Water Beck--What's your experience?

I can't comment on specifics related to the water-cooled cars, but you cannot get better customer support then what "the boys from Bremen" provide. 

I've yet to hear a complaint about any liquid cooled Speedster. Most are Soob powered but I know IM has done Audi too. Most of the examples I refer to do not have "improvised"  cooling systems, they are well thought out and very reliable systems put together by professionals. The Pros always put in a suitable tranny so I've never heard of a problem there either. My Soob conversion is at the low end of the scale...a true homebuilt conversion and I'm happy with it too. I got 18,000 miles out of a $350 junkyard engine as an experiment. I've had to tweak my cooling system but that too was experimental. You do get heat.

Vitman, keep your engine bone stock.  It will take you anywhere you want to go.   That engine was designed to pull a 3000 lbs car so it will make your car fly.  Get the better brakes & the right tranny gears.  Cary can help you with all that including which exhaust works best for your needs.  I am driving my Suby car with comfort in cloudy 40-50 degree weather.  I'll put it away as soon as the threat of snow(aka salty roads) comes.  The engine like David stated is not the problem.  Its the cooling system and ECU harness that needs to be dialed in.  A few of the manufactures have got it down pretty good now.  Best of luck.

Ditto what Marty said about "bone stock" which is, IMHO, the way to go if you want to cruise and have great reliability.  I really don't care about the go fast goodies since I'm an old geezer and just want comfort and reasonably sporting performance.  My box stock 2.2L EJ22 gives me enough of a kick to keep me happy. 

All advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Marty, Love your ride... Your video is simply the reason that I want a speedster.

Lane, My sister lives in Chucktown. One of these times when we are in the Low Country we'll have to connect so I can check out your speedster.

Carey had recommended to go with a stock computer. I want something simple and reliable so I want to keep the mods to a minimum. I know the stock Subi will supply enough power to satisfy my cruising needs. My daily driver is a scorcher, this car will fulfill different needs.

Is there anyone who has a water cooled power plant that would have rather gone old-school air-cooled? So far what I am hearing is that most water cooled are satisfied with what they have.

Vitman.... Not sure if this will help your decision, it is just my opinion. ...I had Carey build a beautiful red Beck speedster with a Jake Raby engine this year.   It is no secret on this forum that I had continuous challenges properly shifting since delivery.   It took several trips to different mechanics to finally discover that that the brand new out of the box hydraulic clutch system and hydraulic fluid lines kept failing and were the culprits.  Actually, my car has spent more time at different mechanics garages than in my garage.  Consequently, I have not driven the car nearly much as i would have liked.  But I will tell you this: 

1) Carey Hines and Kevin Hines from special Edition have stood behind this car 110%.  They have arranged for mechanics , transport and been directly in touch with each mechanic as the car was tested and retested.  Carey has sent a complete hydraulic clutch system only to find out that again, new...right out of box.. it is defective.   Before I had the car built...I kept reading on this forum about the quality of the Beck and how Carey and company will stand behind and support their customers .... well believe it.

2) Although I have only driven the car about 1500 miles...except for the shifting...the car is fantastic.  Whether I was on a Florida highway at 90 mph or in an empty parking lot trying to find out the cars limits in cornering, braking and acceleration .... the car was all I could expect and more.

3) My engine is a standard 2.5 L Subaru built by Jake Raby.  No extras for added HP or torque.  It runs super smooth, well with-in temp ranges even under the South Florida sun and sounds fantastic.  Whatever glitches/sorting issues I may encounter with this car, it won't be the engine.

Vitman - Looking forward to meeting you when you get down this way.  Mine's an earlier car (2006) with an air-cooled engine, but folks think it's nice.  It's got a good number of miles on it (~37,000), and is well sorted.

Vitman, if you can afford it also go for a Subaru 5 speed.  It's considerable more money, but from what I hear the Subie gearbox is well worth the added coin.

I have the Suby five speed and it's great to have the extra cog.  Since my configuration is mid-engine, there was no adaption to deal with; the transaxle is behind the engine, just as it would be in a front engine car.  As a retrofit, I had the heavier duty spyder cables installed and shifting is notchy but precise. 

John---what is the R&P and 5th gear in your car.

It still looks like brand new.  Beteen you, Musbejim and Lane, you are poster guys for keeping a car looking like new.

Hoss...I didn't know your Soob was a retrofit. ( Gotta ask more questions now and then ). Could you elaborate a bit on exactly what the car started with engine and tranny wise and then what was required to get the Soob installed the right way around ? How does that shifter system hook up and what do you mean by notchy? Do you know what mods had to be done to the Soob axles to fit within the crosswise dimensions of the Speedster body ?

Thanks...I'm just overall curious.

David, not a retrofit.  The car was delivered with the EJ22 when new.  Jack, I would have to look that up.  I believe the R&P is 4:11, so top gear (overdrive) keeps the revs down on the highway.  It's whatever was standard for a 1998 Subaru Impreza. 

David, John's car was the first non-prototype SAS car.  Still looks new.

It was in fact sort of like a beta test model, since not all of the issues had been completely resolved.  The Red Man has come a long way since delivery in June of 2004, engine cooling, A/C and the top just to name a few.  What builder Steve learned has been carried forward to the newer models, plus a lot of enhancements that hadn't been considered at first. 

It was John's Red Man that made me decide to go with SAS. I opted for the automatic with cruise control, not that I don't like shifting but thought it would be nice for the wife to drive. She loves the car but fears that any scratches or dings would make her move to the dog house (nonsense). Well Subidoo has held up pretty good even after $10,000 in repair from two accidents. She cruises at 80mph turning around 2200rpm yet sprints passed 100 if I stomp the pedal. No need for a turbo as the 175hp is more than enough to get me in trouble. I only wish I had the power brakes and ABS that the cars built after mine have, would have saved Grundy over 8 grand to repair my first bang up.