Just Saying Hi...

Some more pics....

Very nice.  I have a vintage speedster from Kirk and I love it. They make a nice car. 

If I understand this correctly then YOU are doing the build with Kirk providing the parts?  Good luck and keep us posted on the progress.

Thanks! Kirk can be tough to get a hold of sometimes, but he did recently have surgery so he was out for a few weeks.

He's been great allowing me to stop by the shop and talk to all the shop guys for advice, etc.

It's been a fun build so far out of my garage

Correct. I'm building it from the ground up using VS as a source for parts, etc.

Looking really nice.  What coating or type of paints did you use on your frame?  I'm almost to the point of getting mine redone and would hope to make it look as good as yours

Very interesting approach--I'm not brave enough to attempt it but I know you are going to end up with exactly what you want. 

 

I have always gotten great service on parts from 'Cathy" at VS who works hard to provide exactly the parts  you want---I'm sure you already know that.

 

Please keep the pictures coming --I am anxious to see your progress---and best of success with it!

You don't need to start a build thread; this is it! Keep the updates and pics coming. And it looks like I'm the first- WELCOME TO THE  Madness!!! Al

 

Ps- Got a first name?

 

Thanks

 

Living in CA and only planning to drive during the weekends (no rain, etc.), I used Restoleum Professional Gloss Black for the top and Restoleum Professional Undercoating for the underside. Prior to applying the paint, I sanded and prepped everything. Plus, I put a layer of the Restoleum Professional Rusty Metal Primer on everything first (the brown color you see in some of the photos). I also used an all purpose sealant on the underside (pan and chassis meet) to prevent water getting inside...

 

Restoleum may not be the "best" product, but it will do the job being in CA and not planning to use this car as a daily driver.

Thanks!

 

And people call me Brian  

 

Both Cathy and Kirk have been great to work with and they have been very accommodating.

 

It has been really nice to be able to pick and choose the parts I want to use. For example, I was going to use drums for the rear brakes... but decided to get disc to match the front. I'll also paint the calipers to match (as close as I can) the exterior paint. I also decided to custom make the hard brake lines since I didn't want the standard VW hard lines.

 

Still deciding on the engine... any suggestions???

Brian,

 

You'll likely receive more relevant comments about engine builds if you let others know more about your driving needs, style, and HP desires.  None of us really NEED big power, but many of us want it.  Will your be a daily driver? See occasional track use? 

"Still deciding on the engine---any suggestions?"

 

Well, I'd just recommend what I have in my car---same as most everyone else is going to do.  It's hard to beat some of those Subaru engines---even the simpler ones provide more power than a sane person is ever going to need plus heat and air if you want them. David Stroud seems to have found the formula for installing a suby---his works better than some makers who install them pretty much exclusively.

 

I'm not at all hung up on authenticity to the point of insisting on air cooled.  I do have a great 2150 cc Type IV engine that floats my boat, that Jake Raby built for me.  I replaced the 1915 Type I started with it as I wanted total reliability as #1.  Sometimes I feel like the last guy who got shot in WWII as I'm sure I got one of the very last Type IVs produced.  That was done January 2010, almost six years ago when Suby conversions were pretty rare. My engine suits me fine and has been bulletproof. It was more expensive than some Suby's too but it has some unobtanium guts and treatments like cryo enhancement and dynamic .02 oz./in race balancing. Made for my driving style of fast cross country touring.

 

Also there are some fine Type 1's out there that are great.---Danny Pip's Raby built Type I powered Spyder is the quickest replica I have even been in and I'd consider a really well- built Type I spec'd like the ones in many IM Speedsters made by C.B. Performance.. Al Shapiro's Ruby has one and it is super fine and runs all day at 75-80 trouble-free. 

 

If I had it to do over I'd have a Raby built Suby, but I don't have it to do over, and I am so happy with my present set up that I'll stay with it. Some SOCers are having engine swaps done over the winter, switching Type 1s for Subys.

 

What are you most lusting for, engine-wise, at this point?

 

Good point! Here are some basics:

 

- Reliability is more important then BIG power

- Weekend driving (canyons, PCH, etc.)

- No track use (I have another car for that)

- I like to know there is power when needed, but I don't drive crazy anymore (wifey and I just had our first baby in May)

- I'd like to get at least 100HP (if possible) without stressing the internals

 

This car won't see a LOT of miles since it won't be my daily driver.

Brian,

This is a great way to get a near flawless build.  I wish I knew 10 years ago what I know now and had the skills to do what you are doing.  VS builds a great little car for the money, but have a price point they need to meet. I have always felt that for a little more money($1000-1500) and time they could do much better yet.  Good luck with the project and if you ever need an extra pair of hands just give me a yell.  I'm just over in Orange.  Jim Ignacio also lives in Irvine and I know he would be glad to come over and watch if you give him lots of beers.

 

 

Some more photos of the build...

Front disc brakes. 5 wide (5x205) set-up

Adjustable spring plates installed and the tools that helped!

Very nice progress, Brian. What year is your chassis and what disc brake setup or kit did you put on the front end ? Thanks... and please check your dialog box...

 

David Stroud

"Jim Ignacio also lives in Irvine and I know he would be glad to come over and watch if you give him lots of beers."

 

Jim would watch anything if someone gave him a couple of beers...

 

 

BTW, the build looks great, and you will be able to get exactly what you want in a Speedster.

Kripes...and I owe Jim a six pak of Coors Lite too.......

 

1966 VW chassis (shortened and welded by VS using their jig)...

 

I believe the front disc brakes are EMPI?? I will double check. So Cal Imports is local to Kirk and I know he sources parts from them. I work with Kirk on "what" I would like and he gets the parts for me. I do some research prior, but I can not compete with Kirk's expertise and knowledge.

 

I will likely get rear disc brakes in 5 wide as well. Originally, I was going to use the stock drum brakes, but I know I will want to upgrade those later on... so I figured I would do it now...

 

My goal is to "not" break the bank on this build. All my extra money goes to our little baby girl

Brian- Are those KYB gas shocks on the front? I only mention it because you may find their ride very rough; I believe they are valved for off-road. Most guys find a regular oil shock on the front works fine. Al

 

They are EMPI brand oil shocks.

 

When speaking to Kirk, he mentioned the gas shocks would be to stiff for such a light car. So, we stock with a basic oil shock

If you want a reliable engine get in touch with Pat Downs.  He's a member here and builds some of the best and most reliable engines on this website.  He also build engines for Beck and others.

 

https://www.speedsterowners.com...e/442091980985921693

I have a Pat Downs 2054cc motor with 20K miles that's coming out of my Beck this winter to make way for a Suby power train. There's a Rancho Pro trans with about 3K miles to go with it. Just sayin'.

Yep, Pat Downs build a great engine.  My previous IM Speedster had a 2332 c.c., and it was perfect.

 

Brian,

I have bought many parts from VS for 16 years Cathy and Kirk are always glad to go out of their way.

I've built a speedster or three and always glad answer build questions / ideas.

 

 

Also....I need chassis length and a couple other measurements so you have a dialog  

 

Alan

 

Thanks!

 

I've been catching up on some of his previous posts. That 1904cc he built... damn beautiful dyno graph...

 

Very very tempting...

 

I might have to send you a dialogue to get more info.

More photos of the build...

Photos, photos, photos...

That's all I have completed so far. I started mid-September 2015. My wifey and I just had our first baby girl in May of this year, so this will be an early morning weekend build while the girls are asleep

If I were doing it again (and I'm not), and I had your desires for a power-plant, I might strongly consider a near stock 2.0L Type 4. I'd get the good heads, have a "fluff-n-buff" done on them, go with a better cam, bolt on some Dellorto 40s, an A1 Type 4 sidewinder, and crank-fire ignition, cool it with a Cali conversion, and call it a day. Add a 96 plate cooler (you'd never need it), and you'd get your 100 hp that will run 100K mi, pretty much trouble-free.

 

That's what I'd do if I had a lick of sense. I don't, so I didn't.

Looking really good - a rolling chassis in no time.  Any plans for sway bars?

I have one on my front end but when I receive the project from a friend

there was not one for the rear (missing) but have been thinking of using

a 'camber stop compensator' that are still out there - any thoughts?  Do

we need them in the rear with adjustable torsion plates?

Oh yes, definitely and absolutely.  A camber compensator could save your life.  I have one from CB Performance as do others here.

 

Interesting. I knew of the front, but not the rear...

 

So, is it worth having both if it is a weekend (probably won't see the freeway) car??

The common wisdom is that if you have a car with IRS, add front and rear sway bars.  If you have swing axles you want a front sway bar and a camber compensator.  The compensator prevents the tuck-under that makes swing axle cars so treacherous.

Further to what Lane said, I think I remember someone saying it's not wise to install a camber compensator on the rear if you have the smaller sway bar on the front. I think that person said if your front sway bar is less that 5/8" inch, don't put anything on the rear.

 

My car is based on a 1967 chassis and I just measured the diameter of the front sway bar and it appears to be 12 mm or just under 1/2".

 

Laner...could you comment please ?