks for the comments. here are a few details to hopefully answer some questions.

The car is outfitted with a 2.5 Suby motor and a 4 speed with a 3.44 ratio.

It does have disc brakes all around with wide 5's and a 914 front suspension. Henry tells me this is the 1st one he has done like this and he spent the time and did the r&d because of the demand from his customers.Now how he did it I am not sure, but will send him an email and post his answer once I get it.

My right foot was injured on a previous motorcycle accidents so I added the cruise control to help with discomfort on long trips.

I am a bigger guy so I put the roadster seats in which fit my body better.

 I also added the Intermeccanica Generation 2 liquid cooled platform with a 15 gallon gas tank, and front mounted twin radiators.

As for the roll bar, it is functional, with a 4 point attachment to the tubular chassis.

It also will have the Carrera badging when completed

Thanks,

Tom

Meant to say"motorcycle accident". I have only been t-boned once.

edsnova posted:

That tach. Hilarious. 

Great detail there and a beautiful car.

What's up with the tach Ed? I seem to be missing something.