Kit Car Builder, February 2005

Since we started this story at the car's foundation, let's continue the discussion with some more details of the Thunder Ranch Speedster chassis. TR lays out a perimeter- style ladder frame of 2"x 4" steel tubes with a pair of 2"x 4" tubes extending down the center and forming the tunnel and adding additional strength. In and effort to not try to reinvent the wheel, the company wisely grafts a donor VW Beetle IRS unit onto the back of the frame. That IRS piece incorporates all the suspension location points, trailing arm brackets, torsion bar tubes, transmission mounts, engine mounts, etc., and unlike some of the body components where the piece originates, is typically free of the ravages of the environment and time. The way the IRS piece is removed from the donor vehicle it also conveniently incorporates the rear portion of the tunnel where the car's chassis VIN is located. Once the piece is welded in position it is outfitted with new TR- spec torsion bars, and other new components in the form of trailing arms, shocks, hubs, brakes and such.

For the front suspension the Ranch hands borrow a little trick from the sandrail industry by welding on tubular upper and lower arms with brackets that will hold a stock or aftermarket twin- tube torsion beam set- up, at the proper angle, in much the same way it would be found on a pre- 1972 Bug. The beams are then fitted with appropriate torsion leaf springs, parallel ball- joint trailing arms, shocks, hubs and disk brakes, and in most cases an adjustable lowering device. What you end up with on this chassis are slightly modified VW Bug front and rear suspension configurations held together by a solid steel framework. Like we said, why reinvent the wheel when you have serviceable suspension configurations that have been used successfully in a wide range of automotive applications for more than 40 years.

Aside from the novel chassis treatment this Speedster isn't overly unique. It uses a lot of the same components as its competitors. It has the right badges. It stands correctly. A healthy VW flat-four, air- cooled engine, similar to what everyone else uses, powers it. But, Tom and his Ranch hands spent an inordinate amount of time straightening out what they deemed wrong with other Speedster offerings. We even heard one builder, upon seeing the TR bathtub for the first time recently, comment, "It's about time someone got the body shape of the rear flanks and rear cockpit coaming right." In addition, TR centers the driver's seat with the steering column and incorporates an original style storage configuration behind the seats, both doable since they also widened the cockpit for added space. We suppose that many of the improvements made to this car can be attributed to the fact that McBurnie has owned more than 13 original Speedsters in his lifetime. As such he has a pretty clear idea of what he wanted authentic and what he wants improved upon.

Kit Car Builder February 05 page three