I've been working to get my 2004 IM Speedster to look more like the real thing. Attached are before and after photos of modifications I made to the interior: replacement of center hand brake with under dash umbrella handle pull brake; replacement of heater control lever with fabricated heater control knob; replacement of EMPI trigger shofter with shifter more similar to 356A; replacement of modern Blaupunkt radio with Retrosound radio and fabricated faceplate; reworking of fiberglass tunnel; install of fire extinguisher under dash. I appreciate any comments or suggestions. I've been a member of this forum for 2 years but this is my first post. Happy to share details about this project or other things I've done to the car.
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Wow great work, what was involved in the umbrella brake? I really like what you did and you have a very clean car.
Looks great!
Very nice work. I really like the colour combo. What shifter have you got installed now and how easy is it to shift compared to the earlier Empi ? Easy to get into reverse etc. ? I'd like to do the same. Everyone will need details on your E brake setup. Thanks for sharing....
Cool mod, looking forward to details. Perhaps I could do something similar with my Beck.
David Stroud posted:Very nice work. I really like the colour combo. What shifter have you got installed now and how easy is it to shift compared to the earlier Empi ? Easy to get into reverse etc. ? I'd like to do the same. Everyone will need details on your E brake setup. Thanks for sharing....
I can answer the questions on the shifter, because I did the same thing (swapped an EMPI for a Vintage Speed).
The EMPI shifter is 10x better than the stock one. The Vintage Speed shifter works better and looks 10x better than the EMPI. I'm not sure why anybody would recommend anything else- it's a beautiful bit of kit.
X2 on the Vintage Speed Shifter.
X3 on the VS...EMPI sucks!
I have a WEVO (just thought I would throw that in there, regardless of how relevant it is to the current discussion).
Plus, I like saying 'wevo'...
But, those mods you did are very well done, and really look great. It's always good to 'own' your car by getting in there and changing things. I had to change a bulb on mine recently.
Car looks great. It's those little details that really make these.
Beautiful car. Nice additions. Glad you decided to post. Would love to see the rest of the car.
It's looking great! What Phil said- we'd love to see pics of the rest of the car. What's it have for an engine? 5x205, 4x130 or Porsche pattern wheels? Discs or drums? (I really have so many questions)
I noticed that tell-tale copy of "The Gold Plated Porsche" on your passenger seat in one of the photos. Seems apropos with these cars after a while. Many of those details added can cost some buck$, but in the end and as someone already said, it's YOUR car and you should be proud of it. You've done a wonderful job of making it a "Wow" car.
Very well done!
For those interested in the umbrella parking brake retrofit, I purchased a bell crank from an actual 356 (see attached diagram) and attached it to the lower forward frame behind the front bumper using fabricated mounting brackets attached to u-bolts. (I could have drilled or welded mounting brackets to the frame but this gave me more flexibility in set-up and is still rock-solid.) I purchased an old umbrella handle brake (handle plus ratchet assembly) and mounted it to the frame under the dash. I ran one cable from the brake assembly through the firewall to the bell crank and through the firewall to the tunnel. I attached the single cable from the bell crank to the existing e-brake cables just forward of the shifter. I'll try to take some pictures to show how it's installed. The hardest part was figuring out how to best attach the bell crank and route the cables.
Anyone know what VS does and the materials they use?
No, but if you're looking for an umbrella handle and associated assembly, these guys should have them - give them a call. Ask for Adam Wright.
Thanks Gordon.
Looks great!