Polo engine article

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Brad Ripley
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Polo engine article

#1 Post by Brad Ripley »

Here's a good story about a Polo engine professionally built and into a late 356 Cabrio.
Read here https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2021/1 ... 9908023J5T

Regards, Brad Ripley

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John Brooks
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Re: Polo engine article

#2 Post by John Brooks »

Justin Rio is building one. Here is a link to the project. This is a complicated engine build. Lots of one off modifications and use of existing OEM parts. Interesting journey

https://forum.abcgt.com/forum/main-foru ... iew=thread
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Hanns Mueller-Rech
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Re: Polo engine article

#3 Post by Hanns Mueller-Rech »


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Greg Bryan
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Re: Polo engine article

#4 Post by Greg Bryan »

I went through the entire 18 pages of Justin Rio's Polo build - he is a very persistent fellow, to say the least.
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Re: Polo engine article

#5 Post by John Brooks »

Greg
You think that's detailed, go look at the coupe to speedster build

https://forum.abcgt.com/forum/main-foru ... iew=thread
Last edited by John Brooks on Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Harlan Halsey
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Re: Polo engine article

#6 Post by Harlan Halsey »

I have a 912, and have thought that a Polo engine would be a nice addition, ever since I saw the first Polo at the MHAR. I didn't have Greg's patience, but I read a good bit of the article. His project suffers from mission creep, and long delays over seemingly trivial operations like machining the Polo case for the Carrera fan housing. And while the Polo with the 911 cooling system probably has more cooling air than needed in the right places, what makes you think that just sticking a Carrera fan on top will work as well? Judging by he number of parts within a Carrera shroud, Porsche engineers thought quite a bit about the design-for the Carrera.
Today, I wonder if a Wilhoit big bore stroker might provide enough more poke for me anyway, simpler?
The original Polo was built by Dean for PP Obsolete. Now PPO says they don't use Deans engines anymore. Are there now two sources for the Polo? Does PPO use Dean's castings? Does anybody know?

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Greg Bryan
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Re: Polo engine article

#7 Post by Greg Bryan »

Regarding the two makers of4 cylinder 911, I believe (without going through the 18 thread pages again) that Rothsport is the exclusive provider for the Emory outlaws and that they are the only customer for that motor. That’s all I know
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Re: Polo engine article

#8 Post by Justin Rio »

John, thank you for sharing those links, appreciated.

And Harlan, if you think I just "stuck" a 4-cam fan housing on top of that motor without real planning or consideration you quit reading a bit too soon. Machining and locating for the generator stand was the most straight forward part of it. The design in progress now is ensuring good air flow over the heads especially on the left bank. I was made aware of the differences between an Axial fan (911) and a centrifugal fan (4-cam) output performance from Tony an engineer buddy of mine. In a nut shell I am exchanging velocity for added volume and as long as the flow directed well enough it will handle the job. Unnecessary mission creep? The entire car itself is unnecessary; this project creeps along but the plan hasn't changed much. Everything ultimately has to work properly, but in the end my car and all of its related components have to present at a level and specificity that pleases me. If it doesn't, out it comes. I obviously don't care how long it takes but I'm having all of it my way.

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Greg Bryan
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Re: Polo engine article

#9 Post by Greg Bryan »

Keep at it Justin - if it gives you pleasure, it's fulfilling its purpose!
Nice work
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Greg Scallon
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Re: Polo engine article

#10 Post by Greg Scallon »

Yea Justin. I've loved following along with your meticulous detail and strive for unique personal touches. I can't wait to see the whole project finished up and fired up.

Cheers,
-Greg
'58 Speedster
'56 VW Deluxe Microbus 

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Re: Polo engine article

#11 Post by Justin Rio »

My thanks and appreciation to you both. I'm not sure if that day is ever going to get here Greg but I'll keep at it until there's no more. Thanks again guys, Justin

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Re: Polo engine article

#12 Post by Adam Wright »

Justin Rio wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 2:55 pm I obviously don't care how long it takes but I'm having all of it my way.
What some people don't understand, but I think Justin does, is that many times a car build is the journey, not the destination. When building something unique there are a million setbacks, things that worked on paper that don't on the dance floor, but you stick with it and make progress. And it's a hell of a lot cheaper then therapy!!!
Take it from a guy who just passed the 5 year mark on two insane builds, an all aluminum 550 and a 904 body on a 914/6. Both are about half finished, am I worried, nope, I just turned 47 so like Mick Jagger, I got time on my side, and I think Justin is younger than me!!!!!
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Re: Polo engine article

#13 Post by Harlan Halsey »

On the other hand, projects, if they are projects, seem to have a lifetime, a least they do for me. On the other hand journeys, like gardening can go on for ever. Most home built airplanes don't get finished by the originator, nor do most kit car projects. They run out of time and maybe someone else completes them. So what is it? A journey or a project? For me, a journey might be fooling around with sports cars, but any one car, or any one engine, is a project.

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Phil Planck
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Re: Polo engine article

#14 Post by Phil Planck »

I have been following Justin's Carrera build for quite a while, along with his other meticulous builds and restorations. He does amazing work and it has been a joy to tag along. I find no fault with his approach, whatever you want to call it.
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Re: Polo engine article

#15 Post by Justin Rio »

Adam, I love your optimism about time being on your side at the tender age of 47 but in reality it is the enemy. As my mentor use to stress, " its always much later than you think it is". Unfortunately I'm not younger than you, I've got you by about 4 years and I can clearly remember beginning my build post here as I was just anticipating turning 40... now look. :( You are correct, the more you change and modify a car the more complicated, time consuming and expensive its going to get. If you go too wide with other car projects (which I have done) your time, money and effort becomes spread and diluted too thin and in return meaningful forward progress on everything gets reduced to a mere trickle if you're a one man band like I am. I've bounced around over the last several years between my old coupe and several other projects I'm interested in. I have now moth balled all other distractions to see my old silver coupe to the end but its still a challenge to leave my other cars alone. I have seen both of your projects and they are about as involved and one off as it gets. Building body skins and dream mock ups are certainly instantly gratifying and most essential in keeping the fires lit but the required engineering and fabrication of all the far less glamorous stuff like substructure, closing walls, latch and hinge mount placement, final body fitment, flow and gaps; the list goes on. It makes my head swim. Your focus, will and/or staying power is going to be truly put to the test during those phases. With that said I would highly recommend choosing just one car to finish to completion or it could quickly turn into another 5 years with very little forward progress to show. I'm not recreating the actual body on my car but I still had to drop back to refocus on this one project to get any meaningful progress again. Maybe you have some help I don't know but this is the hard lesson I've had to learn and relearn as time has gone on. As our old friend Bruce Baker has stated "its amazing how long it takes to finish something you're not working on"

Phil as always, thank you!

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