The Last Hurrah --george brown speedster sold

Anybody that answers the phone at Intermeccanica has exceeded my expectations of customer service...I would have hung up on me about 5 calls ago...

Holy Crap! I think the only thing that car has that I MAY consider dumoing would be a removable roll bar, that is an incredible car!

As for IM and Henry - Being that I do own an older IM I called Henry awhile back to ask him some questions and he was incredibly responsive and gracious with his time and that was for a car that is 25 years old I can only imagine how he is with his paying customers. Class act in my opinion.

Its FINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Hmmm... Sounds like Santa has come.

Gene, who's your budddy, who's your pal?

Gene, ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!! Make it your own!

Many many thanks goes to Will Pierson for turning me on to this car. I do owe you one! As luck would have it I had a 10 minute window to unload the car a get to my business appointment. And now since I am home my new car is getting washed. It is pouring down rain like cat and dogs. Maybe I can get a good look at it tomorrow or later tonight.

Thanks Santa or I should say thanks again Will Pierson my new buddy and pal.

How cool is that? Another happy owner!

I remember when George was in the planning stage....he was adament about going with the 901 transmission, instead of the 915. I could never figure that one out.

What ever happened to that hot motor that George had purpose built for the car. Type 1 with 220 hp, all sorts of exotic stuff. Who and why was it removed? Anyone? Where is it now?

It is my understanding George blew it up and was parted out! I am trying to find out now.

Uhh...Howard, You didn't read my post above did you? And No, He didn't blow up the engine.

My wife saw the car today. She did kick my ass. But I enjoyed it!

Bill, I just took a peek. Somehow missed the entry. I remember considering a built up motor,perhaps a Raby type 4. When I went to price it out, I think a 2346 or 2516 cost about 10-12k if Jake built it. I was ready to pull the trigger when I happened on a slightly used 20k mile 3.2l Porsche for alot less money, including a completely rebuilt 915. More reliable power, easy to service. Ole' George put alot of thought,$$$$ into his car. I hope he got to enjoy it abit.

INFO on the New George Brown Speedster engine

Hi Gene,

I assume you're referring to the 2387cc that was in the car before George passed. No we do not have the engine George had in the car prior to the 2276cc we built. The 2387cc that was in the speedster before had been severely damaged by poor / dirty assembly & the use of incompatable parts, among other things. I'm not sure how much mechanical / engine knowledge you have, so I'll describe the difference between the 2 engines in "normal" terms. The 2387cc which had about 1500 miles on it, had the cylinder heads replaced 3 times already & the bottom end had quite a bit of damage. The bearrings looked like they had about 100,000 miles on them. It didn't blow up, but it was on it's was towards locking up. It was comparable to a GEX engine, but with better quality parts installed. The parts that were able to be repaired or reused were sold individually to cover some of the costs on the new 2276cc we built. The others are resting peacefully in the scrap yard.

Aside from the damage, the 2387cc George had was not a 'drivable' combination. The little power it made was all top end & you had to floor the throttle to get anywhere with it. It was either ON or OFF - there was no in between & it was more tempermental than a race engine. George was working on a way to remedy that when he passed away because the speedster was meant to be driven. The 2276cc Kurt built was designed to be driven comfortably with a broad power band, good horse power & pleanty of torque. It's got more pep than most of the speedsters out there, but is still very smooth to drive under any circumstance. We used the cylinder heads from George's 2387, but sent them to Rodger Crawford at Heads Up Performance to be gone through & have the valve seats replaced. Most of the engines we build are designed for the customer, however this particular build was done not knowing who the new owner would be. In this case we spec'd the engine with the spirit of George Brown in mind (giving it more power) but built it to be driven with ease & reliability for anyone ranging from a little old lady to Mario Andretti. When the car arrives & you've had a chance to drive it, if you think there's something you would like to change feel free to call Kurt & he can advise you of how to tune it up or down depending on your driving goals.

Because George wasn't happy with the outcome of the 2387cc, he was in the process of collecting parts to build a Porsche 911 - 4 cyl. engine for the Speedster. I believe he had just about everything he needed with exception to the engine case which he was supposed to be aquiring from Dean Palopolous / Advance Performance. We DO have those parts & they are for sale. If it's something you think you'd have an interest in, feel free to give Kurt a call & he'll go over what is there & what is needed or missing.

I hope that answers your question. Please feel free to give us a call if there's anything else. We will be at a race in Virginia this weekend, but you can get Kurt on his cell phone 484-459-3812 or on the main # Monday 302-653-4269.

Take care,

Ann Mezger

Gene, I was at Greeway Plaza today, and thought about calling you. I will be going later this week, and certainly next week from Dallas. Any chance I can coordinate your driving that car to work some day?
Jack

The car is not ready. I have tore into it. I am turning it into Gene Theobald speedster. It will take a few weeks to get her done!!.

Since you posted an email from Ann Mezger, I will clarify a few things. George Brown, for those who knew him, had some wild ideas. He had the money to try them and did not want to be told otherwise. For some reason, he looked to outside sources to build his experiments. He had the knowledge to do it himself. To this day I dont understand why he did not. George stayed at my home, ate dinner with my wife and I. I even through him a George Brown party and invited friends to come by and meet the famouse "George". The person who wrote the email you posted only wished they knew George. George disliked these people, I will not say what his remarks were. They wanted his buisenesss but he was a smart man! You would not see this email if George Brown was still with us.
Patrick Downs/ Builder of the so called "dirty engine"

P.S In the last year alone, my engines have set more records, won more awards than you will in the life time of your buiseness. Please stop your destructive buiseness practices, It has only hurt your reputation.

WOW! Even the deceased get dragged into an internet pissing match on this website!

I LOVE THIS SITE!

I am a little retard (well, maybe "little" is pushing it) Is the P.S. Pat's disclaimer? Or did George send that to him in an email? What records were broken? And why the hell is this the first time I am hearing about it?

I'll translate for the retard. Pat D is/was a close friend of George's (who, by the way is no longer sending emails) and takes offense to any rumor about his Engines having any problems, and also to people who seem to put words in a Deceased members mouth.
Is that a little more clear.....

Nope, sorry. I am more retarded than I thought? Who is the "you" that he is referring to? That is why I thought that is was writen by George. Is Pat picking a fight with Ann? Are there smoke and mirrors on this thread? Again, why haven't "I" been alerted to any awards and records?

I am almost certain it was directed at Gene the bald one..He was quoting some broad's statement, and apparently this "Ann" was not really a friend of George's, at least not in George's mind.....
According to Pat at least......
I think since George is not currently available to rebut either Ann or Pat it becomes a Mute issue.....
But it sure makes for exciting reading so lets keep this going....

I'll start it....If George had that much money why was he blowing it on a replica and not some real horsepower machine....

A: Because it's what he wanted. It's hard for lots of guys to understand, but some of us actually prefer to spend a lot of time/thought/money on something nobody else cares about. If it's cool to me, I couldn't care less what somebody else thinks. Or, "Yep, it's a kit car".

Ever see "The World's Fastest Indian"?

Great movie, Stan! I've lost track on how many times I've watched it!

I love all speedster owners in that we are such a lot together. Pat Downs has an excellent reputation and is an impeccable leader/member of the Aircooled world. Nuff said.

I should have never post this letter I apologize to Kirk and Ann Mezger. When I posted this I was not thinking. I emailed a moderator to remove the post about 2 hours after I posted it! But it never got removed.

Have you guys ever really ridden a horse at full gallop? Let me introduce you to a horse... a dead one... beat it What the hell awards and records were broken, and why hasn't anyone contacted me about this milestone?

In almost any "Hot VWs" magazine you will find reference to Pat's engines and race results.
Quite a prestigious pedigree.

Don't have a CB motor. But I do read.

Ok so I have had my speedster less than a year I'm lost on George Brown. However from the posts he seemes like a unique and great man.

I would like to see the fruits of his labor......anyone got any pics of the "George Brown Speedster" as this is the title the little car has and should keep.

D

Yes, george and I were good friends. I admired the man for many reasons. He was a very inteligent, unique person. He and I would talk at least once a week, until he passed away. My wife enjoyed his company. There was always plenty of conversation when George was around.
I am not going to say anything about the person who wrote this email. We have allready let them know about legal action months ago. I thought that it was over but once again she raises her head.

...hey Vince, get us another beer while you're up...

Hey sorry, I had to use the toilet, did I miss anything......

will we ever know the whole truth? was that first motor an accident waiting to happen? Are some of those original parts really sitting somewhere in a junk yard? Did George really push the envelope?
These are the questions we need answered.....

This could be a new reality show.....

Naw, sounds more like a Geraldo Rivera show to me.

...and when he does unearth the thing...there's nothing.

did some say mung?

"... some of us actually prefer to spend a lot of time/thought/money on something nobody else cares about."

Right on, Stan.
Vince, what do you interpret 'dirty engine' to mean? Hmmm? Does it dance on poles?

My head hurts! What in the hell is all of this? All I know is George had a really cool speedster and now he has moved on and someone else bought it, what's with all this other crap?

18. If you have a "doghose" shroud it can be modified to accept a type 4 oil cooler (same
as used on the Porsche 914 4 cyl.).

19. Aftermarket "semi-hemi" cylinder heads run more advance (ususally 37 degrees total) and
have a greater heat absorbing area in the combustion chamber. This means longer exposure of
the head to the "burn" and more heat absorbed. If all else fails replace them with heads
having stock combustion chamber configuration and use conventional ignition timing advance.

20. Some engine cases are too soft, and some high-lift cams and dual valve springs are too
hard on the engine. The cam followers may wear their bores oval, which increases forces,
which increases friction, which increases heat. This requires an engine teardown to check
and/or fix; lifter bores can be sleeved back to size (silicone bronze sleeves have superior
wear characteristics compared to aluminum).

21. If your engine is high output and the case is full-flowed an additional external oil
cooler with or without a thermostatic control and fan may be necessary.

22. If the engine fan does not receive an adequate supply of fresh cooling air due to a
restrictive inlet grill, a screened vent cut into the firewall opposite the fan intake will
help.

23. A Porsche 911 type cooling fan and shroud conversion will provide more cooling air flow
to the cylinder and heads; they require an external oil cooler and most will have to be
modified to accept anything other than a Bosch distributor. Usually these fans provide
too much air so an early style 911 5-blade fan or a larger fan pulley may be necessary.
Note that these fans require a lot more power to drive with the 10/11 blade fans and standard
sized Porsche fan pulley, so youll lose some HP at the rear wheels. A larger diameter,
custom fan pulley might be used with the larger fans to slow them down.

24. (McIntires prob.) The oil relief valve at the pulley end is a cooler bypass for
warm-ups; if it is stuck or has the wrong plunger and/or spring size it may keep oil from
going to the cooler.

25. If you have a high output engine with marginal cooling during hot summer months but the
cooling is OK the rest of the time, you can swap out a Porsche 356 fan pulley and smaller
belt to increase cooling air flow (through cooler and to heads) at all RPM. NOTE - you must
use a welded/balanced fan with this mod or your fan may disintegrate and cause major engine
damage.

26. If you have the early narrow fan and shroud, or a late doghouse shroud and early
narrow fan you may overheat. The doghouse shroud and late fan (wider) work best.

Here is George Browns engine checklist (in his own words)
Was George Brown the problem?

1. Your fan belt may be slipping; also, if you have an undersized crankshaft "power
pulley", replace it with a stock diameter belt pulley.

2. Make sure your spark plugs are the correct heat range and/or switch to the next "colder"
spark plug.

3. Determine TRUE TDC for the marks on your crankshaft pulley (the marks may be off as much
as 4 degrees) and double check ignition timing at full advance - should probably be TRUE 28
to 32 degrees BTDC maximum at full advance, depending on your engine build.

4. If youre running a restrictive exhaust system, replace it - primary pipes and "J" tubes
should be at least 1 1/2" diameter for a 1,776cc engine and 1 5/8" for a 2,110cc engine; too
small (like 1 3/8") can cause heat build up in the cylinder heads.

5. Your stock fan may not be doing its job (warped, blades bent, etc.); buy a Gene Berg
straightened, welded, balanced fan and have it installed.

6. Your carburetors may be jetted too lean and/or float levels may be too low, or you may
have a vacuum leak at the intake manifold gaskets(s).

7. Make sure all engine cooling tin is in place and properly fitted (both are very
important), and that no exhausted hot air at the rear of the engine is being sucked back
into the engine compartment.

8. Run 20/50 oil in the summer and 10/40 oil in the winter.

9. Add a 1 1/2 quart bolt-on sump if you dont have one - it will help cooling slightly.
Also, you checked your oil level, right?

10. Make sure the intake feed hole in your oil pump lines up with the matching hole in the
engine case (there were problems with some cases being improperly machined), and that the
oil pump gears do not have more than .001" clearance with the pump cover or more than .003"
backlash (clearance between gear teeth). Also make sure the pumps idle gear shaft is not
loose (if it is, it can be "peened" to tighten it).

11. Make sure the oil pump pick-up tube is not loose in the case - this will cause
diminished oil delivery and aeration of oil thats pumped. Either reduces lubrication and
the ability of the oil to remove heat.

12. Check end float (lateral fore-and-aft play) of the crankshaft, it should be about .003"
to .005"; tighter causes too much friction at the thrust bearing surface.

13. Make sure no leaves or junk have been sucked into the engine cooling system to impede
cooling air flow over the heads and cylinders.

14. If your engine is fitted with a thermostat and cooling flaps, make sure the thermostat
is operating properly and the flaps open when the engine is warmed up.

15. Buy a chefs thermometer at you local grocery store and use it to check the accuracy of
your oil temp gauge - just remove the dipstick and insert the stem of the thermometer down
into the oil after a highway run. Anything from 200 to 220 F is OK with premium oils.

16. For about $90 you can buy a laser point-and-shoot thermometer - point it at the center
top of the case below the alternaror (should be around 210 to 220 F), valve covers (both
should be around 215 to 230 F), and the lower part of the intake manifold runners ( should
be about 175 to 190 F). These temperatures are for a temperate day and may be higher on a
really hot day after a high speed run.

17. Try to hook up an oil pressure gauge; hot pressure at idle should be 20 to 25 psi, but I
have seen healthy engines with less. Running down the road at 3,200 RPM hot oil pressure
should be at least 50 to 55 psi. If the oil pressure is too low you may have main/rod
bearing and/or crankshaft journal problems.