Porsche Powered Mid-Engine Double Cab Build

[67dubcab]

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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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[mikepday]

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..

[nynone4]

Any updates? One of my favorite builds on this site. I just LOVE that this truck is taken to autocrosses.
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>>Looking for any and all Vic Williams, Peoria Illinois dealership items.<<

[67dubcab]

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.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[67dubcab]

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.

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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[67dubcab]

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.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[hitest]

Do you think we'll see you next month at Kelley Park again?
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[67dubcab]

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.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[Bashr52]

[67dubcab]

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.

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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[67dubcab]

D.C. back on the lift for some more mods/hacks.
Finally got the three piece wheels built with the widths/offsets that I needed.
Next up were anti-rub tubbs.

Wheels are front-17"8.5" rear-17"9.5"
Tires front 225/45/17 rear 255/40/17
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[67dubcab]

Thanks SplitBusVanatic.

Took the D.C. off the road for a bit to finish up the front suspension install, made some small adjustments and did the final welding of the pick-up points.
prepping frame rails

finish welding parts and paint

bolting in arms

all back in

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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[SplitBusVanatic]

[67dubcab]

Hey Tommytotumbus, only if you choose not to fasten the four point safety harness, then yes-you could end up outside the bus,in front.
I needed all the brakes I had today as two dudes in a lowered Miata cut me off in a clown maneuver. All sixteen little Brembo pistons were in full effect.
As I told my wife, all the work is to make the bus safer, in this case it paid off.
Would have been a pretty hard hit with stock brakes, plus I needed to steer around them as I held the brakes at threshold, so win for suspension mods too.
Credit also for many years of sport bike riding as the only way to remain death-free on a motorcycle is to expect stupid at ANY time.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[TommyTotembus]

[67dubcab]

credit to DadaCheese for photo, Im sure there were other samba folk attending as there were plenty of lovely Volkswagens and Porsches scattered amongst the greens.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[67dubcab]

Thanks for the kind words californiadrifter.
I drove to the treffpunkt show in concord with a buddy, the front tires were rubbing on the inner arches on bumps so I swapped the rear coilers which have #650 springs with the fronts (#550) and felt like that should be the correct spring rate, still going to add front splined sway bar to help with roll.

found this photo in the d.c. gallery, Im the guy on the right with the hippie hair.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[californiadrifter]

Wow! I'm new to the forums and really enjoyed reading this whole thread. What a monumental accomplishment, just getting this on the road. Congrats!

Looking forward to seeing where you go from here.

[67dubcab]

Finished plumbing the pedal/master cylinder thing.

Took it for a spin for the first time in seven months.
Initial impressions: much lighter steering effort, more steering angle lock to lock which should help during drift competitions
Improved steering feel, though not as much as expected from a manual rack and pinion as I think the bevel box blocks some feel.
Will know more after rough tuning suspension alignment and dialing in spring rate.
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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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[67dubcab]

Thanks Sean for the kind words and the Kartek site tip.
I finally found a site that has the spring rates for the different splined bars and connecting arm lengths at HRPWORLD. Now I can guesstimate the bar rate to try and get it close the first time.
I will see if the #550 coil springs are about right then add in the sway bar rate to get in the total spring rate frequency ballpark (race truck/dump run truck)!

One of the last bits to do is the new braking system, mostly mounting the pedal assembly. Got the basic idea figured out, now working on fabrication.Lots left to do.

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Porsche powered mid-engine double cab build
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