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My current status hasn't changed much.
(Note new rear axle sitting on the floor, yellow springs, no front suspension, Webers in a cardboard box, as well as an E30 transmission waiting it's turn)
:hitler:
Attached Files
Simon
Current Cars:
-1999 996.1 911 4/98 3.8L 6-Speed, 21st Century Beetle
Holy Fk...$79,000....?
This is not a Duetto, that's only 1966 and 67 - more properly called a "1750 Spider Veloce." Has the 1750 engine of course, SPICA fuel injection instead of Webers, 14" wheels down from 15", headrests, detail changes and steering wheel, different marker lights and badges.
I'm still working on mine. Not a lot, and certainly not quickly. Still, I have the interior for it now, and I scored 90% of a 101 1300 (I had the block, but none of the internals or head. I now have the pistons, rods, pistons, cylinder sleeves, a head with cams and valves.) I got the package shelf and shock tower cover covered as well. A full set of new stainless brake hardlines are sitting in a box waiting to be installed along with the new master cylinder for them. There is an 8 lb aluminum flywheel, gear reduction starter, and other bits waiting for me to get the engine ready to go in the car.
Speaking of the engine, I started in on the bottom end of the 1750. I was going to replace the rod and main bearings with some King coated ones, however the bearings I got have some roughness to the coating so I think they will be going back to Summit. (I learned from the local machinist that when King gets their coatings right, they are some of the best bearings in the world, but lately their coatings have sucked.)
I am fine with easily reversible mods on a car like this. They designed them in the 50s and 60s for windy rough mountain roads in Italy. They had long wheel travel and softish springs. The engineers built specials, and "sports purpose," and race cars much lower and stiffer.
So I'll keep my original, painfully skinny 4.5x15 wheels for originality, for historic shows, future value, whatever... But I want it to sit down lower and wider for everyday. I have Centerline yellow springs going on, better shocks, all new bushings.
I'd been thinking for years about widening an extra set of factory steelies to 6 or 6.5 x15, with original hubcaps about level with the lip instead of sticking out like Ben-Hur's hubs. It should look like a factory special, not deep dish hot rod - that make sense? Finding an old school hot rod shop that still does that is tough. Liability blah blah. Lack of demand blah. The phreshkid here had some nice ones done in Mexico for his 2002s. A 195 fits on a 6 or a 6.5" wheel. Everything I read says except for racing, a 205 is too much on the chassis and the antique steering box. 7" is too deep and too much tire on a 1900 lb car.
So I found a guy looking for original 4.5x15s because his PO widened his to 6", and he's doing a perfectly correct restoration of an early GT.
They seem to have been done by an old machine shop in NC. I see seam sealing. They're banded, so original barrels and centers for hubcaps. He said they balanced and rode fine the few times he drove it before stripping it down.
My concern is this exposed butt joint on the outer face. Maybe the welding was done from the backside. But I would think you'd want to fill or weld-in these joints and grind them smooth and repaint.
The four to the upper left, compared to a stock one lower right. I'm figuring out the offset now.
I haven't inspected a banded wheel from that side but I've seen it being done and it is done from the outside usually with a special rig that turns the wheel and MIGs it in one smooth bead. It makes sense that there would be a visible seam on the inside of the wheel, maybe finishing on the inside with a sanding wheel was not done, probably because it isn't visible once it's on the car. If you post a picture of the weld itself I'm sure one of the internet weld critics will chime in and tell you if it's underpenetrated or something.
The biggest thing that bothers me with the stock steel wheels is that the centers flex like crazy. Before I got my Panasports on the GTV I was running the stock wheels and would toss a hubcap at least once a month. (Sometimes I was able to find them, sometimes not.) At $60 a month if not more, it added up quickly, and there was no reason for it. The wheels really don't look that good without hubcaps either. This would be my #1 reason for not running stock wheels. Also in there, weight. The Panasports were one of the best mods I did to the GTV.
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