Vintage Porsche Style Project

[46porsche]

Hello, I would like to share with you a project that is being done in Bogota, Colombia. Please excuse any mistakes, since english is not my native language.

We are building a car inspired on the 550 spyder. Not an attempt to copy it but to capture the essence of the car.

Having a VW for around 10 years, I had been dreaming about doing something like this, and when I saw the beautiful "Frankfurt Flyer" on this forum I was motivated and inspired to start.

Living in Colombia offers some complications for a project like this. Most of the parts and materials like the aluminum have to be imported. Also, there are no similar projects or even formula vees to look at or anyone to help.

I was very fortunate to find Fred Clark of Caracal cars who gave me a lot of great information and also supplied some of the parts like the penske shock we used on the rear.

Our chassis may seem very basic, but that is exactly what we wanted to do. have the simplest, lightest structure possible.

At this point the wooden buck for the body is close to being completed. I am wanting for the welding and metal shaping tools to arrive and start the new challenge, of working and welding the aluminum.

I hope I can have your comments on the project, which has been documented here:

http://46porsche.tumblr.com/

Thank you.

[Roadcow]

Sweet! Best of luck with this awesome project.
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71 Westy Roadcow
67 Panel
63 Bug
66 Ghia Bonneville 2014
74 Ghia Vert
69 Bonneville Ghia 150 in Chico
69 Bonneville Ghia in Ireland
80 Cabby 2.1 16v
98 Passat

[bbspdstr]

[46porsche]

Thank you for your comments, they make me feel like all the hard work has been worth it.
I am posting some pictures shot today. The workshop is so small that we can barely walk around the car, so we hadn't had a chance to see it from a distance.
We took it out to the street and found out a couple details on the front that need to be fixed. Then the greatest challenge of the project will start, building the body.

bbspdstr, I would love to see your project but I haven't been able to find it, could you send me a link?

Here are the photos:

[Jacks]

Could you post a few pictures of the rear shock and suspension?
Thanks
Jack
_________________
Jack Staggs
Actual name

[356JAEGER]

Jack,
Did you see this link ? http://46porsche.tumblr.com/

Senor 46porsche
Impressive build.
Can't wait to see the shell take shape. Nice proportions and lines. Might we know your name ?
_________________
Regards,
Joel Jensen

When in doubt, think about it..
The outcome of a project is directly proportional to its preparation.

[46porsche]

Jack, here you can see the rear suspension. It is a zero-roll type, borrowed from the formula vee cars. Fred Clark of Caracal Racing was a huge help in understanding it and selecting the shock and spring.

http://46porsche.tumblr.com/image/46946044457

Joel, thank you for your comments. Please let me introduce myself,

My name is Juan Badel, I run a small production company in Bogota, doing tv commercials and videos.

I went to school at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah Georgia, and while I was there worked for Gulfstream Aerospace. I was not on the production line, but had a few chances of going on the floor and saw the amazing work that was done there. I guess I fell in love with the idea of turning raw materials into an airplane, or car.

Now a new challenge is coming: forming and welding the shell. Things that Ive never done before, but I guess I will have to learn, just as all the other great things Ive had to learn on this last months.
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Juan Badel

http://480spyder.tumblr.com/

[roy mawbey]

Juan,

Your work on the 'buck' is really impressive. The woodwork alone must have taken many hours to complete let alone the CAD ? on the computer to make the design and work out the dimensions.

I have a question regarding the 'buck'. Is this removable from the car chassis easily to allow the forming of the alloy panel work? I looked at the photos and it looks almost as though its fixed entity. I can't work that out how do you intend to start fabrication.

Again, the alloy forming of the lovely wing shapes need some nice equipment to get the flow correct to the buck. Do you have the equipment to do that?

The shape you have generated looks really nice I will follow your thread with real interest.

Well done so far.

Roy
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Roy
RHD356A super75 106954

[46porsche]

Dear Roy,

I didn't use any cad at all. In the beginning it was my intention to do so, but although I can use 3d max to a certain point I didn't had the necessary ability to do it completely there. I did make an attempt, but the shapes where sort of boring, and then when I tried to extract the curves it was so hard that I couldn't do it. When I looked for someone to do it they wanted so much money, that I decided not to use it. I did two clay models, just to try to visualize the shapes:

http://46porsche.tumblr.com/image/46943189313

I didn't use any cad for the chassis either. Just a balsa wood model to test the stiffness that you can see here:

http://46porsche.tumblr.com/image/46943104929

On the next photo, you can see a thin wood strip. That is what I ended up using for designing the buck:

http://46porsche.tumblr.com/image/46946568119

I fixed two plywood sheets to the chassis where the highest points of the front lights would be. Then used the wood stick to flex it and find a nice curve. trace it and cut it. Then find a "bridge" between the sheets next to the steering wheel, to define the instrument panel, then one on the bottom front to define that shape. And then curves from one of them to the other. Then did something similar on the back and sides.

It was very organic, analog, old school work, that I think produced beautiful shapes that would have been almost impossible to obtain looking at a computer screen. It took us about two weeks to do it. We are working with 10mm plywood that is easy to cut and sand, so that made it quite fast. We did have to repeat a few parts when we didn't like the results.

My workshop is very small, and I can't look at the full car. So yesterday for the first time we took the buck and chassis out and had a look at the full thing. I was very satisfied but didn't like how the front at the bottom is a little to long. I will do some modifications to that today.

The buck does come out of the car, you can see the process here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2E864Trrtw

Because of the method that I described, I was thinking mostly about finding a beautiful shape and not so much what would later be needed to do it on the aluminum. I am still waiting for some tools to arrive, to start practicing and trying to form it. it is going to be hard. But I did the seats on plywood covered with fiberglass and hated working the fiberglass.
And aluminum seems to be the right thing to do with this type of car. So I will HAVE to do it, specially since so many friends and family are expecting me to do so. I have no way back now.

I can't afford any of the nicer metal forming tools like an english wheel and and can't even think about the nicer more modern machines. So I guess the solution will be to break it down into smaller pieces. Those are my thoughts so far, but I will only know for real when I start doing it.

Sorry for the long reply but I couldn't make it shorter.
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Juan Badel

http://480spyder.tumblr.com/

[MMW]

I think this is really cool! I give you a lot of credit for even attempting this. I like your vision. I will be watching for updates.
_________________
Mic
1959 356 coupe
Missing the original engine 72488
Update - third pc. found!
Now just need the case halves.
1965 fenderless beetle

[jjjjack]

Love it, can't wait to see the final work!
_________________
Jack Stenner
1959 Mango Westfalia SO-23
1953 Porsche 356 Coupe
IG:j.stenner

[356JAEGER]

Juan,
There are at least a few posting here who will be able to provide helpful advice with your metalworking as you ride the learning curve. Others of us will enjoy learning too. ....
_________________
Regards,
Joel Jensen

When in doubt, think about it..
The outcome of a project is directly proportional to its preparation.

[Bulli Klinik]

Hello Juan,

Congratulations on taking the dive into a project of this magnitude. I'm with you regarding your thoughts about using a computer to make something like this come together. They didn't use them back then, so why use them now? The car has a real, organic (as you said) feel about it and I can't wait to see you start to form some panels! From as far as I can tell, you're building it as Porsche would have, post WWII. In a small facility with limited resources. I think it was Porsche that said 'I looked around for the perfect sports car and couldn't find it...So I built it'. Your build is truly in the spirit of Dr. Porsche.

Good luck and much support from Colorado, US!
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I've never met a Bus I didn't like.
Mike K
Bulli Klinik
Colorado Springs

[Gerson]

I just got back from visiting Juan's prototype facility..... Juan, I am not making fun of your facility......let me just say this, this guy is the real deal, kind of what I would think people were like 50 years ago....resourceful, crafty, determined...all those cool things that made the car hobby grow by leaps and bounds....what he is doing there is mind blowing, the real beauty of it all is it's simplicity.....fucking unreal......I will do everything in my power to have customer vehicle number 1.............and the best part, it's 15 minutes from my shop.....
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that's not patina, that's fucking rust man!!!!

we (klassicfab) make the funky green panels...........

[46porsche]

Thank you Gerson, it was great meeting you and visiting Klassicfab yesterday. You have developed a true industry, creating jobs and fulfilling a market need, and THAT is something to be proud about. Thanks also for all the tips on the shell fabrication and recommendations for the car. I still don't know where this project will go, but if there is ever a 001 car for sale, its yours!
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Juan Badel

http://480spyder.tumblr.com/

[46porsche]

Mic, and Jack, thanks a lot for your comments and your support. Energy runs low some time. This thread is a real push on my back to keep going.

Joel, thank you for your suggestion, I will sure raise my hand and ask for help if/when things get tough.

Mike, I totally agree with you. The world has become a place full of perfect, perfectly boring stuff. I told Bruce, another member that looking at all the pictures from the 60s and 70s it feels like a much more exciting place. I guess my car is also and attempt to bring some excitement back.
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Juan Badel

http://480spyder.tumblr.com/

[moTthediesel]

Juan,

That is just fantastic! I'm a car enthusiast, but I'm also a boat builder, and I can tell you that your method of using a wood spline to arrive at fair curves and define sections is as old boat building. It worked thousands of years ago, and as you show, it works just as well today.

Ambitious, long term projects like this can wear a person down, but if you keep faith with your vision, you will succeed. I'll be following your progress.

Tom

[roy mawbey]

Juan,

Thanks so much for the explanation of your procedure. You have the right approach and as others have said computers were not around in the way they are now when others produced like Erwin Komenda did, such lovely shapes.

I agree with you again the car will be so much better in alloy rather than glass fibre.

Look on the Steve Houge enterprises 'You tube' entries he has put on showing how he forms some alloy panels. Really interesting.

As I said before, I will be following your efforts with interest.

Well done,

Roy
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Roy
RHD356A super75 106954

[themetalsurgeon]

I love it! i like the shape of the wooden buck as well.I wish you the very best of luck and keep us posted.
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http://www.themetalsurgeon.com/2012/12/making-a-new-1938-chevrolet-truck-fender-from-scratch/

www.themetalsurgeon.com

1953 PreA 356 Porsche concours quality for sale.



http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392073&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0


www.themetalsurgeon.com .....know whats under your paint.....

....its not where you're from,its where you're at ....
Quote. Ian Brown(Stone Roses)

[46porsche]

Tom thanks for your comment, I would also love to build a boat sometime. now that the aluminum is here and we have started the body the energy is back on.

Roy, Ill be taking a look at the videos, thanks a lot for the tip.

The metal surgeon. WOW! thats amazing work on your links. I hope someday our work will be as good as that.

We have started the aluminum work now. The first thing that I learnt today by doing some tests, is that I won't be able to do large panels at once. We just lack the necessary tools.

All we have right now is a drop shaped mallet, a leather bag full of sand, and a $250 planishing hammer.

I did some moderately successful tests today. Tried first doing a large panel for the rear of the car. I was able to shape the metal, but the planishing hammer is too small to give it a good finish. Ended up doing two usable small panels.

This means that we will have to do a lot of welding. the welding equipment hasn't arrived, so I can't say anything about that process, but I ve been watching videos and reading in preparation.

Thanks again for all the comments!
_________________
Juan Badel

http://480spyder.tumblr.com/