ACE CAFE RADIO

    samedi 7 septembre 2013

    DD Classics: Kew applause


    Despite being open for little more than a year, DD Classics’ London showroom not only houses an eclectic range of collector cars, but also more than 40 years of market experience in the form of owner Daniel Donovan…
    The spacious, Art Deco-style showroom in the fashionable Kew district of the Capital is in an ideal location for the more discreet buyer. More often than not, it’ll be Donovan himself who welcomes you; his experience in the industry ranges from owning Straight Eight (the Bentley and Rolls-Royce specialist) for 30 years, to helping set up the Hexagon Classics operation more recently.

    Diverse disposition

    Donovan’s wide knowledge of the industry is reflected in the diversity of the cars in his showroom. During our visit, a cute yellow Vignale Gamine is towered over by a late-shape Phantom, while a Renault 5 Turbo rubs door handles with a thoroughly convincing Testa Rossa recreation. There's even a unique pre-War Jaguar prototype which we can’t help but admire in close detail.
    Alongside car sales, DD Classics also has plenty of on-site space to take care of mechanical repairs and paintwork restoration.
    Photos by Jan Baedeker
    You can find the current stock of DD Classics in the Classic Driver Market.

    St James’s Concours of Elegance 2013: “All 60 vehicles are winners”


    That’s how the programme describes the priceless rarities gracing the lawns of Marlborough House. And how could there be a ‘winner’ in a concours entry that included a Ferrari GTO, a ‘Blower’ Bentley, the Roberto Rossellini Ferrari 375 MM and so many Pebble Beach-level, pre-War one-offs?
    Oh, and let’s not forget the red-with-white-stripes 1970 Porsche 917, the very car that gave Porsche its first overall victory at Le Mans. Or the pair of limited-edition Ferraris inspired by demand in the USA for a convertible – with race-track performance: the blue 1961 250 GT California Spider and the silver 1967 275 GTB/4 N.A.R.T. Spyder.
    Enough of the listing. Browse through our gallery of photos and admire the coachbuilder’s art, marvelling at the organising committee’s skill at enticing so many wonderful cars to London, just 12 months after its first event at Windsor Palace. 
    Photos: Steve Wakefield/Joe Breeze
    For further information, visit the St James’s Concours of Elegance website, where a full listing of entries can be viewed, and where the winners' names will be posted.

    DEFMoto’s Dominator Tracker


    Def Dominator 1
    DEFMoto’s second build could very well belong to one of you by the time this story is posted up, as it’s on sale on eBay UK at a stupidly low price as I type. Honda NX650 Dominator based trackers have been surfacing on the scene quite a lot recently – in a trend arguably started by Andrew Greenland a couple of years ago. The air-cooled Honda single is pokey and reliable, and while the chassis and components are 1990 quality they are pure 80s in design, allowing builders to create timeless scramblers that have modern manners. And can you think of a better second bike?
    Def Dominator 2
    “This build all started around that lime green CB200 tank. I actually bought it for the first bike but fell in love with the colour and the patina and needed to build a bike around it . The seat unit was basically finished before I bought the donor bike which was definitely going to be a BMW boxer…Once I’d found the Honda Dominator (I know, can you see a pattern emerging?) I set to work.”
    Def Dominator 7
    Def Dominator 3
    “I started with removing the rear end and replacing with the monocoque seat, mounts for the new tank, powder coat, rebuilding the wheels in-house – changing the front to 17″, and the custom side exit exhaust silencer which also acts as a stiffener for the seat stays and a mud shield for the air filter. I’m quite proud to say that apart from powder coat and the seat upholstery everything was done in house.”
    Def Dominator 4
    My favourite aspect of this build was the silencer. It came about when I was trying to integrate a mud shield to cover the silencers that were going to be fitted in this area. It was all starting to look a little messy when I thought hang on?…. And threw everything away and built this, it’s sounds really nice!”
    Def Dominator 5
    “This bike is up for sale at the moment to fund the 3rd and final “do what I want “build to raise the profile of the company. It’s going to be another low budget build with lots of time intensive fab to hopefully show part of what DEFMoto is about, taking the ugly ducklings, the bikes with little to no cult status and up-cycling them into reasonable budget but cool retro rides….”
    “I’d also if i could like thank CRC restoration services for the top job on the carbs, and all their advice and help, my good mate Craig Hunter at Galaxy for the seat upholstery on both builds, and Jeff at KB wheels in Bolton for the stainless spokes and wheel building advice, oh and you should see the Silk 700 he’s rebuilding!”
    Def Dominator 6
    You gotta love Paul’s way of working. Start with a Honda tank because you love the scratches on it, decide to build a BMW boxer with it, and end up building a rule-breaking 90′s Dominator based tracker. It’s a bit of a marmite bike for many, but for us it smacks of pure genius with a clever (if unusual-looking) rear-end that’s about a lot more than just the design, and a custom bike that is as practical as it is original. A proper stand-out bike in a world of me-toos. Has anyone bought it yet? Please bring it to our October Event so we can see it in the flesh.
    Def Dominator 9
    See more from Paul and DEFMoto on their Facebook pages. I suspect they’re one to watch.
    from the bike shed

    Nicky Hayden Arai RX-7 GP 'Peace' helmet


    Nicky Hayden Arai 'Peace' Helmet
    Arai has decided to release a very limited replica edition of the RX-7 GP helmet that soon-to-be Ducati rider Nicky Hayden wore for this year’s Laguna Seca and Indianapolis GPs.
    The helmet is designed by the Italian designer company Starline as all of Hayden’s helmets are. This lid is similar to the ‘Easy Rider/ Easy Hayden’ with the open face effect helmet he debuted last year for his home races and this time the movie inspiration is “Full Metal Jacket”, but with a peace theme as the back features a small Hayden character with ‘Born To Ride’ written on his helmet, and flowers coming from his gun, a peace logo, and bullets around the edge.
    The helmet will be only produced on order, and can be purchased by September 13th at specified Arai dealers and costs € 1.049, and includes a ’six pack’ that includes the helmet, and Arai bag, smoke visor, Arai cap, helmet cleaner and 10% discount on a new purchase.
    The Arai RX-7 GP has a double omologation: ECE 22-05 and Snell M2010 and the rest of the features are the same for Arai’s top of the line racing helmet.
    Nicky Hayden Arai 'Peace' HelmetNicky Hayden Arai 'Peace' HelmetNicky Hayden Arai 'Peace' HelmetNicky Hayden Arai 'Peace' Helmet
    from TWOWHEELSBLOG

    Marc Marquez is already the MotoGP rookie of the year


    Marc Marquez’ sensational 2013 rookie season has already seen him break several records and the Repsol Honda rider after his stunning battle with Jorge Lorenzo at Silverstone - riding with a damaged shoulder just a few hours after his crash in warm-up practice - has already become the 2013 MotoGP Rookie of the Year, after just twelve races.
    With a massive 233 points in 12 races, and with 5 victories (Austin, Sachsenring, Laguna Seca, Indianapolis and Brno and 11 podiums, the 2012 Moto2 champion is already 167 points ahead of second place Bradley Smith.
    Marquez is the 12th Rookie of the Year since the award was started (2002) and he follows in the steps of Daijiro Kato (2002), Nicky Hayden (2003), Ruben Xaus (2004), Toni Elias (2005), Dani Pedrosa (2006), Sylvain Guintoli (2007), Jorge Lorenzo (2008), Mika Kallio (2009), Ben Spies (2010), Cal Crutchlow (2011) and Stefan Bradl (2012).
    The Repsol Honda rider is leading the standings with a 30 advantage over team mate Dani Pedrosa and 39 points over Jorge Lorenzo.
    from TWOWHEELSBLOG

    McLaren P1 USA Official Images


    McLaren P1
    McLaren’s hybrid hyper car will get an impressive $1.15 million price tag when it reaches the highways of America. Deliver is due to start in 2014 when just 375 examples will be available worldwide so we can’t be sure how many of the British hyper car will make it across the pond. The carbon-fibre P1’s dual power plants consist of a 3.8 litre V-8 twin-turbo petrol engine and an electric motor. Together they produce 903bhp and 664 lb-ft or torque.
    With figures like that, the performance is obviously impressive so Americans will be getting a 0-62mph time of less than 3.0 seconds, a 0-124mph time of 7.0 seconds and a top speed of 218mph.This is the top car in the British manufacturer’s range sitting above the 616bhp MP4-12C. It’s also the fastest road-going McLaren as it dwarfs the 627bhp V-12 poweredMcLaren F1.
    Our shots show the McLaren P1 being put to work during hot weather testing in the southwest of America. Some hot laps at race tracks along the way make for outstanding images of one of the world’s prettiest hyper cars. We love the black paintwork which doesn’t disguise the car’s shape or take anything away from its looks.
    McLaren P1McLaren P1McLaren P1McLaren P1
    Maybe McLaren should take the car to Alaska for winter weather testing next and then onto the real test – a drive through New York City during rush hour.
    McLaren P1McLaren P1McLaren P1McLaren P1McLaren P1McLaren P1

    FFSA : MAGNY-COURS, QUALIFS : UNE 1ÈRE POUR HALLYDAY ET GROPPI.



    Les qualifications de la cinquième manche du Championnat et de la Coupe de France GT FFSA à Magny-Cours ont été marquées par deux premières. David Hallyday a signé sa première pole de la saison à bord de l'Audi du Team Saintéloc. Même performance pour Laurent Groppi dans la seconde séance, à bord de la Ferrari de l'équipe Sport Garage. En Coupe de France, JMB Racing et Pro GT by Almeras se partagent la position de pointe.

    Qualifs 1 : David Hallyday se joue de la pluie !
    A bord de la McLaren du Sébastien Loeb Racing, Laurent Pasquali a longtemps dominé cette première qualification, disputée sous la pluie. Sur une piste toujours humide, David Hallyday a patienté jusqu'à cinq minutes avant le drapeau à damiers pour déloger son rival. Au volant de l'Audi/Saintéloc, il décroche sa première pole de l'année en devançant de seulement un dixième Pasquali, qui s'élancera finalement à ses côtés en premières lignes. Constamment aux avant-postes, ART Grand Prix monopolisera la seconde ligne avec les McLaren de Grégoire Demoustier et Gilles Vannelet. Hexis Racing signe l'une de ses meilleures qualifs avec le cinquième chrono d'Eric Debard. David Hallyday a donc devancé pas moins de quatre McLaren !

    Premier représentant Ferrari, pour le compte de Sport Garage, Eric Cayrolle se hisse à la sixième position dans les tous derniers instants, devançant la Nissan/JMB Racing de Jody Fannin et la BMW/TDS Racing de Henry Hassid. Leader en Coupe de France GT, Jérôme Demay place la Ferrari/JMB Racing à un excellent dixième rang. Il est suivi dans ce classement par la Porsche/Pro GT by Almeras d'Erwin France et la Porsche/Graff de Franck Gauvin. Pour leurs débuts en GT Tour cette saison, Chab Evolution se classe 12e du général, Autovitesse 14e.

    Les chronos sont ici.

    Qualifs 2 : Laurent Groppi sous le drapeau à damiers...
    Il a fallu attendre les toutes dernières pour connaître le nom du deuxième poleman de la journée. Dino Lunardi, dans le baquet de l'Audi/Speedcar, a occupé le sommet de la hiérarchie jusqu'à la mi-séance, avant d'être dépossédé de la pole provisoire par Mathieu Jaminet et l'Audi/Saintéloc. Malheureusement le jeune pilote a ensuite été victime d'un problème mécanique qui allait provoquer la sortie du drapeau rouge. La meute repartait pour trois petites minutes et un seul tour lancé. Laurent Groppi tirait son épingle du jeu pour placer la Ferrari/Sport Garage en pole sous le drapeau à damiers. Il devance au final Morgan Moullin-Traffort et la Ferrari/Sofrev-ASP, grâce à une ultime tentative. La seconde ligne sera composée de deux Audi, celles de Mathieu Jaminet et Dino Lunardi. Une autre R8 LMS ultra suit, celle de Grégory Guilvert qui précède la Porsche/Pro GT de Franck Perera et la BMW/TDS de Ludovic Badey. Troisième du championnat, la McLaren/ART Grand Prix occupe la neuvième place tandis que celle des dauphins du Sébastien Loeb Racing pointe en dehors du Top Ten.

    En Coupe de France GT, Pro GT by Almeras renoue avec la pole position grâce à Franck Morel. Il a dominé la Ferrari/JMB Racing ainsi que la Porsche/Graff Motorsport.

    Les chronos sont ici.

    Source : GT Tour
    via Endurance-Info

    24H BARCELONE : MÜCKE OFFRE LA POLE À BARWELL ET ASTON MARTIN.



    Lorsque le circuit a séché durant les dernières minutes des deux heures de qualification, Stefan Mücke, qui partage l'Aston Martin Barwell Motorsport #1 avec Bruno Senna, Richard Abra et Mark Poole, s'est offert la pole en vue des 24H BARCELONA. Tournant en 1'50''646, Mücke était quasiment quatre dixièmes de seconde plus rapide que la pole de l'an dernier, mais aussi le chrono de 1'51''66 signé par Gianluca de Lorenzi (#3, De Lorenzi Racing-Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, De Lorenzi/ Breukers/ Nearn/de Heus), qui a occupé le haut du classement durant la majeure partie de la session officielle. Le bolide allemand aux portes papillon s'élancera dès lors depuis la 2ème place, devançant la Porsche Stadler Motorsport (#7, Matter/Amstütz/Siedler/Baumann), troisième en 1'53''873, des œuvres de l'Autrichien Dominik Baumann, champion d'Europe en titre en FIA GT3.

    Gianluca de Lorenzi se propulsait en pole position dès le début de la saison, et il apparaissait probable que son temps allait rester la référence après une averse peu avant la fin des qualifications. Le circuit demeurait néanmoins sec, sans qu'aucune amélioration importante ne soit enregistrée. Mais c'était sans compter sur Stefan Mücke, qui bouleversait tous les pronostics au moment du baisser du drapeau à damier. "Alors qu'il restait 20 minutes, je me suis rendu à pied dans le dernier virage, afin de me rendre compte des conditions, explique Mücke. Cela semblait encore assez glissant, mais j'ai décidé de tenter le coup. Lorsque je suis sorti, j'étais assez surpris de constater la qualité du grip. Lors de mon premier tour, je me suis approché du temps de la pole, et au passage suivant, c'était gagné ! Comme chacun sait, la position de départ n'a pas une importance capitale lors d'une course d'endurance, mais ce genre de performance est toujours agréable pour le pilote et pour le team.''

    Avec l'Aston Martin Barwell, la Mercedes De Lorenzi, la Porsche Stadler et la Mercedes Car Collection Motorsport (#2, Schmidt/Mattschull/Schmersal/Edelhoff/ Kirchhoff) monopolisant les deux premières lignes de la grille de départ, mais aussi les quatre premières places en Classe A6, la meilleure voiture en SP2 était la Porsche 997 GT3 Clickvers.de (#12, Destrée/Jodexnis/Pauels/Rink/Chrzanowski), 5ème du général. La meilleure SP3 était l'Audi R8 Red Camel Racing (#23, Kassulke/Paladino/Andreasi/Ciró), tandis que la plus rapide des Porsche Cup était celle du Ruffier Racing (#10, Lafargue/Lafargue/Da Rocha/Abergel). Meilleur chrono en A5 pour la BMW E46 WTCC Top Autoteile Racing #34 (Schelp/Schwager/Molenaar/Krumbach). Les honneurs de la Classe A4 sont revenus à la BMW E46 M Coupé des Allemands de Hofor-Kueperracing (#35, Kuepper/Kroll/Kroll/Feller).

    Une des deux SEAT Leon Supercopa Monlau Competicion (#40, Font/Carbonell/Pérez-Alcart/Smet) mène la danse en A3T. La plus rapide en A2 était la Honda Civic Synchro Motorsport (#55, James/Byford/Venn/Brown). Saxon Motorsport a placé sa BMW 135d GTR (#56, Barrow/Corbett/Barrow) en pole en D2 diesel, tandis que les Hollandais de MDM Motorsport (#63, De Laat/De Prenter/Boorsma/Bus) se sont montrés les plus rapides en D1 avec leur BMW 320d.

    L'épreuve de 24 heures a débute ce samedi 7 septembre à midi. Les dernières infos, le live timing, les photos et les vidéos peuvent être consultés sur live.24hseries.com. Des mises à jour seront régulièrement postées sur Twitter (@24HSERIES, hashtag #24BCN) et sur Facebook (www.facebook.com/24hseries). Un résumé des 24H BARCELONA sera diffusé sur Motors TV le 6 octobre à 21h40 CET.

    Source : 24H Series

    A la conquête du record du monde de vitesse



    Le Team LE TOP s'était donné pour objectif de battre le record du monde de vitesse durant le Speed Week de Bonneville (USA), sur le fameux lac salé, dans la catégorie 500 cm3 catégorie MPS-BG 500 (moto modifiée). 
    Mission accomplie au delà des plus folles espérances, puisque la Kawasaki 500 GPZ (millésime 1990), chevauchée par Laurent Pouponnot a pulvérisé le record, en enregistrant une moyenne de 149 miles/h (soit 241 km/h). L'ancien record était de 120 miles/h, 193 km/h.

    Le Team LE TOP était composé de : 
    Laurent Pouponnot
    Baloo, le concepteur de la moto
    Stevica dit "Golu".
    Patrice Cano.

    Prochain objectif lancé par l'équipe : porter le record au delà des 200 miles/h, soit 321 km/h !

    Découvrez le clip vidéo de cette aventure hors norme, dans sa version longue. 



    Back Story | Porsche 356 Outlaw

    _RAY5497
    Each week we completely republish a story from a back issue of one of our publications. This week it’s Marc Bank’s 1956 Porsche 356 Outlaw from issue 05 of Fuel Magazine. We never get bored of sharing this one…
    Story Marc Banks, Photography Luke Ray. Click the read more link below for the FULL article.
    _RAY5647

    The relationship started when I spied this rusty, abused, but complete 1957 Porsche 356 coupe, I bought the car without any real direction or thought of its possible restoration. It was a financial thing, it was complete and, best of all, cheap.
    The car sat for several years in the front yard of our previous residence in Camberwell. Renovations of a house had meant there was no time for the old 356 which was an agreement between myself and my partner Lahlee. That to this day is still a bone of contention as the car was stripped and a restoration had begun prior to the house being finished. I needed an outlet from the house project, so I quietly started stripping the car in the garage.. until I was caught!
    _RAY5549
    Once the new project was underway, the plan was simple; Take what I thought was the best shaped sports car I had ever seen and do as little as possible to make it look different. To most people, my ‘57 356 coupe looks to have had major body modifications and suspension changes to have it look the way it does. In truth very little was modified to get the look we were after, it just took time and patience. In my mind it started as a simple bumper less A model coupe. That said, removing the bumpers is one of the major modifications the car has had done to it, and one that sets it apart visually from most other 356’s. Of course, there are some other subtle modifications including the removal of the rear pop out windows, but basically the body remains unchanged in shape and form from the original that rolled out of the factory over 50 years ago, and that was the idea all along. It is a great compliment when some people see the car for the first time (not necessarily car people) and ask if it is a new car or an old one.

    Creating a simple clean outlaw can go horribly wrong for some people. Taking a design that is to this day a beautiful piece of art and modifying it can be a tricky business. Many people have tried both here and overseas and have got it horribly wrong. In this case, it all went so right. Even though throughout the project we changed our minds on the engine, the wheels, the ride height and colour so many times, the car still turned out exactly how we envisaged it from the outset.
    _RAY5577c
    To understand how far to go is the secret to getting a modified car to look good. Not only when it is built, but 6 years down the track as well. It is quite an achievement to create something that has not dated compared to some of its counterparts both here and overseas. Subtle changes were all that was required when you start with such a beautiful shaped car in the first place. Cars are all about scale and perspective, I love some modern cars, be it Mercedes, be it Hyundai. If the balance and scale of the car is there, then you have won the battle.
    Trying to stay true to the original Ferdinand Porsche designed shape whilst endeavouring to give a car that something special is balancing act. Too much and it destroys the cars lines. Not enough and you wonder why you bothered in the first place. With that in mind, I set out to achieve what may have been designed if Porsche was to offer an outlaw back in ‘57. With subtle body modifications so as to not alienate the suits but with enough change to set it apart from the regular – that is what has been achieved. The simple lines of this 57 coupe have been pampered into shape starting with a beaten and battered shell found in Adelaide 10 years ago. When she arrived it was as expected when you purchase a car from blurry images shot in a dark warehouse, you always assume the worst and that is basically what I got. Having said that, the car purchase was made with the intention of creating a street driving car, not thought as yet to how far the project would go.
    _RAY5429
    Initially the original engine was rebuilt, as the intention was to place it back into the car. All the tin ware was powder coated and reassembled but the engine, whilst correct for the car, only produced around 90 horsepower. Speed was never the issue with this project from the outset. It was more about the aesthetics, about what would fit with the image of the car. That philosophy was ingrained in the build, and as many options for multiple parts were considered. Three different sets of seats were trimmed and fitted into the cabin, four sets of wheels were built, powder coated and wrapped in brand new rubber which I still have piled up at a workshop in the Melbourne suburbs.

    Even the colour that now wraps the shell was an issue that saw several changes take place. Initially the car was to be Vitamin C orange. That of the 70′s Charger. The car was actually coated in an acrylic orange over the undercoat to take a look at what the colour did for the body. We let it sit there for a few weeks, looking at it from all angles, offering up wheels and chrome components to it to try to get a feel for what the colour had to offer. After several weeks, the orange was decided against, stripped back and a coat of acrylic black covered the car. The same process took place and whilst it had a particularly tough look, some of the subtle body mods became lost against the black paint. My partner Lahlee suggested a walk though some car yards to see how various colours work on different panels of production cars, and it was there that we found the colour that now adorns the most talked about outlaw in Australia. It is a standard GM Holden colour, Martini Mica Grey (although the car stands more dirty green in any light). It satisfied two very big issues, one of colour on the car and the second being an agreement of the direction of the car. Green being Lahlee’s favourite colour made the remaining restoration process a little easier as there was a common interest in the outcome.
    _RAY5480
    With the color selected, PPG mixed up the final 2pac skin that would adorn the car’s exterior. Sprayed on, the car finally came alive with its new livery. The contrast between the shadows and light bouncing off the Martini Mica was perfect. It also allowed for a very simple, clean rebuild using a very limited colour palette. The theme was set. We decided there and then to use two colours, black to accompany the new green. With that theme in mind, we went about removing as much exterior chrome as we could without powder coating anything that had to be chrome like the window frames. We wanted to build a ‘50’s 356 hot rod, not an amalgamation of a 911 and 356 with blackened window frames, modern radio aerials and creature comforts and as such.

    The interior of the car required several modifications, but the dash was kept completely standard. We sourced brand new repro gauges from The States, although we did have the original set fully restored but a decision was made to keep them 6 volt for another, more original, project down the track. The steering wheel had to be a Moto Lita rivet rim wooden wheel with a custom hand tooled alloy boss made to suit. The headliner was a little difficult to work out so it was left in the hands of my trusted trimmer Brent and his team at Car Trims in Camberwell, Melbourne. Brent designed and fabricated the headlining to accommodate the air ducts that track air into the engine bay via a custom-built 4 into 2 alloy breather box mounted on the inside fire wall that feeds the vertical mounted oil cooler in the engine bay.
    _RAY5591
    Brent’s team also fully trimmed the interior in black leather which still looks amazing 6 years down the track. It was originally thought that a set of speedster seats would be fitted to the car so I had them trimmed in the black leather, only to change them soon after in favour of the genuine Porsche 968 Clubsport seats that are now fitted. The shells of these have been painted to match the exterior and once again trimmed in black leather in keeping with the green and black theme that was decided on. The seats were a must have and although, to be quite honest, I do prefer low back seats in old cars. The fact that we removed of the pop-out rear side glass actually helped these bigger seats not appear too bulky in the cabin which more often than not, modern racing seats can do. I wanted some comfort whilst driving the car, and if you ever get to take this little car out on the road, you will be thankful for a small amount of comfort, as there is not much else to calm the senses inside this little green missile.
    Original factory German square weave carpets were installed and all original dash knobs and switches were replaced or restored. I wanted an original looking dash, and I also wanted to keep the car as original looking both internally and externally as possible
    _RAY5535
    The cars ride height is one thing that you notice about it immediately you approach it. “Bloody low!” is how it is mostly described, and that is exactly how it is. Admittedly, it is close to the point of being almost un-drivable over any undulating surfaces, but it was height I liked the look of and I have learnt how to drive it that accordingly. A range of components help the car achieve its stance and they are all quite simple; The front end simply uses it’s selector drops that were a standard feature on the 356. They are set to their lowest point, and the addition of 2.5 inch drop spindles ensures it cuts the weeds nicely. No other modifications have been made to the front end suspension. So, with a simple pair of spindles and using what Porsche offered as standard in 1957, I got what I wanted with the front suspension. The rear once again uses its standard setup, but simply lowered on its splines. There has been much speculation over the rear end suspension configuration on this car but, once again, nothing out of the ordinary. Your standard 356 will drop to this height if that is your desire. This car drives like a go-kart, but is a tough, loud and totally impractical car to get around in and I love it!

    The engine that now drives the car is a Bergmann built 2.4 litre that was bought out of The States as a crate motor and fitted my 356 with surprising ease. The exhaust was crafted from stainless steel and custom-built here in Melbourne, and is responsible for generating quite an amazing sound (I can vouch for that! – ed). The original engine still sits on a shelf and one day may find its way back into the car but the decision to run with a VW power plant was not a financial one, but more one of aesthetics. I really liked the 911 shroud and the version offered for a 356 motor 6 years ago was by no means a bolt on setup. I admit to being fond of the sound and performance of the VW transplant, but for some the original engine should have been retained. If I were building this car to sell, maybe other options would have been considered but I never set out to sell this car. The original lump has been offered up several times, but the time just hasn’t been right as yet to make the transplant.
    _RAY5600
    The concept of a factory stock looking engine was taken to the extreme with many items being custom fabricated to ensure that when you see this engine, it looks like a factory fitted item. No sound deadening was used in the car at all so the noise from the motor inside is deafening to the point that Lahlee travels wearing noise cancellation headphones when travelling in the car! I did not see the point in having a beautiful sounding engine, and then trying to disguise it.
    Some day, a new owner will come along. Someone who shares my admiration for the car as a piece of art and a fine driving machine. Until that day comes, I shall continue to get a buzz out of it every time I see it and start that engine. It is an amazing, attention grabbing car that will give a huge amount of satisfaction to whoever decides to take it on. But if you’re someone who wants to sneak around quietly, this definitely aint the car for you.
    _LMR7400

    from FUEL MAGAZINE