PIcked up Project 48 today

Safety Jim posted:

With these lightweight bodies on solid VW chassis, a 1641 can provide plenty of rush. I have been bombing around with the 1600 for a long time and no issues.  My engine build is taking longer than anticipated due to work and a serious lower back issue.  But, onward to get it rolling for Carlisle! 

Good luck with this project Alan!  Can't wait to see it in PA next month. 

Sorry to hear about the back issues (we all are getting older). And my apologies- iIrc it's a stroker and I know you gave us specs before, but can you refresh our memories as to the details again? (and you know by now I want to know everything!)                 

Thanks Jim. Al

All right already!  I was going to keep it under raps til Carlisle, but my week of being flat on my back with pain killers, anti-inflamatories, steroids and multiple hospital and clinic visits has me twitching to work on it.  I have the short case assembled and the jugs and pistons prepped to go in with the heads, push rods and rockers. ( hopefully today).  I am attaching the specs from CB Perf.  As I said before, conservative, easy to work on and still upping the HP and Torque substantially...  A cool runner with plenty of oomph paired with the new tranny that has the higher end ratio, should cruise nicely.   Stainless full flow exhaust, new dual webers and the Magna distributor and coil will also help with the ride! 

Looking forward to seeing this..but take a few days for your back to heal..you still have time  !

Looks like a great choice! Don't hurt yourself again by pushing too hard.

Thank you gentlemen.  I worked on it for about 2 hours without issues today.  It is all ready for complete head install and assembly of rockers tomorrow.  Slow and steady wins the race....  they say that I guess.  I have plenty to do and to de-buggafy and only 5 weeks or so to Carlisle.  I also jacked up it’s rear end and have to adjust the door card top caps and latches, matching my new guages, oil temp and pressure guages need to go in and the new tranny has to go in and be adjusted. Complete new rear axles with new CV joints will be bolted up.  But, “even the longest journey begins with the first step” says Confucius! :=). 

While I’m into so this deep, should I install a fan assisted remote oil cooler?  Do you think it will need it.  If so, replace the existing dog house cooler or run a cooler right from the full flow pump they gave me with the kit?  Suggestions and experience welcome! 

Please join us again, Jim, even if the car isn’t ready.  I’ll be in my DD again and won’t be at all embarrassed about it.

Looking at your spec sheet, the case has been drilled for "Full Flow" and it's a 2241 so yes, you'll need an external cooler.

That means you can run an external filter, taking the oil from the oil pump cover out to the filter and returning it to the oil gallery.  All you need do is add a fan-assisted oil cooler tucked away in the driver's rear wheel well and plumbed in between the filter and the return to the engine - that fitting is at about 10 o'clock on the case when looking at the crankshaft pulley.

You leave the doghouse cooler where it is and continue to use it and the external cooler adds cooling before the oil gets to the doghouse cooler.  Sounds like a lotta cooling but all works well together.

Here's a 4-part article I wrote a while back on doing all this stuff to my 2,110.  It's up in the knowledge section on here.  I left the engine in the car to do the case drilling.....That was pretty brave, but I'm always up for a challenge.  Part 1 specs the parts and arrives at a layout and part 3 and 4 installs the parts and readies the system.

https://www.speedsterowners.co...-1-mechanical-layout

I used a DeRale 16-pass fan assisted cooler, but those running a similar unit from Setrab  have had good service from them, too.

Safety Jim posted:

Thank you gentlemen.  I worked on it for about 2 hours without issues today.  It is all ready for complete head install and assembly of rockers tomorrow.  Slow and steady wins the race....  they say that I guess.  I have plenty to do and to de-buggafy and only 5 weeks or so to Carlisle.  I also jacked up it’s rear end and have to adjust the door card top caps and latches, matching my new guages, oil temp and pressure guages need to go in and the new tranny has to go in and be adjusted. Complete new rear axles with new CV joints will be bolted up.  But, “even the longest journey begins with the first step” says Confucius! :=). 

While I’m into so this deep, should I install a fan assisted remote oil cooler?  Do you think it will need it.  If so, replace the existing dog house cooler or run a cooler right from the full flow pump they gave me with the kit?  Suggestions and experience welcome! 

 

If everything is right that engine shouldn't really need another cooler. If you do decide to put one on, leave the factory cooler in place, plumb the new one in after the full flow filter and make sure there's a thermostat so oil isn't going through it all the time and the engine will take forever to warm up.

@gordon..  Hi Gordon, It is a 1776.  Not a huge increase in displacement from the original 1600.  However, I ran an 1850 in it for many years without an external cooler. I only asked as I am trying to everything as correctly as possible and with no future regret. 

 @alb..  I would like to run it without the external if possible and I am installing a brand new dog house cooler, all new sheet metal including the dog house that has all the vanes... (from kaddie shack)  I am trying to find all high quality components vs. budget stuff.   At the end of the day, durability is my goal. 

When I first built the car back in the early 80’s, I built up the existing motor to an 1850 with a motor kit from JC Whitney!  I ran that for about 10 years and it was plenty of fun. Under carbureted, under exhaust flowed, built into an unreinforced case that I had bored at a local machine shop.  And, it worked! Until, a hot August day when the case just said, “all done!”   I was in Florida for vacation and picked up a fully rebuilt 1600 for a steal at Fisher Buggies in Tampa and have used that ever since.  This kit from CB Perf is a world away in quality and components from my previous two motors!  I just want it to last as long as I do! Lol ;-0. 

I have built about 6 other motors since those early days, restoring bugs and busses. Again, the case, heads and everything else is nicely machined and balanced from CB including the flywheel, crank, rods & pistons.  Weighing each piece, they are on the money for matched weights. This will be the smoothest runner I have ever assembled! 

Jim

@Gordon: Easy to mistake the displacement from that eye exam of a spec sheet. I did the same thing when I first saw it.  I like the external cooler and filter advice too! Thanks, 

Jim

OK, Jim.....   The spec got me!  Personally, I don’t think an engine less than 1915cc’s needs an external cooler.  1915 is borderline for an external cooler - some need it, some don’t, depending on carbs/intake, mechanicals, level of tune and exhaust used.  

Isn’t @MusbJim running a 1776 with no external cooler?  If el Guapo, running his car on crushed rutabaga oil from Trader Joe’s, can survive without a fancy-schmancy cooler, so can you.

Ha ha ha! Rutabaga oil!  Does he add zinc or does it come with it pre-mixed?  Can I throw a shot of Jim Beam bourbon and some ice in there to help with cooling?

Thanks for all your help Gordon! ;-)

Not sure the cooler is needed and Jim, that Jim is in Caulifornia.   

"Isn’t @MusbJim running a 1776 with no external cooler? If el Guapo, running his car on crushed rutabaga oil from Trader Joe’s, can survive without a fancy-schmancy cooler, so can you." - Gordon

My previous VS came with a 1776. Had some thick-wall 1835 jugs laying around so I installed those plus 1:1.25 lifters & A-1 Sidewinder. Thought as long as I had it apart also added an external cooler with thermostat fan. Ran 30 wt detergent oil. Engine getting hot was never an issue. Logged 161,000 Km (100,000 miles) until totaled in a crash.

@Safety Jim Buffalo NY. your car will run beautifully. Looking forward to see it and catching up with you at Carlisle! 

El Guapo makes any car cooler by just sitting in it.

Alan I saw you painted it grey but not Vapor Grey.  

I never seen Vapor grey ... is that an invisible paint.  COULD NOT HELP IT.

I have to say I like the video of that car the grey and baseball glove colour is pretty awesome combo.  Are you making the roof the baseball colour as well?

IaM-Ray posted:

I have to say I like the video of that car the grey and baseball glove colour is pretty awesome combo.  Are you making the roof the baseball colour as well?

Paint is Porsche Seal grey, StayFast top in black, a mixed grey carpet, baseball glove color seats, dash, boots, door cards and door top rails. Speedster is very close to the one in this video less the headlight grills and the radio.  Rebuilt (all new components) 1641 engine w/ baby Webers.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-iokoosa4

NICE!!!!

Project 48... This is a first to have a project linger for 7 months. So as usual,  I will be wrenching into the final week to get this speedster completed and on the Carlisle show field. Picking up the rebuilt engine tomorrow, installing it on Monday and recovering the dash vinyl that I buggered up. ( Note to self:  Do not try to clean a spot off the vinyl with carb cleaner)  Then it's a stop at the local  DMV for tags and put some sorting  miles on the speedster.

“Do not try to clean a spot off the vinyl with carb cleaner)”

Shoot.....I learned that a few years ago.  Shoulda mentioned it back them and save you the angst.    

Good luck on the final leg.

Connie and I made the 7 hour 300 mile round trip to get my rebuilt & fully balanced engine, heard it run on the stand and it was impressive.....Monday AM I will reinstall it, stand by ~

Can't wait to see it Alan. Keep 'er going!

I wish you would have taken a video of the engine running and posted it Alan. Did you take a video by chance?

No video yet but a friend is coming over tis afternoon to hump the engine out of the back of my pick up and it will be in the speedster tomorrow..AM

Project 48 is done. It took seven months, double the normal project time to complete. ( OK Connie and I did two, week long trips to Florida in this time line )  A quick run down:  Ball joint / swing axle trans,  fresh balanced 1641 cc engine, detailed engine bay with 34mm dual carbs. Porsche Seal grey w/ baseball glove color interior, grey carpet, Black Stay Fast top, 1/4 boot and side curtains Bumper over riders, driving lights.  Nardi style wood wheel , wide five chrome wheels w/ - w/o baby moons. We'll drag it out to Carlisle this Wednesday afternoon.

Beautiful job, Alan!

Yes, very nice for sure ....

Excellent job as usual and dynamite colour combo....see U at Carlisle next week !

Alan,

Nice job!!! You will sell that car fast. I have built so many of that color combination ..... we are building three right now...lol

Greg

Thanks Greg, one of your builds in this color combination was the inspiration .

Alan, I really like this one, nice combo.

Looks like it came out of a fancy factory (actually it did!) ---I think it's gorgeous---congrats, Alan.

Lovely, lovely car, Alan.  Super-nice job, as always.

What are the fog lights and where were they sourced from?

Thanks , the driving lights are $39.95 for the pair from Vintage Speedster

Parts. http://vintagespeedsterparts.c...mepairh3halogen.aspx

A word to the wise.. most VSP parts are Chinese re-pops. You are much better off to get parts from Greg Vintage Motor Cars , Carey at Beck, Henry at IM as they are of higher quality.

On Saturday evening on the way to the Banquet my engine developed a sudden noise and engine miss. No oil light and not running hot so I drove it easily back to the hotel. Yesterday I checked things out, runs somewhat rough and  the noise is now barely noticeable. I checked all the usual stuff like the valves etc. It's all is in tack so the problem is internal. "John" the engine builder is totally onboard in making this right so both of us will tear it down on Tuesday. 

I look forward to hearing what you find. I did see a brief period of white smoke coming out of your tail pipes while following you to the museum Friday morning while tearing down the interstate. At the time I had a moment of "Oh No!" but the smoke stopped and you continued on without issue. I wonder if that was a start of whatever your issue turns out to be. Maybe a cylinder with broken rings? Thanks for sharing the journey.

I remembered you mentioned that...then the rest of the day it was ok.  Stay tuned ~