LocostUSA.com

Mike

Thanks for the positive response. This site is good for motivation!

I toyed with using period wheels or alloys. It was going to be a pastiche either way as the real RSK uses a 205mm PCD magnesium alloys (I think). This PCD is only available in an early Type 1 VW wheel and would need to have wheel adapters fitted. I saw a set of 10 hole Audi A6 alloys advertised and feel in love. They are 7"X16" and at 7kg light for what they are. I designed the suspension around them - fellow builders will now sympathise with the pain this caused: I had to redrill the VW front hubs to fit 112mm pcd 14mm studs to suit Audi hemispherical nuts; and while Merc 190 rear hubs are 112pcd the hub diameter is all wrong and Merc uses a 12mm stud and cone bolt, so a hub adapter was needed anyway!

Finally the front tyres (TOYO Proxes 195) foul the trailing arm on full lock. I haven't had to narrow the VW ball joint beam and have about 10mm width to spare so I have options to regain lock, or better still I can just avoid U turns in crowded streets.

The seats are Cobra Classics. I freighted them from the UK, I believe they are available in the USA.

On the tourism front, I live in Wellington. We are lucky enough to have a very active car constructors club in town http://www.constructorscarclub.org.nz/. No doubt you crossed to the South Island on the ferry from Wellington and got to enjoy our screaming Northerly winds and piercing southerly storms. You need a hobby in this climate. I hope you travelled into the wilds of Fiordland/Milford. My stomping ground as a lad.

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There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't

A very nice project.

OK here's the deal you post a GREAT initial post and then nothing? Whats UP? Get to work....(I hope all is OK with you and yours....but if it is GET TO WORK!) We need an update! What progress have you made?

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I'll keep an eye out for you!

To err is human...
I am more human than most.

Hi

Wow it's been almost a year since I last posted. My website is also a year out of date! I've got some posting to do... I've been spending my free time working on the car.

My last postings mentioned the body shell. That's now secured to the chassis. This required a lot of inner body work such as inner wheel arches and radiator fitting. The radiator is fully ducted to make use of what little air will find its way through the tiny intake in the nose. I may cut another vent under the nose to increase the breeze.

It also posted that I needed a clutch solution. The Sub EJ20G Turbo uses a hydraulic pull clutch, but the 2wd EJ18 gear box uses a cable push clutch and has smaller splines. A local clutch warehouse came up with a 2.0 n/a performance cover, and a Subaru Brat/Brumby clutch plate. I'm using the cable clutch fork and a Jamar VW hydraulic slave cyl. What a confection. I hope it can hold back the turbo's torque.

The motor is installed. 40mm Al pipes run to the front radiator. The intercooler is on the side of the engine. More shiny 50mm and 2.75" alloy pipes (you must be impressed with how us Kiwis speak metric and imperial interchangeably!). It has air feed through the car's gills - I felt nervous about air flow so I've fitted a radiator fan to it. Much of the OEM components are slightly shifted to make them fit. For exampl,e the turbo is now 50mm higher and to the right. Thus every pipe and mount has had to be tailored to fit. I fabbed the exhaust system from std bends. A work of art.

I've spent tonight rerouting vacuum hoses. My nice engine now looks like any other EPA device. Actually my cunning plan is to put a Porsche shroud on top and fix dummy down draft Dellortos on the sides. I wonder how many people this will fool.

I'm quite proud of the gear shift. It's a Toyota cable shift that runs to the very rear of the car. One cable does push-pull, while the other works a bell crank to select the gear plane. It's not a a rifle bolt action, but is positive and has a good feel.

I've scored a Nardi Classico steering wheel. Gauges are Speedhut. I can now sit in those nice red sets and go brrmm brmm.

I'll post pictures soon. I still haven't got the hang of how to do this. I've just put some stuff on my website - http://porsche.rsk.718.googlepages.com/home. My priority is, of course , to build the car...

My next job is the fit the fuel system. I have a 30 litre alloy tank being welded up by a TIG expert.

Then the electrics. I've just bought a Rebel wiring harness which will get the basics done.

Then crank the motor. Ohhh let's hope it works.

Then interior finishing, exterior finishing, certification. Not much left to do at all!

Cheers
George50

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There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't

looking forward to some updates, living vicariously through your posts.

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Pictures of just a few of my projects

Hi

I can't believe it's been another year since I last posted. My website is also out of date - last additions were in Oct 2010.

Current update: the car is mobile and can be driven highly illegally up and down the suburban street outside my house. With any luck I've managed to add an image to this posting.

I drove it out of the garage and into the rain on its first drive. I was soaked but it was a huge thrill. I gave it about 2000 rpm and let the clutch off quickly. Instantly the two rear tyres spun up on the wet pavement with no forward movement. This with 215 tyres designed for the wet. Oh dear I thought, this car is going to be a handful when I give it the wellie. I have a button that turns the turbo down to 7lb from 12lb when needed. I suspect it will always be turned down!!!

There are few mechanical steps left. Fit rear coil springs - a little softer than the 220lb test springs I have fitted, get a motorsport certified roll bar, minor brackets to be welded in.

Tonight's activity was wiring in brakelights. Details details. (As an aside I've changed to a mechanical brake switch on the brake pedal after one of the hydraulic brake switches on the master cylinder actually burst under brake pressure. This could have been fatal if had happened on the road. Brazilian VW part so be warned - a brazilian means a close shave. Needess to say these parts have been plugged).

A worried about the electrical side but this was quite straight forward. I used a Rebel 8 circuit wiring kit. Great quality although it lacks a circuit diagram as Rebel assumes you are fitting to std GM, Ford, Chrysler plugs. Them hot rod boys 'aint heard of fuel injection. It was easy enough to use the Rebel ign and batt live to drive the Subaru circuits. I had a Sube factory wiring manual. I had to cut off the autobox controller, then painfully trace every wire and remove those that went to unneccessary places like a/c, instruments, etc. I taped the wires to the side of the car to get the lengths right and never cut more than one wire at a time.

The motor coughed into life first time and ran sweetly (a $500 junker - them Subes are tough). It only showed an error code for a diseased antiknock sensor. I pronounced myself an electronics god. This was short lived as it failed to start before assembled family. I'd shorted a lead and blown the ecu. But only $60 to replace - a $60 fuse if you like!

The flood of hot water from a loose fitting and oil from an untorqued oil line shall go unmentioned sufficient to say it was a week and several buckets of detergent before I could walk through the garage without falling on my backside

Frankenstein would be proud. The machinest who made up the Subaru to Merecdes drive shafts said he never got to make many of those

Instruments are Speedhut. High quality USA products. Customisable. Their new quad gauge is smart. Great lighting. Easy wiring. Let's hear it for the strong NZ$/US$ exchange rate.

Next step is NZ certification of running gear, with three more cert steps to come.

I have to get the body straight. Filler, sanding, filler, sanding. I got some cool period decals from the Brit company "I Say Ding Dong". Have a look if you want to give your build a 60's look.

I'll get that website updated soon.

Cheers
George

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There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't

Hey George, thanks for the update. It's great when people come back after they drop out of sight. I'm glad you made progress! Consider keeping your thread here full of stuff too. It may be more permanent then your web site, at least it backs up your efforts. Easier too - more time building!

I'd like to see a side shot of your car, I'm curious about the proportions. Now that you made all this progress, I recommend getting started on a Porsche 904! I used to see them at local track events years ago and they are gorgeous.

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

Cheers

The 'Current' page on my website http://sites.google.com/site/porschersk718/current has a side profile amongst the Te Papa shots.

I'll get some decent photos taken and loaded. Fresh photos are best because I've fitted inner guards and corrected the dreadful shut lines. I'll also line them up against drawings of an orginal and my CAD. Might take a week though.

Pinch you nose at the quality of the body in the old pix below. I had the rear hinge placement all wrong.



It is based on an RS60 which is more snub nosed that a pre 1960 RSK

Basic dimensions: wheel base / width /length/ height are right, but curves are always tricky. They were somewhat determined by how my CAD program lofted surfaces. Notable errors in the shape are: the front fender is too soft, the head rest cross section is too hemishperical and rear wheel arches could be lower. As a result my final shape owes as much to generic early 60's mid engined racers as it does to the 550 family

Amazing how small it is as well.

I do not intend to put the word "Porsche" on it anywahere (or the words Subaru, Audi or Mercedes for that matter) as the shape is too derivative to be a true clone and, well, I don't believe in mislabelling clones anyway.

The 904, yes my favourtie looking car although some Lolas would rival it in a beauty contest. The trick in a 904 is to mimic the sound. A feral scream overlaying a brutal mechanical thrash - even an aircooled porsche 6 can't do it.

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There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't

Beautiful build!
Coming along great

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Attitude =
the Difference between
Ordeal and Adventure
James

AWESOME(!!!) and congrats! I have immense respect for those who go create what they want.

Even if all the other "stuff" still needs doing, you still have created your own car.

Cheers,
Chris

Hey great build! Got it all finished yet and on the road?

I am touring around NZ in the next month and will be staying in Wellington. If I have time I would like to see it - if you feel like showing it off of course.

Hi all

I finally updated my website. A ropey video of my first drive is on you tube http://youtu.be/i1idY-c1NR4

Focus now is on getting the body in order. Filling and fairing. Compound curves take some effort to get right. You can't sand out a flat spot!

If I manage to get through the certification process easily I should be road legal in the next few months

Cheers George

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There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't

[img]Carpix%20006.jpg[/img]

Hopefully this latest photo has appeared... Right it has. Continue in edit mode

Hi all

This is a progress picture. A moody Wellington winter's day

The cosmetics are complete. Certification awaits.

See my website for a more complete story.

https://sites.google.com/site/porschersk718/

Cheers
George

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There are 10 types of people, those who understand binary and those who don't

Beautiful car. Well done

Wow great job! I'll be back in NZ next year and hopefully this time I can drop by and see it.