2004 Karrera Sedan
 

Hey all,

I thought it was time to unveil the project I've been collecting parts for for well over a decade, share the fun, and thinker over it with you guys. I've set aside brandnew Porsche parts for this project for as long as I can remember (even when sober).

The basic "rules" for this project are that it will be built as a brandnew car using only new parts. The final look would have to be "factory built", nothing polished, a factory decal here and there, crude yet sophisticated at the same time, using every nook and cranny of the Porsche and VW parts catalogs. Making things fit by selecting the right genuine parts from the entire Porsche/VW range (as much as possible). I have a new parts fetish that borders the insane, I'm known to order a part for fitting/trial assembly only to sell it and order the exact same part just so it could sit in my personal stash in a never opened box...

Funny enough, the car that this project is based upon is one of the things that is still missing, a 2004 modelyear Mexican production sedan with zero miles.

For the past few years I've put most of my energy in my work, building up the company and progress on the Bug was pretty slow. Until recently, a guy told me that Bob at BBT (Belgium) had a few brandnew Mexican VW pans collecting dust. That got me excited as I wanted to start off with a new pan as a spare part vs. keeping the pan the car comes on because the "original teil" comes without the horrifying Mexican PVC undercoating, and this was only 20 minutes from where I live. I called Bob, but since I got most of my cash stuck in precious German metal I had to be creative, I suggested a trade that included a set of NOS 912E heads and a NOS genuine VW Thing BN4 Eberspächer gas heater. Long story short(er), I got a brandnew 2004 VW pan in my living room and it keeps me awake at night. I dusted it off and made a few temporary brackets that allow me to have it stand on its side strapped to a pole that I conveniently happen to have sitting in the middle of the living room, it's too thick for any form of pole dancing anyway (besides that.. any girl that would need a pole that thick is out of the erh.. "spectrum" is the word I guess, but I digress..). It spent a night under the car port in freezing temperatures and that kept me awake even more.

Pictures! Let me try this..

We're in business, that picture is huge though. I had to take it with my phone as my camera was dead, I rarely use it.

Here is the pan, unaltered, Genuine VW. I'll go ahead and post a few more:

http://karrera.net/Karrera%20Sedan/K...edan%20(3).jpg
(need to get in there with a Swiffer (tm) ) Note absence of heater cable guide tubes.
http://karrera.net/Karrera%20Sedan/K...edan%20(6).jpg
Odd fuel pump bracket, probably will get rid of it

I hope they are large enough (how can I influence the size btw?)

So as I started to unwrap a few parts I noticed something odd. It makes me want to measure the pan to see if its according to spec. I don't expect huge deviations, but have a look at this:

http://karrera.net/Karrera%20Sedan/K...edan%20(2).jpg
http://karrera.net/Karrera%20Sedan/K...edan%20(1).jpg

Those pix are still very big. But, from what I see you are asking about the gap from the tunnel to the torsion housing. If you can see into the tunnel through that hole...thats not good! The original German pans have sheet metal wrapped around the torsion housing closing this gap.

Oh, for changing picture size if you don't have software on your computer that does it you can start an account on a photo hosting site, and they have tools to change file size. ;)

One more thing...Welcome to the GL forums we look forward to more pix and progress, and to help answer questions. :D

That gap is not supposed to be there, or perhaps it should have been drenched in that seam sealer that's "seamingly" for free in Mexico. No offense to Mexican people here, you know what I mean.

To illustrate a bit further, the brake system is complete upto the last genuine Porsche nut and bolt, 993 RS calipers, discs, electro-hydraulic brake force amplifier and pump (otherwise it really makes no sense to fit these brakes), 924S rear hubs (used), 968 Clubsport front hubs, adaptors for the front calipers from Alex Niederfahrenhorst (-almost- used) and brake lines of mostly a 968 Clubsport. Complete including the hand brake shoes and all hardware etc. The amplifier on the RS amplifies just a tad less than on "regular" 993s and the rear calipers have slightly smaller pistons than the 993 Turbo, freely translated: better suited to a Bug.

Out back I have the 924S/944/968 alloy arms without holes for the ABS sensors, also used, I'm trying to live with that. I have urethane bushings from Topline but I'd rather have the genuine VW rubber bushings, still on my list. These are on 25.5mm 968 Clubsport torsion bars, along with the (genuine Porsche) yellow Koni's with the 968 CS helper springs. I think the springs will not clear the body, so I may have to resort to 944 Turbo Koni's without the springs. Matching Opel Yellow Koni's for the front. I have a Käfer Cup brace that is very nicely (German) made out of aluminium, Tafel brackets for it are still on my list.

For the front I was hoping to use the beam that comes with the car, but since I have no idea as to when I'll actually be able to go get one I am looking for a genuine VW beam with all the surroundings, CSP sells an adjustable beam based on a new VW unit (vs. a sloppy Puma beam) that sounds like it has my name on it, I can't use dropped spindles with the RS calipers .. I think. Any experience with the Sway-A-Way torsion leaf sets out there?

Oops, skip that part about welcome to the forums...I just looked at the join date 2003. :o

Seam sealer could solve the gap issue.

I can't believe you have "used parts" parts going on this project :eek: :lmao:

Are asking about sway away torsion bars? I dont think they make leaves for the front beam.

I've been busy for a while :) ..

The gap really surprised me too... hence I want to verify and correct (if needed) the dimensions of the pan close to where they are supposed to be.

The engine is out of new parts as well, and pretty complete, genuine nos 914 case, NOS Porsche (comes in a VW box, I know, but I like to brag, I mean SHARE!) 66mm crank (short stroke, large journal=sturdy crank), Carrillo 5" rods, 964 Turbo 3.6 P&Cs, Ducati 996 Desmoquattro heads (used unfortunately), 993 oil cooler w. fan, 964 filterbracket, 930 oil thermostat, 930 generator/fan assembly, but Sharpbuilt (or maybe Riechert) shrouding still missing.

OK. I never looked at the sway away site before. I have HD ones from CB Performance, but the stock ones would be fine with Koni's.

You are gonna have one crazy engine!

The gap may become a plus depending on transmission, I'm lost in that regard. Porsche 901/902/911/914 seems ok, but a lot of work for little gain, closer gear ratios, yes. The goal is high to extreme reliability, I like building, but once built I wash and detail it, do regular maintenance, but no more wrenching.

Transmission, that Berg Bus 5 seems very attractive .. much stronger than a 901/911 .. but I wonder how it compares to a 915.

G50 is an option, I have used 964 C2 boxes that could be converted to a short G50 by using the nose cone of the short G50, shortening like Wally did. 930, but my motorcycle heads are not going to produce huge amounts of torque (although we can bring the 8000 rpm torque peak down a lot).

Thanks for the tips on the pics, that was easy, I didn't see how to do it but hope that it worked..

993 RS amplifier and master cylinder
http://www.karrera.net/Karrera%20Sed...edan%20(5).jpg