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Any Speedwell experts around please? Sprint kit info wanted.
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Nessy
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:50 am    Post subject: Any Speedwell experts around please? Sprint kit info wanted. Reply with quote

Wasn't really sure which forum to post in , but thought this one might be best Laughing .
I've recently acquired a twin carb (Zenith 32 NDIX) set up for a Beetle and it came with what was described as a 'home made' linkage.
Have to confess that I wasn't initially too impressed with the linkage on first glance but had reason earlier to consult a 1970 book on period VW tuning.
It was whilst flicking through this book that I came across a picture of a Beetle engine with a Speedwell Sprint kit fitted.
The Sprint kit linkage looked very similar to mine and having cleaned mine up a little and doing some Googling on the subject I am fairly sure it is a Speedwell item Cool .

Here's a pic

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


There doesn't appear to be any markings on it at all, the finish appears to be a black wrinkle-type paint and I'd say it has never been touched, I know from the seller it hasn't been used in 10+ years........
Can anyone confirm that if it is a Speedwell linkage, is it rare, and what it might be worth?

Thanks.

Wink
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vdubmax
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you compare the speedwell linkage and the early Berg linkage they are almost identical. Here is the speedwell linkage kit I have for mine
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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krusher
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would guess at that being a berg as he did zenith kits back in the day.

I too have twin zeniths on my engine, ver pleased with them , running csp linkage and deano manifolds.

You got berg manifolds?
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Nessy
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the replies everyone Smile .
I was convinced that it was a Speedwell linkage but now that you've mentioned Berg Krusher you have got me thinking!
I know the Gene Berg linkage was very close in terms of design to the Speedwell item; but was the early Berg linkage an almost direct copy?
The one thing that does puzzle me is that in my linkage, the main cross bar that is carried in the 3 aluminium 'bearing' blocks is most definitely black, and always has been, by the look of it.
In pictures of confirmed Speedwell linkages this cross bar seems to be a silver colour, so could this be an indicator that mine is a Berg?
I haven't as yet taken any photos of the carbs/manifolds but can say that the manifolds (designed for a twinport VW engine) appear to be made of steel , with a twin pipe arrangement on each ie each cylinder is fed by its own tube.This whole assembly has been chrome-plated but there is definitely no makers name on it that I can see as yet .
Does this sound like a Berg kit?
Will post some photos as soon as I can, thanks!

Wink
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krusher
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hmmm steel manifolds i dont know how they may turn out for heat transfer top the carbs Confused
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Nessy
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some pics of the carbs and manifolds, can anyone identify whether the manifolds are custom-made or whether they were/are available to convert these Zeniths to VW twinport fitment? Confused
Also, any further ideas how to confirm whether the linkage is Speedwell or Berg?



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


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


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



Thanks.
Wink
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krusher
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Never seen any like them before, interesting tube size and spacing, most manifolds start big and wide and taper to the head.

There certainly old skool being steel and brazed, have a look online for speedwell brochures

Here are my deanos
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

I've seen those manifolds before. I dont have any info about who made them right off hand, but if you thumb through very old 'small car' and period publications you'll see pictures of them installed on engines.
As for the berg linkage, I had a set exactly like the picture. Identical. It was identified as BERG linkage, and it worked well but not as well as standard air-filter mounted crossbar stuff.
I think if you could compare authentic speedwell linkage to berg, side by side, there would be very small differences.
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