Watermeccanica Photos

Kevin,

The engine install looks pretty clean and the exhaust looks sharp, Will you tip it with something similar to the ACVW Roadsters?

Hope to see you at the BBQ this year.

This Friday's pictures do not look that different from last week, but the details are coming along, a week of exhausting exhaust work.... OK, enough with the jokes :

12_08_Bumpers : The front of the car is almost complete with the bumper covering the opening for the radiator. We went with the bullet shaped mirrors on the door so that I'd have a bit more of a rear view to each side. I set them up ralley-style where you don't see the side of the car, but instead give you a continuious field of vision across three lanes behind the car.

12_08_Interior : The radio pod is in there. I went for a USB equiped stereo so I can play my legally ripped and downloaded music. Honest. Also, you can see how the extra storage looks with the top down. I've got to tell you, the leather on the inside of those door pockets is smoother and silkier than any gloves I've ever owned. Did that sound creepy ?

12_08_RearDeck : The rear deck hinges are being reworked for better clearance. I went for lots of sound insulation, and the rear storage kills the sound even more. It's hard to see the black leather steering wheel with the white stiching, and matching shift knob. I'm getting the Intermeccanica logo in the middle of the steering wheel and the script across the dash.

I spent the weekend cleaning the garage out, can almost see the floor. Should just make it in time.

Good for you, John. I know the feeling ... Waiting ... waiting ...

Jim, yes the Tip will be like the AC cars, just on the passenger side :)
and yah.. i think i'll be at the BBQ..

I'm always fascinating watching anyone who is an expert in their field, do their thing, whether its technical, automative, artisitic or even with food.... Always nice to see an expert in action.

Seeing the photos of John's IM come together is a thing of beauty. Looks amazing, can't wait for the ride report.

-Jeff

I photoshoped this image up from several underside pictures of my car when it was up on the lift ata IM a few weeks back, it gives you a pretty clear view of the layout and overall details. The two V's coming out from each side where the supprt arms from the lift, the rest of which I did not have enought pictures of to include, so I faded it all to white.

Might have more images tomorrow, otherwise they will be later next week. As for the ride report, I fly out of town next week so I may have to wait until 2007 to give the car a spin. I cant shoot a picture of the Christmas Turkey with the in-laws instead if you want, I'll be in Philly for a week or so.

Gz

Saw the car today, looks great. They were fitting the revised engine deck lid with the required cut away sections, otherwise most of the bits seemed to be attached.

I drive it next Wednesday. I'll tell you how it goes, but according to the advance weather reports I may have to use chains on the wheels, so the results may not be what I was expecting.

Gz

John,
What a great picture!

Henry called me about 630 pm and he was out driving your car. Henry knows that I have been very interested and following your car since you and I met last year.

He was so happy he was almost giggling! Henry said he had to turn the heater OFF a couple of times, the transmission/engine combo was very smmoothe, he could not feel any engine vibration and the acceleration was great.

I heard the exhaust while he was accelerating and it sounds pretty aggressive/nasty (in the good way, I liked it) but he thinks he/you may want to tone it down.

As I said before, you are a lucky man. Congratulations!!!!!!

That is an outstanding automobile. Congratulations!

I was down at Intermeccanica on Thursday and Henry fired the car up for me. I has a nice, slightly raspy, sound at idle. When you give it some throttle, WOW, it sounds nasty!

I'm down in that neighborhood again next week and will try to make it over to Henry's shop to get more pictures, and maybe try to record a sound file or video clip I can post here.

I've not been a watercooled fan, until now, but what's not to like: 356 lines, Porsche suspension, watercooled fuel injected power with a 5 speed. Talk about the best of both worlds.

The Car does have an agressive sound.. But it's not all that bad...

And Since most pics shown have been of the car inside.. here's a couple when it was outside.. keep in mind it wasn't clean and it was slightly over casted at the time..

That is an utterly gorgeous car.

As an amateur photographer I can say the diffused light of an overcast day often makes for great photos. My favorite time is dusk though, the sun is low in the sky and every car, clean or not, seems to glow from the beautiful light.

I'd love to see some interior shots of the car outside with the top down. It's absolutely stunning.

-Jeff

PS - I don't know my subtle details on the 356s. Is this a "Correct" 58, bumpers, mirrors etc?

IM normally makes a 1959 356A Convertible D replica, which is the only year this model was made. Note higher and less oval windshield frame. But, you be the judge.

John, Ive been following your IM build with great interest. You see, Im in the que for my build starting,(I hope) in January 07. Its a speedster6 3.2 Air cooled job, but if it turns out as nicely as yours, I'll be very happy. Love the color combo, and the drivetrain should serve you well for years to come. Congrats, Howard

The Ruby Red and Tan top make for a great looking combo. Henry's initial report and Kevin's remarks sure sound positive. It is exciting to hear about your new IM John, please keep sharing the news and posting pics. (And a sound file, Ron)

Jim, my car colour was inspired in part by your car, which I really like. Every two weeks or so I would chicken out about my tan roof colour and was going to make it black like yours. But I like to be different and I decided in the end to stick to my gut and go for the tan.

Jeff, it's kinda hard to tell what constitutes a real 356D since they were rolled into production with changes still being made to the final specs. My research suggests that they had the tall bumper guards or not, one picture even had the overrider tubes installed, they had the long chrome strip up the side or not, and had assorted exterior script of silver or gold hue. The mirrors on my car are different, seen in one picture on a later carrera. Basically I wanted bigger mirrors for safety purposes, and left most of the rest to Henry to spec.

I looks fine to me, but very few 356D's had the storage compartment or water cooled engine, so I guess I'm playing fast and loose with the past. It looks close, so as David Colbert of the Colbert report would say, my car has "truthiness".

Gz

John, Ive been doing my own due diligence for my build and am interested in your mirrors. I know that the speedster mirrors, were door mounted "swoosh" design,(my word), very aero, if you will. As I go back to older pics , particularly from Europe, many cars had these "Talbot" racing, bullet designs. Some door mounted, but a few were fender mounted. I have an original set of Hella Talbots, but I go back and forth, with the "speedy" door mounts, or fender. Any thoughts?

I was down visiting Henry today and tried to get a sound file of the exhaust. I got one, but it is a bit distorted. Also, it only captures the idle at the very beginning, and doesn't catch the upper revs. So what I'm saying is, it will give you an idea, but only a very basic idea. If John hasn't picked his car up yet when I am downtown next, I will try again.

As you can see, I also got a few interior shots. BTW, that leather is like butter! Very nice.

That's pretty cool, Ron. Sounds like it oughta!

I really like the back seat/parcel shelf done like that, I think of it as a perfect parade seat for the homecoming King and Queen. And yes a purist would know it isn't original, but who cares, it looks period correct and doesn't detract from the rest of the car.

All right ya bumbs, I drove the car today and it was pretty slick.

The exhaust is very throaty, but a bit too resonant at speed for me, making conversation difficult. Henry is going to rework the exhaust in the new year to give it less umph, always keeping in mind my goal to have an enjoyable daily driver.

The interior is gorgeous, it turned out to be an excellent colour combination. One un-expected problem was the amount of room between the steering wheel and the shifter. My legs are rather long and there is very little room there for me, so IM will be adding a spacer to the wheel and repositioning the shifter to the right.

There are some rattles and pings to be found and killed, but remember that the car is still under construction and not finished. Otherwise the ride was sweet. The steering was responsive, proportionally better as the speed increased. Most of my drive was stop and go Christmas shopping traffic where I rarely made it through even a single red light. I ground the gears a couple of times, forgetting that first was down on the left, not up.

The acceleration is good, but Henry has ordered a new pully to improve the cam timing to improve the low end torque as well as rework the chip's programing. I can't wait....

I can't stress enough how Henry and his team are going all out for my car, as they do on all of the cars that drive out of their shop.


More info in 2007, unless Kevin posts something before I get back.

Gz

Howard, remember the first rule of Itallian racing ? " What's behind you does not matter ". But city driving requires good mirrors and proper positioning.

My feeling was the bigger the mirror the better, and the closer to your head they are the bigger they will appear. Henry offered to screw them into my head, but we compromised on the door. This is not period, but it is practical.

That's my 2 cents worth.

Gz

Does that thing have a catylitic converter??

John, you're exactly right on how much the mirrors matter. I'm having trouble trying to find a taller replacement for my dash mirror, since the Austin Healey jobber I have sits too low to be useful. I have effectively three-quarters of a fender-mounted Aero miror to see what's behind me, and even angling it carefully, it's still only good for about half the visual information I need to change lanes.
Gotta keep the old head on a swivel to keep from getting run over.

David - yes - this car has a cat.
angela

Also, unlike my post above, way up above, the transmission sounds to be a Porsche 901 box, not the 915 unit. The clue is John mentioning just above about grinding the gears before remembering that first is down and not up.

Done the same thing myself many times in the past.

won't that get too hott?

Gotta be a 901, Dale's right! I've only driven two cars with this shift pattern. A 928 (obviously not a 901 trans) and our spyder. Now that the spyder has 9,000 miles on it (mostly MINE!), I've grown so used to the pattern that the standard pattern in the 911 and Steve's Amigo actually take some THOUGHT until I become accustomed to the "wrong" shift pattern.

I get used the first being in the "typical" spot above second pretty quickly, but often find myself forgetting that 5th is out there to the top right... DOH!
angela

Well in my quest to find the right roadster I made the 4 hour drive up to Vancouver last week to see Henry at Intermeccanica. My wife and I were treated to a complete tour of the manufacturing process in Henry's very clean and orderly shop. Henry spent whatever time needed to answer our questions and to tell us things about his cars we would have never asked about but were glad to hear. We drove Henry's personal ride, a sky blue roadster with a 2110 air cooled engine and a 4 speed transmission first. Then we drove a liquid cooled (Golf 2.0l) version with a funky five speed tranny and all the creature comforts inside. Since there was really no roads we got on to adequately road test either car I will not make a detailed comparison to the SAW cars I tested last month. What I did notice was that Henry sets up these cars with a stiffer ride than the SAW product, stiff enough to really bug the passenger. I liked the setup but can (grudgingly) agree that a soft setting is needed to keep the peace on long trips. We both like the Golf engine version and have it on our short list now.

Notes:
Construction is the most solid I have seen to date with a massive tubular steel frame that is very professionally welded and then bonded into the tub in a precise jigging system with both adhesives and aircraft grade rivets. All fiberglass panels are box sections meaning little or no flex. Engines are new except in the case of the 911 option in which case the buyer supplies the engine and transmission. The fit and finish is the best I have seen to date. The interior treatment is as good as any I have seen and I give Henry credit for having shoulder belts as standard equipment. The hardtop option is compatible with the convertible, requiring only the removal of the top and the fastening of the HT in its place.

Tom,

Thanks for the report, it's interesting to see what other people have to say about one's car, especially about the softness of the ride. I'm definately looking for a full time car and will looking into this further once I get to spend some time with it next week. Overall I'm very happy with the results, the mechanicals as well as the fit and finish look good to me.

What did you think about the exhaust sounds ?

Gz

I hope I didn't go tooo far with the creature comforts, the under dash coffee maker is for my wife, really, and the foot massage only engages when the clutch is out. We're still working out the bugs on that one.

John,

I loved the exhaust note. It is strictly personal preference though. You have yourself a wonderful machine. Low end torque is a bit low for my taste but some tuning and timing adjustment will cure that, I'm sure.

Coffee maker? Foot massage? Henry neglected to tell me about those features! Shame on him. Now I have to come back up.

Tomm

Im waiting for my February build John. Get that thing finished!!!!! All kidding aside, reading and seeing your pics, and the threads others have put up have really wet my appetite. Cant wait for Henry to get started, Summer is around the corner. I too investigated all the builders at Carlisle this past summer. Yes IM is more costly, no doubt, and some manufacturers do a good job. But, when all is said and done, from paint to finished product, longevity and future resale, IM really is the Gold standard for these reproductions. Its no slapped together kit,Its a custom built coach, like a tailored Brioni Italian suit.

Yuppo, the build quality is fantastic and that was something I was looking for. The look of the car is very polished and makes a great impression. I've always believed these cars look way better than they photograph.

I think I've driven it less than some of you guys, but I was pretty clear with Henry that he could use the car as a demo as our schedules permit, and he put a lot of enery into getting it right. You guys who buy after me will have the benifit of a lot of thought and design work, and the deliveries should be pretty swift.

I'm still waiting a few parts to come in and hope to be driving in a week or so, but I don't think I'm holding up anyone's build too much. So long as we don't miss the summer driving season it will all work out.

Gz

I got my insurance today. It took about 2 hours to get the car squared away at my end. Henry looked after getting the emmissions cleared, so the car is good to drive.

The last parts should be arriving this week so the car will be going home, our third child my wife calls it. I'll send some pictures of the final car when it gets out the door.

gz

Congratulations John. Keep the reports coming man.
Hoss

OK, I am officially in the queue now and Henry has an undisclosed amount of my money. You all can help me by adding your opinions:

I want torque and power. The 1.8T with APR chipping and HD clutch looks like the hot setup to me. There are other options: 2.0l 8V, 2.8l, 24V, 3.2l, 24V, etc. Some folks are advising against the turbo as heat in the rear engine / rear intercooler is not understood. What do you folks think or have experience with?

I want to be able to adjust the ride for long cruises, casual driving vs performance / auto crossing. What dampers and torsion bar setups would allow that? A friend said to forget this and just tell my wife to bring a foam pillow when she rides. This can't be the best solution, can it?

If I get 200HP AND big low end torque, do I need performance brakes & calipers with this light a car? I will NOT be track racing this beauty.

Have any of you installed a shift shortener to give tighter patterns to the stick? Can you recommend one?

Tomm

Tomm, Welcome to the IM Support Group Waiting Cue. Now that you pays your money, you get a chance to ruminate about your future dream car.My build will begin in February with a 3.2liter Carrera/915transaxel speedster 6 chasis. Porsche late 80's suspension/brakes package. Ive been annoying Henry since last June, and he has been wonderful in fielding all my questions, with the patience of Jobe. Ive been given great direction by a slew of 356 IM disciples, which Im sure will come to know. Dont make decisions too hastily, there are many options out there which can meet your requirements. Good luck and if I can help in any way please get in touch.

Tomm, I've been thinking and I think you should go for the 1.8 Turbo. I have one in my Jetta - good torque, not great torque, but when you put your foot down it goes. Granted this is entirely selfish since I want to see how it drives for future upgrades.

Go for the best steering and transmission options you can find, since that's your primary interface with your car and the road. The steering wheel and shift knob should be leather and not wood, again for the tactile feeling. Beyond that knock your self out.

Does that help ?

Gz

Howard, was that your 3.2 and tranny I saw on the pallet under a clean tarp when I visited teh shop? Cool!!

John, I test drove the new 2.0 turbo FSI Golf this weekend here in Olympia. Got the car for about 30 minutes of pure fun w/o the salesman riding along! That is is one kick-ass ride and it is 1000 lbs heaver than our cars. The 1.8 is the tuners choice right now and offers north of 250HP with chipping and an aftermarket turbo from APR. I wonder if you have had any of the reliability issues with your Jetta that I have read about; sludge, quick to wear out clutches, heat damage from the turbo, etc.?

I hear you on the suspension and transmission. I will most probably go with the same setup you have for those as I thought it was a good ride. I still want to explore some adjustment options for long trips which would allow for a softer ride.

Tomm

Hi Tomm. Yes, that was my engine/tranny. Have to redo some of the "white" powder coat on some of the tin. Dosent look right. Henry said he would attend to it. Many options, unique choices, particularly now that you have water -cooled hp to choose from. Ive driven a 3.2 that someone had in NJ. Unbelieveable power/weight ratio. And with the reliability of Porsche. Punched out Type 1 or Type 4 can offer good power, less weight, but may have some long term reliability issues depending on who builds them,specifications and how there used and abused. You sound like your leaning towards water-cooled. Either way, Henry will build you a great ride. I meant queue......