Hi Guys,
I just listed my Turbo 550 for sale on Ebay. I posted a link on the For Sale forum. But I thought other members would be interested in the installation and techical information. So, I'll post most of the Ebay info here. I'll try to delete all the sales stuff but please forgive me if I miss something. I'll have to post in two or three installments as it's too long.
This is a turbocharged and intercooled, 2.2 liter 'flat' 4 cylinder, 4 speed, Porsche 550 Spyder in mint condition with 4300 original miles. This is one of the last batch of nine built by Chuck Beck before he sold the business in 2002. It was not a 'kit', but purchased by me as a 'turnkey' automobile. Chuck made these for about 20 years and they are generally considered to be the very best 550 replicas made. While considered a 'replica' of the 1950's racecar, it is not built on some donor chassis, but is about 95% accurate with the original frame, etc. It was a many times LeMans class winner and the car James Dean was driving when he met his fate. Less than 100 of the originals were made and they are worth close to a million dollars now.
A 550 Spyder only weighs about 1250 lbs. I paid extra for the 'big' engine (standard engines are 1.9 liters) and a close ratio transmission. The original engine made about 155 hp. While the car I purchased from Chuck was superb.....about as fast as a C5 Corvette.....it was not fast enough for me. I'm the past technical director of three different motoring clubs, but a man should know his limitations and turbo'ing cars is something I've never done.
So, two years ago I took it to Dan Lawson, of Competition Engineering in Phoenix, Arizona to be turbo'd. (www.cevw.com) He is the number one expert in the country on turbo'ing these motors and the only one I knew who could intercool it as well. I wanted it intercooled because this keeps the charge temperatures cool and allows the use of pump gas. It also makes them 'stone' reliable. Dan's workmanship is beyond compare. Everything is done perfectly. The craftsmanship is first rate. There isn't a single thing about the installation that I would have done differently.
The engine now makes 20 psi boost and probably makes about 300 hp. I haven't raced anyone, but I expect it to be at least as fast as a 911 Turbo. It certainly FEELS that fast. Boost starts around 3500 rpm and the world becomes a 'time tunnel' between about 4000 and 5500 rpm. Redline is 6000. And it still gets between 22 and 25 mpg! And it's not a handful to drive fast. Very stable, very solid. It drives just like it did before until it comes on boost. Dan did a wonderful job with the jetting and wastegate settings. With the very tall gearing, it just purrs along at very high speeds. The exhaust sound is perfect: low, powerful, but not loud. I have receipts for about $15,000 for the conversion and it was worth every penny.
The original engine was built by Patrick Downs of CB Performance in California--one of the best engine builders in the country for these types of engines (www.cbperformance.com). It was built from all new parts. Here are some of the highlights:
78 x 94 mm Universal Super Case, with welded #3 cylinder
78 mm FORGED Chromoly crankshaft
5.500 FORGED Chromoly H-Beam connecting rods
FORGED Chromoly lightweight flywheel
Manton Chromoly pushrods w/ .035 wall thickness
94 mm Mahle Piston/Cylinder kit
#2246 Camshaft w/308 duration and .410 lift
1.1 ratio rocker arms w/swivel feet adjusters
Hardened rocker shafts
044 Super Mag Heads with 40 mm intake and 35.5 mm exhaust valves. Ported and polished, dual springs, chromoloy retainers
Stage 1 Kennedy pressure plate w/200 mm Daycon clutch disc
Thinline 1 1/2 quart expansion oil sump (increases oil capacity to 5 quarts)
Dual 44 IDF Weber carbs w/Pro-Comp manifolds
Oil cooler in fan shroud
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