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Hi Guys,
I just listed my Turbo 550 for sale on Ebay. I posted a link on the For Sale forum. But I thought other members would be interested in the installation and techical information. So, I'll post most of the Ebay info here. I'll try to delete all the sales stuff but please forgive me if I miss something. I'll have to post in two or three installments as it's too long.

This is a turbocharged and intercooled, 2.2 liter 'flat' 4 cylinder, 4 speed, Porsche 550 Spyder in mint condition with 4300 original miles. This is one of the last batch of nine built by Chuck Beck before he sold the business in 2002. It was not a 'kit', but purchased by me as a 'turnkey' automobile. Chuck made these for about 20 years and they are generally considered to be the very best 550 replicas made. While considered a 'replica' of the 1950's racecar, it is not built on some donor chassis, but is about 95% accurate with the original frame, etc. It was a many times LeMans class winner and the car James Dean was driving when he met his fate. Less than 100 of the originals were made and they are worth close to a million dollars now.

A 550 Spyder only weighs about 1250 lbs. I paid extra for the 'big' engine (standard engines are 1.9 liters) and a close ratio transmission. The original engine made about 155 hp. While the car I purchased from Chuck was superb.....about as fast as a C5 Corvette.....it was not fast enough for me. I'm the past technical director of three different motoring clubs, but a man should know his limitations and turbo'ing cars is something I've never done.

So, two years ago I took it to Dan Lawson, of Competition Engineering in Phoenix, Arizona to be turbo'd. (www.cevw.com) He is the number one expert in the country on turbo'ing these motors and the only one I knew who could intercool it as well. I wanted it intercooled because this keeps the charge temperatures cool and allows the use of pump gas. It also makes them 'stone' reliable. Dan's workmanship is beyond compare. Everything is done perfectly. The craftsmanship is first rate. There isn't a single thing about the installation that I would have done differently.

The engine now makes 20 psi boost and probably makes about 300 hp. I haven't raced anyone, but I expect it to be at least as fast as a 911 Turbo. It certainly FEELS that fast. Boost starts around 3500 rpm and the world becomes a 'time tunnel' between about 4000 and 5500 rpm. Redline is 6000. And it still gets between 22 and 25 mpg! And it's not a handful to drive fast. Very stable, very solid. It drives just like it did before until it comes on boost. Dan did a wonderful job with the jetting and wastegate settings. With the very tall gearing, it just purrs along at very high speeds. The exhaust sound is perfect: low, powerful, but not loud. I have receipts for about $15,000 for the conversion and it was worth every penny.

The original engine was built by Patrick Downs of CB Performance in California--one of the best engine builders in the country for these types of engines (www.cbperformance.com). It was built from all new parts. Here are some of the highlights:

78 x 94 mm Universal Super Case, with welded #3 cylinder
78 mm FORGED Chromoly crankshaft
5.500 FORGED Chromoly H-Beam connecting rods
FORGED Chromoly lightweight flywheel
Manton Chromoly pushrods w/ .035 wall thickness
94 mm Mahle Piston/Cylinder kit
#2246 Camshaft w/308 duration and .410 lift
1.1 ratio rocker arms w/swivel feet adjusters
Hardened rocker shafts
044 Super Mag Heads with 40 mm intake and 35.5 mm exhaust valves. Ported and polished, dual springs, chromoloy retainers
Stage 1 Kennedy pressure plate w/200 mm Daycon clutch disc
Thinline 1 1/2 quart expansion oil sump (increases oil capacity to 5 quarts)
Dual 44 IDF Weber carbs w/Pro-Comp manifolds
Oil cooler in fan shroud

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Hi Guys,
I just listed my Turbo 550 for sale on Ebay. I posted a link on the For Sale forum. But I thought other members would be interested in the installation and techical information. So, I'll post most of the Ebay info here. I'll try to delete all the sales stuff but please forgive me if I miss something. I'll have to post in two or three installments as it's too long.

This is a turbocharged and intercooled, 2.2 liter 'flat' 4 cylinder, 4 speed, Porsche 550 Spyder in mint condition with 4300 original miles. This is one of the last batch of nine built by Chuck Beck before he sold the business in 2002. It was not a 'kit', but purchased by me as a 'turnkey' automobile. Chuck made these for about 20 years and they are generally considered to be the very best 550 replicas made. While considered a 'replica' of the 1950's racecar, it is not built on some donor chassis, but is about 95% accurate with the original frame, etc. It was a many times LeMans class winner and the car James Dean was driving when he met his fate. Less than 100 of the originals were made and they are worth close to a million dollars now.

A 550 Spyder only weighs about 1250 lbs. I paid extra for the 'big' engine (standard engines are 1.9 liters) and a close ratio transmission. The original engine made about 155 hp. While the car I purchased from Chuck was superb.....about as fast as a C5 Corvette.....it was not fast enough for me. I'm the past technical director of three different motoring clubs, but a man should know his limitations and turbo'ing cars is something I've never done.

So, two years ago I took it to Dan Lawson, of Competition Engineering in Phoenix, Arizona to be turbo'd. (www.cevw.com) He is the number one expert in the country on turbo'ing these motors and the only one I knew who could intercool it as well. I wanted it intercooled because this keeps the charge temperatures cool and allows the use of pump gas. It also makes them 'stone' reliable. Dan's workmanship is beyond compare. Everything is done perfectly. The craftsmanship is first rate. There isn't a single thing about the installation that I would have done differently.

The engine now makes 20 psi boost and probably makes about 300 hp. I haven't raced anyone, but I expect it to be at least as fast as a 911 Turbo. It certainly FEELS that fast. Boost starts around 3500 rpm and the world becomes a 'time tunnel' between about 4000 and 5500 rpm. Redline is 6000. And it still gets between 22 and 25 mpg! And it's not a handful to drive fast. Very stable, very solid. It drives just like it did before until it comes on boost. Dan did a wonderful job with the jetting and wastegate settings. With the very tall gearing, it just purrs along at very high speeds. The exhaust sound is perfect: low, powerful, but not loud. I have receipts for about $15,000 for the conversion and it was worth every penny.

The original engine was built by Patrick Downs of CB Performance in California--one of the best engine builders in the country for these types of engines (www.cbperformance.com). It was built from all new parts. Here are some of the highlights:

78 x 94 mm Universal Super Case, with welded #3 cylinder
78 mm FORGED Chromoly crankshaft
5.500 FORGED Chromoly H-Beam connecting rods
FORGED Chromoly lightweight flywheel
Manton Chromoly pushrods w/ .035 wall thickness
94 mm Mahle Piston/Cylinder kit
#2246 Camshaft w/308 duration and .410 lift
1.1 ratio rocker arms w/swivel feet adjusters
Hardened rocker shafts
044 Super Mag Heads with 40 mm intake and 35.5 mm exhaust valves. Ported and polished, dual springs, chromoloy retainers
Stage 1 Kennedy pressure plate w/200 mm Daycon clutch disc
Thinline 1 1/2 quart expansion oil sump (increases oil capacity to 5 quarts)
Dual 44 IDF Weber carbs w/Pro-Comp manifolds
Oil cooler in fan shroud

Here are the main changes for the turbo conversion:

Hybrid T03/T04 turbocharger
Tail Wastegate with custom pipe
Copper headgaskets to lower compression
MSD ignition controller w/rev limiter
MSD distributor and coil
Autometer shiftlight with adjustable chips
Autometer oil temp, oil pressure, boost, and air/fuel mixture gauges
Custom aluminum air intake to feed only cool outside air to engine (powder coated)
Custom headers to turbo (powder coated)
Custom exhaust (powder coated)
Huge custom intercooler with charge pipes (all powder coated)
All brackets and fittings were powder coated
Custom engine breather
Custom remote mount oil cooler with fan (180 degree thermostat)
Remote oil filter mount with Fram HP1 oil filter
CB Performance electric fuel pump and filter
High capacity fuel lines from tank
Melling high output oil pump
All custom oil lines with stainless aircraft fittings
CB Performance aluminum valve covers
9 mm case studs (upgraded from 8 mm)
Billet machined engine pulley
KNN racing airfilter with sock
Max boost: 20 psi
Engine Redline: 6000

The transmission and pinion were upgraded as well:

3.44 final drive (the tallest possible)
Close ratio transmission was totally rebuilt by Arizona Transaxle
Max speeds in gears are: 40 in first, 65 in second, 99 in third, and 140 in fourth (at 6000 rpm)

Handling is superb as well. Even without using the power, it will keep up with any modern two seat sportscar on a curvy road. Chuck used to take these out on track days in Southern California and regularly humiliate all comers. And that was with the standard 155 horse motor. It has independent suspension front and rear and a lower center of gravity than any car sold today. There is almost no body roll. And none of the snap oversteer that rear engined Porsche's are known for. This is a 'mid engine' car. The engine is directly behind the driver, like a modern Boxster. In fact, the modern Boxster is just an updated 550 Spyder, but too heavy, too complicated, too slow. Brakes are disc front and drum rear and work very, very well in a car this light.

Craftsmanship of the body is incredible. Thicker and better fiberglass than any Corvette. Perfect seams. Aluminum details everywhere: small light housings, windshield frame, rear vents, convertible top fittings. Yes, it has both a tonneau and full convertible top with side curtains. Drive it in any weather....though this one has never seen the rain. Paint is astonishing as well. A beautiful blue/silver metallic that shines like a polished mirror. No orange peel. Perfect finish. Chrome wheels. 165/15 Michelin XZX front tires, 205/70/15 Yokohama AVS intermediates on the rear.

The interior is beautiful and very, very roomy, once you get in! I'm six foot and I can't touch the front bulkhead with my left leg extended. And plenty of room to the sides as well. I drove the car 1800 miles from Los Angeles to St. Louis when I purchased it......at 80 the whole way after initial breakin. And then drove it back to Phoenix 1500 miles to get it turbo'd. It's very comfortable on long trips. Leather seats, full carpeting, custom floor mats, seat belts. The wind is well controlled and quiet for a convertible. There's even a huge trunk (in front, of course). It stores the entire top and sidecurtain assembly and has room for several soft bags. And there is a lot of storage inside the car--inside the doors, alongside the seats, and to the sides of the footwells.

The car has the original three gauge cluster: Tach, speedo, oil temp, fuel level, generator warning light, etc. And we've added four more gauges: boost (with memory and warning lights), oil pressure, oil temperature, and a really cool air/fuel ratio gauge that tells you how rich or lean you're running.

The engine cover is 'clamshell' for very easy servicing, not like a Boxster where you need a lift to even see the motor! It has a ten gallon gas tank with 'LeMans' filler--on this car, the real thing!

Someone asked about engine cooling. Here was my reply:

The engine is aircooled, so keeping it cool under boost is a significant challenge. But Dan Lawson, at Competition Engineering in Phoenix, is an expert at keeping air cooled engines cool in extreme temperatures. Many of the turbos he builds are desert 'sand rails'. Imagine keeping these things cool under boost! Anyway, the Spyder has two oil coolers--one inside the fan shroud and another remotely mounted to the rear of the engine with an electric fan. It is thermostatically controlled to come on at 180 degree oil temperatures. But the stroke of genius is the huge air scoop that feeds the engine fan from one of the rear intake grills (the other feeds the intercooler). It makes sure the engine fan sees only cool outside air at all times. In fact, the engine runs so cool that even in 100 degree temperatures, the oil temp has never risen above 140 degrees. It runs cooler than water cooled engines in Phoenix, even under boost! In fact, the remote mounted electric fan has never even come on.

Feel free to call or email with any questions: David Dicks 314-579-0088 or speakers@charter.net
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