Swap meet find: ITALMECCANICA compressor for 25HP VW

SplitPersonality

I found this fantastic piece at a swap meet here in Norway last weekend: Very complete ITALMECCANICA compressor / supercharger made for VW...

An older gentlemen was cleaning out his attic and told he bought this thing from a VW-guy in the early 70ies with the intention of putting it on to a Alfa Romeo that he then owned. It never happened, so he put in in the attic where it sat until one week ago... He was cleaning out to move and decided to bring it along for the swap meet.

The compressor is slightly used, but in very very good condition. Nice T-intake with pressure-valve device and intake and a Zenith 30mm side draft carburetor.

Here is a picture right after I found it:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Thanks to Norwegian Hammerworks - Thomas for guiding and helping!

SplitPersonality · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: Digging..

So...I had seen the MAG superchargers, I have a Judson and I know there was quite a few attempts on fitting various smaller compressors on the VW-engine. But I had neevr heard of a Italmeccanica.

So - start searching. Seems there is not a whole lot to find, especially on the VW kits.

Nice company logo:

Italmeccanica of Torino, Italy started producing supercharger kits for all sorts of US and European brands right after the war. This price list is from 1950 and does not list one for VW:

This fantastic article from 1951 describes what is possibly a prototype VW-kit...fantastic set up - awesome Split decklid:

SplitPersonality · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:15 pm Post subject: More digging...

Some info on Italmeccanica is found on Ford flathead-sites and it turns out that Italmeccanica got in serious trouble in 1952/53...and eventually the company was restructured and renamed. It became the brand S.C.o.T. sometime during 1953 and "SCOT blowers" later became a "household" name for rootes-style blowers for the V8-engine market. These bigger units for US-cars are now reproduced in the States.

Most important thing is: My kit is definately for VW...and based on research so far, it must have been made sometime between 1950 and 1953. Which makes it - exclusively 25HP. Very cool.

Does anybody know more about these compressors / superchargers...and their fitment to VW? I really would like to learn a whole lot more about this thing. One thing is for sure - it is not for sale and it will be used.

The swap meet find back on my workbench:

The tag on the unit - anybody know details?:

Sweet carburetor set up, but it will not fit under a Beetle engine lid without a cutout..

SplitPersonality · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject: Mock up..

I had to mock up an engine to see how this would fit... Very delicately made, very sweet fitment.

It sits right up against the fan housing, and needs a extra pulley bolted on to the back of the original - like the Judson, but just a single one. The belt tensioner wheel is missing, but the bracket is there. It also needs brackets / tubes / supports to hold the unit to the engine block - this will have to be fabricated. The magzine article above gives an indication of how it was.

The two "end-elbows" of the intake is also missing - but is most likely in steel and can be fabricated.

Very sweet fit of the over-pressure valve and how it clears the dynamo and the regulator.

Two indications it was only 25HP: The belt pulley is the wide, 13,5mm belt as original on the 25HP - and there is no way a 30HP style distributor cap will fit under there...but the flat top fits perfectly.

I am very excited about this find - more later.

Any and all inputs on more history of these units will be appreciated! Has anybody ever seen one fitted to a VW?

grueni · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:52 pm Post subject:

somewhere on youtube is avideo about this blower in action.
looks beautiful aud huge Wink

congratulation

chris

Shorrock · Samba Member Joined: January 02, 2005 Posts: 433

Great find! Congratulations! Looks like it is sized for an 1100 so this is good. You can check the wear with feeler gauges in the vanes as they mesh. 0.006 inch would be a good gap without too much wear. The front bearings and gears are oiled and the back bearings are sealed. I would have it rebuilt replacing the back bearings before using it or you will run the risk of seizing the rear bearings which are guaranteed to be dried out if not corroded. You might want to contact Alejandro Martin - Brussels, Belgium. Email: [email protected] as he is the expert in most VW based Superchargers http://www.almar.easynet.be/

Good luck with the project and please keep us posted.

Peter_Plade · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:12 pm Post subject:

Very cool find!
I will have to dig in my collection of "Kør godt" the danish version of Gute Fahrt, there is a article in one of them regarding superchargers.
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John Moxon · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:27 am Post subject:

SplitPersonality you have a PM. Great find. Very Happy

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Bengt H · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:32 am Post subject:

Somewhere I have a pic of such an instalation, I also have one of these superchargers but its not for VW. I will have a look.

Peter_Plade · Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:51 am Post subject:

Here it´s shown in 1956 in "kør godt"

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Gustav Petri · Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:13 am Post subject:

Braukuche · Samba Member Joined: September 03, 2004 Posts: 10999

50 split · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:44 am Post subject:

Congrats Öistein!

Thats a rare and neat find!

Not a every day swap.... What is your plan, which car will get the supercharger?
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SplitPersonality · Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 1:01 am Post subject:

Installation: completed. Testrun: overwhelming!

Installed on our 1951 Porsche 1300 engine, the Italmeccanica IT-1100 is ready for Bad Camberg!

spencerfvee · Samba Member Joined: August 19, 2004 Posts: 3071

that's one bad ass super charger great buy . your a lucky guy to find it . you were at the right place at the right time good luck spencerfvee

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:35 pm Post subject:

That Blower is a thing of beauty! Smile

Did S.C.o.T make a VW kit once the blowers went stateside?

I really like the look of this blower, too bad no one remakes one, is there any online movies of the Porsche motor in action?

Thanks,

Tom
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