TheSamba.com :: View topic - Porsche Powered Mid-Engine Double Cab Build

Fri Mar 01, 2019 5:58 am

67dubcab wrote: Missed this shot of the tubs roughed in, plenty left to do to call them done.
Suspension now has 3" off droop and 2.5" of compression before fouling and with #700 springs I should be able to jump railroad crossings at 110.
Will be a bit of time till I road test as I need to pull engine for a dramatic oil leak and likely have transaxle re-built with L.S.D. installed so I am no longer one wheel drive.

Good to see you are still at it on this awesome project! :D :D

Fri Mar 01, 2019 8:30 pm

Thanks for checking in Bashr52, Yep still working, driving, breaking, fixing, repeat.
Still left on the original build list to do: sway bars/front cage/heat/twin turbos/l.s.d. into transaxle/rear seat and harness.
Last up bodywork and paint.

Thu Mar 07, 2019 5:31 pm

Do you think we'll see you next month at Kelley Park again?

Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:30 pm

Nope, no Kelly Park this year, will not get back on road for a few months... too much work-too little time.
If you saw me there a few years back you were one of about six people to notice as the D.C. was in the swap section.
One day if it is ever finished I will put it in the main show.

I usually get out to Busfest and the Porsche/V.W. Trefeffen show in Concord.

Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:40 pm

Still on the lift getting some intermittent attention.
Now have the sway bars fabricated, splined hollow bar for the front, with 944 rear 16mm bar.

The front bar is the lightest I can get in this configuration so tuning will be mostly by rear bar, I have the 14mm stock bar if needed and heavier bars are available.
working on my final front bumper/air intake as envisioned almost ten years ago, comically still lots left to do including some A.B.S sheet ducting and eventually I will cast a aluminum frame for the bumper opening and fix some stainless wire screen.

Thu Aug 01, 2019 10:25 pm

I have finished the final iteration of my suspension, mostly just tuning left.

Front suspension specs: wheels O.Z Fittipaldi 8.5” x 17”,tires 235/40/17
928S4 upper and lower arms, spindles, Brembo calipers, Rabbit rack&pinion
Bilstein coil-overs 700# springs, 1.25” hollow splined sway bar .188” wall.

Rear suspension specs: wheels O.Z. Fittipaldi 9”x17”, tires 255/40/17
944S2 torsion housing, stock torsion springs, early offset 944 aluminum arms, S2 Brembo calipers. 1.5 ratio rocker arms connecting to Bilstein coil-overs 600# springs, 16mm 944S2 sway bar.

So far road testing with new sway bar setup has been encouraging, much flatter cornering as expected and ride quality just a bit more "bouncy" when arms try to counter each other when a single wheel hits a bump or pothole, which is constant in Sonoma county backroads.

Will have to wait for a autocross session to check front/rear roll balance, and new tire grip action but am happy so far.

Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:49 am

Any updates? One of my favorite builds on this site. I just LOVE that this truck is taken to autocrosses.

Fri May 01, 2020 11:56 am

Looks amazing, I’ve been following this for years, just shows, the sky is the limit.
I’m doing the exact same rear end on mine, what offset/ET/backspacing were the original Porsche rear wheels and the current OZ versions. They look, perfect in the Arches. Just what I’m looking to achieve.

And with the 600lb rear springs which way does the ratio work? Are they softened with the rockers or stiffened? What’s the final figure at the wheel?
I’m not sure I need quite the load lugging capacity you have as mines a camper but I think the original Porsche 944 bars will need some assistance.

Keep at it! It’s one of the coolest buses I’ve ever seen..

Sun May 03, 2020 8:48 pm

Hey nynone4, been awhile since I posted up, I have been in Europe for 4 months and had the dc engine out to fix some oil leaks. Put engine back in and still had some leaks, decided to check out my old “glitter engine” that had been sitting in my shop for years and inside looked pretty clean. I am presently rebuilding that motor to get the dc back on the road and strengthened for future twin turbos.

Hey mikepday, thanks for the kind words.
The Porsche rims on the rear were around -55 et, 16”x8” . The OZ rims are presently around -65 8.5”x17” with 255/40/17 tires.
The ratio rockers reduce the spring rate, so with the 1.5 ratio and the stock
Porsche spring mount motion ratio the wheel rate is around #300
The stock 944 is pretty soft, around half that, so I would plan on boosting it.
The dc is about #2900 unladen and I have it set up to carry #1500 in the bed with this present spring rate.
I now have my sway bars front and rear, so can tune roll with them, looking to do some autocross testing this summer after I re-build my motor. Also I had limited-slip installed in the transaxle, with some other mods to help future turbo power.

So you have a 944 rear suspension fabbed in? Also note I am running early offset aluminum rear arms.

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