wspohn
SuperDork
2/18/23 2:20 p.m.
Not a huge Volks fan - never owned one, nor had the urge. They always struck me more as commuting tools than anything else.
Then I saw an SP2! It was a model made exclusively for Brazil from 1972 to 1976 and had the usual anaemic 1.7 Beetle engine in it, but from the aesthetic point of view is was as far removed from the Beetle as you could get. They look like something Porsche might have made in their front engine line up. They made around 10,000 of them but they were never well respected in Brazil so many have fallen by the wayside.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_SP2
The Karmann Ghia was a successful body shape using the VW engines but this is much nicer, IMHO. And they just cry out for something better for engines - nothing over the top, maybe an early 911 2.0 or 2.4?
Has anyone seen one of these in the 'flesh'? Do they do the pictures justice?
I'd choose a Puma over a SP2 but yeah... I get it. Brazilian VW hotness.
There was Pumas at the Vancouver Auto Show in the early 80s and they were intriguing. There was an 80s one on Craigslist a few months ago and the ask dropped from $10,000 to $7,500 on its second tour and then left so this time it may have sold.
Here you go.
https://www.brazilianclassiccars.com/store/vw/sp2
I tried to Google ones for sale and br.ebay, but all I saw was Hotwheel cars. And then this came up.
Or you could just buy a Saab. LOL
84FSP
UberDork
2/18/23 9:31 p.m.
I'd love to climb around one to see what they are about. On paper and in pictures I love the idea. Thinking of a built big jug motor and freeway flier trans...
buzzboy
SuperDork
2/18/23 11:36 p.m.
A Type4 is not much money away from being "not anemic"
SP2 deserves a recreation replica. Maybe a light modern three cylinder to keep it quirky.
Love the look of the SP2. A solid choice if you like to turn heads–regardless if the spectator is in the know or not.
I have been looking for a Puma project as I have a lot of Hot Rod VW parts and a Porsche 901 , Five speed transmission and some cool vintage rims .......
Some day one will show up :)
I never knew how much I wanted an old VW until now.
wspohn said:
....Has anyone seen one of these in the 'flesh'? Do they do the pictures justice?
There is someone who comes to my local Cars and Coffee and VW club sometimes with one (it might even be that orange one shown above). It is a nice looking car, that is not "obviously" VW. The tires are very VW and are probably a bit skinny for what most would want on a sports car.
Realistically, they are stupid rare in the US. If you had one that was close to good condition it would probably be silly to mod it. If you somehow find a shell (which hopefully has good glass), then maybe and you could use most VW bug mod parts on it, but it is a "pancake" motor (like a Squareback) so if you want to use a bug motor, you will loose the cargo area.
I believe these are mechanical fuel injection motors also (!). Even putting carbs on one is difficult because of engine cover clearance (I did just see a squareback with a dual carb setup, and very flat air cleaners). This will give you an idea of the clearances involved.
Weird the SP2 popped up on my youtube feed this week.
The motor above is the same as USA Type 3 Squarebacks ,
Bosch electronic fuel injection , same as a 914 Porsche ,
distributor has an extra set of points that triggers the injection.
And for some unknown reason there were a lot of SP2s in the Canary Islands !
Pretty sure there is one up here in NH as well,
You can get one, brand new, for about a buck.
There was a Ventura drag car back in the 90s , Small Cars in Orange County raced it and it was a cover car in HotVWs magazine
I think a lot of you have not quoted a properly built type 1/4. Making something like a SP2 modern fast and reliable is a mid 5 figure proposition.
