1955 550 Spyder

 

Porsche 550 Spyder 550A Description

 

This car is not your typical Beck 550 Spyder. For starters it has a 2. 7 liter 914 Type 4 motor. complete with Dual Webber carbs and BRD flowed-cylinder heads. This massive power plant delivers 0-60 mph acceleration in the 5. 4 second range and lateral acceleration better than 1. 0g.

This 550 Spyder was owned. and modified. by Jack Murphy and was featured in the MAY/JUNE '88 issue of VW-Porsche Magazine. The article states that “Jack fabricated a camber compensator to help keep the rear axle under control. The tight. stiff chassis. light weight and low roll angles minimize the problems of swing-axle handling. The nimble Spyder's cornering is astounding. pulling more than over 1. 0g peak lateral acceleration on street Pirelli P-6 radials. ”

The custom-fabricated wheels were engineered to provide the correct offset to fit in the Spyder's unmodified wheel wells while still providing the widest wheels possible for the best handling. Centers are '67 VW pieces professionally welded with 5-in wide fronts and 6-in wide rears. According to the article. Murphy chose Pirelli tires for a variety of reasons not the least of which was that the P-6 rubber is known to work extremely well on cars whose suspensions systems allow large camber changes. a notable Spyder trait. Whatever his reasons. the P-6's certainly look great.

As the Spyder weighs only 1300 pounds. the “best drum brakes that Stuttgart ever produced. the big. finned drum brakes from the 356B” provide superb stopping power. Why not disc brakes? Murphy just didn't think that anything but the big drum brakes would look right. Fitting the vintage brakes was not an easy task and many new fabricated parts were required to adapt the finned drum brakes to the Spyder's adjustable ball-joint suspension; the Aase Brothers' get the credit for sourcing the parts.

Original 4-cam engines are few and far between (and almost worth their weight in gold) so many modern 550 Beck Spyder's feature a standard VW-type motor. With the cars light weight. performance is not compromised.   But that wasn't good enough for Jack Murphy; he fitted a much-modified Type 4 Motor into the tight engine bay of the Spyder. But it was not just any Type 4 motor;  this one measures 2. 7 liters in displacement. The engine started its life as a “bullet proof” 2. 0-liter 914 engine but was transformed to a 2. 7 liter by boring the cylinders to 103mm; the stock 83mm stroke was retained. A 911-type fan shroud provides adequate air cooling to the oversized cylinders. A special “blueprinted” oil pump mounted in the front of the car facilitates cooling. As a result. the car runs very “cold blooded”.   To allow the motor to “breathe” properly. Greg Brown of Precision Porsche installed huge valves; 48mm intakes and 38mm exhausts.

The larger than normal engine. it's location aft along with the Type 4 exhaust port locations required a custom exhaust that was fabricated by European  Racing in Laguna Niguel. It's tight. rattle free and sounds superb. Rounding out the design. Murphy fitted the car with 215mm Transporter clutch with a stock 2000-lb pressure plate; a Neal hydraulic clutch master cylinder completes the setup. The transmission is 1973 European IRS gearbox that was specially built.

The car is finished in original “Championship Silver” Imron based paint with a hardener and clear coat and is registered as a 1986 Beck . As you sit on custom lightweight racing seats that are done in bright red. strapped in by a 5-point racing harness. you will be staring at an array of “VDO Vintage” gages. As your hands grip the Nardi-wood-rimmed steering wheel. as you look through a Speedster windscreen. you will be wondering where this powerful Spyder will take you next.

 

 Porsche 550 Spyder 550A Details

BODY:

Porsche 550A Beck Body (Tubular frame/hand-laid body)

 

ENGINE: PORSCHE 914 2. 0 liter modified casing

103mm barrels and 82mm forged billet crank (2. 7 liter displacement)Carrilo Connecting RodsPorsche 911 Shuffle pinsPorsche 911 Oil SquirtersBalanced/ aligned/fully blue printed (i. e. bullet proof)Crane 280 degree duration/ 0. 456 lift street track grindBRD/Precision Porsche heads w/ 48mm intake/38mm exhaust valveWelded and fully-flowed intake manifoldsWeber 48mm IDF-X  CarburatorsEURO 912 Air Cleaners/silencing systemTAYCO Linkage and fully aeroquippedCustom front (supplementary) motor mountFully detailed enginePolished aluminum valve coversPolished aluminum intake manifolds

 

EXHAUST SYSTEM:

Fully Researched Header System1 ¾” primaries to full 2 ½ “ exhaustReverse flow muffler systemCompetition Style “Cookie Cutter Stinger” w/ modified supertrap

 

OIL SYSTEM:

Twin (series arrangement) GerTrab Oil Coolers (front compartment mounted)GerTrab 190 degree oil thermoststAeroquip Braided Line system

 

FUEL SYSTEM:

11. 5 US gallon w/ Lemans style filterVDO senderHardi Porsche 911S Fuel Pump (front mounted below tank)

 

DISTRIBUTOR:

Bosch 009 w/Allison Breakerless SAystemJacob's Engineering  Computer System (w/8mm silicon wires)

 

STARTER

Porsche 930 Turbo (1. 5 HP)

 

CLUTCH:

215mm w/modified 2000lb pressure plateNeal Hydraulic Clutch System (master and slave)

 

SUSPENSION:

Ball Joint Front Suspension Camber Compensator Assisted Swing-Axle Rear Suspension

 

STEERING:

Porsche 356 BoxNARDI Steering Wheel

 

BRAKES:

Porsche 356BAeroquip Flex Brake Lines

 

WHEELS/TIRES:

5. 5 x 16 with 185/65 Pireilli P6's (front)6. 0 x 16 with 195/65 Pireilli P6's (rear)

 

ELECTRICAL:

Custom hand-wired (not an adapted loom)Circuit Breaker and fuse protectedHeadlights: Bosch Halogen lampsBattery : Sealed Delco (12v positive battery system)Porsche 911 SC Alternator / Cooling Fan system (F. A. T Cooling Shroud)

 

INSTRUMENTATION & ACCESSORIES:

VDO vintage gauge arrayAM/FM stereo cassette system w/ 4 speakers (hidden)Porsche Speedster Safety Glass WindscreenCustom Aluminum frame rear-view mirrorRadar System mountAnti-theft System (1 passive; 2 active)

 

INTERIOR:

Custom lightweight seats (brick red); replica reupholsteryGerman velour carpet w/ brick pipingMatching Tonneau cover (full and split)Neal Throttle Pedal; Morse F aircraft control cableAircraft Heat Insulation in way of exhaust header area5-point racing-type seat belts

 

PAINT:

Imron (Porsche Championship Silver)Fully Detailed Trunk /Boot

 

 

GEAR BOX:

Fully Race Prepared; 1973 European IRS Case converted to swing axle configurationRatios1st – 3. 782nd – 2. 063rd – 1. 264th – 0. 89

 

SHIFTER & LINKAGE:

Berg Shifter (Jatmar @gearbox)Aircraft Apex and Heim Joints w/chrome moly tube constructionShort Throw

 

OPERATING CONDITIONS & NOTES:

 

Red Line: 6200-6500 rpmOil Temperature: Themostat set at 192F (equates to 180F on gauge)Runs extremely cool due to twin oil coolersSpark Plugs: Bosch Platinum (WR H 7DS)Ride Height Adjustable via torsion barEngine Removal facilitated by removable X-Member  in frameSecurity: 3 position toggle switch behind driverrear fender well; turn 45 degrees and remove key (battery off)Audible alarm

 

 

 

 

 

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