I bought this a couple of years ago. Been working on it on and off. Just got it finished and am still sorting out the final driving details. It still needs an alignment and more miles to get the tire pressures dialed in.
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What a beauty !!! Congratulations on getting it finished.
Amazing car. Can you give details on the drivetrain please?
Oh...
I need a moment.
Gorgeous, but I think you may need a speedometer that goes a bit higher.
Nice ride. Thunder Ranch, if I'm not mistaken? Reminds me of Angela Lane's car.
I miss Angela.
I think Rock West racing built a few in this style. I also seem to recall a Brazilian?? company built some for a proposed spec racer class.
@LI-Rick posted:I think Rock West racing built a few in this style. I also seem to recall a Brazilian?? company built some for a proposed spec racer class.
The Brazilian spec racer was a different style custom body, this was a Carrera Coachwerks car (aka Rock West Racing) but I'm not sure if it was a TR build they inherited wi tithe molds or one they built custom.
@HRC51 do you have any info on the rear suspension? I have a shop in TX that has a TR RSK with the same DeDion suspension and a blown out rear hub that they are trying to identify. Looks 914 or early 911 welded to a custom DeDion tube to me, but I'd like to help them if someone knows for sure...
Carrera Coachwerks, Rock West Racing, Thunder Ranch -- it all gets pretty murky (for me, anyhow) after Tom McBurnie sold.
@HRC51 -- I couldn't help but notice the Wisconsin plates. Whereabouts exactly?
I'm in downstate Illinois, @Joe Fortino is in suburban Chicago, @NeenahSpeedster is in Neenah, Wisconsin. That's almost a quorum for meetup someplace in Lake Geneva or similar. Maybe when @Marty Grzynkowicz finally gets the Alfa done?
Anybody else on the south or west side of Lake Michigan?
I’m definitely in……..why should all the California guys/gals have all the fun? 🙃
That is a beautiful machine! Love the flat six. (why wouldn't I?).
Well done.
@Stan Galat posted:@HRC51 -- I couldn't help but notice the Wisconsin plates. Whereabouts exactly?
I'm in downstate Illinois, @Joe Fortino is in suburban Chicago, @NeenahSpeedster is in Neenah, Wisconsin. That's almost a quorum for meetup someplace in Lake Geneva or similar. Maybe when @Marty Grzynkowicz finally gets the Alfa done?
Anybody else on the south or west side of Lake Michigan?
It looks like he is just south of Madison. With @mhickey (northern suburb) getting his car next week we have a nice group for a get together.
Ooo, baby. Now that is a beautifully done job. Love the flat 6 and the front oil cooler!
Beautiful car...taking bad-a$$ery to the next level! 
Hi Guys, I posted a picture a couple of years ago and was met instantly with an unpleasant response, so I removed the post and thought this was not the forum for me. It is nice to hear positive responses this time. Thank you all. This car is not a replica of a replica and the purist hate it. I think it is a crazy fun driver. The purist must be happy this is not their car!!
It started as a Thunder Ranch car. Was always owned by Thunder Ranch and built with the six from the get go. When they sold to Carrera Coachwerks, the car was modified for SEMA. Lots of body changes like widened fenders, sloped deck lid, exhaust exit, and air intake scoops. All the mechanical things were done totally half assed. I redid about everything to make it work and ride nice. I rebuilt the front beam, Bilstein shocks, new brake lines, Boxster 16” rims on Firestone tires, master cylinder, clutch master, ball joints, MOMO steering wheel, H4 headlights, new interior in red leather with custom seats made with posturpedic foam (so comfortable), Wilwood pedals, modified the wire harness to eliminate too much going on there, hooked up gauges, reshaped the windshield, engine out reseal done at Kelly Moss Motorsports and new camshafts (ouch$$), new distributor (123 is way cool!), wires, coil, rebuilt the axles (914), oil system flush, Aldan coil over adjustable rear shock were rebuilt, and I put in new gauges that match. And Im sure a few hundred more things.
The engine is a 1967 2l long block with 2.7l top end. Webb cams. Transaxle is a 901 from a 914. Axles are 914. Webber carbs. Seems to be running and pulling nicely. I have limited the RPM redline to 6k and have a mild advancement to not stress this old motor too much. I am still working on my tire pressure to get the right feel I want and still have traction.
The DeDion axle is something I am not completely familiar with. I am assuming I have 914 hubs as my axles are four bolt with a roll pin. I believe the 911 axles are six bolt. that may help your buddies with a bad hub to determine what they have.
Think of this car that could have been a worn out car that was refinished in the early 1970s with an older 911 engine, 70s style oil cooler, gauges are from 67’, 70s disk brakes: A restomod 70s style. The car was initially built in the early 2000s then modified again in 2012-13. Now I rebuilt it again, but good this time. I have talked to the Carrera Coachwerks guys that built it. One guy still has info for it that I should really try to get from him. This car has a very sorted past. They both were surprised it is still around.
Does anyone have alignment specs for me to get a custom set up? I dont believe the front beam has much adjustment, toe in, and I think the axle only has side to side adjustment with the pan hard bar, and I can manipulate the trailing arms to set the caster.
This car has tight steering with incredible feel, compliant yet firm suspension, brakes have poor feel, but still stop the car quickly if you push hard enough, comfortable interior, and killer good looks. It is loud and raucous and has pops on off throttle. I am really looking forward to putting some miles on this and showing it off. The public reaction is overwhelming so I mostly just rural drive on the curvy roads just west of town.
I am cool for a meet and drive. There are an incredible amount of curvy roads west of Madison Wi that these cars would love to carve on all day. I may suggest NewGlarus as a meeting spot. My next couple of months are booked for motorcycle racing, but later summer opens up a bit if it works out for others.
Thanks for the support and I may need to ask some questions as I get it sorted out.
I'll bet Carey Hines ( @chines1) at Beck could give you some suggestions.
Your front should align like any adjustable front beam, shouldn't be anything special there. With such wide tires on a light front end, I;d set tow as close to zero as I can, adjusted for how much play is in the control arms and how much splay you have on acceleration. You'll feel it more than most other Spyders with tall and skinny fronts. Front camber I;d also run pretty close to zero, maybe up to -0.5* with no more than 0.1* difference L to R.
DeDion rear with welded hubs like TR appears to have done them leaves no adjustability for tow or camber changes. I am not the expert on DeDion but have watched Chuck build a couple and I've built a dozen since. We did ours with a bolt on hub and a shim plate between the ends of the dedion tube and the bearing carrier, this way you could shim for camber (or tow) as needed. You still had to be uber precise in fabricating and assembling everything because you were setting the specs in the jig... I don't see any adjustment built into this rear set-up. In addition, if you try and adjust the 4 link locating bars and change on the left has the opposite change on the right and vice versa. Maybe there is something I am not seeing here, but I don't think so.
@NeenahSpeedster posted:I’m definitely in……..why should all the California guys/gals have all the fun? 🙃
Something to consider as well, Road America in July has the Brian Redman vintage weekend July 11-14……Saturday evening of that weekend has a car show downtown in Elkhart Lake with some remarkable rare cars…..
@NeenahSpeedster posted:Something to consider as well, Road America in July has the Brian Redman vintage weekend July 11-14……Saturday evening of that weekend has a car show downtown in Elkhart Lake with some remarkable rare cars…..
Are you offering to put the weekend together for out of town folks? Because that sounds like a blast.
….if by “putting together” you mean making a rudimentary itinerary and recommendations where to stay, then sure……
@chines1 Thanks for the alignment numbers. I’ll work towards those numbers when I get it on a rack. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I LOVE Road America vintage weekend! Nothing like seeing big block open header race cars idling through town at 25mph with the doors open and the drivers sitting on the sill with thousands of people cheering them as they drive by. Just a great party on Friday night!
It would be my ultimate goal with this car to get it in the Saturday night show. Not happening this year as my motorcycle races schedule will take priority. Maybe next year.
That is pretty cool that it made it back here so soon. I only took it out a few times.
Im starting to get the feel for the car. Not as nerve wrecking to drive in light traffic. Cornering is unreal. Just crank the wheel and it goes. No real need to go slow while doing it. This may be hard to sell someday because it is just so exciting to drive. Everything I always wanted from it.
What you've done with it is pretty exciting! I don't remember you posting before and not getting an enthusiastic welcome (doesn't mean it didn't happen); I apologize for the collective. I've always wondered what happened to that car after seeing the initial pics. What tire sizes are you running? So- this the same car, then?
@ALB. Thank you for the compliment. Yes, same car. Less stickers, new interior, and it is sorted out nicely from what it was with those giant wheels. I am now running Porsche Boxster wheels 225/50/16 and 205/55/16. No rubbing, not touching. Sticks to the road nicely.
@HRC51 -- we're having a get-together in the mountains in VA this Sept. You should come with your car. I think you'd have an excellent time.
