Suby Transformation Underway....

Just curious, Jared. Will you be fitting a rear engine mount ? Cheers...

I'm a baaad influence :-)

Looking good...

Thanks for sharing those project pics, Jared! Best of luck with your re-tooling! 

Looks cherry Jared!

Carey's doing all the work including the engine mount and install in Bremen.

Believe it or not Tom and I have never met....Yet I agree he might be a bad influence.

Thanks for the compliments and encouragement guys. A little consolation for the fact temps almost reached 80s today.

Looking great you will love the power of the suby. 

Jared...Corn n Hog Country Huh ? Where is Waukee ? I was raised in 51360, Spirit Lake/Okoboji. Been in Calif. since I got out of the Navy. Your gonna love that Suby'  Best wishes on your project.........Bruce

Way to go Jared. Looking good.

Very nice, Jared.

Sweet!

aircooled posted:

Jared...Corn n Hog Country Huh ? Where is Waukee ? I was raised in 51360, Spirit Lake/Okoboji. Been in Calif. since I got out of the Navy. Your gonna love that Suby'  Best wishes on your project.........Bruce

Waukee is a fast growing suburb on the western edge of Des Moines. We migrated here after 10 years in Chicagoland. You have to love Iowa's Great Lakes. We get up there at least once a year for a perfect day on the water.

I've lived in some amazing places (Cali, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Hawaii, VI, Barbados). We didn't set out to end up in the Midwest, but we love it and Iowa has become our home. Doesn't hurt that we can get away for a few choice weeks in the winter.

Jared,

Good call on Chicago. The midwest IS all that (from April to October).

Back in 1959 I was drag racing my Brothers 58 Biscayne at a drag strip in Grimes, another suburb of Des Moines. I had been planing to visit my relatives in Spirit lake this Summer but events changed all that so maybe next year.  Your Speedster will be fun to drive this Summer.  Maybe take it up to the Lakes ?  I miss driving up to New Ulm Minn.   (not far across the state line) and hang out at Shells Brewery. i think they are 3rd oldest in the US now but not sure about that......Bruce

Jared, who's replica wheels are those and what width?

michel posted:

Jared, who's replica wheels are those and what width?

They are (gasp) EMPI. Carey says they are great quality and they've been happy with them. The dimensions: 15x5.5 modern Porsche 5 lug. I have to say I've always loved the Fuchs style wheels. 

The Suby!  Can't 

Sorry...Can't wait!

Jared - Your car is gonna be awesome. I also have those replica Fuchs wheels (5x130). I respectfully offer these (wheel) pics as a visual reference. 

BEFORE...

AFTER... I later took them off to be stripped and redone with the proper paint scheme of the Porsche Fuchs...

Nice wheels, but that black car is soooo ugly...

Those things look great when properly detailed, Jim! Unless you knew Fuchs wheels really well I don't think you could tell the difference at a casual glance.

Kinda like valve sizes and oil grooves, I guess!   

Bob: IM S6 posted:

Nice wheels, but that black car is soooo ugly...

..I know, but it was the only color they had in stock at the time.   

I thought you might have come back with ... Vintage gave me  a choice "you can every colour you want as long at is is black"  

I have some "ORIGINAL FUCHS" for sale..Al REED restored/polished 15x6 and 15x7

in case ANYONE interested? MINT CONDITION

BP- You still haven't told anyone how much you want for them. And for everyone's information- the 7's are 6's that have been widened to the inside, so they'd make GREAT Speedster back wheels (which will fit 205's or 215's ).

Yes THANK YOU...They were $5000 in 2008 when the IM6 was built and now sell on EBAY from $3000 to $8000  with the higher for AL REED(Fuchs Guru) wheels. I will be happy on the LOWER end of that scale...around $3500 SHIPPED(FEDEX 2DAY).

I am NOT a FUCHS guy and NOT knowledgeable, but HENRY pointed out that these also have the HEARTS, which some PORSCHE fanatics hold dear along with the highly restored/polish(REED).

They presently have 195/205 but CERTAINLY will accommodate  205/215.

TWO front 15x6(195R15)/2 REAR 15x7(205R15)

WILL ALSO INCLUDE the existing TIRES which still have good life which might work for someone.

Banzai- Al Reed is just a wheel repair/polishing/painting detailing shop. While the shop's services does add a little value to the wheels and I suppose Mr. Reed is probably quite knowledgable about Fuchs wheels, it's the wheels themselves that determine the bulk of what they are worth. For that kind of money it might be a good idea to show pics of the hearts, and the part #'s of each wheel.

And when I mentioned using 205's or 215's I was referrring to the back 7" wide wheels. I'm not sure how 205's would fit on the front of a Speedster. Al

MusbJim posted:

AFTER... I later took them off to be stripped and redone with the proper paint scheme of the Porsche Fuchs...

Planning to do the same repaint, but next winter....

Henry, from IM, built my IM6 and probably because he is familiar with my 911 suspension, has specified either 195 or 205 for the front of MY speedster. I am NOT at all sure whether ANY OTHER wheel/suspension/SIZE configuration will fit other cars but they SURE DO on mine. 

Yes Mr. Reed is well renown for bringing them back to LIFE and I will post PART NUMBERS next week. The HEARTS are OBVIOUS in the pics of each wheel but willl GLADLY present closeups if you would like. My research suggests very plainly, that REED wheels are well known in the industry and a COSTLY upgrade as his work, despite inherent VALUE of the FUCHS themselves, brings value.

I have included PICS of each wheel and will take closeups if there is ANY serious interest. My preference was to make them available to the SOC first, before I go the other routes as other SPEEDSTER owners can take advantage of their availability and history. Will post part numbers if ANY serious interest.

HENRY assured me, and those familiar with his artisan excellence and integrity might agree, that the wheels, despite being WIDENED, are as good as ORIGINAL. But I certainly understand those who cannot tolerate LESS THAN VIRGIN wheels....after all, almost NONE of us( OR ABSOLUTELY NONE) owns an ORIGINAL SPEEDSTER!

POINT of INFORMATION...the new front size is 205/50R......the change from 55 to 50 is a REDUCTION in profile which MIGHT account for the clearance that 205/55 would NOT but it is less than an inch. ALSO, the IM6 fender openings have MILD changes during production to accommodate more rubber/wheel but APPEAR to be "unchanged".

Geez.....Now I feel even better for having 1-1/2 sets of polished, 1989, 911, 16" X 6" Fuchs - all with perfect everything, including the hearts - Somewhat more rare than the more common 15" versions (like one in four produced).    

I used to have 6" fronts and 7" rears and those rears had 225/16's on them and they fit fine (flared fenders) and gripped like crazy.  I traded them for 6" all around simply because it was easier to deal with having all the tires the same size.

And I thought back a while, that $800 per rim was a lot......

EBAY AD as for instance:

The Porsche world really is crazy.  One little modification of the rim at the valve stem that makes a 'heart' shape, makes certain Fuchs more valuable than others?  I guess for the PCA purist this must be one of the 'holy grail' aspects of Porsche ownership.

I had to Google Fuch hearts to see what all the fuss is about.

Cummon' Bob-- don't you see how much more desireable that makes those wheels? The extra 1/4" of Aluminum makes them worth 2x a more plebeian Fuch.

I was reading about Mimetic Theory last night. The gist of it is that humans desire some things simply because other people want them, and for no other reason.

I think it might apply here. 

The wheels with the hearts are older- 901 instead of the later 911 part numbers, and have a deeper depression between the petals and rim. Silly, I know, but...

So much about such a fuch...

Fuchs with a fuching heart cost some fuching much more than a Fuch without a heart it's fuching ridiculous.

I bought 4 of them   16x7&16x6  fuchs 2years ago for a very reasonable price and had them refinished.... but no where near the fuch sommet prices asked today... but then that is why I have a replica... I just won't be held to ransom by a fake market place as I would have to be willing to submit myself to extorsion. I guess it is like buying loto tickets a VOLUNTARY tax based on the koolaid you want to drink.