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1769B3D2-24A7-4134-BAF9-22D5B2B2C45568980265-1D9D-4C9B-9FE7-EF60637A3256For a few years now I’ve been gathering bits and pieces with a vision to build a later 356 roaster. I’ve taken a giant leap forward over the past year partnering up with a master constructor in Europe who was actually in the process of developing a roadster and the first post prototype is fresh out of paint. She sits on a custom chassis with front VW frame head and rear IRS torsion carrier. Covid has caused delays but we’ve turned a major corner.
When it is done I will likely put my old Envemo super 90 up for sale.  Will post more of the progress in coming weeks

Paul

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I used the same set of Brazilian VDO gauges in my CMC (356 A) back in the late 1990s.

Everything has worked well and as advertised except for the infamous trip meter odometer which quickly died when I had the temerity to try to reset it to zero while moving.  That was the last time it worked, 18 years ago, but the main odometer just keeps chugging along.  Everybody now knows that you cannot zero them while moving.  

The latest VDO gauges (with the GPS speedo) on’t have that problem.

The electronic Tachometer works well with minimal needle floating and has the added feature of going nuts when your electronic ignition module is starting to fail.

So these gauges aren’t actually made by VDO. They are by a company in Brazil called Cronomac. The sets come complete with fuel sender and oil sender. Along with the lightning harness and bulbs. The font on the odometer is ehh and the gear is visible on the trip odometer as mentioned. Overall nice gauges.  The ones you mentioned gordon I have in my envemo and we’re actually made by VDO Brazil when they were in business. The odometer is definitely done nicer. Now the only choice by VDO are the digital ones made in India…nice but too modern for this old fart.

@IaM-Ray posted:

I thought of adding that backup light to my IM roadster many time but I keep resisting as I would like to keep it as original as possible so I have yet to find a real solution it a hidden light Under the engine subtlety

20191021_181056

Ray, do you see the tiny round LED light by the lower left corner of my plate?

It's a bicycle headlight converted to run on 12v, I used a 5 volt regulator(7805) to feed it. Since my battery is right there I tapped off that to power a relay. The relay only has power when the parking lights are on. I figured I only NEED a backup light at night. Honestly, the power draw is so little I didn't need the relay.

FYI, it is certainly bright enough to see, it gives a nice flood. I guess I could have hidden it better under the grilles, but my badges would be in the way LOL!

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C54F0231-BB00-41E6-A3B5-53AE1EB36985419CCABA-D3A0-41F4-B7D6-F3F94121D3B6Here are some more shots just after paint. So some additional info on the body….It is a full monocoque  incorporating the floor pan, rockers, rear seat area etc. all molded from an original. The nice thing is that the inner rockers are not huge like the pan based speedsters so more authentic seats can be used. The monocoque utilizes a honey comb structure bonded in as well as steel for the door hinge and lock posts. Fiberglass Matt and cloth are used on this car but we are going to do one in carbon fiber in the near future. The tub is then mounted to a custom square tube chassis with IRS torsion tube and low original style low tunnel.

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