MP3 t-shirt spotted at Irwindale!

[Antoine]

Well I was down at the Irwindale 1/8 mile track (here in SoCal) with a friend to check out the racing. I have to say I was surprised to see mostly old school hot rods...which KICKED MAJOR ASS...fastest run of the night was 6.01 (1/8 mile)...what does that translate to in 1/4...estimate (I prefer 1/4 mile tracks)? I'm amazed at the old vw bugs...they were very fast...what do they run in those cars...Porsche engines?...one turbo bug pulled the highest wheelie I've ever seen...the car almost flipped over...no joke...and the guy still made a fast run...amazing.

I only saw a few old rx7's run...no protgs, mp3's or even p5's....BUT I did see a guy in the crowd with a MP3 t-shirt...was it one of the members....anyone?

Had a great time though...for all those who say drag racing is boring...you need to go to an ACTUAL race...even better you need to race at an ACTUAL event.

 

[Gyre]

The old VW bugs have air-cooled engines ... Porsche designed, I believe.

 

[Kooldino]

I don't think they were porsche designed, but I think their parts were compatible with a porsche.

 

[Gyre]

Dr. Ferdinand Porshe. Father of Ferry Porsche of the Porsche sports car fame. Sorry.

(Ferdinand Porshe? Porsche? I've seen both.)

 

[20ESGUY]

Coming from air cooled roots, had a vw Karman Ghia vert and a couple of bugs. Some bug guys do run porsche engines, either out of 2.0L 911 targa's or the old 912's. Mostly though to get good reasonable power you'd run a 2.0L out of a bus put a 911 fan on it, tap the cases for full oil flow, bore and stroke to 2175CC's or higher, then add fuel injection or a good set of webber carbs with extractor pipes. That combo when done right is good for close to 180-200HP at the crank. One of the guys I work with now, who's a good friend of my dad's, is actually an X-proffesional bug racer. He had the 2nd fastest bug in the country back in the 60's-70's.

 

[BondoBob]

Dr. Porsche spelled his name the same way we spell the car line today: PORSCHE.

The Volkswagen Type I (the Beetle or VW Bug we all know) was designed by Ferry Porsche in the late 1930s. The design was used by Adolf Hilter as a demonstration of a "low-cost automobile for the German people". Volkswagen is German for "People's Car". The first VW imported into the States was in 1949. Actually they imported 2 that year.

After WWII, the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, Germany that (like our auto plants in the US) had been converted to war-time material production, was rebuilt by the US to help rebuild the economy of Germany.


Bondo, who digs history.

 

[20ESGUY]

Bob, I'm impressed. You had to have owned a vw or at least been into them at some point to know all those facts. Still very impressive though.

 

[Sir Nuke]

I too am a VW (air cooled) NUT>....I have had numerous models...and turned them into PERFORMANCE cars....As stated above....its common for people to use the 2.0 litre out of the buss....the engine that was used after 1970...its called a TYPE IV engine...and in fact is the SAME engine used in the 2.0 litre 914....to only difference was the cam....and the cooling system used (fan to cool the engine) in fact if you looked in the valve gally of the heads for the TYPE IV motors...in the casting is "porsche/audi"

however.....its not the only way to go.....you can easily, given enough money and the want....to build a 200 HP Type I motor...the type put in the Bug, Karmon Ghia, and the buss ( up till 1970)

I personally knew Gene Berg.....still know his sons....who was to VW racing...what Don Garlitts is to Top Fuel racing.....He helped me build my engines for my cars....gave me a TON of information and guidence when I was just getting started.... His shops car....a full steel bodied 1967 VW Bug runs the 1/4 mile in the low 11 second area....and does it all day long. This is far from the records...as he competes the car in a bracket catagory and actually doesn't want to run on the ragged edge....however his car makes a little over 250 HP....

unless something has changed in the last few years...the record for an air cooled VW powered car (its a turbo charged dragster rail) is owned by Dave Folts, who runs a transmission shop in Michigan.....is in the low 7's for the 1/4 mile...and at a tad over 180 MPH.....that b**** can FLY!!!

needless to say...I love air cooled VW's.....wish I could have afforded to start and build one from scratch again....maybe someday I will.....just another toy! :{D