DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Morning to you all.
lockdown 3: The 356 Coupe waiting in the que for paint and the speedster outlaw waiting final tune with it’s new PMO’s. I have searched endlessly for a 911/ 912/356 project but the starting costs are just outrageously prohibitive and then the parts. What’s left that’s rare, cool and has German heritage? House of Karmann lead me to the lowlight or early 60’s Ghia. A Baywatch body with Crimewatch mechanics? Link pin, swaybars, drum brakes all less than ideal for modern traffic.

The vision is to blend two Coupes from house of Karmann the 1964 VW Karmann Ghia and the Porsche 356C using modern suspension, brakes, drive train
Too much time on google and my next project is ready to go.

Wait only essential travel, so everything stopped.

Staring with a 1964 LHD US import in all of its 47 years of patina. Pete at California Classic helped with a great deal, 64 Ghia, stripped, bagged and tagged, media blasted, epoxy coated, uk registered and a whole bundle of replacement panels. They make a RHD dash board kit. Also secured a 901/07 gearbox from 1969 911S

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The aim is for something like this Indonesian car, but not as a lowlight.

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Techy stuff
Imohr a Brazilian VW suspension company make some amazing bolt on suspension systems, RHD double A arm wish bone suspension front and back. Addition of front and rear sway bars and 60mm vw dropped spindles, CSP 4 pot vented brakes at front and 2 pot disks at the back with e-brake. Still exploring if any Porsche early 911 hubs, calliper's will fit on 1968+ vw spindles on front and the 1303 spindles on the back of the Imohr suspension package

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Not got a clue as to engine to use except must be aircooled, look like a 356 with around 150bhp, no subby stuff here. I need to use a 914 flywheel and clutch for the 901 gearbox to fit type 1 or type 4 engine.

Understated wheels, 16” or 17” 130x5 steel look wheels maybe Fuchs

So no budget or time scales, just needs to be another step up in build quality, like my last speedster project will take years, but hopefully be great fun, make some new friends and look great when finished.

Gearbox arrives next week but may not be until March April until travel restrictions are lifted and I can take the trailer down to Californian Classic to pick everything up.

Appreciate, its not a Porsche in the restoration threads, but hope everyone is ok with that and likes a KG

Sounds like a great project! I’m sure it’s more than welcome in here

Another excellent thread to look forward to

Very cool

Love that chassis!
Look forward to one of your mega-detailed accounts when it is all in front of you.

RHD I hope?

Sounds like a Fun project - Greg

We have a couple of Industrial 356 Motors laying around - would certainly be a good basis - they come with all the Tinware etc and can be seen running
Pistons and Cylinders - Cam change - Head work and choose your own carbs will get you some extra horses

Yes the plan is to go RHD, I see this as a blank canvas so swapping from left to right should be ok. Need to look if a 356 pedal box can work even if I can find one these days.

Mike - sounds like an opportunity, early days yet but will give it plenty of thought.

We have RHD Pedal Box`s and ZF Steering Boxes in stock - it is the Pitman arm that is the expensive bit
An early VW Steering Box would be the cheaper option but not as nice as a ZF

Excellent project.......love it

The 901/07 gearbox arrived today. Seems to be great condition generally, moves through the gears by hand ok. It is very lightweight compared to the 915 box I used on my speedster. Not sure if the 901/07 is aluminium or magnesium, I am guessing aluminium.

I guess the best storage solution is to fill it up with oil until I can get it to an expert to check the internals and make good any 50 year old issues

The speedo drive got broken during transport which is a pain. The supplier has agreed to find a replacement part and send over, so hopefully great service.

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Ouch!
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Keeping the CVs stock size? The gearbox should have beetle / ghia sized CV flanges.

Flywheel wise, for a type4 engine you’ll need a 914 flywheel. For type1 you’ll need a 912 style flywheel. The ring gear is deeper set into the box than the Type1 flywheel.

Cool build

Thanks for the comments

Bruce - I see that bug@5speed in Germany do 78mm drive flanges off the shelf. Not sure if the standard axles would take 150bhp or whether I need to look at an uprated set? Obviously they were designed for 50bhp.

I ran standard 914 drive shafts and CVs (small, 4xM8 bolt, 2x roll pin) in my hillclimb 914 with my 901 box running a 160bhp 2.4 type 4, built for torque. This was totally reliable for 3 years of standing starts with sticky tyres etc, the car weighing about 900kgs at the time. The only thing they did was undo themselves, so spreader plates and schnorr washers needed as a min, lock wire better.

Adding 40hp and another 50/60kgs tipped it over the edge, and I needed to upgrade to much larger 911/912 (4 M10 bolt/2 roll pin CVs) and custom shafts.

I would say you will probably be ok with the standard set up. The SC output flange with 6 bolts will also fit, but these are the same physical size as the originals.

HTH
Wayne

Good info Wayne - Thanks

So the car was initially stuck in covid quarantine at the garage I bought it from which I fully understood. Then we applied for UK V5, because DVLA staff may want to see the car to check it exist at the garage couple with large back-log in work, I cant get it home yet.

Working on sourcing other parts, new Imohr suspension arrived from Brazil, looks great, weld penetration looks good. The front and rear anti-roll bars are quite small diameter compared to others I have seen. Not sure about the red and black colour scheme.

RHD brakes pedals 1303 will be great starting point. Found some 911 early hubs and backing adapters which should fit, may need some minor adjustment. Still trying to research how to fit larger brakes callipers and dicks, maybe 944 S2 same as my speedster. I found a company in Germany Eyptec who seem to make hubs and adapters for the front beetle stubs. Unfortunately not quite as simple as order the parts. I have to send a dimensioned drawing to ensure they have the correct hub / disk adapter and disks. Then need to work out front to rear balance. Axles, drive shafts, spindles, bearings, steering, track rods, ends, column, are all donor 1303 parts.

Front:
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Rear:
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Rear hubs, backing adapters:
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944 early 82-85 rear brake back plate 477 609 426 / 477 609 111/112 x 2
944 early n/a rear wheel hub 951 331 607 01 same 477 501 605 x 2 - Apparently fit the 1303 drive shaft.
944 rear handbrake parts. These will need reburbishing
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RHD brake pedals and other small parts:
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I have a long, long list of parts to source, some a quite major; Brakes, 356 gauges, 550 style handbrake, 901 gearbox cross mount, etc etc