Miura, a lightweight aerodynamic body over a Volkswagen frame

[Otto]

Originally Posted by elhigh

I can't find it.

I would swear on a stack of Bibles that I read the builders had found a NOS "highway helper" wing - no, I'm not confused with the "freeway flyer" tranny - that improved cooling and aero. I keep looking back through the articles, I just can't find it.

And I was wrong about the initial mileage, too. The original Type 3 whistled up 28, it got 29.9 with a chassis tune.

Hey, CR: my favorite VW-based sports car: the Puma.


Not the convertible, though. The proportions get weird in a hurry.

Is that a Brazilian fiberglass kit car? I was in Rio about 35 years ago, saw one, and loved it. Made inquiries about importing it to the US. Is it a VW based design? Anybody import kits or make them here?

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Otto

Is that a Brazilian fiberglass kit car?

IIRC, not a kit. The Puma was a factory rebody, a native Brazilian project. Brazil's economy was closed to foreign-built vehicles, so the only vehicles for sale were those built locally. That left only VW and I think GM and AMC? Not sure about that last one, that might have been Mexico.

Anyway, Puma used VW chassis but built their own stylish fiberglass bodies to go over the mechanicals. They offered a few different things including a larger coupe with a Chevy six-pot mill under the hood, the usual VW aircooled four-banger out back, and I'm not sure what else. I've heard mention of a truck but never thought to go look at it.

(pause) Okay, I went to look at it. It resembles a contemporary VW medium-duty cabover. No big deal.

So while it isn't precisely factory - Puma didn't do the mechanicals or running gear - it isn't a kit either. The fit and finish were better than your typical backyard mechanic (that said, I've seen some gloriously detailed kit cars) and there was plenty of aftermarket support. And like I said, of the assorted things that have been draped over VW underpinnings, this one is nicely proportioned and looks good from most angles.

[Otto]

If I had my druthers, a lowered Puma car with Subaru flat 6 would be the ticket, with covered headlights and smoother windshield trim.

[some_other_dave]

I'll just leave this here, then....

TheSamba.com :: VW Classifieds - 1977 Puma Gte - Strong Runner

-soD

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

The Puma is nice too, and is still available in South Africa, altough made by a different company, and IIRC it's also available there as a kit-car. There was also an older FWD Puma made with a DKW frame, the Puma GT Malzoni. I've seen one in my hometown a few times but never had the chance to take some pictures of it. The bigger, Chevrolet-based one, is the GTB, which uses a dedicated frame and looks quite like a Camaro.

[renault_megane_dci]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Scuderi Split-cycle conversion. Compressed air hybrid, here we come!

I can't make my mind around that, the inlet phase of the power cylinder is so bloody short, even with compressed (heated up along the way and loaded with some oil) air, you can't fill the cylinder that fast !

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Otto

If I had my druthers, a lowered Puma car with Subaru flat 6 would be the ticket, with covered headlights and smoother windshield trim.

That would get you awfully close to an Acura NSX, esp. if you made necessary modifications to move the engine to mid- instead of rear-mount configuration.

[kach22i]

I've seen a convertible version in person too, also handsome from all angles.

View topic - Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Festival - 2011

Originally Posted by kach22i

I took over 100 photos at 2011, 24th Annual Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Festival.
2011 Vintage VW Show pictures by kach22i - Photobucket




Homepage of event host with PDF flyer.
Michigan Vintage Volkswagen Club - Home Page

More from my photobucket album:
http://s184.photobucket.com/user/kac...?sort=3&page=1

[freebeard]

In the 1970s, what I wanted was the Amanté. It is very similar:

_____

renault_megane_dci -- If there is a running engine based on this principle, it's kept pretty well under wraps.

OTOH I don't know if you can trust an animated GIF for the timing information. I just noticed the compression cylinder doesn't show an exhaust valve.

The complete design has a compressed air-hybrid mode where there is a big air tank available to the interconnect passage. It can be fed from the compression side, or used to drive one side or the other in air mode.

They also talk about an intercooler in the interconnect passage. While I can see a tank, it's hard to imagine an intercooler that could withstand the peak cylinder pressure/volume. Maybe a carbon fiber tank with aluminum fins strapped to it and a shrouded cooling fan?

[renault_megane_dci]

The inlet phase unfortunately has to be short because it fires right after !
The only way it could be done is with very much compressed air and even then the valve event needs to be short.

And what is more, how the engine is throttled, I can't figure it out either.

The conclusion is tough, I am not smart enough ...