So it is a D and it is a Speedster but ultimately who cares, it's a Porsche replica and will probably be the closest I ever get to owning one.

The pictures above are all just prior to it being properly on the road, ones to follow will be after.

Getting it on the road has been a trial, the biggest problem was buying the kit from Terry Sands of Legend. The most recent hiccup has been getting the semi automatic to work properly, various torques weren't quite right so the engine had to be taken out and a few glitches ironed out. The dry plate wasn't quite right and I was losing ATF fluid from the semi automatic tank which was landing on the fan and decorating the engine.

I think it is ok now but I need to put some miles on it now to know for sure, battery died which may just be cold weather syndrome as the generator is pumping out correct volts but this is minor compared to the fun of driving it so long as I keep an eye on things. It also needs a good tune up (14/12/03) which I will get done in a few weeks.

19/02/04 - Well that was famous last words, the ATF leak wasn't really a leak as such, there were 2 seals in the oil/ATF pump which had gone solid and engine oil was pumping into the ATF line hence overfilling the ATF tanks and causing the overflow 'leak'.

Took it out for its first proper drive one sunny Sunday just before Christmas and it seized on me. 

Painful picture - me coming home on the back of a trailer after doing a whopping 5 miles.

19/02/03 cont..- I have just spent the last 2 and a bit months getting it all fixed (thanks again to Speedstars for coming good), put new seals in the pump and a recon engine in and now I have just got to get the timing sorted out on the new engine and double check a bit of seeping oil between the oil pump face plates which I suspect is a gasket not sitting right and I will hopefully be motoring again. Must admit it has been a bit soul destroying but I have a good feeling about it now.

Quite low down on the list but a positive thing anyway I managed to get the proper Drauz badges from a company called parts obsolete (see the links page) who are very knowledgeable. I have got the proper badges for the front rhs quarter and the lhs door pillar which I will put on when there is a nice, and not so cold, day. Its a bit of small detail that gives it that authentic touch.

24/03/03 - Managed 22 miles on Sunday and touch wood no problems. Still needs a good tune up but it looks ok right now. Also fitted the Drauz badges and dash script badge.

They say no pain no gain, well hopefully i am getting there now.

30/4/04 - Things are still going well, had it tuned and it's running much better, done about 200 miles so looks as though all the problems have been sorted out. It goes without saying that I am checking the oil levels religiously. With any luck I will be at the Stonleigh in Warwickshire kit car show this weekend but if it buckets down I'll probably give it a miss.

11/09/04 - Made a few more updates which are dotted around the website re moving ATF filler tank and adding the picture gallery to the site. Things seem to be going ok.

16/09/04 - added a few more pics of the final build car, really pleased with it, just a shame the good weather is leaving us for the year cause I won't get to take it out much more this year.

02/04/05 - Big one. Oil cooler replace, Dynamo to alternator conversion, oil temp warning system, seal top half of engine with bespoke tinware.

Well taken the big plunge before the new year of driving and nice weather comes up, I've decided to ditch the external oil cooler set up because it simply isn't getting enough air and revert back to a stock doghouse cooler.

I've also been a bit worried about temperature because the top half of the engine isn't really sealed from the bottom so there is a lot of warm air in the engine bay rising up.

The external oil cooler sitting behind the fan housing wasn't getting enough air to cool it and the fan housing was drawing in the air cooling air from the same area so in effect it was drawing in warm air which has been worrying me.

I looked around for oil temperature systems, most of them are either oil dipstick senders or oil drainer senders and both require a gauge, trouble is I really didn't want to put another gauge in the car and I can't find any to match. Fortunately I found a Gene Berg device, GB 227. This is perfect for what I want. See it here. This basically lights up the oil lamp if it gets too hot and is pre set to the warning temp level, perfect!

Sent Gene Berg in the states an email and within 16 hours I've got one shipping it's way over from the states, isn't the internet amazing. Paid by PayPal.

On Ebay I  managed to pick up an air cooler with the stand for about £10 which was a bargain. Also got my alternator and an alternator stand off of Ebay for under £50.

Ally sheets I picked up from the father in law.

Last weekend I stripped the fan housing and carbs out to remove the housing and get access to the external cooler. Got this out and started cutting up sheets of the ally (it isn't pure ally but a combo probably with steel). Really pleased with the end result.

The top bit, which is the main bit in the pic below, is coming out to be replaced with a solid sheet, no holes. The 2 x bits in front of it stop too much air circulating over the cyliner heads, can't decide whether to pop rivet these in place or not.

Alternator from eBay needed a bit of cleaning up and I had to hunt around Google for the diagrams for wiring, doesn't look too difficult.

Realised I didn't have the oil filler to attach to the alternator stand so just ordered that from Big Boys Toys in Thurrock along with 2 x oil cooler seals (mine only had one in it thank you Legend!) and a chrome strap.

I know there are 2 types of oil cooler and stands so it was a bit of a 50/50 if the one I got from Ebay would fit but offered it up last night and bingo, all ok. Sits nicely. Had to make some mods for the fuel, line and accelerator cable but nothing too major.

Tomorrow I will get some pop rivets and put the new tinware in place. Sometime this week i expect the bits from BB toys and Gene Berg to turn up and hopefully in a couple of weeks I can have it all back together.

So pretty soon I will have alternator power, oil temp warning system in place for my peace of mind and I can be happier knowing that the engine isn't cooking. While I have got all the bits out I am going to change the spark plugs.

June 2008 - build pages updated & alternator is in >>>boot carpet, accelerator cable modification, exhaust cooling shroud

more >>> boot carpet, accelerator cable modification, exhaust cooling shroud