Stan's Roadtrip, Central IL to Highway 1

Hopefully you have not encountered to many more Smokey Joes.

Wow!

 

Stan is running a clone of Pearl's motor!

 

Makes me wish I had driven her back and forth to Beaufort all those years.  (NOT!)

 

Now that I have a 3:88 in there, though, it makes interstate driving a whole 'nuther (and more pleasurable) experience, but I agree that for just about anywhere, a close-ratio 5-speed with an .89 fourth would be Wicked Supah!

 

So very glad that this trip has been so much fun for you, Stan.  It was fun just looking at the photos!

Home.

 

5335 miles, all tolled. To the edge of the world and back in 2 weeks.

 

It was most excellent, but I need some sleep.

Congratulations!

 

Most Excellent, and an inspiration to many on how to fully enjoy your 3-fitty-6.  The orignial car was not designed for that type of travel I am sure. 

 

 

I don't know. I think 'ol Ferry was catering to drivers. There's no reason that these cars, properly set-up, cannot be excellent GT travelling conveyances.

 

It's a big country. I can think of no better way to see it than from behind the stubby windshield of a speedster.

 

Drive 'em.

Amen, Stan!

Stan, you mentioned that your oil temperature got a bit high near Barslow.  How was your CHT?

Well, I once drove a Karmann Ghia 1600 c.c. half way across Canada, and it was a pleasant trip.  It wasn't a 356, but of similar vintage.

 

Stan,

Congrats to you for thumbing your nose at all the things that keep most of us within our 100 mile "speedster zones".  Well done.

 

Congrats!!!  I must admit though, my 64 year old back hurts just reading about it !!!  

 

 

Hey Stan, congratulations!  The one (and only) time that I met you was in California in 2005.  I had made my maiden voyage in my SASter from the great state of Tennessee.  The long drive was a high point in my life, especially the stretch on the Mother road (US 66) from Seligman, AZ to Needles, CA.  That was a run I will treasure always.  Welcome, long liner, to a brotherhood of folks that love their 356's and the adventure of the long drive ahead.

Hoss

Beauty run, dude.

 

I will do something like it some day. Hopefully sooner than later!

Stan - You are absolutely correct in saying there is no better way to see this great country of ours than from behind a Speedster windshield! Glad to know you enjoyed your epic road trip and made it home safely! Thanks for sharing those awesome pics! Hope some day our paths will cross! 

 

5335 miles? I sure hope you don't have Hagerty Ins. like me. One trip like that and I would have to park the car and wait till the next calendar year!

 

Very inspiring Stan.

 

Ron - I think you and I suffer from the same problem!

Oh the joy , drove a '61 1300cc ghia from Rochester N.Y. to Seatle Worlds Fair and back . Two weeks. That was before most of the Interstates. Camped out mostly.

Tied a brick to the gas pedal in the western states.Let it run flat out, top speed maybe 75mph. No complaints from motor. Averaged 40+ mpg .A little slower in the mountains though.

 Great fun . Great way to see The U S A

 

So, at the risk of beating a dead horse-- I got back Saturday night at about 10:30 PM. Saturday was Eastern Colorado/Nebraska/Iowa/Illinois, and as a result-- pretty familiar and more work than fun. 

 

 

Google called it 875 mi, so I guess that's about right. The weather app on the phone said it was 32 deg when I pulled out, so I had the top up for tank #1 for the day, down for #2 and 3, and back up for the final half-tank. Not the way I wanted to finish after 5000 mi, top down-- but I was miserable driving into Fort Morgan Friday night.

 

Observations? This is a big country. California is a big state. It's a much more efficient use of time to fly places that are 2 time-zones away, but it's impossible to get an appropriate sense of scale from 30,000 ft. Being in the open air-- really open-- in a speedster is the best way I can think of to gain a sense of that scale.

 

However, there are modifications to the basic speedster replica that really ought to be done if somebody is planning something like this in the future. This is stuff specifically outlined for a Type 1, but a lot of it applies to any hand-built car.

 

The car needs to be reasonably weather-tight. No matter what you've got it's never going to be weather-proof, but being able to drive through a thunderstorm without filling your floor-pans with water is a good idea. I have no rain-hats, but they'd be a good idea. I've got an IM speedster with roll-up windows-- but I had a couple of pan-based cars before, and they can be made to be reasonably tight. They'll never be as tight as wind-ups, but they can be close. This is job 1 for a cross-country trip.

 

Job 2 involves the "touch-points" of the car-- the parts where your body touches the car (seats, pedals, steering wheel, etc.). I spent a lot of time over the past years making the car fit. I've got seats from Fibersteel, and I re-did my pedal cluster to give me a dead-pedal, spread out the pads, and make them angle the appropriate amount. This involved welding, etc. It wasn't easy, but it really pays off if you are planning on driving 1K mi/day.

 

Job 3 is the transaxle. Transaxles are so incredibly cheap in stock or "freeway flier" form that most people wouldn't consider custom gearing. I've done a trip to CA with a .89/3.88 final drive, and across Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada it's just not "long" enough to cruise all day at 80 mph. A standard VW box with a 3.44 ring and pinion is possibly just a touch too long for most motors, but it's a very nice compromise. If you get a 5 speed box built-- choose your ratios carefully. Everybody is going to want you to have a drag-racing 1st and 2nd gear. Resist the urge. Get your close ratios in 4th and 5th where they can do you some good.

 

Job 4? Get the big gas tank option. There are stretches of I70 and I80 that do not have services for 100 mi or more. I drive 250 mi and start looking for gas. I carry an atlas and a smart-phone so I know where the "trouble spots" are going to be. You roll up mileage during daylight hours by leaving early, and driving till dark (sometimes after). If your top is up (especially in the dark), it's a lot more dangerous-- seeing what's around you is a great safety plan. Stop as often as you (and the car) need, but as little as you can-- stopping and getting out eats a half-hour of daylight, as somebody ALWAYS wants to tak about your funny little car with the very (very) out of state tags.

 

#5 is the engine. I covered this before, but the less Buck Rogers goo-gawery you've got, the better. This is hard for a frustrated engineer like me, but it's true. Good air and fuel filters are a must. I carry enough tools and spare stuff (wire, washers, hardware, a spare distributor and belt, etc.) to get out of 90% of the common jams I might find myself in. Your spare count can go down as you gain confidence, but you should always have enough stuff in the nose to fix it on the road. A solid engine you know your way around is a must. I said previously that a 2110 is about perfect. A 2180 with thickwall 92s would be even better. A BIG oil cooler with a fan is really needed. My part of the world will sometimes get above 100 deg-- but it's not common, and I don't spend 8 hours in the car when it comes. There are parts of this country that are hot in a way lots of other places can't understand-- and it effects the car, unless you are prepared for it. 110 deg in hot, dry Barstow feels like 90 in my hot humid state... but to the oil-- it's still 110 deg, and hard to reject the heat. Pulling over when the car is hot is something you may have to do-- but this is pretty much a day-wrecker when you've got 750 mi to go before you stop, and sometimes just isn't possible. That 96 plate EMPI oil cooler with a fan, etc. starts to look pretty cheap sitting beside the road in Bakersfield.

 

Lastly is the gauges. The "VDO" gauges common in most cars are a joke. My tach varied as much as 750 RPM at 80 mph, depending on the ambient temp, and it's been reworked twice by North Hollywood Speedometer. Get a reliable oil pressure gauge, and make sure the oil temp gauge works and is calibrated.

 

It's a blast to travel in a speedster. It's good for the mind, and one's perspective. Being prepared ahead of time makes rolling with changes along the way an adventure, rather than a game-ender.

 

Forewarned is forearmed.

 

Wow....

 

That was one of the best posts I've seen on here in a long time.

 

All terrific points for those of us who always want to turn our little cars into something "better".

 

Thanks, Stan - Now I have to start working on my "new" seats that I got back in 1998!

Great info, Stan and totally "real life" from someone who knows from living the adventure.  I believe this should go into the SOC archives under "long range touring in a Speedster" and it should be considered when specing a new car if seeing the country in a Speedster is in someone's plans.

 

It was fun following your trip and living it with you vicariously and has me jonesing for another cross country run myself.  You were brave to do it solo too--I always think in term of caravaning with someone as I did on my first cross country trip to CA.  

 

Thanks for taking the time for posting the trip log and wonderful pictures.  The wrap up post was icing on the cake.  Thanks, Stan!

Stan, great post.  I've installed two Setrab oil coolers and fans in the front of the car, which should keep the engine oil within proper operating temps.

Stan, as someone who has driven across your country more than once in your beast, you make a lot of great points. If I could add- 

 

Stan has mentioned the gearing- for people who want to cruise for long stretches above 75mph, money has to be spent. Just putting a taller gear in 4th upsets the 3/4 spacing; there will be a 4-5mph "dead zone where the car is revving a little too high to be left in 3rd for long periods, but the engine isn't turning quite high enough revs to properly cool itself except for the most lightfooted cruising. 

 

The first chart is a comparison between stock  geared transaxles with a 3.88 vs a 3.44 ring & pinion. I included a .82 gear in 5th spot just so people could see the slight extra range it gives and how it lengthens the 3/4 spacing; Ron O (and maybe Stan?) have tried the longer 4th in a 4 speed box and even with a bigger engine to pull it properly, found it less than ideal. 

 

Edit- I don't know what's going wrong here, but enter 3.44 into the "final drive ratio" space in the trans #2 specs, hit the "calculate transmission 1 &2" button and you'll see to what I was referring.

 

http://www.teammfactory.com/gearcalculator.php?kmh=0&tirewidth=215&tireprofile=60&wheelsize=15&tirediameter1=25.16&maxrpm1=4000&finaldrive1=3.88&gearratio1=3.78&gearratio2=2.06&gearratio3=1.26&gearratio4=0.89&gearratio5=0.82&gearratio6=0&trannytype=&tirewidth2=215&tireprofile2=60&wheelsize2=15&tirediameter2=25.16&maxrpm2=4000&finaldrive2=3.44&gearratioa=3.78&gearratiob=2.06&gearratioc=1.26&gearratiod=0.89&gearratioe=0.82&gearratiof=0&trannytype=&tranny=Calculate+Transmission+1+%26+2

 

Which bring us to the next graphs- The first is a 5 speed with 3.88 r&p (could be done with a 4.125 r&p with resulting slightly slower speeeds, for guys with smaller engines), stock 1st and 2nd, nicely spaced 3rd and 4th with .82 5th. It's the more inexpensive of the 2 (I know they're not cheap, but as Terry Nuckels will attest, it's one of the most worthwhile things you can do to your car) and the gear spacing will work well for most Speedster owners. This gearset will be almost as long-legged as the 3.44 r&p'ed set-up in transaxle 2.  

 

 The 2nd transaxle has a 3.44 r&p, stock 1st, close 2nd, 3rd and 4th with a .89 5th. While more expensive (3.44 r&p, 1st-2nd close ratio mainshaft lengthened and mating gears) to build, it would make for a much better and more versatile street-stompin'/autocross car  

 

http://www.teammfactory.com/ge...Transmission+1+%26+2

 

Yeah, it's expensive; 4,000- $5,000 (or even a little more), but you have to look at what you're getting. Of course it's a very personal thing to decide if it's worth it.

 

Some great points about the engine as well, Stan; any thing over 2 liters is going to be a blast to drive and make a great highway cruiser in these cars. And yeah, if you insist on driving long distances across this great continent through the heat of summer, an extra oil cooler/fan is a good idea. Something I've seen (and mentioned before)- Porsche racers use water spray to cool brakes. The same system could be used to inject water into the air entering the fan when more cooling is needed on those "really hot" days!

 http://www.seinesystems.com/MPC-Home.htm

 

A gallon of water will last about an hour in constant use (with 1 nozzle), so if it was used sparingly ...

... and how. I've got a good 1-4 spread, with a final drive that gives me 3500 RPM at 80 mph. The trade-off (and there always is one) is that 1st is pretty "long". It's a lot more like starting out in second with normal 4 speed gearing. I've got the engine to turn it, but it's not going to carry the day in a drag-race. It's a poor-mans 5 speed, but not too poor-- all four gears are custom, and I've got a ZF LSD. Really, a 3.44 with standard beetle gearing is pretty hard to beat with a 2L+ engine.

 

I've heard the "fan speed" argument before, but I've seen no evidence of it in practice. I suppose if the engine is under-powered a guy would have to feed in a lot more throttle at low engine speeds. But with even a 2110, more throttle means more speed (unless I'm going over a 10,000 ft pass, and oil temps are generally not an issue up there). In the blazin' sun of Las Vegas or Bakersfield, engine temps correspond directly to engine speed. More speed, more heat.

 

I really like the H2O sprayer Al put up the link for, and it seems like a good insurance policy. My experience with stuff like that has been that it's unavailable (empty or broken) when I really need it. I'd probably rig up a methanol injection system and go that route, but that's even more complex. This is way easier. Easier yet would be to back off the compression a bit. The trouble with that is that while I'd like to be able to drive through Barstow, I don't live there-- and I'd hate to give up the snap of a higher compression engine for 2 hours every 5 years.

 

I've also been quite rigorous about the firewall holes, but they don't seem to make any difference that I can see. What DOES make a huge difference is popping the deck-lid, and supporting it in a 1-3" open position. Also, guys who run luggage racks (with luggage on them) report 10* cooler running temps. I can report 10* HIGHER running temps with luggage stacked on the parcel tray behind the seats (assuming the luggage protrudes up past the rear of the cabin, even with the driver's head). The wind deflector makes no difference in temperatures, but the luggage did (negatively).

 

... and about the wind deflector-- it's an ENORMOUS help in quieting down the cabin so a normal conversation is possible. I'm not sure why these haven't caught on, but they are fantastic. I'm actually planning on building a wind-deflector with more robust coverage. My wife loves it, and I love cruising with her. Putting in several 750- 1000 mi days back-to-back means that cutting down on the turbulence is a nice thing. To me, this is part of the "touch-point" thing. The car may look better without it-- but it can always be taken off, and it makes long distance cruising a lot more comfortable.

 

I forgot to mention that I carry a spare tire as well-- it's a 3-1/2" AL drag wheel with a space-saver spare on it. I also bring the wide-5 mounting/balancing adapter along in case I need a new tire. A can of fix-a-flat is always going to be the first line of defense. Guys running Porsche pattern wheels have a real advantage here.

 

I'm sure there's more, but that's what's coming to me right now. You've got to pack light. Mrs. Galat flew out for a week with a carry-on only, and it would've been better as a soft-side piece of luggage (unless I had run a luggage rack). 

While what you're saying is true, Stan, I've seen it (in beetles) with guys that have stock 1600's and even with bigger, more powerful engines. Some people just didn't get that you can't drive an aircooled car at 2,000 or even 2500rpm, gas pedal mashed to the floor and the car not accelerating, up a long hill (especially when it's hot out). There's a hill in the southern interior of BC (Highway 3 up Anarchist Mountain, east side of Osoyoos) that's 11 miles long and rises either 2400 or 3,000 feet (depending on which info I believe) above the valley floor. Osoyoos gets hot (anywhere from 85-over 100'F.) during the summer, and you wouldn't make it half way up lugging an aircooled car.

 

Most guys know that a VW aircooled engine makes most of it's power above 2800 or 3000rpm, and drive accordingly. I'm talking about the ones that don't, and think it's alright to drive it like a waterpumper.

Great run, Stan. I followed every mile of it with envy and very much appreciate your after the fact synopsis of entertainment and practical recommends on long distance travel. 

 

Your fourth para above says that people with luggage racks with luggage attached achieve cooler temps. Do you mean with a 1-3" propped up deck lid or not? If closed, could you please offer an explanation why this would happen? Just curious. Thanks...

Stan, interesting comment about the added air holes not helping with cooling, but popping the lid did.  When I drove my IM, with the engine lid popped open 4 inches, I could rest my hand on the shroud, alternator, carbs, etc, but if I tried that with the lid closed I couldn't hold my hand on anything in the engine compartment for more than a second or two. And this was in 75/80 degree (F) weather.

 

Al, I know that hill just east of Osoyoos very well.  My V8 Miata blew a rad hose 2/3 the way up the hill.  I had to drive a half a kilometre, with white smoke pouring out of the engine compartment, before I could find a place to safely get off the road. 

 

I don't know about you guys, but I don't like the sound (or overall feeling) when I'm cruising my IM at anything over 3200 rpm.  I know it's not hurting the engine, but it just doesn't feel right.  I know 3200 isn't all that high, heck my stock track Miata turned almost 4000 rpm at 75 mph, but in my car it doesn't feel right.

The car/engine 'feels' much better in the 2800-3000 range, and that's what I'm aiming for with my new 5 speed.  I want to be able to cruise along at 75 mph at less than 3000 rpm.

The questions is, will 3000 rpm at 75 mph play havoc with my CHT?

If I ever get my IM back on the road I'll let you know.

 

Al, you have to get your IM back on the road so we can go for drives.  If I get mine back from the shop this Fall I'm going to come over to your place and give you a kick up the a$$ to get you going.

 

As a side note, my V8 Miata, with a very tall 5th gear, turned 1800 rpm at 70 mph.  Theoretical top speed was somewhere in the 185 mph range 

Once, I got to 145 mph, on a deserted highway, with the top down, and it scared the heck out of me. .....too many commas?

 

 

 

Carl, as you can see, I've been editing.

Al,

 

I hear you on the little-bitty engines and slow RPM (WOT, <3000 RPM), but my experience is almost all with 2L+ engines. I live in a place where 200 hp is "cute", so anything under 140 or so gets blown into the weeds. With such an engine-- at 80 mph on the flats, I'm barely cracking my throttle plates. It's pretty hard to overheat under these conditions.

 

David,

 

What I know about the luggage rack is second hand. I've never had one, but I think it'd make a nice travelling addition. Terry Nuckels gave me the heads up, and Terry is almost never wrong. He reports 10* reduced temps with the lid down and the luggage on. He also has a neat stand-off bracket to keep his deck-lid popped a couple of inches when he's hammering in the mountains.

 

Ron,

 

I'm OK with anything up to 3500 RPM. Different engines produce a different harmonic due to cam selection, intake length, header tube diameter and length, etc. I think you'll be fine at 75 mph and slightly less than 3000 RPM, because you have a decent sized engine. The 2110 purred along at 3500 RPM at about 80 mph. It may take some getting used to, but the engine was very, very happy there. The fire-breathin' 2332 I drove out last time was turning 3900 RPM or so at 80 mph, sounded like the world was ending, and threw oil out of every crack in the engine. The 2110 used about 5.5 qts of oil for 5300 mi (+/-), which would be bad in a modern car, but which seems OK since I was standing all over it across Nevada. It threw very, very little oil, even when I averaged 70+ mph in the passes, and 90 mph or so on the flats on US50. I beat that little engine pretty hard, and it was always ready to play.

 

Everybody's needs are going to be different, but I can tell you that the states in the mountain west have what I consider to be "reasonable" speed limits. If you want to cover ground, you need to be able to move at 80- 85 mph or so for hours on end. Choose your gear ratios carefully.

 

When I did the Sierra Nevada loop from Chico to Auburn the long way, I spent a lot of time in 3rd, and that's OK. I'm REALLY happy with my 3/4 gear selections, as they don't really leave a bunch of holes. A .89/3.88 final would have been better up there, but what I had was perfectly serviceable, and was 100% better for eating up miles to get there.

 

I've lived in the Midwest my whole life. I love it here in the summer. But, without a doubt in my mind-- California is where it's at.

I need to stop pontificating. I don't have all figured out. I took a trip in my plastic car with the fancy lawnmower engine. Big woo.

Going back a couple of posts I am rather surprised to hear that folks don't like the way their engines sounds above 3000 RPM.  Ignoring for the moment the fun of hard deceleration, mine seems to smooth out quite a bit above 3500 and the car actually is quieter above 70 than it is below that.

Stan, I'm still having a hard time picturing you and Jeanie in Vegas...

 

Some observations:

 

The addition of luggage on the rack seems to help funnel a bit more air into the grill and does shave off about 10 degrees my normal running temps. Of course, I opened up the space under my grill and installed 2 rows of louvers - much like the louvers under the twin-grilled C lids. I'm toying with the idea of adding a spoiler on the tail end of the rack to see if it improves air flow without having luggage on it.

.

My hood prop is a hillbilly special. Check my photos for a simple install.

 

The water mist really works! Directing the mist nozzle to the oil cooler fan instead of the doghouse fan is a less messy way to drop temps by as much as 25 %. Again, the hillbilly method is to modify a garden sprayer.

 

With my 5 speed, I have a .89 fifth with a 3.88 r/p. Same as most "freeway flyers".  I set my gearing up for the roads of which Stan raves about in the sierra foothills. I wasn't that concerned with high freeway speeds as I try to avoid them. But, I'm still around 75mph @ 3500rpm. And, with my modified A1 exhaust, the sound is absolute music to my ears. 

 

I applaud Stan for his "iron butt" achievement and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him and his lovely wife, Jeanie. But, Stan, if I ever join you on one of these "mega mile" journeys, we're going to have to stop and smell the roses a bit more, okay. The fun of the journey, for me, is who you meet while on your way.

Stan, I think I've asked you this before so my apologies; what are the ratios in your transaxle? And could you describe what you've done for firewall holes?

 

PS- Stan and Ron (and everybody else)- Just an idea here, but maybe letting air in to the engine compartment from the high pressure area in front of the firewall (and above the bellhousing) is only so effective, and opening the engine lid slightly creates more airflow through the engine compartment (providing more radiation cooling from the shroud, top cylinder tins and case), letting more air out at the same time? I know the engine lid on my older Intermeccanica has 12 or (at the very most) 15sq. in. for air intake/exit. Maybe we need to be looking for ways to remove air from the engine compartment as well? 

 

Oh- Stan- Is it possible for you to do some wool tuft tests around the engine lid with it open to see how much air is coming out of the compartment when at highway speeds?

Stan, I like it when you pontificate. You're so good at it 

Stan took an epic trip that is probably on a lot of SOCer's bucket lists!

 

Seems the moral of this story is…get out there and drive your frigging replicars and don't be wussy about taking a distance run. Common sense, not rocket science (or all that other auto-tech gobbledegook), makes the journey THE adventure...

 

Never ever catch yourself on any road trip saying…'I shoulda drove the Speedster….' 

^ That. Right there.

 

That's the whole point of this thread. This is a site dedicated to guys who like replica speedsters, but somehow we've come to the point where a lot of guys are afraid to drive them.

 

Drive 'em.

I've driven Natalie to Carlisle 3 times and once to North Carolina.  Of course, every year, I drive her to and from Bremen, IN.

 

I have to admit that losing my transmission at Carlisle this year really spooked me.

 

I got the car to drive in the sunshine around town.  I've made lots mods to improve heat and sealing to take on long trips, but I'm not wild about doing it anymore.

 

I'm gradually becoming more of a mechanic, but it wouldn't have mattered how good of a mechanic I was when I lost my trans in Carlisle.  I was just fortunate that it failed where it did with Carey nearby with a trailer.

 

I'm still very tempted to meet up at Corn Daze if it happens again to meet some more of the midwest crew.  Corn Daze has the advantage of having Bremen Indiana half way in between :-)

Eight trips to Carlisle (>1500 each) plus seven trips to the mountains (~750 each) with another one coming up.  While I've had a couple of temporary setbacks (often my own fault), my car has never left me stranded.  My own tolerance for discomfort is the only reason I'm considering not taking the Speedster to Carlisle next year.  I have no doubt that the Speedster would make the trip.

Lane-

 

That's the reason I went down the rabbit-trail and started rambling on about the whole "what it takes" thing. Having the car "fit" is huge in making it useful. It's not disloyal to any maker to start customizing the touch-points of the car to personalize how it feels and works best for the application.

 

My Fibersteel seats were grossly overpriced, but perfectly shaped and padded to keep my butt low in the car, and my back well supported. They work well enough (for me) that my back didn't hurt the entire trip. I have 5(!) inoperable bad discs (L1- L5). Lots of times, everything I've ever spent on the car seems like money down the drain... until I'm 1500 mi out, and stuff I've lavished way too much time/money on starts to look like a pretty good deal.

 

... and Tom, I hear you. A guy has to keep his focus. On the 2012 IL/CA trip, I shelled my Chico Performance 2332 in slow-motion, but held it together (by dumping gallons of oil into it) long enough to drive out, drive around, and get it back to SLC for a new engine. A sensible man would have been discouraged or dissuaded, but I'm pretty unreasonably determined. That was the point where the focus of my car shifted from "king of the block boy-racer" to "GT mile-eater". I've taken my eye off the ball since then, but I do think the twin-plug engine is going to be even better in most regards. I anticipate doing long-distance runs as long as I can.

Don't let that incident sour you on long distance tripping in your gorgeous car, Tom; it happened, it's fixed and Natalie is ready for more adventures! Do you know what went in your trans?