2.0 heat exchanger options, SSI vs stock vs ?

[718RSK]

Getting close to finalizing my engine and turning my attention to the exhaust and heat exchangers. Given that there are no accurate reproductions of the early mufflers I am having these made (see other post) My question revolves around the heat exchangers, it appears there are some options here:

1. Restore the original set: Pros; original sound and fit, Cons; general condition and performance??
2. SSI: Pros; improved performance from what I read and stainless construction, Cons; sound not as original. From what I see SSI is no part of JP Group which also owns Dansk. Does anybody have experience with regard to quality? My experience from the 356 world when it comes to Dansk products is to run away
3. New steel set: unsure about these, do these offer the increased flow/performance of the SSI in steel? anybody have any experience with these?

Curious to learn if there are any other options? For me sound and look as original are guiding principles but I would be willing to entertain other options which look improve performance without taking to much away from the original look and sound as this car will be my wife's summer driver and not a trailer queen

TIA

JK

[Chuck Miller]

JK,

Another option...
Did my original exchangers and muffler with Jet-Hot in '2003... Still fine...

https://www.jet-hot.com/

Hope this helps... good luck

cm

[raspritz]

I went with SSIs rather than repairing originals. Having made that decision, I was deterred by the high price, but scrounging around for about six months I found a killer deal (half price off sale). Build quality is very high, and no complaints. Performance and sound are exactly as original. SSI has nothing to do with either Porsche or Dansk. I went with the Dansk muffler, by the way. No complaints there either; fitment required a little tweaking, but hey, it's an old car.

[Arne]

SSI has nothing to do with either Porsche or Dansk.

They have never had any connection to Porsche. Regarding Dansk, that was true when they were made in California, through about 2012. The company was sold then to Dansk, and all tooling and machinery moved to Denmark. The current SSI products are built and marketed by Dansk as a "premium" version slotted above their normal heat exchangers, and are generally considered somewhat inferior to the original, California made product.

That said, when I replace my heat exchangers, I will probably still buy them as I want stainless, not mild steel.

[raspritz]

OK, then I stand corrected. My SSIs were NOS SSI production purchased about 4 or so years ago.

[preS]

Knowing you a little, having seen some pictures and read some threads of your restoration in which everything is as close as per factory as possible, the fact that you go the extra mile to have the NLA muffler made, that the car is a stock (assumption) 130 hp solex engine i would expect you to opt for the original heat exchangers.

You could consider to make her an extra long stroke Weber engine w SSI‘s, etc since those kind of engines are fun and more convenient to drive.

My $.02

Richard

Getting close to finalizing my engine and turning my attention to the exhaust and heat exchangers. Given that there are no accurate reproductions of the early mufflers I am having these made (see other post) My question revolves around the heat exchangers, it appears there are some options here:

1. Restore the original set: Pros; original sound and fit, Cons; general condition and performance??
2. SSI: Pros; improved performance from what I read and stainless construction, Cons; sound not as original. From what I see SSI is no part of JP Group which also owns Dansk. Does anybody have experience with regard to quality? My experience from the 356 world when it comes to Dansk products is to run away
3. New steel set: unsure about these, do these offer the increased flow/performance of the SSI in steel? anybody have any experience with these?

Curious to learn if there are any other options? For me sound and look as original are guiding principles but I would be willing to entertain other options which look improve performance without taking to much away from the original look and sound as this car will be my wife's summer driver and not a trailer queen

TIA

JK

[718RSK]

All, thanks for your input.

Not knowing the SSI's please excuse my ignorant question but once painted, can these be easily told from the original steel ones?

@Richard, I still have the original exchanges for my car but they are not in the best shape so would require a lot of work. I think I will go ahead and have them chemically stripped and see what we have as a base to work with. Still thinking that a set of SSI's might be the way to go unless they are very easy to tell from the originals when mounted.

The engine is in the final stages, I just need to finalize the carbs, set the floats and injection volumes etc. Excuse the quick crappy picture

[72targa]

SSI heat exchangers were once made by John Daniels company called Stainless Systems, Inc. in Novato, CA...

https://www.corporationwiki.com/Cali.../40122775.aspx

The business was sold to Dansk in 2012. If you’re lucky, you may find some of the originals which were works of art. Here’s a recent ad on Pelican...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...novato-ca.html

[Richy]

I recently bought some SSI's made by Dansk and was pleasantly surprised , very nice . The only visual difference between new steel is one less bolt access hole on the right exchanger . Ceramic coat them satin silver . Something that is done wrong so often , wrong is now considered correct . Look at old factory pics .

[raspritz]

Whoa! I think I paid $750 for my NOS SSIs. That said, I'm pretty good at scrounging and finding deals, and that search took me three or four years. 718RSK, I have never seen painted SSIs; they are really too pretty to paint. If you want an original look and your heat exchangers are roached, the ones I took off my '69T are pretty good and would take very little to make nice. They're listed on TheSamba (https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifi...php?id=2335036). PM me if you want to discuss.

Rich