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Reply to "New CMC Speedster project"

Hi, Adrian, and welcome to the madness of replica Speedsters.

You might want to contact @Marcel in Europe about his hard tonneau.  His looks just like what you want, but I don't know where he got it.  Lord knows, maybe he made it from scratch - he has some mad fabrication skills.

I once owned a CMC front end conversion kit and can attest that they're very well made.  Since I never actually used it (didn't need it) I can't say how straight it is, but anything can be adjusted.  It is an easy install, from everything I've read, and adding another 20 lbs to the front end is actually a good thing.  The final weight of a pan based speedster is very close to the weight of a VW sedan - maybe a tad lighter, especially in the front.  OTOH, if the standard beetle pan frame is in good shape without too much rust, then those new floor panels can be cut, dropped in so they overlap 2" or so and then welded in - it's pretty easy, just time consuming.  

If the old pan is a swing-arm rear suspension, rather than dual CV joint drive axles of the super beetle, I would opt for the super beetle and front conversion because it will handle better.

Transaxles:  5-Speed transaxles are available but the waiting period seems to be measured in years.  They don't provide you with any more of an "overdrive" than a similar 4-speed, but they will give you shorter gaps between the lower gears, good when carving through curvy mountain roads.

Both the 4-speed and 5-speed can be had with a 3:88 (preferred for your 1,776 engine) or 3:44 ratio final drive, along with a .89 fourth gear.  The .89/3:88 combo gives your around 3,250 rpm or slightly less at 70mph.  You want to keep the engine rpms at 3,000 or above on highways for adequate cooling of the engine - NOT like a water-cooled engine at all.  There are a few other gear ratios available, but you've got time to decide what is best for you.

If your heart is set on a 5-speed, expect to pay 2X - 3X the cost of a 4-speed, both newly rebuilt.  Most of us get our transaxles from Rancho Performance in California.  I don't know it they offer 5-speeds or not - Nothing on their website but you could ask.  The only other alternatives are a Gene Berg 5-speed conversion kit ($$$) or a Porsche 901 5-speed complete from Rancho ($$$$) which will require some frame mods to accept it.

That's all I have for now.  Keep the questions coming!

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