Garm's 1969 project

[theunz]

My heat shield mounts like MrGuts. Alex your shield appears to be non stock.

[2mAn]

With the O ring and front seal replaced on the trans, I moved onto tidying up the engine implementing upgrades.
New header
New starter
New carb spacers
Proper heat shield
Checked torque on all internals
Swapped out comp oil pan for stock in the case of rough roads on the #coastalrangerally #dwarally

What changes are you doing to the header? and heat shield?

Also, are you on instagram or something? Just wondering because of the hashtags?

[ACote]

My heat shield mounts like MrGuts. Alex your shield appears to be non stock.

Ok good to know. I had mine made off a stock piece like his is, maybe I'll have more clearance flipping it around one day.

[MrGuts]

Spike is all back together and been given a good shakedown over last two days. NO LEAKS! That pesky trans leak is gone and no leaks have come from my inspection of bottom end. Enjoying the other upgrades and preventative maintenance measures. And we now have spare peripheral parts for those long journeys in the future, first of which is in two weeks on the Coastal Range Rally.

Many thanks to Dave Premo whose guidance, encouragement and check ins are at the heart of who and what the 311 community is all about.

20190226_125026.jpg

[MrGuts]

Check out the header which was removed. Creative routing in this build, right close to the Solex carbs. HOT!

Glad to have a 1-5/8" header from Dean and a heat shield from JT.

20190226_150105.jpg

[Gregs672000]

Interesting. An attempt at an equal tube length header? At least it was coated and "wrapped" but I bet it was hot! Nice as ceramic coating looks, things still get hot, and that header wrap on there is crap and clearly incomplete. I do wonder how well it worked. There are much better (but more expensive) wraps by Heat Shield Products that "might" make such a header work and not be a carb boiler. I noticed a decrease in carb temps after I did my ceramic coated header with this wrap. It won't ruin your header. Do a search on summit racing if interested. It did look like it might need some work, but I wouldn't toss it. Maybe it works well? We know it fits... kinda
Deans latest header is quite nice. I just saw one at a friend's house, definitely improved manufacture over the previous series of the same size that I have. The car looks great man, I love the rough and ready look. Dave Premo and I go way back to the late 80s, and he was always ready and willing to help anyone then... not surprised to see he's never changed .
Time to hit the road!

[SLOroadster]

Check out the header which was removed. Creative routing in this build, right close to the Solex carbs. HOT!

Glad to have a 1-5/8" header from Dean and a heat shield from JT.

20190226_150105.jpg

I'd be interested in that header, I'll bet it flows better than the 4-1 Tri-Mill design that everyone sells. I took my spare in for the machinist to try on Simon's head (See Simon's thread on the headwork being done. He might run it on my head just to see how much it negatively affects the flow) and the first thing out of his mouth was "Seriously? That has to be one of the worst designed headers I've ever seen. Is that really what you guys use?" His one good thing to say about it was that it has a nice thick flange on it.

Will

[Solex68]

I hate the Tri-Mill design too. The curves are so sharp. It seems to me there was no engineering in except make it "easy to make."
I have nothing bad to say about the build quality, I do love that.

[Lorna c]

I blew a golf ball size hole in one of those in 9 months . the 4-1 in two pipes right in the middle of the neck of it . I'm looking into a 4-2-1 . I made a frankenheader and I love the top end speed . and 4 gears . I love 4 gears . each gear has more to it on the 4-2-1 .

[Lorna c]

Haha I just saw the header ! love love it . that's got love all over it .. tell me if it fits . I still don't have a heat shield.

[toofless]

Spike is all back together and been given a good shakedown over last two days. NO LEAKS! That pesky trans leak is gone and no leaks have come from my inspection of bottom end. .....

@MrGuts, did you ever discover the specific source of that transmission leak? I have the same problem and I am wondering if you discovered that the leak was the seal that looks to be replaceable without removing the motor/tranny according to this thread on the same topic ?

If so it might encourage me to try it in my garage...I just got the motor back in!!

Thanks!

[MrGuts]

Hi @toofless

It was the o ring on the flange of the throw out bearing carrier. Flanged did not seem to have been fully seated as the o ring, which was not very much pliable was not flat against the flanges, indicating to me the flage was not fully seated in the bell housing. I also replace the front seal and polished away the shiny dpot spot on the input shaft where the seal made contact. Those last two were precautions while it was apart.

Easy fixes overall. Do it. Feel good. Be happy

Warm regards

20190215_125616(1).jpg

[Alvin]

The moment I knew that our family Christmas would be held in Paso Robles I got butterflies. Why? This meant I could finally take Kevin up on that roadster drive! Fate (and my sister-in-law's typing) put our Air BnB walking distance to Kevin's and he was kind of enough to let me take Spike for a spin.

A quick reminder of the goods this roadster is running:
U20/5-speed with a Rebello-prepped cylinder head
Solexes
RX-7 rear axle (OEM LSD, discs)
Volvo leaf springs
Koni shocks
Azenis tires

What a sight, Kevin also has a Porsche 914:


Kevin demonstrated his roadster and driving with a brilliant performance on the Coast Range Rallye (CRR) earlier this March. Since we ran CRR together he suggested a local Paso road called Peachy Canyon. Here are a few driving impressions of "Spike", his 1969 SPL. Enjoy!

Engine


The Rebello-prepped engine with Solexes made all the right noises. Paired with a Magnaflow exhaust it sounded great with a burble below 4k and absolute wail above. Crisp response and impressive power...Kevin will be visiting us soon for a dyno. From my short drive I'm guessing it makes around 150-ish hp to the wheels. It put a smile on my face.


Suspension/Chassis


I was surprised how smooth the ride was, I think it is a direct result of the Volvo rear leaf springs. The Koni's I'm sure add to this but the rear of the roadster was shockingly less bouncy then the comp/stock-springed cars I'm used to driving. Peachy Canyon was a smooth road, but overall my thought was "this is why he was so fast on the CRR!"
Kevin overhauled the front brakes and added the RX-7 rear end with LSD/discs. The whole package worked seamlessly.

Feel

It's the little details that Kevin added to make this such a well-sorted roadster. Also, we can't forget the work and love that Garm, Kevin Desirelo and Michael Anderson put in before Kevin's acquisition. His touches really make it shine on the road, turning it into a real gem.

It's easy to get physically tired driving a roadster hard on long rallyes...Spike begs you to drive more and allows you to focus on enjoyment. Inside, a Momo Prototipo is perfect for spirited driving, full harnesses keep you in place, a complete interior is inviting, while a rear wind deflector and upgraded dash lighting round out the comforts.


My brief stint driving Spike on Peachy Canyon Rd:


Enjoy the video and turn the volume up!




A few detail shots, yes that's a 964 C2!






Great folks. Thanks Kevin for making my day you've done a superb job with Spike. I'll say it again. I regret not buying this roadster and I'm 100% happy that Kevin ended up with it. Too many owners get suckered into buying "cheaper" examples and spend more time fixing than driving. That can be good or bad depending on your threshold for pain

Spike is that rare example of how effective and enjoyable these cars can be as canyon-carvers/rallye machines. It was really that good.

Looking forward to getting her on the dyno!

[SLOroadster]

The Volvo rear springs work really well. They completely transform the way the car drives. I think Spike is one of 4 cars in the US that has those springs.

Will

[2mAn]

I'll say it again. I regret not buying this roadster and I'm 100% happy that Kevin ended up with it. Too many owners get suckered into buying "cheaper" examples and spend more time fixing than driving. That can be good or bad depending on your threshold for pain

You and me both!... Im a guy who bought a cheaper example and have spent quite a bit to make it what it is today and while I do feel regret for not buying it, Im just glad that Kevin is an awesome owner and with the money dumped into mine, we have one more awesome Roadster out there.

Curious to see what his does on the dyno. I need to get mine up there too someday