HOW TO COMPARE SPECIALTY AUTO-SPORTS, INC. SPEEDSTERS

 WITH TYPICAL VW BASED SPEEDSTERS

 

 .

During years of enjoyable discussions with potential clients regarding the merits of  Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.  Subaru powered Speedsters  I found that most  really did not have a sufficient understanding of the typical VW Speedster in order to make a meaningful  comparison

 

 

 Comparisons are futile because there is so much to remember  in the presentation.  Because of this information void I have developed a comparison check list to assist prospects in preparing themselves for a valuable exchange of information with the various manufacturers.
COMPARISON CHECK LIST

   'click' on any topic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Origin

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         Fiberglass Body and molds-Knoxville TN USA

·         Welded Chassis -   Knoxville, TN  USA

·         Body Assembly -   Knoxville, TN  USA

·         Final Assembly  -  Knoxville, TN   USA

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Typical VW based

·         Fiberglass Body and Molds - Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Europe

·         Body Assembly -  Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Europe

·         Final Assembly  -  USA

 

Engine:

21st century engines are very powerful and efficient ... 1938 design Beetle engines are 1938 design

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

  • Subaru  Boxster 4 cylinder 2500cc  
  • water cooled
  • 170hp      166 #/ft torque
  • Single overhead cam SOHC - no adjustment required
  • multiport fuel injection
  • OBDII engine management
  • noise level - quiet

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Typical VW based

  • VW Beetle 4 cylinder 1600cc (1938 design)
  • air-cooled
  • 55hp       77 #/ft  Torque
  • in-block cam with lifters and adjustable rockers
  • 34PICT single throat Carburetor
  • Distributor, points, condenser, rotor
  • noise level - high

 

 

Engine Maintenance:

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

  • Replace cam belts (75,000 to 100,000 miles)
  • oil change  3000 miles
  • platinum tip plugs (100,000 miles)
  • some engines have coil packs

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Typical VW based

  • valve adjustment (1500-2000 miles)
  • oil change 2000 miles
  • points, wires, plugs, condenser, distributor cap, rotor
  • carburetor cleaning and adjustment periodically

 

Transaxle:

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         Subaru 4 Speed Automatic with Overdrive

·         OBDII controlled for optimum efficiency

also

·         Subaru 5 Speed manual with Overdrive

·         hydraulic clutch

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Typical VW based

·         VW Beetle 4 Speed manual - No overdrive

·         1938 design and "rebuilt" with used parts

·         Cable activated clutch

 

 

 

 

Suspension and steering

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

Front

·         unequal length upper and lower wishbones - ball joint, tubular construction

·         Carrera coil over shocks - adjustable dampening rates, selection of coil rates

·         Rack and pinion steering

 

 

Rear

·         High performance Subaru Legacy GT

·         Heavy duty cast steel trailing arms

·         double row cage wheel bearings

·         3 adjustable lateral links - for alignment

·         3/4" heavy duty Heim joint connection

·         coil over shocks - spring rate selectable

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Typical VW based

Front

·         VW Beetle front suspension - some with king pin (1938 design) some with ball joint.(1967 design)  Cast trailing suspension arms

·         Stacked leaf torsion strip springing - non adjustable

·         Standard hydraulic shocks - non adjustable

·         Recirculating ball steering with various linkage bars (1938 design)

Rear

·         VW Beetle swing arm (1938 design)

·         Welded sheet metal trailing arms

·         spherical single row wheel bearings

·         minimal alignment adjustment

·         hydraulic shocks

·         torsion bar springing - non adjustable

 

 

 

 

Brakes

Our brakes are designed for 300HP......Beetle brakes are designed for 60HP

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

Front - disc

·         12" ventilated  rotors

·         Subaru  Legacy Calipers

·         Power assisted

·         DOT 4 brake fluid

Rear - disc

·         Subaru  10-3/4" non-ventilated rotors

·         Subaru Legacy Calipers

·         Power assisted

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Typical VW based

Front - drum

·         1-1/2" drums

·         Manual   (non-power assisted)

·         DOT 3 brake fluid

 

Rear - drum

·         1-1/2" drums

·         manual  (non-power assisted)

 

 

 

Chassis

 

Our chassis is designed for 300HP......Beetle chassis is designed for 60HP

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         Custom engineered structural tube design surrounding the occupants

·         Front and rear diagonally braced structural crush members

·         Steel frame reinforced doors

·         Steel floor

·         Forward steel firewall and foot wells

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Typical VW based

·         VW Beetle pan (1960-1966) shortened

·         Steel 2x4 lower perimeter frame positioned below doors

·         Nothing in doors

·         Steel or fiberglass floor

·         No Firewall fiberglass foot wells

 

 

Fuel System

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         16 Gallon Racing fuel cell - foam filled

·         electric fuel pump immersed inside tank with top outlet

·         Fuel supply lines run on outside of frame rails

·         Fuel cell located forward of occupant zone - separated by steel firewall and steel floor

·         Surrounded by welded steel impact structure

·         automatic safety fuel shut off in case of fuel line rupture

·         tank secured to welded frame - with straps

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Typical VW based

·         8 Gallon VW Beetle sheet metal gas tank

·         uncontrolled gravity feed tank with outlet on tank bottom

·         Fuel supply line run inside car.

·         located in occupant zone over occupants lap - separated by fiberglass trunk floor

·         Surrounded by fiberglass

·         no safety shutoff

·         tank secured to fiberglass trunk floor with bolts and washers

 

 

Engine Cooling System

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         High efficiency double pass custom aluminum radiator - rear mount

·         Two 10" fans controlled by OBDII computer

·         One fan runs at low rpm constant on

·         One fan runs at high rpm on only at elevated temperatures and/or AC on - computer control

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Typical VW based

·         Belt driven fan blowing air through a sheet metal plenum and over the engine cooling fins

·         Air flow direction controlled by sheet metal shrouds on top of engine

·         Very noisy system especially at high rpm

 

 

 

Emissions

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         Meets 2006-2009 USA/EPA emissions

·         Maintains catalytic convertors, Oxygen sensors, EGR, tank fumes control, Carbon canister systems, Idle air control

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Typical VW based

·         1965-1977 VW Beetle emissions levels

·         Import of VW Beetles was halted in the 1977 model year because they could not meet the USA emission and noise control requirements.

 

 

Heater-Defroster System

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         An independent heater-defroster plenum is hidden from view under the dash

·         controls are electric servo actuated which gives a selective variable temperature control

·         Heat is obtained from thermostatically controlled constant source 195F hot engine water

·         Heat and defrost is  delivered by a 3 speed fan delivering a powerful flow

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Typical VW based

·         There is no heater-defroster plenum

·         Controls are cable/lever activated which open a flap on the engine exhaust manifold shroud to allow heat collected from the exhaust manifold to blow back through the sub frame and exit at your feet

·         some of this air is tapped and directed to defroster slots on the dash.

·         very little heat or air flow is extracted from this system and virtually no defrost is delivered

 

General Data

 

Specialty Auto-Sports, Inc.

·         Weight Bias -  the true measure of performance handling.  Our 5 Speed Speedsters have about a 46/54 weight bias which delivers precise directional control and superior braking balance

 

 

 

 

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Typical VW based

·         The typical VW Speedster has about a 38/62 weight bias.  Less balance which translates into less front braking and directional control, and slower responsiveness to driving commands