new kitman project

Build thread.

This build I would like to hear more about, both the easy stuff and the hurdles ....

Should be a blast. As Ed and Alan said, keep the updates coming!

Challenging build but with this kit the sky is the limit. I am a racecar guy at heart but value the engineering from the original cars. This car is a mix of both.

Looks like you’ve been busy for the past few months!  Sounds like this one will get up and go.

Interesting radiator placement and air flow scheme.  Original idea?

Very cool. I like the 911 wheels. Is that a 911 fuel cell?

My friend is doing a 914 with a 6, front oil cooler with ram intake and exit down under the car, looks good.

I like what you're doing and want to see more.

X2 show us more!  What gearing did you go with in the trans?  VW front beam and IRS or ???   Are those VW discs (Porsche wheel pattern) in the front?  What's in the back?  And the frunk hinges need bigger holes!   _{(don't worry, I'm just messin' with you- I drill holes in EVERTHING!)}

Really excellent. Thanks for surfacing to show us what you're up to, Mike.

I love what you're doing. Keep posting.

@Mike B that car is going to be awesome!...i agree with the boys here...we need to see more photos ....you live somewhat close by to "john boy"....when completed you need to go by and rub his nose it it

Thanks for all the kind words. It is not perfect, but I am happy with it so far.  Front suspension is ball joint, rear is IRS. Not sure what the gears are actually. I told Ben what I was building and he built me a trans. Brakes are after-market Volkswagen, nothing fancy, basically a 69 bug underneath(kind of). My intention is a daily driver, something that is dependable and comfortable. I live near the beach so AC is not needed so not going through the hassle. The cooling system is a Sirocco style radiator with dual fans. I used to work in the racing industry and have patterned a lot of this after different cars I have worked on. When I get stuck I jump on the SpeedsterOwners forum.

I noticed that Kitman uses the old CMC build manual (even cover is the same with the Calif wide body on it).  How applicable is this to a build of their cars?  Is there added sections for the coupe?  Does Kitman sell the window glass and mechanisms, or do you have to search for old OEM stuff?

I see a 4 piece stainless steel window frame kit is $1300 from them.

We do not sell window glass or mechanisms.  We refer customers to Sierra Madre Collection in Pasadena CA. for those.  We do manufacture custom stainless steel unfinished window frames to fit our Coupe kit.  We include door , hood, and deck lid hinges with the Coupe kit.

   Yep, it is the old CMC manual ......  just trying to give the prospective builders a general idea of what they are in for in building a kit.  Everyone wants something different and to do it their own way.  We answer questions when we can.  Dr. Chris

Working on the headliner.

One challenging part of my project was the tub provided that makes up the driver/passenger foot well.  It is fiberglass with a steering shaft tunnel that leads to the center of the beam instead of the left side, where a standard VW/Porsche steering gearbox would reside. There may be different versions of this, but this is the one that came with my kit. I have seen a few other builds where guys had built a metal frame and used sheet metal or aluminum to seal the driver compartment.

I liked the idea of center mounted rack and pinion steering to offer better control of ackerman, so I used the one provided. I also like working with fiberglass.

The first challenge was that it was much too large. I cut off 6" from the front and leaned the front panel back at the bottom to help move the air from my radiator to exit through the bottom of the car. I also cut it as short as possible to make room for a fuel tank above. Rack & Pinion is from Latest Rage, intended for an off-road race car.  The turning ratio is much too short as an off-road car is best at 1 turn lock to lock. I fixed this by using a Longacre steering quickener backwards. These are used in circle track racing and there are several ratios available. I spoke with Longacre and this was an acceptable application.

The column with auto cancelling turn signal switch is custom length from Speedway Motors. Sweet Manufacturing u-joints, 3/4" swedge tube steering rods and tie rod ends.  The steering wheel is from Longacre.

Note: check out the access panel removed in the top of the tube frame tunnel. This makes it super easy to set up clutch cable.

Like the "tribute" air cooled steering wheel - ALB would be jealous!

Very cool, thanks for sharing. I'm entertaining doing my own build with the same coupe body and tube chassis from Kitman, so it's nice to see your build.

Looks good !  Is there enough room for your clutch pedal foot in the well ?

Hi Alan, Yes, there seems to be enough room for my feet. Feels a lot like a Ghia. the photos may be misleading.

This will be interesting to follow.  Kitman has been around for several years, but I don't think I have ever seen a completed Kitman car.

Hey Troy,

Here are photos of a completed Kitman coupe. Hope this helps.

Mike

Nice!!

Hi ,

How Hard  was it to get a California title ?

any tips ? Thanks

@imperial posted:

Hi ,

How Hard  was it to get a California title ?

any tips ? Thanks

Just keep track of all of your receipts and when it is assembled apply for registration via the SPCNS program with DMV. It's going to be tedious as you're dealing with the DMV and it may be a tad time consuming but it can be done. You will want to make sure you are registering the vehicle based on the year the vehicle represents.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/...cted-vehicles-spcns/

I did a CA special construction on my green coupe.

Be patient, precise, and diligent and the process  rolls thru. Be sure to register by Body Style Year.(1957) and you can avoid a ton of emission and inspection hassles.

Keep in mind that California has 35 million registered vehicles and only 500 specially constructed permits/year.  That means that it's likely that the DMV clerk you encounter will have no experience registering a car with this method, and may not have even heard of it.  A little patience on your part goes a long way toward getting the job done.

Car guys call the process SB100, since that was the California state senate bill number that sponsored the legislation.  However, DMV doesn't use that terminology.  They use specially constructed vehicles or SPCNS to refer to our registration.

Google SPCNS Ca DMV or something similar.  There are lots of threads on how to do it. Some sites recommend a specific DMV office, or even a certain clerk at a designated office.

Best of luck, and please keep the group informed.  That's how we all learn.

Looking good!