356 carbon fibre

[GeoffHitchcock]

First carbon car made, just awaiting its shortened floorpan and then to choose the engine

[slayer61]

I gotta admit, I'm pretty jealous
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[Bobs67vwagen]

Who is making these, how much do they weigh and what is the approximate cost--thanks Bob

[GeoffHitchcock]

Thanks for the interest
Made this myself, Cured in an autoclave using prepreg carbon fibre, I haven't weighed it yet but I can easily lift it on my own, its 1.4mm thick so really strong.
I already have the dash and engine cover made so just the doors and bonnet to do. I also have the speedster mould and should have the first one done fairly soon.
Price wise I'm not sure yet as I need to make the rest of the panels, its got to be more than the fibreglass car due to material costs but ill look at it when finished.
The quality is fantastic as its basically the ultimate process to make carbon fibre parts.

[GeoffHitchcock]

some other finished panels

[GeoffHitchcock]

[Glenn]

[GeoffHitchcock]

Its such a hard decision, There are a couple of companies not too far from me who do Subaru conversions, a vw engine would be so simple but big money compared to the Subaru route

[finster]

wow! the moulding looks so crisp. are you using a standard short pan or a speedster clinic one?
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[GeoffHitchcock]

So I have a tube frame chassis already built but I'm also having a full shortened 61 pan built up, full air suspension, wilwood disks all round, freeway flyer box etc, I have the steel frame that adapts the vw pan to the body,I purchased the speedster werks business some time ago and im finally getting things put together.

As far as I am aware speedster clinic won't sell you a chassis on its own.

[Dale M.]

[GeoffHitchcock]

To be honest we are a company who makes nice things out of carbon fibre, assembling a complete car will be a test but I need to build a pair of demonstrators showing different ways you could go, I think 80+ hp would be enough in something that is so light, too much could be a burden and get you in trouble im sure, I put a alfasud 1.5 engine in my volksrod years ago and at around 100hp at best it would be very light steering on takeoff.once my new floorpan arrives I will be on it and then hit the shows.
Thanks for your opinion, im after some ideas for sure, I take it the polo engines are mega money??

[Vanagonsgoslow]

Put a Type4 VW engine in it. 2 liters and it easily makes 100hp in Porsche 914 form with uber reliability

[GeoffHitchcock]

So there's a type 4 for sale on eBay uk. I did ask about it but its not a runner so a little bit of a gamble, my understanding was that a type 4 won't go straight onto a type 1 gearbox without some flywheel mods ?
I do need reliability as I want to be able to get to shows without the worries of breaking down.

[Glenn]

Nothing wrong with a built up Type 1 engine.

A nice 1776 or 2110 will last a long time.

This is a 1915 I built for a customer, he has over 30,000 miles over the past 7 years.

This is my 2180, it has over 26,000 miles on it.. all trouble free.

Add a Sebring exhaust and it will look killer in 356.

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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[58 Plastic Tub]

I've had a Speedster for 25 years. There's very little new under the sun, but this...

well, this is different. Well done, and keep us in the loop.
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Stan Galat
"A single point in isolation is a reference point. Two points is a line. Three points is a trend. Trends don't lie."

[GeoffHitchcock]

thanks for the comments, ill be making a full carbon speedster next, I have the doors, bonnet and engine cover already done and they look awesome.

[Wolfgangdieter]

A Type 4 will fit in its OEM pancake format without converting to upright. A couple of different solutions to the flywheel. The 914 215 mm won't work without lots of machining, BUT a bus 200 mm one will. Or there are bespoke flywheels.

The exhaust can be quite costly though.

I'm a fan of the T4 BUT the parts are costly. I'd personally opt for a Subaru engine, along with a Subaru 5 speed MT transaxle. Perhaps you could go the BECK SE route and mid-mount the engine?
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CMC '57 Porsche Speedster Replica and Dolphin boat tailed full pan VW MOD-T Street Buggy

[oprn]

[58 Plastic Tub]

If you're soliciting suggestions: 2276 or 2332 T1. Yeah, it's more expensive than a Subaru. It's also magical in the twisties.
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Stan Galat
"A single point in isolation is a reference point. Two points is a line. Three points is a trend. Trends don't lie."