Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Guys, I sent them the copy and they ignored it. I did a few edits to correct the errors inserted, but whatayagonnado?

fwiw here is my unredacted copy, prepared in the BaT style:

This 550 Spyder replica was shipped as a deluxe roller in 2009 to its first owner in Tennessee and acquired unbuilt in 2017 from the second owner by the seller, who completed the build in 2020. It has a 3″ tubular steel chassis and fiberglass body and is powered by a mid-mounted 1915cc VW Type-1 flat-four mated to a 4-speed manual transaxle. The seller added numerous period details including aluminum inner rocker panels, firewall, floors and engine bay, barberpole vinyl upholstery and custom pedals, latches, brackets and other parts. This Thunder Ranch Spyder is registered in Maryland as a street rod and offered with records from the seller’s ownership, detailed build documentation, canvas tonneau cover, alloy half tonneau, uninstalled folding top and a clean Maryland title identifying it as a 1971 VW.



The fiberglass body is finished in Voodoo Blue with white darts and gold accent stripes. Additional features include leather rear bonnet straps, functional key-latches at all four corners, functional jacking points, a reproduction Spyder jack, correctly-located horns, correct parking brake handle, period fuel pumps and badges. Alloy wide-five wheels wear 165/80-15 Vredstein Sprint Classic tires, and the car is equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes behind aluminum “drum skins” to retain the period look.

The interior is upholstered with barber pole vinyl and an aluminum binnacle. Additional features include heated seats, lap belts, a rubber-matted floating floor, refurbished Porsche gauges and a banjo steering wheel with Golden Lady crest. The odometer reads 4400 km.

The front trunk features a modified VW fuel tank with a correctly-located through-the-hood filler and a steel cover mimicking the original Spyder tank and hold-down straps.

Power is provided by a mid-mounted 1915cc VW Type-1 flat-four built by Jake Raby, paired with a rebuilt four-speed transaxle featuring a 3.44 ring and pinion and a .93 4th gear. The engine is said to have spent its first decade in a Beck Speedster, traveling approximately 2000km, before it was serviced by Beck and acquired by the seller. It features dual Weber carbs and developed 120 horsepower when new. The engine is augmented with a remote oil cooler and filter, custom breather system, Accusump accumulator, CB Performance “Black Box” ignition system and a Sebring style exhaust with 1⅝ primary tubes.

The engine cover was smoothed inside and features a flanged and holed aluminum reinforcement panel similar to the originals. An aluminum belly pan extends under the engine and is louvered and relieved to function as did the originals.

Suspension is fully adjustable with a Delrin-bushed ball-joint VW beam in front and swing axles in the rear. KYB GR2 shocks and a custom 12 mm front anti-sway bar are equipped.



Oh well gotta go!

Hey @edsnova I just took a quick gander at your blog but couldn’t find the answer to my question: did you make coffin locks for your frunk, too, or just the clamshell?

After hearing from Carey that my car is a Gen 1 car I’m thinking of ditching the “My First Welding Project” hinge on mine and making it an original “lift off” lid, either with coffin locks or Dzus fasteners.

@edsnova posted:

The frunk turn locks came installed on the car. They appear to be a product the PO bought, and I remade the turn screws out of steel when the original aluminum ones seemed to be wearing too quickly.

Is that stuff available anywhere? (The mechanism. I know you can buy the external pieces just about anywhere)



I know you can buy coffin locks easily enough, but that seems like an inelegant solution.

Attachments

Images (1)
  • mceclip0
Last edited by dlearl476
Post Content
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×