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Yes.. thats what made the car more famous than anything..

Deans engine made about 125-135 HP it was a roller 547 4 cam Carrera engine...

Seinfeld has a Spyder RS for sale presently for 1.1 million bucks...

That blue car looks like a 901 long tail porsche. 300kph that's 187 mph. What engine powered that car and what gearbox was used.

The racecars are watercooled (I know... yuck). The blue car pictured has a turbo 2L I4 from the VW/Audi family. It is an evolution of the VW Rabbit motor from the states, which is currently used by VW do Brasil in several cars. Gearbox is a slightly modified 5 spd, longitudinal box, also currently used in several Brazilian production cars.
I am currently working on the first aircooled version of this body type at our shop in Indiana... ACVW is my personal taste.

Carey

What would push alot of people over the edge to buy a car like that, or any of the conversions really is the engine you are building for Beth. Even if you don't get 50mpg... say you get 40 instead, you will not find in modern PRODUCTION cars an engine that gets 40mpg and that amount of power. I am sure if some enterprizing individual wanted to build a cool, light weight car that got 40mpg and did 0-60 in 6 seconds, there would be a long waiting line. A car that was not quite as extreme in styling as the 550, with some added creature comforts would have a large market in the 50-60K$ range. If you look down the line of cars that get even 30MPG all you will find is boring style and 0-60 in 9 seconds at best.


Ron

If the 550 was a little more pactical and could be driven in inclimate weather better I would agree...

My speedster with 160bhp type 1 and about 120-130lbsft is a blast but when it gets over 120mph the back is stupidly light and everything gets very hairy!!! Thats when its on the road of course!!Still not long now!!Aerodynamic aids would be great but no way at the cost of spoilling the clasic looks!!

BTW Jake what ratios are in the 550? My current 5th is 0.82 with a 3.88 R&P This gives the speedster a theoretical top speed of 150mph with 7000rpm! With a torquer and its 5500rpm limit that should bring the top end down considerably? Thats fine by me I have had it off the 120mph clock still pulling like a train but way too scary for me! dont want to go back there way too risky for me!!

The ratios are still in the works.. I am waiting till after i dyno the engine to build the gearbox... This "Torquer" is getting a cam change..

Arnolds64 wrote:Didn't James Dean die in one of those and probably with allot less power?

Power doesn't matter when you plow into/under the back of a parked truck at speed.

For that... Well, there isn't anything for that.

James Dean hit a 1950 Ford sedan broadside...

It may as well been a truck..

As I seem to remember, the driver of the car that hit James Dean was said to have been blinded by the sunrise and missed the corner, sideswiping Dean and his friend in the 550.
Jeff

There are hundreds of myths and stories about the crash, it has been recreated a numerous amount of times...

I heard it was Elvis driving the other car just before his alien abduction...
Love the 550. I have a 356 Fiberfab myself. Man, Fiberfab sucked as a company! I got it back in 1990 and didn't know about all the other companies making them. Ugh. Oh well, I need to figure out the windshield post holes yet. Probably a winter project.
Jeff

Are you driving the Montage in your avatar?

Don

The car in my avatar is actually a screenshot of the Cody Coyote from the TV show Hardcastle & McCormick back in the 80's (when TV was good). I have a Manta Montage which is the same car they modified to make the Coyote. I'll be making my Montage into an exact (okay 90% exact) replica of it. I got the car about 3 months ago and am now busy designing the suspension and engine/ tranny setups. I need to finish my dune buggy and my 356 speedster replica befor I get to the Montage though. Feel free to ask me anything!
Jeff