Memories (for petrolheads)

[Bugsy]

Just been sent a link showing my old dragster, in new owners hands, at the pod.

I built the car, from scratch, in 1997. Looks different now and running slightly slower but still makes the goosebumps rise.

Turn up the volume and smell the nitro.

click here

and when I drove it.

[IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/Bug2atthepod.jpg[/IMG]

 

[Chancer]

FANTASTIC[:D]

I have only just found the volume control on my desktop after about 2 years, it has been there all the time but I didnt see it!

To watch and hear (properly) that video really made my hairs stand on end, its amazing what power can be squeezed out of old light engines.

What gearbox/transmission were you running?

[Bugsy]

I ran a trans-axle setup originally built for me by Dave Foulkes in California.

[IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/Gearbox.jpg[/IMG]

That was changed later to a Hallibrand rear end and Borg-Warner auto-box.

The car has run low 7's .

Gary.

 

[raindog]

What about the motor bugbear? Looks air cooled....(or have I missed something?)

[Bugsy]

Hi RD,

Yes, aircooled based on VW flat four. That said it contained only one volkswagen part, the front pulley nut [:)]

Pauter case, Scat crank & heads, Carrillo rods, J&E pistons, titainium valves (sodium-filled). etc, etc.

2.4 litre capacity running 14.5:1 compression with a wild 320degree overlap camshaft.

116 octane fuel (no longer available) at £12.00 a gallon (1997).

It used about a gallon and a half on each quarter mile pass.

Nitrous Oxide and Water injection.

Around 400 BHP at the flywheel.

[IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/Engine.jpg[/IMG]

Do I miss the buzz, oh yes.........

[raindog]

FABULOUS - i'm up to me neck in plasterboard at the moment but that brought the smile back to me face [:D]

[raindog]

The rocker covers look original [;-)]

[Bugsy]

Well spotted that man.

That got my brain thinking, especially as the rockers hit a standard cover and therefore could not be used.

In the picture the covers are only on temporarily because the alloy bolt-ons were having breather pipe attachments welded on.

Did you have Vdubs then ?

[raindog]

Yeah, loads - a short wheelbase buggy, various beetles and a variant station wagon.

I thought it looked like a VW unit, but I daren't post the fact because it seemed so outrageous.[:D]

But the basic quality of the engines meant they were fairly easy to tune. They were underbreathed to keep the revs down and keep longlife and reliability up. Fit an Okrassa crank and downdraft webbers and the power went right up. Still got a beetle rally preparation book somewhere by Peter Noad.

[Bugsy]

Good stuff.

Peter Noad was a bit of a star with the VW. In the states it was Gene Berg .

The carbs on that unit of mine are 48mm IDA Webers, bored to 51mm. (they wouldn't go any bigger)[:)]

They were originally used in banks of three on the Carrera Porsches.

Do you have any photos of your cars by any chance?

[Chancer]

[quote user="Bugbear"]

Hi RD,

Yes, aircooled based on VW flat four. That said it contained only one volkswagen part, the front pulley nut [:)]

[/quote]

What about the nut behind the wheel?

[Bugsy]

Didn't have a wheel JR ..................................[8-|]

 

Butterfly steering.

[raindog]

Here's the bug.

[IMG]http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/sheeponabike/bug.jpg[/IMG]

I'd just fitted a 1600 Variant twin carb engine in it. That's the original silencer that I was about to replace with an open system with motorbike megaphone silencers but I can't find the pic.

It went like s**t off a shovel.

Went all over europe in it with my wife for our honeymoon.

[Bugsy]

Short wheelbase and would be perfect for the summer out here.

Is that a Manta Ray body ?

[raindog]

No - GP.

Yes, it was perfect for down here. We got married near Séte - got a pic of it somewhere covered in wedding day ribbons and bits of lace! [:)]

[Bugsy]

[quote user="raindog"]Yeah, loads - a short wheelbase buggy, various beetles and a variant station wagon.
[/quote]

My wife has just commented that what is it about Vdubs that make people have a lot of them...[:D]

When we lived in the UK, with the girls (2) still at home we did, at one time have the following vehicles in our drive/garage.

Volkswagen Transporter (bay window 1977)

Volkswagen Beetle 1500 (1967)

Volkswagen Beetle 1600 (1973)

Volkswagen Golf Van (works van, I  had a VW/Audi garage)

Volkswagen Passat Estate.

VW powered dragster (in the garage, of course)[:)]

Now, all I have is my Audi...................................and a Jeep................and a bike...............[:)][:)]

[raindog]

hey, hey - a kind of desease I guess. You either loved 'em or hated 'em I seem to remember.

One of my beetles was a 1500 too - really torquey - one of the best cars I ever had.

Wish I still had it [:(] sob

I always wanted one of the big beetles with McPhearson front and triangulated rear but never did get round to it.

[Bugsy]

You're right about that 1500. I bought it as a wreck for £60. It was in a lock-up with a motorbike laid across the roof. I did a full, 'body off the floorpan' restoration and gave it to my eldest daughter. Never really touched the engine, just a good service and new exhaust from memory.

I'm typing this with a memento of my VW days. I took the end of a finger off between the flywheel and one of the two mounting bolts whilst spinning the flywheel one day.

The doctor said he would have to scrub my hand to remove the dirt, but after seeing the look on my face, quickly added that they would give me an injection first..[:'(]

He scrubbed it with swarfega and then stitched the end back on and I never felt a thing. Still painful in cold weather though.

Good website at www.vwdrc.com if you're into quick stuff.

 

[Bugsy]

Raindog.

This was my original car, filmed at Santa Pod in 1991.

click here

[raindog]

hey hey you mad bugger [:D]

never been to a drag meeting. What's that short run for at the start - to put rubber down?

[Bugsy]

Laying down some rubber, I can smell it even now................[:D][:D]

16 years ago...............................[:(]

[Dick Smith]

[quote user="raindog"]hey hey you mad bugger [:D]

never been to a drag meeting. What's that short run for at the start - to put rubber down?

[/quote]

If you get the chance, go and see some. Much more and much better than you ever see in televised meets. The feeling in your chest as a supercharged big block motor goes past - elemental.

[raindog]

I suppose the nearest i've experienced is gp's at Monaco. The noise of open exhausts in the tight confines of the streets is physically exhausting. At the end of a race there, you feel as if you've been beaten-up by the KGB. A bit like three or four hours at a rock concert near the speaker banks.

[Bugsy]

Have you been in the tunnel during the build-up to the race, when the rich are playing with their Ferraris, Bugattis and suchlike. It's a truly awesome experience.

 

 

Said the deaf old bloke.................................[:D]

[raindog]

I had three different clients at Monaco at one time and used to go over there 7 or 8 times a year, and got to know the circuit off by heart, both on foot and at the wheel. I've seen various races and practice days there.

Here's a pic I love. It's of Hill in 97 going up Beaurivage with his dad on the giant screen at the same time.

(actually it's made up of 2 pics I took from a hotel roof, chopped and stuck together. But they were taken only minutes apart, so it's not really cheating that much[:D])

[IMG]http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/sheeponabike/DOUBLEHILL.jpg[/IMG]