Letters 

 

Terry,

My name is Ray Colbert and I am from Oakmont (Pittsburgh) PA USA.

I have a vintage (ASC) 550 Spyder painted Mazda Miata British Racing Green with a gold rocker stripe.  The car is set up for Autocross with a 1914 FI engine, close ratio 4 speed, zero roll rear suspension ala Form Vee and a highly modified front beam. 

There was a letter from another reader Wayne Vanderaar from May 1999 concerning a Vintage Spyder he was purchasing and I wanted to speak with him in person as I live in the area.   His name is not in the phone directory so please forward this to him. I am listed in the phone directory.

I also read several letters concerning suspension problems both front and rear.  I have done extensive development work on the suspension on this car. To counter sudden oversteer common to swing axle cars I have installed a zero roll set-up out of a Formula Vee race car. This required some welding and the synthesis of a mounting bracket but not exceedingly difficult.  It produced an exceedingly stable rear suspension with about 4 deg negative camber per side (adjustable of course).  That was the easy part.
The front has been much more difficult to remedy.  The stock beam has two torsion bars and  hence 4 effective springs.  I began by removing 1 torsion bar (2 springs).  I gutted the upper torsion tube and placed a Formula V sway bar inside (after modifying the trailing arms to fit).  I started with the remaining torsion bar at 1/4 maximum adjustment and worked up until I got the travel to the point of avoiding bottoming in hard turns.  I then cut the ends off the upper torsion tube (1/2 in on each side) moving  the upper trailing arms in to get 4 deg. of negative camber on each side. The result is a car that handles superbly (almost twitchy) on the street and next spring I cannot wait to autocross it again.
 
The advantage of this suspension is that it is not overly stiff (just about right) has minimal front end roll and has consistent neutral quality without the terminal over-steer found in the unrestricted trailing arm set-up. It also has monumental grip.

Yes the beam is to wide for a short turning radius and the tires rub on the front end of the trailing arms at full lock (a letter mentioned this in your "verbal abuse" section) My front street tires  need to be mounted on Mangels 4.5 inch chrome wheels that have a 4 in back space to keep from rubbing on
the outer body.  The race tires (205/50 15 Khuhmo's) are mounted on 15 X 6 in custom made steel rims with a 5 inch back space. This will allow them to clear the body in the back with no rubbing. They still rub on bumps occasionally in the front. 

If any one has improved on this suspension with minimal cost I would really like some comments.

Also I wanted to comment on the fellow in Mass. USA having trouble getting registered.   It is almost impossible to get one of these registered in the USA as a new vehicle.   It must pass a litany of rules somewhat like the Baltimore Catechism (bumpers, glass, emissions, and so forth) . Greg Leach of Vintage Spyders aided me in the process greatly, and as it is marginally legal, I will defer  to him to tell you how to do it.  But getting a "Bill of Sale" as a 1957 model with a VIN number or Chassis number is necessary. Pa registration requirements were such that without this my car would have
had to meet all the 1997 regs. I am sure MAss is the same way. Look also to New York or New Hampshire for this process. 

While on the subject of registration my state requires mufflers so I opted for a stainless steel pack and a super trap.   still have the loudest car at the events (105 dBA at 50 ft).  It does sound nice. It also increased low end torque. Even Greg Leach has begun to address the noise issue at Vintage Spyders on his most recent cars.

As far as weather resistance these cars have none even with a top.  My first experience was driving mine home from an autocross with the rollbar in (topless) with my full face helmet on and a jump suit jacket etc on and getting soaked to the skin.   The top would have reduced the rain coming in but the floor still floods with the top on. 

Ray Colbert
BRG/gold 1957 Vintage 550 Replica
3500 miles

 

Hello again Terry!

  At long last my turnkey Vintage Spyder has arrived from California, shipped to Pittsburgh by closed truck, several months overdue but well worth the wait. For individuals shopping around for an excellent reproduction Spyder, Vintage, of Hawaiian gardens, California , is a reliable source.  My particular car, a rennsport 550A model, is finished in silver clearcoat with red leather interior.  It is fitted with a 2109 cc Volkswagen type I engine built by CB Performance of Farmersville, California.  This engine is rated at 140 HP and makes an impressive appearance with its mid-mounted position, Weber 44 IDF carburettors, Porsche shroud, alternator, remote oil cooler and spin-on Fram HP1 racing filter.  The exhaust system is a work of art, having the two headers on each side merge into separate a turbo mufflers, thence into a collector megaphone exiting as on the original car.  The exhaust note is pure Porsche--like an early 911 but throatier. All exhaust plumbing resides below the engine, out of the way but still allowing excellent ground clearance. The gearbox is still notchy, the suspension very firm and the clutch like silk. The car is fitted with disc brakes all around and the rotors practically fill the size 15 inch wheel space. Greg Leach, owner and head craftsman of Vintage Spyders, takes obvious pride in his work and reputation.  I ordered the car without having visited his shop, paid a considerable sum for its production sight unseen and received a car that exceeded my expectations  for fit and finish.  We in the US are fortunate to have a cottage industry, as do you in the UK, that can provide hand-built machines that look as the original and outperform them as well.
     I'll give you an update about how my car performs after I've settled the insurance, title and license issues in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.   Have a wonderful Christmas holiday all.   I've already received my present!
                                                                            Wayne Vanderaar, Pittsburgh, USA

 

 

    Hi Terry and all Spyder people. 
This is my favourite site because I am obsessed with building a Spyder and your is the best one out there.  My wife and I really love the 550 and I like the Vintage because of the incredible performance potential.  The letters from Phil, Wayne and Raphael really helped me decide on a Vintage.  We are probably going to build it instead of buy a "turnkey" because I love project 
cars, this is cheaper, and this way she will know where I am!  Plus hopefully my boy will take an interest and learn while "helping" daddy!  
    We are still in "research mode" for now and I wanted to tell everyone what I found out regarding engines.  
    For five years I was a machinist in a machine shop specializing in high performance and racing engines in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Most of the engines were American V8's (we didn't do VW engines unfortunately) that were destined to drag race, sprint race or SCCA Road racing.  We built many record setting engines for many classes in NHRA, IHBA and SCCA including several regional and national champions.  I am now an elementary school teacher as is my wife but I still love racing.  I ran a showroom stock Dodge Neon in SCCA Solo 1 and had a Formula Ford for a short time but marriage, a 1 year old boy and the need to buy a house in the San Francisco area have stopped racing for now. 
    In my research into engines I contacted quite a few VW engine "builders" and I must tell all that in my opinion one stood out above the rest.  Jim Lutz at "Strictly German Autowerks" really knows his stuff.  (the guy listed in LINKS on your site) I asked all the builders important questions to weed  
out the "hacks" and Jim got very high marks!  Although I have little experience with VW's the principles are the same regarding horsepower and reliability.  For me the air cooling aspect of VW's is new and he had some very interesting ideas to solve the inherent problems that mid engine kits  
and in particular Spyders have.  He was very informative, practical and I have decided to get my motor and transaxle from him.  An engine is much more than the sum of it's parts.  Everything must work together in a balance.  He knows this.  Jim took a lot of time with me and has been a pleasure to deal with.  I look forward to having one of his motors and transaxle in our car.  
    As for our car, we live in an apartment so getting started will have to wait till we get a house.  Scary because San Francisco has the highest property prices in the United States and since we are teachers, we don't have much money to throw around.  
    We are debating whether we should get a donor car (a 1969 or 1970 bug will have the IRS and ball joint front end), build the Spyder from that and update to better components later or just get the kit and buy the "go fast" components as we are building it.  The donor idea will put us in a driving Spyder the fastest and least expensively but I will want a nice motor, big brakes, heavy-duty transaxle case, limited slip 5 speed gear box, etc.  I will take the car to autocrosses and it will see hard abuse on the local road race tracks so the "donor parts" may not last too long.  Any input from all you nice owners? 
    Are there any owner/builders in Northern California I could visit and check out their cars?  I keep hearing of a Spyder in Pacifica but so far it has proven elusive.  
    Phil went with the 911 shroud on his Spyder and I'm curious how that worked and any others who have faced cooling problems with their Spyders. 
    It seems the biggest tires that fit are 165/65-15 in the front and 195/65-15 in the rear.  Has anyone tried anything bigger with custom wheels or is there simply just not enough space within the fenders? 
    I look forward to more letters on the web site. 
    Terry, thanks for creating such a great site for enthusiasts like us to use and enjoy! 
    Sincerely,  
Tim Brand  

 

 

 

Many thanks for all the information you give ! I would like to build a 
kit of 356 Speedster or 550 Spyder with a chassis of VW type 3 (Because 
I have already the car and the 1600 engine with the 2 solex carburettors 
is not bad ! ) Do you know if anybody build a kit with this chassis? Are 
any kit ready for this chassis? 
For you, which builders sell the cheapest kit, because I am not looking 
for high quality! 
If you have time, many thanks for your answer 

Jean Paul Pilard 

 
 

 

Terry, 

My name is Jamie and have recently purchased a Beck Spyder (#11), which was assembled at Beck's plant in Brazil back in May of '89.   
It has been in storage since 1990 and only has 800 original miles.  I bought the car because I love the looks and feel for it rather than having any knowledge about the car itself.  It is in absolutely mint condition and I would like to get as much information about the car and Beck development as possible. 
Can you help me out?   
This page was a great idea and I really appreciate it. 
I hope it has helped you out since you've put all the work into it. 

Thanks. 
Jamie 

 

   

  Like others was looking for Spyder sites and found yours .  I built Beck #168 in '91 and really enjoyed solving the puzzle (except the windshield and stuck frt. trailing arms-- but that's another story.  Attempted to stay faithful to the look but attend to performance and sweat the details.  Re the Mass. Q on 5.5" rims...I use them on front with 185/65 yoko AVSi...to avoid rubbing, have the centres cut, moved to stock offset & rewelded.  Re headers have custom, tuned with 44" stepped primaries, long collector & SS transverse muffler.  (Good torque AND top end, with access to transaxle drain).  It takes a welding artist & irrational willingness to spend $$$. (SHE doesn't know) 
  Always like to swap Spyder stories, & have (may have) useful info for others suffering from this affliction.  PS the car's for sale. 
Ralph Costa 

 

   

I wrote in response to a question on your page about unleaded fuel.  You  never got round to posting it but never mind.  What you have got is a  letter from someone recommending one of the catalyst type in line devices. 

DO NOT USE THEM!  

Not only do they not work but independent assessment by the FBHVC (a classic car organization) proved conclusively that they actually make the problem of valve seat recession WORSE! 

Their advertising has been banned by several magazines and they are under  investigations by the Advertising Standards Agency. 

The good news is four products did pass the tests.  See Practical Classics  for details 

Frank 
(Banham 130 Spyder) 

 

   

Hi Terry,  

Just happened to bump into your homepage.  

I'm interested in 550 spyder look alike's (body conversions) based on donor  cars. Would you nevertheless share experience with me?!  

Though I'm still in the planing phase, I'm looking for suppliers for any  kinds of componentry like badges and stuff.  

Regards,  
Alex from Germany  

 

   

In the United States (I am in Michigan)  there has been no leaded fuel for  twenty years.  In the recent rebuild of my type I VW 1600 long block  assembly, I used a set of heads with hardened valves and valve seats.  These are unleaded fuel compatible, and they are all that is available in the  States.  I paid approx. $140  US for the pair.  Price goes up with  performance.  My 1250 lb glass dune buggy runs great!   Any US magazine  dealing with Vdubs and dune buggies will have at least a dozen advertisers  willing to ship you a set of heads world-wide. 

I relocated my battery tray by finding a preferred spot in the body, cutting an appropriate sized hole, then fibre glassing a box type enclosure into it.  
You could also use sheet aluminium and rivets with drilled holes for a  competition look on the battery box. 

Hope this helps....Happy Motoring!... Remember, building IS half the fun! 

Dave Kraft   St. Clair Shores, Michigan USA 

 

   

Hi, 

I would like to post a question to your readers who have built a 550 replica. I am wondering if anyone has used a Subaru engine and gearbox in a mid-engined 550 (or similar) porsche replica? Subaru engines would be an interesting choice since they are horizontally opposed like the original with the added benefit of liquid cooling. The gearbox from a 2 wd car when mated to the engine could be mounted without modification since the engine is not transversely mounted. I would like to build a 550 (when money permits!) using a Subaru boxer motor in a tube frame chassis though I'm not sure if this option has been tried before (can't find any examples on the web) 

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. 

Joe 

 

 

     

Hello  
My name is Phil Luebbert.  I sent a letter some time ago about my experience and trip to LA in picking the right Spyder.  I have had my Vintage Spyder for about a month now and I wanted to inform you of my findings and impressions during my first month of ownership. 
I did not want a James Dean clone so I patterned my car after the cream coloured car with the black bonnet stripes on the Spyder Club web page.  My  car looks remarkably similar to that car with a black leather interior and ivory banjo steering wheel.  I have a 2109cc~140hp engine, 4 wheel discs and black 911 shroud kit.  The 911 shroud kit may be a little overkill but it looks outstanding and does add to cooling in Florida heat.  The exhaust is a  bit loud but it sounds great on the open road. 
The fit and finish of the car are very good.  Door and bonnet seams are perfect.  The car is very close to the original in appearance.  The thing that gives the car away as a replica are the stainless steel high performance shifter and pedals.  But they really add to the driving experience, very quick and precise. 
The driving experience is similar to my 73 914 2.0 but just more raw and uncivilized. 
The ride is very rough as expected but handling is superb.  On quick starts and decreasing radius turns the back end can unexpectedly come loose so you have to be a little careful.  The carburated engine begs for the gas constantly and runs better with the gas and rpms on high.  I got a 3.88 rear  with a tall 4th gear and this seems to be a very good set-up.  I know that some people talk about a more balanced car with a smaller engine but I'm from the school that more is better.  The bigger engine doesn't affect the weight or handling of the car, it just gives more juice and puts a wider grin on your face.   
I drove and saw many Beck's before I bought my Vintage and I am more sure than ever that I made the right choice.  My car has many more options and the look I wanted for considerably less money than the Beck.  I think that both are great cars but Vintage provides a more individualized car for those who don't need to be a James Dean clone. 
Phil Luebbert 

Hi Phil.  

I'm glad to hear you have your car on the road. Did you do the major work yourself or get Vintage to build it? I would love to see some pictures of your car. You mention that the exhaust is very loud. Does this get unwanted attention from the police, or is your State easy going? The 911 shroud kit is a little out of place on a period car, but it does look the business, and if it improves cooling who cares!  

You say that the ride is very rough. Do you mean it is very bumpy? If so you can soften it without losing any handling. If the suspension is set up too hard, you will be losing traction as the wheels skitter across the road surface instead of following the contours of the bumps. This would also explain why the back end breaks loose unexpectedly. Presumably your engine is mid-mounted. Therefore you will have coil-overs on the rear suspension. Are these the standard ones that come with the kit or have you opted for harder springs?  

Do you have an option of spring rates with the Vintage car?

Are you using an anti roll bar on your car?  

A lot of people remove these and stiffen up the suspension to compensate.   Personally I think that this is a false economy as the major motor manufacturers have a lot more experience than most, and would not fit them if they did not consider them necessary. They enable a more comfortable ride than just stiffer springs. The engine size is not really relevant as it will still weigh the same as a smaller engine and so should not affect handling.

As you say the more power, the wider the grin. It will also get you into trouble quicker, so take it easy!!

Do you have any plans for alterations yet?  
Anyway I am glad you are enjoying your car and look forward to hearing more about it.
Regards  
Terry

 Terry 
My car was a turnkey.  The exhaust is loud only to my wife and my neighbours.  I might try a supertrap exhaust but I think it already sounds great.  This guy with a high performance VW dune buggy thought it was quiet.  I guess everything is relative. 
I do have adjustable coilovers and I may try a little different setting to try and soften the ride.  The problem may be that I'm 38 and my back isn't what it used to be. I do not have an anti roll bar on the car and I'm not sure that I need one.  When the rear does inch out it isn't hard to drive through it and get the car back in a straight line.  It's actually kind of exhilarating. 
I have no plans for modifications at this point.  I put all of the Porsche badges on the car myself and put on some aluminium valve covers.  My engine compartment looks incredible.  
I clean the engine every time I clean the car. 
I will try to get you some picture if I ever get around to getting a scanner or a digital camera. 
Take care 
Phil

 

   

Terry  
My name is Patrick Cunningham I live in Mexico City, there is a company here that will install the fibreglass rep of the 356 for 8000 Pesos Mex. or about 800 US$. They still make VW beetles here the last model year was 1999.A new one costs around 6000.$US. From 94 to Present they use unleaded gas. Mexico is the only place to buy a VW beetle.  
Thanks  

 

   

Hello again! 
The Spyder has been tucked away for the winter, but it soon will be warming up here in Massachusetts. 

I'm getting the car ready to race this summer, and will be buying new rims/tires and shocks.  I may end up with a front sway bar (any suggestions?) but don't plan on it right now.  My question is can you mount 5.5" rims to the front of a VW based kit car and not have problems?  What does everyone who races their Spyder wear on the front? 
I'm looking at Empi style wheels, and really need the extra width front rims. 

Thanks for the feedback! 
Mark Padgett 
Engineer, Medway MA  USA 

 

   

Hi!!!
You have an awesome site and am I ever glad I found it......keep it up brother... 
I'm looking to buy myself a turnkey Speedster (57) ASAP. I just turned 49  and I've wanted one since I was 18.  I'm looking into several companies  (but not in Florida from what I've been told). I'm inclined toward Vintage  Speedsters because I live about 10 minutes from them (Bonus). I know of 
Beck, but it appears they may be more into "franchising out" than actually building cars these days?? Thunder offers no speedster replicas as I see it (550 Spyders though).  An outfit in Brazil but that worries me being in SoCal. Somewhere through my surfing the net, I found a guy who had spent 1,1/2 years analysing WHO to buy 356 Speedster replicas from..his analogy was simple: 
1) If you are hell bent on originality and have the $$$: go Beck/Thunder 
2) If you want great Customer service and a 356 that has a fibreglass body 
that is near impossible to differentiate from the original..go Vintage. 
3) There is a company called Ryan who looks promising also. 

What the heck is the difference between a Speedster and a Roadster (re Beck Site???) 
Was the Roadster a hardtop model?? 
I would appreciate any ideas you have in your vast knowledge of the subject.  
I WANT ONE and I'm hoping you can steer me on course. 

Once again (it cannot be said enough) what a great site you have and you 
should be proud to the "MAX".........Thanks again!!!! 
Max.     
 

Thanks Terry.....  
I do like the idea of Vintage being so close but I like the engines that  Ryan seems to be so well at building. Not sure where the engines that Vintage offers are built. I do not have access to a pure "BECK" site either but it does appear from the link I'll leave you here that they may have gone into the "distribution market" vice doing their own???  
You probably already have this:  
http://www.thunderranch.com/5501.htm  
If I find another site, I'll let ya know....Keep up the good work...  
Max.  

 

   

Love the site. 
My question can be answered by everyone who has built their own cars.  
The biggest stumbling block I seem to have is how to convince my wife to "Let" me do it. 
Any ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks, 
Shujin 

 

   

Hi Folks, 
A friend from my home town, East Islip, Long Island, restored an RSK in the late 70's He acquired the car without an engine and installed a Super 90 engine. In 1978 or 79 he advertised the car in the back of Road & Track for $25,000. A fellow in Connecticut purchased it for $15,000 I believe. The fellow that did the restoration, his name is Richard Boehning, he is a true craftsman, and the car was beautiful when he finished it. Now I just found Richard, and had a long talk with him. Well, you guessed it, he can't remember the name of the man, or the town that he lived in. Is there a chance that someone in your organization might have knowledge of this car? I would enjoy talking to the present owner and sharing stories. 

Richard Adams ( former Porsche/VW mechanic Bianco Motors, Sayville, NY.) 

 

   

I have just completed a one year research of turn-key Spyders built in the US. I have travelled from Florida to California this past week to meet with Chuck Beck of Beck Development and Greg Leach of Vintage Spyders in order to hopefully make the correct educated decision for the right Spyder for me. I decided and ordered a Vintage Spyder from Greg Leach.  Both are excellent cars with their own advantages and disadvantages.  Chuck builds a beautiful car (primarily in Brazil) which is more closely related to the original car.  He uses the same rear suspension as the original with primarily VW parts throughout the car.  The paint job fit and finish are outstanding.  Greg builds his car for more all-out performance with more high performance parts and a more advanced space frame chassis (better side impact protection too). He also uses an adjustable rear coil over shock arrangement.  Greg offers more options and is also a little cheaper than Chuck.  So my advice would be if you want a beautiful car closer to the original in build and performance get the Beck car.  If you want a more high tech car with better performance and you're not stuck on authenticity get the Vintage.  
If you know of anyone in the US or elsewhere who would be interested in discussing my experience I would be happy to speak with them. 
Phil Luebbert 

By the way I also had numerous discussions with Tom McBurnie who builds the "Beck" Spyder at Thunder Ranch and I can give you the reasons why I did not consider purchasing a car from him. 

  • Reply

Hello, Phil!, 
    I'm Wayne Vanderaar from Pittsburgh, PA and have read with interest your accounts of a Spyder search and eventual selection of  a vintage 550 Spyder. 
I'm assuming you've purchased a turnkey model.  I've just ordered mine from Greg Leach and it should be delivered on or about 21 August.  My choice is a turnkey Rennsport model, silver/red leather with a 2016 cc engine, supertrans, 911 shroud kit, 4 bolt wheels - front discs, tonneau and Dunlop's, 165/65/15 front, 195/60/15 rears.  
Question: Should I opt for rear discs as well?  
My thinking is that the low vehicle weight (1300-1400 lb..) won't require the extra stopping power but, on the other hand, I'm using an engine upgrade. 
     I'm familiar with sudden final over steer, having owned 914, 914-6 and 911-T Porsches.  I expect the Spyder to be somewhat twitchy in this regard.  Hopefully, the larger tire footprint out back should help.  Greg says that, with the Alden coil over shocks, I shouldn't have swing axle problems, hence no need for a camber compensator.  Your thoughts? 
     I asked Greg about fitting an additional oil cooler up front behind the slotted snout.  He didn't advise that; too long a run for oil lines.  I'll check this out with some V.W. speed tuners here in Pittsburgh.  Meanwhile, they're making the Rennsport grills in the rear fenders functional for me.  
     Roll bar?  I once flipped a Triumph TR3-A and a driver's side roll bar kept me unscathed.  Putting a chromoly hoop around the headrest would probably do the trick, but I'd have to make relief cuts in the bonnet to open-close. 
     Nice website, Terry!  Keep in touch, all! 
Wayne 

 

   

  • Question

Terry, 
  I would like to ask Raphael how he likes his Vintage Spyder. This is the same company I plan to order mine from. Can you please forward this mail on to him? 

  I would like to know how his experience was with Vintage, and whether he  drives his daily, and what kind of experiences he had with registration and  insurance. 

  Thanks- 
  Dean Sipe 

  • Reply

Terry I'm going to reply to you directly so that you can keep my response for future queries.  
You have one of (No, the best) web site I have seen on the subject of Spyders.   

I ordered my 550 rolling kit in July 97 with a partial deposit, the balance of the deposit  in Sept 97 and the balance by delivery in Oct 97. Workmanship and product support were excellent, although they never sent me any type of assembly manual or wiring diagram.     I have almost 6000 miles on my car and love every minute of it, although I had at one point some second thoughts about some options.   
The 1.8 to 1.9 litre engine is more than adequate, remember the larger the engine the more heat to dissipate and weight to consider. Remember  with a mid-engine, the weight bias and slip angle are greater on the rear wheels and since the car oversteers to begin with, Less is More!!   

Choose the disc brake up front, install a sway bar and camber compensator, then drive the ball's off it.  

Registration I found to be a "Catch 22" administrative nightmare, but once I had the car inspected it was no more difficult than a conventional DMV inspection, light's, brakes, wipers that sort of stuff, innocuous (really) I was prepared for welding inspections, material composition and strength reports.  Don't worry about it. My advice is: buy it, built it and drive it...you won't be sorry. 

Raphael 

 

   

HI there Terry,
I have just discovered your web site on the yahoo search engine. I also have an rsk718 and am the Chairman of the Spyder/Speedster club of South Africa.  Our club caters for all Porsche replicas available here, namely the rsk718, currently out of production, the 550, 356 in classic and Sebring guise, and the 911. We have 40 members and organize bi-monthly social events such as Breakfast runs, gymkhanas, concourse and competition days. On 30th Aug we are spending the day at a drag strip to settle a few arguments. Additionally, some of us use our cars in handicap racing against other classic "marque" cars. All of our kits are made locally and are powered by a variety of engines, favourites being Toyota twin cam or Golf. As these are too high to go in the Spyder we either stick with Beetle/Kombi, Mazda rotary, or, in my case Alfasud sprint.  
Here are some details about my car. 

    Built 1992, whilst living in Botswana, moved back to RSA in 1994, car continually updated so never really finished  
    A frame rear suspension with Mcpherson struts and Z bar.  
    Front suspension has 6 solid blades in top tube and ride height adjuster, bottom tube has 6 solid blades with the centre section ground round, acts as anti-roll bar only.  
    Engine originally 1760 cc but woefully unreliable, changed to Alfasud 1500 cc, twin Dellorto's, balanced, racing clutch but otherwise standard. Rad in the front.  
    Gearbox standard, prefix SFAS.  
    Instruments ex Citroen GS.  
    Seats locally made.  
    Brakes- disc at front, local conversion using Golf disc/caliper and 3-Series BMW hub. 4 stud standard BMW steel rims all round (look really retro)  
    Goes like a bomb. And stops! 

I have attached some photos, the blue spyder is mine.  
Kind regards, 
  
Kevin Oldfield. 

 

   

   To : Terry

If anyone is interested in seeing a real Porsche 550 Spyder, which was completely restored to original condition, see the site listed below.  
The car won the Manhattan award for excellence in PCA Concours.  Pretty impressive.  I saw it a few weeks back in person, and it is VERY impressive. 

www.gandw.com 

My car is a replica of the 550 Spyder built by Chuck Beck.  It is also sold by Thunder Ranch, for considerably more and with less features.  
The engine is a 1915 cc VW which is new in every respect, and built by CB Performance in CA, USA.  I'm still experiencing some teething problems with the engine, and recently installed an electric fuel pump to help cure them.  The engine literally SCREAMS and the car is extremely fast.  
It is easy to get used to, and get into places in traffic only motorcycles could.  Acceleration is scary.  Real fun.   

My question is the exhaust, and emissions.  I am having to meet '98 emissions in Massachusetts, USA and it is a bear.  The exhaust is a 4-into-1 with a small expansion chamber and then open pipe!  It is very loud.  It is also low, and scrapes on bumps.    What do others use for a mid engine exhaust?  Is there anyone out there making one with a decent muffler, or even a cat? 

I had a new top quoted out at $800 today.  A bit steep, so it will have to wait! 

Great page.  I'll keep up with it and talk more later. 

Mark Padgett 

  •  Reply

One of your visitors from Massachusetts, USA was inquiring about exhausts for his Spyder replica.  While I am not into this particular kit, I am very much so into VW's.  I currently have a Manx style dune buggy and am rebuilding a Bradley GT.  In my travels to several VW shows I have found that there are a number of different exhausts for the VW air cooled.  Each is very different and gives varying decibels of loudness etc.  And yes there are many available for mid engine set-ups. I would recommend that he try a quiet pack.  These work with a header and with or without heater boxes.  Most significantly they are extremely quiet.  A 4 into 1 header will ultimately result in the quietest exhaust.  However, he may want to consider an exhaust similar (in design and layout) to that found on the VW Thing. It is a 2 into 1 split header.  But it mounts high on either side of the engine.  From there any good exhaust shop could fabricate the pipes to connect to high quality noise suppressing mufflers to result in the desired sound level.  

Charles Jackson  

  

  • Reply 2

Just checked out your page and thought it was great!  
A person asked about a way to quite down a mid engine car.  
This may help.  
You can order a flowmaster race muffler that is a two chamber design and replace the expansion chamber on the header - the size is 4" thick 9.75" wide and 5.2" long - this though will still be loud but not as loud as the system he now has ........price is about $55.00 here in Texas.........  
Or he could add a Supertrap adjustable disk muffler to the end of the  
system and adjust it some what better ......again though this cost about $75 - $100 US and will distract from a stock appearing system.  
Or you could do my trick ......drill a 1/8" hole in the pipe on both sides then poke two copper pot scrubbing pads for dish washing into the system then place a stiff wire into the holes bending the ends over to hold the scrubbers in place .......this works great to quite the system down, and if you want to open it back up just remove the wire start the engine and rev it a few times - they will pop out the pipe .........best of all this will keep it looking stock and only cost about $3.  
Hope this will help!  
Dennis Wilson  

 

  • Reply 3

I went through the same thing... but luckily didn't register my car as a 199X or 200X.
There are ways of registering it as a 1955 Spyder to bypass smog laws, look into it.
There are quite a few ways you can add mufflers to your car. I too had the 4-1 exhaust with a stinger tip... very loud. After a failed first attempt, I had 2 corvette style mufflers (diagonally angled out from the center) installed.
They help a lot with the noise and don't reduce output.
In my first attempt, I installed a single muffler (mounted center). It looked bad and cut my power by about 1/4th.
I've seen some other interesting deigns where people have mounted (squeezed) mufflers on both sides of the engine and singled the exhaust through a center stinger tip. That seems to be the most aesthetically appealing.

Good luck!
Matthew Clarke
Universal City

 

   

Hello, 
I am in the early stages of building an RSK "replica" using a body from Ryan Motors.  I have a 3.0 L 911 SC motor and transaxle and will be building a mid-engined space frame.  We have just obtained the front hubs for the bolt pattern we needed, and now have enough parameters to design the suspension and chassis.  The engineers for the Lynx Formula Atlantic team, Bruce Potter and Jim Griffith, will be doing the design work, but 
they are in the middle of the racing season and I expect it will be winter before we actually begin fabrication.  The target weight is 1500 pounds, and the engine puts out about 250 HP, so it should be quick and nimble.  The car will be used for Sunday drives and track events.  We are building it at McGee Motorsports at Sears Point Raceway, and it should be a ton of fun on that challenging circuit. 
I look forward to hearing from other RSK owners and enthusiasts, and will keep you posted as we progress. 
                                        Ed De Mayo 

 

   

I'm interested in buying a kit or turnkey version of the '57 550 Spyder. 

My question is: 
What type of performance can I expect from the VW Beetle engine in this type of car?
The kit car company I am thinking of ordering from offers the 1600 cc engine to start.

Any thoughts?


Dean Sipe 
Graphic Designer 

 

   

   

Terry:  

My Spyder is a Vintage (formerly ACI) it has a welded space frame fabricated from 2.0" dia' tubing, similar in design to the actual 550 A, 1500 RS Spyder. The frame is extremely stiff and torsionaly rigid.
I am running VW type ball joint- trailing link suspension, with adjustable torsion bars and 3/4" sway bar (both of which I highly recommend).
With Pirelli tires and 6.0" wide wheels, I can sustain 1.2 lateral G's in a turn.
The empty (curb) weight of the car is about 1200 pounds.  

I am using a VW type 1 Engine bored to 1776 cc, 911 fan and alternator, which produce's about 95 bhp, giving fairly authentic power-to-weight ratio.  

In any event all of these cars tend to be light in the front end, so I would shift as much weight forward as possible (i.e. battery, fuel tank)  
In addition I would run about 20 psi (don't know what the metric equivalent is) tire pressure on all four corners.  

Don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.  
    Good Luck  
Raphael.  

 

   

Hi, 
  
I just thought I'd trawl through a few search engines to see what I could find about the GP Spyder kit, and low and behold I found your pages.  Very nice.  
  
I am about to embark on building the GP Projects Spyder kit.  I purchased, stripped, shortened and reconditioned the chassis for my project about three years ago, and it's been sitting in my parent's driveway (covered) since then.  I didn't have the cash for the outlay for the main kit until now.  I've just sold my Mark I GP Buggy and am now able to order the main body kit to get started again.  I'm planning on popping over to Princes Risborough next week to place the order. 
  
When did you first post these pages up onto the web?  I looked for info a little while ago (well, quite a while ago actually) and only found the US distributor's page.  Have you had many responses?  Are there that many kit car/Internet enthusiasts out there? 
  
I've restored (read - rebuilt entirely!) a mark I GP Buggy before, and I've restored various Beetles, so I'm not envisaging any major problems.  However, those are famous lasts words if ever I saw them, so a point of easy reference such as your page, or email links to people with experience will no doubt be very useful.  
  
I too have a web page, and I'll be modifying it soon to chart my progress as I work on the kit this summer, but if you want to see a picture or two of my chassis, pop along to www.bigfoot.com/~matf@bigfoot.com and click on the Big Boys Toys button. That'll take you to the page with the pictures of my cars on. 
  
Oh, as for me, I'm 27, live in and work in London, as basically, an IT support guy for the testing department.  I've been 'into' cars (particularly in the past VW's) since I was about 16, so I'm not a complete novice, but advice is always welcome.  I'm sure I'll be able to pass some on as well. 
  
I look forward to hearing back from you. 
  
Matthew Francis