Questions about ricolas ride
 

How does your chargecooler setup perform in respect to intake temperature drop across the intercooler?
What is your coolant mix?
What are the physical dimensions of your heat exchanger for the chargecooler coolant.
Have you noticed increased performance over the air-to-air setup?
How does the car perform? Any noticeable drop in performance as the temps rise?

How would you rate the shifting of the 915 trans? Have you been able to shift 'quickly'? I'm not talking about all-out drag racing...ok maybe I am:)

Any plans to increase power, or have you reached the chassis' limitations?

Thanks in advance.

I've now sold the speedster and never got round to monitoring temps properly (just fitted a K type prope into the intake for a few days). To be honest it had more than enough power so I wasn't trying to get any more out of it.
I only used a small amount of antifreeze in the chargecooler and used the original Subaru rad and pump.
The way it was the air/air didn't get any flow so I changed more to protect the engine than anything. There was so much power that a difference wouldn't be that noticable!

It was amazing how the chassis performed. It had no right beign that good, but I suppose lack of weight and what weight there was was nice and low, plenty of people were amazed by how well it gripped and the progressive handling.

If you want to shift quickly I wouldn't go for the 915, it's renowned in Porsche circles for liking a steady shift. Although you can go for race style synchro rings...

Hope this helps...
Rich

You sold it!:eek:

Thanks for the info! Are you going to use a similar suspension setup on your Ghia?

Yhea, I had taken it as far as I would ever want to and just got bored without a 'project'...
Erm, do you mean the wishbone design or the coil-overs?
The Ghia is stock puma beam. I'll get back onto the wishbone design next summer and then I'll have to find a car to test it on! I've sold the Ghia ot my brother who is having it in a few weeks time

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/Ghia_...ia_body_f1.JPG
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/wishbone/wish_asm.jpg

Rich

I was referring to your coil over set-up.

The coil-overs were fine for the speedster as the front end really needeed softening and braking/ride was definitely improved. Just have to come up with a better method of locating the trailing arms. Concerns have also been raised about putting the whole weight through the lower shock mount...

Time for project number 3!
 

If you haven't seen on my website, I am on to my next project now.
It's a late 1303 cabrio and I am in the parts collecting phase.

So far I have only fitted the kerscher struts

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabri...her_fitted.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/lowered.JPG

and test fitted the cup 2s http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/cup_fit.JPG

Still to come are these:

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/996_calipers.JPG

and most importantly this!

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabri...oby_engine.JPG

Keep up with my progress on my website...

Rich

EJ20T ?

Rob.

Yes, it's a WRX RA model that is 260bhp standard :D should suffice!

What are your plans for a transmission, ECU, engine mounting? I've got an EJ20T too, but I think I'm going to hold off installing it for quite a while.

Have you seen this yet? http://www.customoffroad.com.au/partFull.asp?partid=99

Ricola,

If I can finish my Manx in the next few weeks, I will plunge into my 79 convert that I am going to install a 2004 US STi engine on a 930 trans. I have the Kerscher struts already on and the rear MBT coil-over set. I also have a set of Porsche GT3 radiators and A/C condensers for the front. Which trans are you going to use this time?

We seem to run parallel courses. My Manx got the Red9 setup after I read about your Speedster. So if you would stay about two months and several thousand $ ahead of me and then I can continue using your solutions.

Thanks,

Randy

Yeah, I saw that speed sensor, but there is someone in the UK developing a bolt on solution which should be easier for me to get hold of and cheaper...

I'm going to use the stock AT trans for the beginning and maybe uprate to a pro street version a bit later on. I don't really drive that hard in reality!

At the moment my plans are: reverse rear engine cradle and use a 'berg' style mid mount, no front mount. That will get the engine comfortably under the body. I'll make up my own trapeze style bar at the back, I'm concerned a stock one wouldn't accomodate the turbo. Stock ECU, I was going to use Microtech but support is very limited for me in UK. Now my main problem is finding a suitable loom! I'll probably shorten the sump about 30mm

Randy: you seem to go just a bit further than me! I didn't want the hassles of using a newer engine wiht all the immobiliser stuff and variable cam stuff, 260bhp should be enough... I'd love to see some pics of your projects if you have any!

Rich

Ricola,

I just didn't know any better when I bought the 04 STi engine. It will be interesting. I already had the 930 LSD trans so in it goes. The poor car has been waiting for completion for about six years now, I have owned it for over ten. I have an engine kit (nickies, Klaus shroud, etc.) but it was cheaper to buy the STi than finish the T4... I will finish it someday and put it into the Manx. I just cannot afford two projects at once and must get the convert on the road soon or sell it all. That is the problem with these long projects, they absorb chunks of money for years and then you wonder how you got so much money in them.

Thanks,

Randy

Don't mean to highjack the thread, but...

Randy, what engine adapter are you using for the 930/WRX ?
And how did you fine dealling with MBT for the uniball suspension.

BTW: Ricola has been a very bad influence on a number of us.
My new IRS pan for my 63 ragtop turned into a 5 year plan porsche speedster with 915/WRX with uniball suspension, Leda shocks and 944 brakes.

I am planning on a Kennedy adapter, but have promised myself to do no more on the convert until the Manx is on the road. Thus I am concentrating on getting it going in the next few weeks.

Thanks,

Randy

I've ordered the adapter kit from DS tuning now and have the 996 brakes on. Will start to do the cutting soon! My plan is to sort out the front end for the radiator mountings and then turn the car around in the (single) garage so I can sort out the rear.

How it looks now:
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/cab_cups1.JPG

I'm guessing that the weight of the subaru engine will level out the ride height nicely.

Rich

Progress has been kinda slow recently. I've got the G50 gearbox now and the radiator install is just about done, I've also started modifying the dash for the Subaru instrument cluster.

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/eng%2Btrans_3.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabri...2Bcharge_2.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/dash_1.JPG

Rich

Looking good!

Wouldn't the mounting of the G50 trans mean you will have to totally cut up the torsion housing and...and..and...and dismantle that nice looking convertible? :(

Greets,
Walter

Yes! :D Going to keep it looking stock in the back seat area tho'

Rich

Rich,

Got any more pics of the rad setup ?
How are you routing the coolant lines and what are you using for them ?

Rob.

Rob,

More pics are on my website, I just picked a few of the highlights for this thread. That's a chargecooler rad in front of the main one if you were wondering. I'll be using 28mm copper pipe for the main lines run under the chassis, probably along the cabrio chassis strengthening rails.

Rich

Rich,

On your site you mention that you will block off the heater outlet.
I read somehwhere that that is a bad idea, since it needs it for the normal flow through the block.

In my setup I will use the small outlet from the coolant manifold to go into a burp tank (pressurized), and then from the burp tank to the heater return at the back of the block.

What are you using for a coolant tank ? I got one from a Golf, but the outlet is too small.

Rob.

Hmm, maybe I didn't explain exactly what I was doing...

I am blanking off the original heater outlet on the coolant manifold and having one in the new outlet position (effectively in a similar position to stock after the manifold is reversed), it is very important to keep it! Your plan sounds good if you don't want a heater (I do!). I'm not sure what tank I'm going to use yet, I'll wait until the engine is in finally before deciding when I know the available space, I want it to be nice and big...

Rich

I like your project!! :) I've liked all your project I've seen so far :)

About the heater! That must be one of the best thing about adding a watercooled engine!

I've been offered the chance to buy another project and had to raise some funds quickly so unfortunately the G50 has been sold. On the bright side, it will be a much faster build now I don't have to cut through the torsion bar housing. In fact I'm aiming to have the engine in this week as the new car arrives on friday (www.phantom.uk.com).

Cutting begins!
http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/rear_val_cut.JPG

Rich

Another update on my site...

trans is moved forwards and engine ready to go in, ran out of time last night...

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/trans_ready1.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/nearly_in.JPG

Rich

Well, it's in!

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/eng_in_1.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabri...ight_5inch.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/eng_in_3.JPG

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/cabrio/ride_height_1.JPG

5 inches to the sump... If I lower it further I'll just shorten the sump by the common 1 1/2"..

Rich

SCHWEEEEET! Looking good. When do you expect to have her running?

And I have to mention again how much I like your driveway!

Jason

It's being put on hold while I sort out my new daily driver (needed the workshop space):

http://www.ricola.co.uk/images/gtr_images/lowered_1.JPG

That's why I sold the G50....

Rich

bumper
 

Hi Rich, On your Cabrio, What is your bumper bolted to? Is the rear apron just supported by the fenders and the bumper is bolted to that? thanks
Mike

It is just hanging there at the moment, I plan to fabricate a mini framework at the back which fits around the heads, similar to how Steve C has done his..

Rich

Hi Ricola

What sort of car is your daily driver? Looks interesting.

Steve

It's a Phantom GTR, the build is on my website, it is actually the original car which I rebuilt from the ground up wiht new chassis. www.phantom.uk.com is their site...

Rich

Feel like I'm going round in circles now! Scored a very low mileage short nose G50 with LSD and all the other bits from the same car, hoping to squeeze it all in under the back seat...

That is a really nice find!!
Its my ultimate track tranny for sure... Just recently found out on a track day I could really use a LSD.

Couple of more up to date threads of my progress...

Volkszone:
http://www.volkszone.co.uk/VZi/showthread.php?t=544689

Aussieveedubber forum:
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/v....php?tid=75812

Mainly due to higher traffic and thea fact that aussie's are more into subaru conversions...

what size tubing did you use on your radiator plumbing thanks

32mm OD (1 1/4")