TheSamba.com :: View topic - Power nap: On building a 400HP Riviera Camper.

Mon Mar 03, 2025 3:59 pm

OlisGarage wrote: Now I’m just waiting to see pictures of the transmission!!

Just kidding, that’s impressive. And you have a sweet van!

Thats entirely possible.... That transmission worries me. Its performing totally perfectly which freaks me out just a little!

trihartsfield wrote: Can't imagine what that is like having almost 500 HP push a brick down the road.

I wish I had those skill.

Great looking hot rod! :)

Its pretty fun. The best part is the look on people's faces when you downshift and rocket around them in the passing lane. :P

Mon Mar 03, 2025 4:01 pm

trihartsfield wrote: Can't imagine what that is like having almost 500 HP push a brick down the road.

I wish I had those skill.

Great looking hot rod! :)

I’m bringing a mix tape when GoEverywhere finally invites me shotgun seating in that beast. It’s so bad ass. And a sleeper,,, if you dig.

Mon Mar 03, 2025 4:03 pm

Xevin wrote: trihartsfield wrote: Can't imagine what that is like having almost 500 HP push a brick down the road.

I wish I had those skill.

Great looking hot rod! :)

I’m bringing a mix tape when GoEverywhere finally invites me shotgun seating in that beast. It’s so bad ass. And a sleeper,,, if you dig.

Joyrides are always available for the having Xevin :P I've given several other locals rips around the block in it, just say when!

Mon Mar 03, 2025 4:26 pm

GoEverywhere wrote: Xevin wrote: trihartsfield wrote: Can't imagine what that is like having almost 500 HP push a brick down the road.

I wish I had those skill.

Great looking hot rod! :)

I’m bringing a mix tape when GoEverywhere finally invites me shotgun seating in that beast. It’s so bad ass. And a sleeper,,, if you dig.

Joyrides are always available for the having Xevin :P I've given several other locals rips around the block in it, just say when!

Hmmm. My wife's best friend lives just outside of Portland and we occasionally visit. May take you up on that.

Mon Mar 03, 2025 4:28 pm

trihartsfield wrote: GoEverywhere wrote: Xevin wrote: trihartsfield wrote: Can't imagine what that is like having almost 500 HP push a brick down the road.

I wish I had those skill.

Great looking hot rod! :)

I’m bringing a mix tape when GoEverywhere finally invites me shotgun seating in that beast. It’s so bad ass. And a sleeper,,, if you dig.

Joyrides are always available for the having Xevin :P I've given several other locals rips around the block in it, just say when!

Hmmm. My wife's best friend lives just outside of Portland and we occasionally visit. May take you up on that.

Lemme know :)

I'm often at the local VW meets, always happy to show it off there too.

Mon Mar 03, 2025 4:51 pm

Buy a 012 from a v6 Passat and flip it upside down. Those are good for a ton of power.

This guy sells the parts to make it almost plug and play. https://ultimate-engineering.co.uk/gearbox.html

Mon Mar 03, 2025 4:53 pm

OlisGarage wrote: Buy a 012 from a v6 Passat and flip it upside down. Those are good for a ton of power.

This guy sells the parts to make it almost plug and play. https://ultimate-engineering.co.uk/gearbox.html

I've been eyeballing those a bit... The biggest problem is needing to lower the engine 40mm. I can already set my exhaust in the dirt when I air down, I don't know that I've got 40mm of clearance!

I also know someone locally who has a whole Subarugears setup he's letting go. Mostly I'm just impressed that this 091 is doing so well. Even upgraded I'm asking a LOT from it.

Mon Mar 03, 2025 6:36 pm

GoEverywhere wrote: …my peak HP…previous limit of 407HP to a new high score of 491HP!
This makes me feel funny in my private places… :oops:

:lol: :wink:

- Dave

Mon Mar 03, 2025 7:23 pm

Where is the intercooler ?

Mon Mar 03, 2025 7:34 pm

panel wrote: Where is the intercooler ?

Rear mounted under the bumper. It works decently there, but there's some room for improvement.

Tue Mar 04, 2025 5:24 pm

Slightly off-topic, but those shoes look great on your van, especially in the context of what you're spinning them with.

Tue Mar 04, 2025 5:53 pm

mikemtnbike wrote: Slightly off-topic, but those shoes look great on your van, especially in the context of what you're spinning them with.

Appreciate it! Those were a risk that paid off big. I wasn't quite sure how they'd actually look, but I found a set locally for $100 and took the plunge. Had to bore out the centers on the fronts but all in all it was worth the effort!

Tue Mar 04, 2025 6:18 pm

What are the handling characteristics?

I’d suspect big push when steering in, with any amount of throttle, and mega-loose out with even half-throttle.

Predict answer similar to “verrrrry carefully” in either case above. You know, like any other Can-Am bus. :shock: :wink:

Gotta be a blast!

Tue Mar 04, 2025 6:39 pm

E1 wrote: What are the handling characteristics?

I’d suspect big push when steering in, with any amount of throttle, and mega-loose out with even half-throttle.

Predict answer similar to “verrrrry carefully” in either case above. You know, like any other Can-Am bus. :shock: :wink:

Gotta be a blast!

It handles.... Interestingly :P

So being airbagged I can get it down very low which helps a lot with it's center of gravity. That combined with 245/40/18 sticky tires means it grips pretty amazingly for what it is.

My ECU also allows for throttle position based boost control so I can change the boost profile to not go all-in unless the pedal is fully down if I'm planning on hitting the curves.

That means for mildly spirited driving when not at full throttle its actually pretty good. I had a Corvette owner get mad at me on a windy road on the way to the Oregon Coast one time because he couldn't shake me :P

Where it gets crazy is when you push the 'all the power' pedal. If the tires are warm and its not wet out it grips astonishingly well, and will JUST ABOUT lift the front wheels. It slams you back into the seat and the front end gets really light and a squirrelly as the weight transfers back.

On corners you have to be careful for any bumps or anything in the road. It only takes just a tiny bit of lift to the back end for the tires to break loose and send the back end scrambling and I'll admit to imitating a drift car once (smoky tires and all!) but its a lot of weight to slide and isn't particularly good at it.

Its really honestly pretty easy to drive if you're sane with your right foot but it'll try it's best to scare the pee outa you if you forget :P

Tue Mar 04, 2025 7:28 pm

Ever thought of going AWIC (air to water ) ?

Tue Mar 04, 2025 8:25 pm

panel wrote: Ever thought of going AWIC (air to water ) ?

I have, and I might still in the future. I was hoping to avoid all the extra plumbing of an AWIC...

Right now the current cooler does well enough until you hit a really long grade. It'll heatsoak then. But the extra cooling power of the water/meth is making up for it fine. I might be able to coax a few more ponies outa it with AWIC but its fallen farther down my list now that water/meth is working so well.

I can see as much as a 50F drop when the meth kicks in and it SUPPOSEDLY does even better once it makes it into the cylinder though thats impossible for me to measure.

Tue Mar 04, 2025 9:54 pm

Do you by chance have the bag installation documented at all? Just curious how you went about it!

Tue Mar 04, 2025 10:56 pm

OlisGarage wrote: Do you by chance have the bag installation documented at all? Just curious how you went about it!

I don't, I probably should at some point document it. I will say, its a giant PITA to get these things really low, and took me several designs to finally get it where it's at. Its as low as its possible to get without serious cutting right now. At full drop the seat boxes sit on top of the tires.

Wed Mar 05, 2025 10:46 am

GoEverywhere wrote: E1 wrote: What are the handling characteristics?

I’d suspect big push when steering in, with any amount of throttle, and mega-loose out with even half-throttle.

Predict answer similar to “verrrrry carefully” in either case above. You know, like any other Can-Am bus. :shock: :wink:

Gotta be a blast!

It handles.... Interestingly :P

- - -

That means for mildly spirited driving when not at full throttle its actually pretty good. I had a Corvette owner get mad at me on a windy road on the way to the Oregon Coast one time because he couldn't shake me :P

- - -

Its really honestly pretty easy to drive if you're sane with your right foot but it'll try it's best to scare the pee outa you if you forget :P
Yeah, sounds like a True Temperance deal!

Ah Yes, the backroad memories. We had one about eight years back after coming up to a Cadillac CTS on I think CA-299 (?) in extreme northern Cali (eastbound). Guy was all stylin’ it until seeing us in a turdbucket and just had to show me up to his girl. Did not work… though his clear skill came out when in a straight line. :lol:

Another was dicing a good fifty miles on westbound US-50 west of Donner Pass in 1987. Middle of the night, us in a Datsun 210 Hatchback (:shock:) loaded to the ceiling with ten weeks of gear, giant backpacks, ropes and everything that attached to them, nearly dragging on the wheelwells, and he in a Triumph TR8. It’s amazing what one can do with a lotta race history. :wink:

In the latter case though, a good time was had by all on that empty road. Even the Missus loves these things, I never crash in race trim and she knows me way too well by now.

Mon Apr 07, 2025 8:15 am

I needed to deal with some rust in the panel below the water inlet, and the seams so it was time for some paint as well! Decided to go a flat bright cobalt blue with racing stripes, because who doesn't want racing stripes right?

Bonus feature of my friend's '58 Panel too :P