Got a new toy

[jordan]

After 15 years of dreaming, I finally did it. This is why.  My step dad; who is my best friend, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at age 60.  After many discussions of how life is hard, and you never know when, and that we need to live life to the fullest, I readjusted some of my investments to my garage.  I don't want to die with regret. That's why I'm racing motorcycle again. I'm planning for early retirement too so I can enjoy my life before I can't. Re-evaluating priorities and relationships is letting me live a fuller life right now. I hope I can enjoy it for a long time.

The car is a 1955 Porsche 550 replica. It has a 67' 911 flat six engine with a 2.7l cylinder kit, 5 spd transaxle. 240hp. 1440lbs. DeDion rear suspension. 4 wheel disc brakes. No heat. No PS. No PB. No radio. Stripped. Air cooled. Simple.
  Need some carb and ignition tuning and some wiring work. It's hard to get in and out. Suspension and wheels work is going to happen too since it's too low to the ground.
  It it pretty opposite to my Cuda, which is kind of fun. I Have zero plans to get rid of the Cuda. Ever.

[Brads70]

Looks like fun! Enjoy! Sorry to hear about your step Dad .

[JS29]

  You have my condolences! 

[anlauto]

I had to Google what I real one looked like....pretty faithful recreation, should be a fun toy

[jordan]

Actually, it has a lot of body mods compared to the original. The whole front fascia and oil cooler is custom. The rear clam shell is lowered between the fenders and the fenders are widened to accommodate larger wheels. This is the only custom one like this. It was a former SEMA car for Carerra Coachwerks. I know it is based on a Thunder Ranch build. TR only built one other six cylinder car and that one is often campaigned in performance events and is well known. This one was never sold by the builder until they closed up shop in 2016. The vast majority of these replicas have VW based 4 cylinder engines and 4 speed trans axles. This one is all Porsche driveline. I haven't seen any other with as much bracing in the full tube chassis either.
  I cannot wait to get it sorted out. Supposedly it is supposed to be 0-100mph in less than 6 seconds and 140mph top speed. I'll find out when it's ready to rock!  A helmet would only be marginally safer than nothing. Literally, it feels like a go cart.

[benguin]

@jordan  Sorry for your step-fathers health challenge.

You have two fun and very different cars.   If you aren't already a member, I'd suggest joining the Porsche Club of America.  They have regional chapters, and the members are a great source of information and comraderie.  Don't let the Porsche stereotypes sway you otherwise- they are a good group of folks with lots of activities.

Enjoy both! :-)

[Mr Lee]

Wow, that thing is beautiful! 
Life is short. Have a blast!


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[ledphoot]

YOLO

Do it your way and enjoy.

[dodj]

Very cool car Jordan!  Betting you will love driving that
It's nice having very different vehicles. I have three, all very different driving experience.

[jordan]

Thanks for the kind sentiments guys! 

     As most of us know, buying someone else's car is usually a mystery.  How will it run? What is broken or missing?  How does it really handle?  Is there ride quality?  Is it reliable?

     As I start to dig into learning about this car, I found out some answers.   It was horribly filthy dirty when I got it.  It turned my hands black with sooty greasy grime.  After a few days of detailing, I was able to get it to look reasonably nice.  The gauges dont work.  The steering wheel is garbage.  It leaks from most all hydraulic fittings (should be an easy fix). It sits so low I cant get a jack under it and the fiberglass and paint wrap under the car so it is hard to find a good jack point. The rear rims and tires fit great.  The fronts stick out too far.  The aspect ratios are different, so the front sits even lower.  The pedals need adjustment so I can fit comfortably.  What I thought as an easy fix by turning the adjuster bolt wont be easy and I probably have to remove the entire assembly to make the adjustment!  The spark plug wires were garbage and contributed to poor running.  New ones has solved that issue!!  Now I can tell that it has a rev limiter set at 5K.  Seems a bit low to me.  I need to research the cam before I turn it up.  It has a Pertronix ignition in the distributor, and a MSD ignition on the fire wall.  That might cause some issues too. One axle is loose and needs a clip to hold it to the hub.  I'm looking for a source for that. 
     My biggest decision to make is getting the correct wheels for this car.  Since it is a resto mod, I can put nearly any wheel I want on it.  Modern, Old Sokol, or maybe even some old mesh race wheels.  It is super difficult to find a correct look, much less get them in the correct offset.  I really want to get a 25" tire with 16" x7" rims.  Custom 3 piece wheels may be my only option, but cost $$$!!!  Boxter wheels should fit, but I am not sold on the look yet.  I need to photoshop a bunch of wheels on a photo of the car to help make the decision easier.  Once I get the right wheel/tire combo, I can raise the suspension and balance the car.  That will make the biggest contribution to its overall ride quality and drive ability.  It has coil overs in the back and torsion spring in the front.  The rest of the repairs shouldn't be too difficult. 
     As far as its ride quality and handling:  It literally feels like a go cart!!!  Tight steering with all of the feel possible.  Suspension is too low and tight. It is probably on the bump stops.  It corners flatter than anything I have driven.  I dont think it even has sway bars.  My ass is about 3" off the ground.  It is very low.  Power is predictable and smooth.  It seems to build power as the revs increase, but shuts down with the rev limiter.  For now.  It's not as fast I thought it would be. 
     I took it to a cars and coffee last week.  It was definitely an attraction.  It gets a crazy amount of people waving at me as I drive.   
      I drove my Cuda a couple days ago.  What a great car!  Comfortable, great brakes, good handling, and stupid fast!!  The Porsche will probably not be a permanent fixture in my shop like the Cuda is.  And I'm staying on this forum forever.  Is it funny that I only posted about my Porsche here, and not on the Spyder forum?