The Cal-look Lounge

Ok, I have been asked to post some pix of the Oval and start a project thread. Not sure if you guys are going to dig it as it's runs a Wassboxer engine and is turbocharged. Anyway, heres a little run down on the car:

I bought the car back in 2003 as an ongoing project started by Pete Shattock (Outlaw Flat Four). Pete had bought the Oval in the 1980s and had started to build it as a race car. He cut out all the inner bulkheads, dashboard and had started to de-seam all of the window appertures. Inside the car, Pete had started out with the hole saw and had drilled about 50% of the lightening holes the car now has. He had tack-welded in a rollcage, but as it was mild steel and of inadequate tubing diameter for today's regs, it had to be cut out. The doors were race-weight fibreglass items from the States on billet ali hinges. There was no gearbox with the car or engine, but there was a very cool aluminium front beam which was adjustable and had been narrowed 4" (Who says narrowed beams are modern?, tut). Pete had done a lot welding: he had replaced the heater channels and had done some quarter panel work etc. All of the work done to the car had been of a really high standard - Pete had obviously taken his time and been patient. However, another project came along, so Pete and the Oval parted ways.

The first shot is of the car pretty much as I got it: Day Mouldings wings, fibreglass bonnet, race weight doors etc. The Sprint Stars and Ercos were put on for getting an overall idea of what the car would look like. And, because I bench race a lot, the car had already scored itself a moniker - All Torque!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/01a.jpg)

After planning out what I was going to do with the car I set about cutting out unnecessary metal to make way for the Porsche 915 gearbox with Quaife dif. I chopped the rear torsion bars out of the equation and narrowed the back end nearly five inches.

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/02b.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/03a.jpg)

I then spent days with the hole saw finishing off the 'drilled' look

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/02a.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/02c.jpg)

it look like a cheese matt  ;D ;D

I then started work on de-seaming the B-pillars. Again, quite a of work especially when you consider marking out and then drilling the holes at a very slow pace...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/06a.jpg)

The orginianl Oval dash had been cut out, so I decided to weld it up completely and then panel beat some double curvature into the dash...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/07a.jpg)

Back to the rear end: A mock up of the 915 gearbox and a turbo header with a T04 turbo...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/04a.jpg)

Work on the car stopped for over a year as I moved to Cornwall etc. In 2007 I got back into the project and decided on a cro-moly cage. I called up good buddy Wayne Allman of the Intergalactic Custom Shop and asked him whether he could help out on the project. Yep, he was up for it, so I went to Stratford-upon-Avon for a week. Wayne and I worked six days and nights solid and came up with a semi-tube frame chassis/roll cage. Big up to Wayne as he is true Artisan!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/09a.jpg)

Wayne takes health and safety very seriously...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/10a.jpg)

Making the rear gearbox mount 2 inches higher than stock for extra ground clearance as the car is going low...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/12a.jpg)

Some of Wayne's tube notching by hand - no expensive tubing notchers here!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/11a.jpg)

Checking out the seating arrangements...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/14a.jpg)

The main framework tacked in place. Lots more tubing to come into play months down the line...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/15a-1.jpg)

Back at my workshop I continued for what seemed like months working on the cage. I made up tons more tubing and braced pretty much every aspect of the chassis. I suffer a bit from claustraphobia, so learning to Tig-weld upside down and back to front with the aid of mirrors was quite a task. The net result was pleasing though...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/13a.jpg)

With the main chassis parts in place I could work on the front suspension, steering and fuel tank mounts. The steering is offset and is collapsible in case of a head-on. I got a little obsessed with cheese holing and weighing every part going on the car...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/22a.jpg)

The fuel tank straps I made out of sheet titanium. They weigh about as much a sparrow's fart!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/23a.jpg)

I sourced a Wasserboxer lump of Marco Mansi from his old race car. In a 2300 lb car (with him in it) it ran 10.86 in the quarter. Power at the flywheel was 413 bhp. However, Marco suggest the original turbo was running out of puff, so decided on this turbo...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/19a.jpg)

I sourced 1000 hp rated chargecooler off Ebay and cut and modified it to fit my application. I then chopped up an old intercooler core from a Jap and made some ali end tanks and tigged them on to to form a radiator for the water system.

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/17a.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/21a.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/16a.jpg)

I then designed and completely scratch built an intake system from sheet aluminium

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/18a.jpg)

Marco came down to Cornwall for a week to design and build the injection system and wiring loom/ecu system. He talked me into 8 600 cc injectors and two Porsche turbo fuel pumps! I think we might run E85 in the future, so the added fuel system capacity will be necessary at some stage. All I can say about Marco is he is an absolute genius and a gentleman! cheers buddy! We fired the car up over in spring of this year and broke the cam in. Man, that engine sounds one bad mutha! Can't wait to drive it 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/20a.jpg)

I then started work on beefing up the bodyshell in areas that are prone to cracking. A little bit of panel beating and swaging goes a long way for rigidity!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/24a.jpg)

I decided to fabricate my own Crotch Coolers a la Split Bug, but with a twist. The twist is they open backwards to let air out of the front inner wings...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/25a.jpg)

A big thanks to Stian Abel Larsen for sending me a pattern of an original crotch cooler! Cheers bud! Anyway, I made the cooler flaps out of ali sheet with brass meshing...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/27a.jpg)

With the body mods done, it was time for an entire sandblast of the whole bodyshell inside and out. I still have sand come out of my ears every now and then...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/28a.jpg)

Ben then blasted on some zinc primer

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/29a.jpg)

Matt Bown came and helped smooth out the bodyshell and laid on some two-pack primer mixed with two-pack green base coat. I really dig the finish. It looks uncannily similar to Stian's car...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/30a.jpg)

as i can see you're not only just a good vw reporter   8) 8) 8)

cheers
fabs

Time to start work on the dash layout. It had to be basic, but functional. The Autometer and HKS programmable boost gauge take pride of place...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/31a.jpg)

Wayne and I worked on the ali paneling together - it's pretty much done now

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/32a.jpg)

I wanted a heavy battery with loads of power right over the nose of the car to help keep it straight. I made the mounts from Zintec

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/33a.jpg)

I modified a Jazz seat to fit and had it recovered in leather by Matt Leach. Looks wicked in my opinion!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/34a.jpg)

The engine looks a bit more tidy now...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/35a.jpg)

I sourced an Oval bonnet from Dave Dinning (cheers Dave!) and chopped and modded it so that is quick release. I bought a Split Bug bonnet handle and drilled the crap out of it!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/036a.jpg)

I guess that's pretty much it for now. I will post some more pix of work done in the future. Cheers for your kind words Speedwell 8) Regards, matt

Looking very cool Matt :) When are you aiming for it to be finished?!

Like this car! Keep up the good work!

This is just  8)

I think I am a bit behind you with my car in terms of progress, but should be going for paint soon(ish). Still need to build the motor though  ::)

Thanks for putting these up Matt. Great workmanship.  :)

Hi Steve. Was hoping for the first meet of 2009. That's the goal, but you know how it goes...

No worries Johnny, hopefully I will have some more progress before christmas... Glad you like it 8)

Here's a side on shot of it recently...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00026.jpg)

Hey Matt,

Is that rear apron scratchbuilt?

Looks so smooth

Michael

Yeah, it's fibreglass

Needs IDAs, 205/70s and that'll be a start... :)

It would be way too slow on IDAs ;D. They look damn cool though. Now here's a thought. Mod some IDAs to run fuel injectors. Preferably NOS Italian IDAs. First generation at that! That would really get some sphincters pulsing ;D ;D ;D

When you down next Keith? Wouldn't mind purchasing a copy of your second testament 8)

Looks alright I guess ;) :)

Love your work Matt,really look forward to see the car live!!Did you heat-treat your welds on the cage?And that monster hair dryer,is it an HX40?

Stian :)

Inspirational stuff Matt. I need to get by bug done.

Any detail of what you did with the bonnet to make it quick release or can I just not see the pins?

Thanks buddy 8) Yes it's a Holset HX40 special. Some extra modification to the bearings I believe. There is some other suffix to the HX40 bit, but I have forgotten it now. No, I didn't heat treat the welds on the cage. Not necessary with Tig welding cro-mo. I am not sure I believe it's practical to heat treat mig welded cro-mo cages. Sounds a bit of a hassle to me. Never heard of it before, either before it was mentioned in another post. ??? Not saying it can't be done, just never heard of it...

Ant, I will try and remember to photo the bonnet securing mech. It's very simple, but quite effective. Cheers for the kind words 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/35a.jpg)

The car's looking great but it'll look better on the track so roll on next year.

:)

It'll be good to have the spaghetti boiler back trackside, did you get a copy of the 'Italian Tuning Manual' with it?

 :D

Cheers mate,
I'll hassle you about it in a couple of weeks :)

I've been toying with the idea of just bonding the original hinges onto my 'glass bonnet but that jsut seems like a heavy way of doing it.

Magnets? :D

wow....thats gonna be an awesome street-car......great stuff Matt!

Oh yes the Outlaws new tea maker. :D

has someone told pete he can get rid of the tea ern :D

Right, that's enough already of the teapot/spaghetti making machine mallarky ;D

You'll be glad of instant hot water soon, as the Outlaw urn is possibly the slowest boiler in the world ;D. Oh no, forgot... Boom Boom is the slowest boiler in the world ;D ;D ;D

Good work dude, it'll be good to see that thing on the track.
Fingers crossed I'll have my car out next year too, as it's going to Steveo for paint in Jan, YAY.

Good to see that the english wheel I got you has come in handi along with some of that titanium  ;).

Keep up the good work  8)

Brad

Hey, cheers Brad! Long time no hear! Good to hear your Bug is coming on. Can't wait to see it on the road/strip. It will soon be time to unleash that 2276! And those lovely IDAs! 8)

car looks really awesome mat
i can't wait to see it
keep up the good work

seppe

Superb build. Patience and major skill  :)

Looking forward to seeing it on the track.

Awesome work Matt, would be cool to see it next to Stian's car some day

Thanks for the encouragement guys - I should be back on the project in a major way shortly. I am in the process of moving to a bigger and better workshop. Should be moved in by Christmas! Matt

Awsome work matt 8)

I`ll apologise now for stealing some of your ideas for my car...I must have taken @30 pics of it at sandown ;)
Cheers,
Kev

Your not planning on finishing yours either?  :o  :D

meeow! think you know who your mates are too ;)

Terrible isn't it!  ::)

 ;D

Hi Matt,

So glad the car went to such a good home, fantastic to see the progress, you've certainly taken it to a level I couldn't even have imagined back in the late 80's early 90's.

Hope to see you at the races in 2009 with the car. I'll pop in for a brew!

Peter

ahhh..! great work and goody  to see some more turbo WBX's  :P
any spec's on the engine?? ?

Any luck on the bonnet pics Matt? I know you are busy with moving and all.

Hi Ant. Sorry, really busy at the moment, but will be able to get my car out in the next week, so will take some pix and post them for you. Cheers, matt

2110 cc with an Okrassa crank. 46 x 40mm Knuff modified heads. Custom turbo grind cam. Holset HX40 turbo off a 9 liter truck!. 8 injector system by Marco Mansi with a Wolf ECU. Tial wastegate and blow off valve. Water cooled chargecooler with twin Bosch water pumps. Aquamist water/methanol injection system. Homemade intake system with 4" plenum and 2" primaries. Cosworth 56mm throttle body.

HP to date with small turbo, small chargecooler and max out injectors: 413 bhp. With the new mods? Not sure, hoping for a little more  ;)

very nice work...awesome looking car...cant wait to see some video on it ;D

Hey Matt

Is the car allready finished?  ;D It allready looks stunning  :o :o :o!!!!!
Hope to see it in real life very soon  ;).

cu

Wout
(Belgian Fotographer)

Matt, just think of all that steak you are not earning by working on your own car! ;)

Gyles - welcome to the 'Lounge' farmer boy ;)

How about a thread on your car with some tasty pix? Matt

Brief update: Been real busy - the body went to the paint shop on Thursday and I took the chassis down to the blaster's yesterday! Fingers crossed :o

did you get your chute mount sorted? I was at Wayne's when you rang him the other week- welding my steering column for a quick-release boss....

sounds like you have beaten me to paint... mine should be in the 'shop on Saturday but I am not sure i'll make it for then....

can't wait to see you car close up- it looks so impressive from the pictures.

cheers,

J.

Hey Johnny! Yes, got the chute mount and the wheelie bars sorted 8). How's your car coming on? Will it be out this year?

Gary's Picnic or the Summer Nationals?  :)

Not sure... hopefully have the car up and running late June early-ish July. Would love to make one of the summer races 8)

Just got the chassis back from media blasting! 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00054-1.jpg)

Cool Matt! What finish are you going for on the chassis/cage?

Looking forward to seeing it roll.  8)

Bad choice of words... :D

 :o

Reading at that again you might have a point!   :D

Looking forward to watching the spaghetti steaming.  8)

8 wheels? Richie Webb always teases me for having 6 wheels!  ;D

Two pack paint primer then two pack top coat

It rolls around the workshop quite nicely. Especially as an arachnid ;D

The chassis now has some primer and is being rubbed down and prepped for paint tomorrow!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00106.jpg)

Pretty much done making my chute mount ;)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00001.jpg)

Matt looks nice & neat,you would proberly have found it easier to do if you removed that trolley from under it first though :o :D

cheers richie

The Quality of work is just  :o :o :o

Looking very good Matt , Gary's picnic then  8) , candle at both end's , midnight oil and stuff  :)

Cheers Rich! The extra wheels are there so that I don't join the 'mile high' club. Did you ever get round to putting sponsor logos on your floorpan? ;D

Really starting to get excited now. Picking the body up from the paintshop on Friday 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/Picture236.jpg)

Unit 2a,
Leckhampton Ind Est,
Leckhampton Road,
Cheltenham,
GLOS
GL53 0AL

 ;)

Man, my little brain is so preoccupied. I promise it will happen this week Jimbo ;)

Got this shot in my inbox this morning 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/-2-1.jpg)

Hell thats looking good.  Have to come and have a gander.  Who's turn is it to make the tea tho ???

Me tea pimp, you tea bitch. You know da rules ;D

Cool as hell Matt  8)

That car is awesome. Good job guys ;D

I loved the green collor, but this is just awsome :o. Keep those pic's comming i need some insiration like this now and then ;)

Paul.

hi matt, make sure the cage gets a 8.50 spec or lower, because 9.50 spec cage aint going to be good enought :o ,
Im scared just looking a it ::)

i estimate 550bhp with 1700lb car = 8.94s  :o
good luck mate...

All that by just looking at the chassis, Damn you're good ;D

Paul.

you just know its going to be good!, go go keenooooo  ;)




Martin

Hi Marco! The chassis has already been tagged to 8.50

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00039-1.jpg)

OH NO two gold hair dryers in the Outlaws  ::)  ;D is that Porsche white or wehise "spelling" gold ? Nice choice  8)

Nah, it's Diamond Green - the car's OG colour 8). Diamond Green never seems to photo easily. One minute it looks gold, the next it looks green :o

What have you been tagged to?  :D

Whoops sorry Matt Green or Gold like it V much  :)

Asbo ;D

Jees dude that really, really looks the biz! You must be itching to get it together now!!!

Awesome!!!  :o :o :o
Can't wait to se it in real life!

gr
Wout

So I guess you'll be running at Gary's Picnic then  ??? ;) :)

No chance. Got pesky customer work to squeeze in ;D

Got the pan back yesterday from the paintshop. Looks real nice. Will post some build up pix shortly ;)

Got the body back on Friday and am over the moon 8). Pix to follow...

Ah come on stop teasin  >:( ;) :)

It's looking good in paint. 8)

Are you going to bring it to Gary's Picnic (for display) again?  :P  ;D

Ha, you are so funny ;D. I will be there if it not raining, but my car wont :(

I'll be there Saturday only  :'(

Great, so what do you want me to do with your picket fence, mirror tiles and chromed hub stands?  :P

See you at the weekend.  :)

Have you ever tried stand up? I hear there's an opening at the Apollo should you wish a career change ;D ;D ;D

Looking forward to the weekend, although I don't have a tent :( Maybe the back of the Audi might serve as a bed for the night ???

Looking great Matt,
Will give you a call soon, need a few figures for the motor.
Lee

Matt, I've got a spare tent if you need it! Should be at Shakey Friday lunchtime!

the shell looks loverly, and nice colour looks like its coming together, might see you the weekend. cheers dean

How about 38–24-34?  :D

So you like big ones Keith ;D

Michael

Matt oh no you gone and done it now a gold car. Just you wait Russell will be taking the Piss out of you from now on. :D ;D

It's Diamond Green Boom Boom. There's only room enough for one crazy assed mofo running a gold car in the Outlaws ;D

Looks GOLD to me in that photo. ;D

Cheers Deano. See you at the weekend. How's the back? ??? Heard you fooked it up :(

Diamond Green kinda flips between green and goldie green given different light conditions. A nightmare to photograph. Just ask Kiki ;D

It looked a fetching shade of pink when I saw it today.... :D

You want to see a doctor about that, Keith  ;D

He's been rubbing it to hard again.. . .



 




LOL

Wow,looking really good buddy! :o

Here's a few more pix of progress.
First shot, chassis painted at my neighbour's (Auto Styl)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00107.jpg)

Built up chassis ready to collect body

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00116-1.jpg)

Body at Colourworks in Newquay, Cornwall

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00118.jpg)

Engine and gearbox ready for stripping and detailing

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00120.jpg)

Gearbox painted, gearbox mount/wheelie bar mount/chute mount sorted

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00121.jpg)

Please ignore the rear tyres... I realise I have the direction of rotation wrong :D

Still looks GOLD to me. :P :D ;D

It does in these pix :o

Green in daylight ;)

:) Very Nice

I would be more worried about the grip  :)

Street tyres only ;). Hoosier slicks for the track ;)

Good work dude, the car looks ace.
This is one car I can't wait to see in the flesh/metal.

Hey Matt the car shure does look good!!
After looking at the pictures of how the chute is mounted I wondered if you are going to use wheelybars ?

Wonder how it will perform on the strip with that transplant ;)That turbo is bigger then my dog ;D

Michael

Hey Matt,

Car looked good in primer, looks `kin awsome in paint 8)
Looking forward to seeing it built up & on the track, EBI???? ;D

Cheers,
Kev

You must have a very small dog ;) lol

hi matt, yes the back is slowly getting better, but not going to make it after all this weekend. it looks super straight and a loverly finish bet your well chuffed. cheers dean

It's been a while, but there has been progress. Marco Mansi kindly came down and helped with the wiring and ECU mapping. We worked 30 hours in two days and got the Oval to the rolling road. A massive thanks from me to Marco as he is such a top fella. Absolute genius with spaghetti and ECUs. Big up to Si and Gem at RK Engineering for the dyno work.

We had a couple of issues on the rollers. Firstly, my alternator is not man enough to run all of the electrical crap on my car, so the voltage dropped down in to the 11s. Not good for a decent spark. Secondly, my CNC throttle pedal snapped on the dyno whilst at wide open throttle at full rpm on a power run. As you can imagine, pandemonium ensued, but luckily I had fitted a battery cut off pull switch on the right rear corner and I was able to kill the power before the motor blew up! Anyway, we carried on with a makeshift hand operated throttle cable. That was a little tricky, but it worked.

We made 14 power runs in total. First runs were to map fuel at 13 psi of boost. All good, over 300 horsepower. We then started to increase the boost by increments of 2 psi and corresponding fuel increase. Each time the power went up by around 20 hp. At 18 psi the motor put out 414.9 bhp. After 18 psi, however, it became apparent that the ignition system was not up to the task of dealing with the power. Maybe it was the low voltage, not sure. Anyhow, we tried all sorts: changing plugs and closing plug gaps, but the ignition kept misfiring above 18 psi of boost. Back it down to 18 psi and all was good again.

We did have one run at 22 psi that did not have spark failure. Bhp went up to 457, but as we couldn't replicate this with another run due to misfires, we can't really say if the power reading was on the money or not. It looks like we are going to step up to a CDI ignition system shortly, so the plan of running 30 psi of boost may become a reality. I reckon that might be a go for next year though, as 400 bhp is still going to make me soil my boxer shorts ;D. I need to learn how to drive the car first...

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00030-1.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00029.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00032-1.jpg)

Good work Fella!


YEeee HAAAAA!

AWEsome Matt!!! Really looking forward too see the car in the flesh!!!  ;D

Top notch!!

And even more power in stock with more spark. Now go and get some seat time!

Happy days,

Kalle

SICK! ;D

Thanks guys... I can't wait to drive it :o :o :o

Oh my goodness, this is going to give me wet dreams!
Looks amazing

STILL LOOKS GOLD TO ME. :P ;D

Call you tomorrow dude.

Nice work guys! This car will look killer...

Saw that pic on the web today:

(http://blogsimages.skynet.be/images_v2/002/667/114/20090622/dyn005_original_700_429_jpeg_2667114_b590c1d3bf7db13531eb20870a2f81ba.jpg)

Time travel or something??  ;)

Top work 8)

SHIT! :o :o ;D ;D

Wow! Do you have any more pix Roland? That car is awesome :o

No sorry, I don't.. But I'll try to find out more about the car...

Thanks Roland 8)

Isn't it the French oval that used to be the De Coppen Bros one? ???

Matt, I'm really looking forward to seeing your car on the track, 400+bhp should be quite enough for starters! ;D

Off Topic - Don't need to ask you that favour any more, I'll explain at the weekend! :D

Awesome Matt & Marco!

Good luck with that bitch! I was planning on a bolognaise but she looks like a goer so make mine a puttanesca!

 8)

Good effort guys,get that voltage back up to 13.5 and it will much better for sure,i can feel mine lose power when it throws the belt off,the ECU just doesnt like 11 volts with all that current draw

cheers richie

Great work Matt - well done - but it must have cost a fortune in Feast ice creams for Marco in this heat...! ;) :D

Looks really nice. Very inspiring indeed.

Thanks again for the kind words, guys. Reckon you are right on about the voltage Rich. After all, the coil only multiplies the initial voltage, so if the initial voltage is down, the spark is less intense. 14 volts here we come ;)

Feast ice creams? Nah, we went to Tescos on Sun morn to get some brekkie and Danish pastries were on offer. 10 purchased, 10 fresh cream chocolate eclairs purchased, 4 packets of ham, 2 packets of beef slices, 1 large bag of salad, 1 large pack of tomatoes, 1 giant ciapatta bread, 12 large rolls, 2 liters of fruit smoothie. That just about got the Buffet Slayer fed til lunch time ;D ;D ;D

Two nice batteries that would give you the power needed to push you above 500hp   :)

- Kinetic
- 16/12-Volt AGM Battery
- Reserve: 124 minutes
- 10" L x 6.5" W x 8.2" H
- 44 lbs
- $ 285
http://www.jegs.com/p/Kinetik-Racing/Kinetik-Racing-12-16-Volt-AGM-Batteries/1128848/10002/-1

Or if money is no issue, the dream battery;

- 12.8V (12 volt terminal) - 17.2V (16 volt terminal)
- Cranking Amps (CA) 1225 amps
- Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) 605 amps 
- Reserve Capacity (RC) 65 minutes 
- Capacity 29 Ah
-Terminal Type  SAE BRASS
- Working Temperature -22?F to 140?F
- Dimensions 8" long x 5-1/4" wide x 7-1/2" high (not including terminals)
- Weight 11 pounds
- $ 2400
http://thevbattery.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=230
 

2400 Bucks for a battery :o That's worth more than my car :o

I will give you 2500 for your car :) you can keep the tea machine as well :D


cheers richie,uk

Good to see all that work on Gassers hasn't dulled your sense of humour ;D ;D ;D
BTW... have you developed a taste for haggis yet? ;D

he probally has...  ::)

anyway, the car just keeps on looking better and better and then better.

The V battery is commonly used by Pro Mods.. wonder if it comes with a ET guarantee as well? It should for that amount. Was talking to a Swedish Pro Mod team at the last race here in Norway and they had 10 of those at their charging station getting ready for the next race  :o

 you can keep the tea machine as well :D


cheers richie,uk

cheeky f%$ker.

you still going to be around for BugJam?

Great effort Matt! Just think how cool it will be when you get the IDAs dialled in. ;D

If it aint one joker it's another ;D ;D ;D
On a serious note, thanks for the encouragement Keith 8) Now go and get that turnkey car you bought back to being turnkey ;)

Ok guys... I have had the car since 2003. That makes it around six years since I purchased her. She has been hacked about and given the odd dose of Atkins. I have spent many moons scratching my head as to how to do things and have probably deliberated for far too long in the process. Not a single thing remains standard (apart from the dual circuit Bug master cylinder reservoir) But, today, however, I finally drove her under her own steam (no pun intended, Sanchez, Boom Boom etc.). Ok, it was only about 400 meters up and down our farm drive, but it was something. tI felt good. No, make that great ;).

Along the way I have had lots of help with the project. Marco Mansi, Wayne Allman, Krazy Keith, Colourwerx, Autostyl and Ben Lewis have all helped with various aspects of the build. If I hadn't have enlisted the help of others, the car would be another six years in the making. To all of the above, I would like to say a big thanks.  8)

Yep, I did get the car on boost up the farm track. Fook me...

I even did a burnout, just to make sure 8). I can't wait to get her to the track 8)

Keeno

Great news Matt ;D

Can't wait to see this one out on the track......Bug Jam maybe?

That's the plan. Hopefully all will go well!

Congrats!

After spending six years looking forward to this moment and trying to imagine how it would look and feel it must have been one fantastic experience. Congrats Matt!

Guess I had better put the kettle on to celebrate eh! ;)

Thanks Kalle and guys. Yep, it was a seminal moment for me 8). The clock is ticking towards Bug Jam, but I will hopefully have everything done by then. I collected the rear wings and the bonnet from the paintshop today and fitted them to the car along with the parachute setup. It looks bad ass :o

I'm actually looking forward to BugJam again  ;) :)

Good luck Matt, i won't be at bugjam have a wedding, but I never really enjoy bugjam to many escorts for my liking!

the club needs a quick GOLD car ;D

Yeah, what he said.... ...    lol

yours is silver though ;)

Dam that colour blindness

 ;D ;D ;D Still, Boom Boom has run a ten :o. So he's not that slow... It's just that he cant keep the thing in one piece for long. For some reason he has to have it in a million pieces all the time ;D

Don't I know it  ::) been driving all over the place today getting more bits for it  ;)

Thanks Mat

I did get it to stay together in the end but i still had to take it apart.

I like it better in bits ;D

Dang!!! Aint been watchin the progress of this vehicle dude, & aint seen it since Volksworld show 2008!! This thing is Awesome! :o! I now have a new benchmark to reach with my race car!! Well Done!!! 8)!!

Thanks dude :)

Half way through painting the borders on the flush-mount lexan windows. Mounted the Naca duct into the side window and installed a high powered radiator fan with an adjustable thermostat. Installed the new 600 lbs rear springs - they seem to have stiffened up the rear end nicely! I got her out in the sun for a couple of hours just to check and adjust the rad thermostat - all good 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00036.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00033-1.jpg)

Also looking forward to Bug Jam for the first time in a while, be good to watch a field of quick cars for a change :P
Cars awesome Matt  ;D

Matt,

That just looks incredible.

Simply jaw-dropping.

When I'm finished I'll come and race ya!  ;)

Awesome!

I've said it before but not afraid to repeat myself

 a work of art!

Can't wait for that Johnny 8)

How's your car coming on? Any news to report? matt

Thanks Trond - glad you like it 8)

Superb!

Do you know the weight?

Best rgs
Kalle

"like" is a nice word, but not even close to covering what I think of this car

I don't know the weight yet, but I know the WAIT - about six years ;D ;D ;D

Dude, it looks ACE!!

I might be coming to bug jam just to see your car run!!

Got to be one of the cars I'm most looking forward to having a proper look around.

Keep up the good work

Brad

Cheers Brad 8) I look forward to catching up with you at the Jam. Matt

this is ace, very impressed dude!  norm

Man I can't wait to see this one at Bug Jam!!!!

Amazing Matt, its awesome.

Matt will you be ready to next weekend ::)

Mags

I cant wait to see this one finished.  I'm needing a break from tea duty ;D Gotta be someone elses turn soon ;)

Quit your jibber-jabber and put the kettle on! ;D

What are you starting you turbo tea kettel up , I'll have a coffee ,white no suger.

seriousley matt the car is looking awsome can't wait to see it in anger,  bugjam 8).

Cheers James 8) I can't wait to drive it and maybe scare myself stupid :o

i have been waiting to see this car run for over 21 years, thanks matt :)

Today I met the guy who helped me pull the car out of the back garden across the road from where I used to live, with a Mark 1 Ford Zepher. We reckoned that was 1986 and the car had not moved for quite a few years, prior to that. So it’s been a while since the old girl has moved under her own steam, no pun intended, well it was actually. Great to see the car looking so good Matt, can't wait to see it in the pits next weekend. Get the kettle on!

Peter

 ;D I like it ALOT!!

Adele!

Hey thanks guys! And a big-up to the Wolfsburg boys for talking me in to buying the car in the first place!

Pete: I recently saw some pictures that Martin Fenner (not exactly sure of his surname...) took at your house circa 1988-9. They show the car with a boat anchor (Type 4 motor ;D) and a crazy up-n-over exhaust system. I have requested that Martin sends me the pictures and I will post them on here for you Pete. Quite a time warp, and I am sure you would like the pix for nostalgia purposes.

Bug Jam is only a week away...

Ah, so it had a proper engine in it to begin with then? ;)  I quite understand: the seller wanted to keep the engine and sell you the lesser part of the car  :D

JK  ;) When will you be seeing the dyno again for a 'rematch'?

Looks awesome Matt! You're bringing it to SCC?  ;) ;D

Saw this today and gotta say yet another quality car added to the OFF

Awesome car.

Jamie

saw you run at the weekend maet and it looks awesome, and im sure you havent even touched on this motors full potential!!! its wicked!! i may even change tack and go wasserboxer myself as iv got one knocking round the workshop! you got any good sites you can reccomend for info? seen rocky jennings site, and been on shoptalkforums, but you got anything else?i like the skinne bros car from the scc video on you tube, & i reckon theses wasser boxers are the future for turbo motors! my bro kaferboy(jamie) has my rajay system on at the mo, which is fairly basic, but think i'll start of with this till the wbx can be sorted! anyhow, enough ramblin...what was ya best time of the weekend? 8)

Looked great Matt, congratulations on getting it to the track, its beautiful....

What did you run in the end?

Thanks guys! Had a few issues with way too soft rear springs and shocks so the car was bottoming out on launch, but hopefully should have that sorted soon. Also had my driver's side window blow out at 125 mph!  :o

Best time out of the 5 runs I had was an 11.5074 @ 128.79 mph.  Cheers, matt

Well done Matt! Great first time out! 8)

Congratulations Matt! Well done and certainly well deserved!  ;)

Hello Matt,

Good work I've gota say how great the car looks in the flesh so well put together and an 11 sec pass first time out is just fantastic.

See you at Avon Park

Paul

Matt, it looked amazing on Sunday in the pits - I wish I'd seen it on track, but the rain put paid to that! Avon Park, August? :)

Stunning bug mat ! :)

Had it weighed at Bug Jam: 1621 lbs (737 Kg) with a full tank of gas (30 l). A little bit more lardy than expected, but still not too porky for a turbo car! Eh, Trailer?  ;D ;D ;D

Thanks Paul, and cheers for all the advice on the telephone over the last few weeks 8)

oi fly boy

Nothing wrong with a bit of weight

Like i keep telling Julie, you dont put big nails in with a little hammer ;)

Need to get it corner-weighted ideally with you in it, then measure suspension travel – that way can work out what springs you need to stop rear end squatting so much. Must be someone down our way with a corner weight gauge? Mine is lost somewhere up in Surrey, I think! :)

Good idea - I shall have a ring around and see if anyone can help out with scales 8)

Good work Fella and congratulations on getting that awesome machine to the track  ;D
I really do like it.  A lot 8)
Gotta be chuffed with such a good first time out.  Keep it coming ;)

mr Keene,why does it look like you have Marcos lunch stuffed into a bag on the back of your car??? :D 

If you didnt have all that uneeded weight on the back it wouldnt squat down so much :o

Looks good,now you got the fun part

cheers richie,uk

Cheers Rich ;) Marco's lunchbag came in handy when I pulled the lever ;D It worked pretty well in slowing down the spaghetti boiler ;D

Congratulations, what a result! I have followed the updates in Volksworld over the years, so nice to see it finished!
PS! Would be nice to see you race this against tekken at the SCC ;)

Matt the officials can corner weigh your car at the next meet at Shakey for a small donation to their chosen charity
Cheers
Phil

just keep an eye on your car eh phil? ;D

last year was very amusing, i must upload the video ;D

no probs mate she's a pussycat now  :P

Thanks Beardie. Will seek them out at Shakey ;)

Thanks 8) Would love to race Stian, but he would scorch my ass at the mo :o. I might have to wait a year or two to get the car anywhere near as quick as his ;)

Chicken!!!  :D

How did you get on at bug jam matt?
I`ve been away & not read any reports yet!
Cheers,
Kev

more importantly is it coming to Norway ??? :)

Fantastic car I must say.. really amazing project!
Is it going to run at SCC in Norway?

Chicken: Yes ;D
Norway: No, unless I win the lotto in the interim...  ???
Kev: the car ran at Bug Jam, but the rear suspension was way too soft. The gearbox cradle kept bashing the track on launch causing the rear tyres to unload in first and second gear. Best 60 ft was a 1.69 as a result.
Had a few other issues with the gear shift and one fuel pump seized mid track causing me to shut off at the 1/8th mile. Big thanks to Fastbus (Paul Geary) for helping me out with a spare pump 8) 8) 8). Without his help I would have had only two runs!
Best ET was 11.50 at 128 mph with the boost turned down to 13 psi (330 bhp). It looks like the car should run tens with some more traction and the 'wick' turned up a bit 8). Regards, Keeno

Here's a couple of great shots from Gwynn:


(http://www.pbase.com/slimboyfat/image/115171651.jpg)

(http://www.pbase.com/slimboyfat/image/115171654.jpg)

11.50 @ 128mph `aint a bad starting point straight out of the box! 8)
Look forward to watching it next tome out...
Cheers,
Kev

I thought it was all the water (/steam).  :)

That's not his lunch, it's the net he used to use to trawl for all those pukka pies. ;)  :D

 ;D ;D ;D You guys are going to give Marco a complex ;D

did someone say pukka pies ::) ???

Ha ha , how you doing Marco . You remember the time at the Ace's cafe when you got the waitress to give you the old cartridge from the mr whipy so you could suck out the left over Ice cream  ;D
Pure class , the look on her face  :D :D

Quick update on racing times:

Ran four PB's over the weekend of Aug 23 at Shakespeare County Raceway.
11.2 @ 128 on Friday
10.60 @ 134 on Sat
10.52 @ 135 on Sun
10.37 @ 135 in the Semis

Big thanks to all that helped! 8)
Keeno

SICK! congrats dude :)

here comes the vw waterboxers

bye bye subys ;D ;D

gr henri.

When is your 1st race Henri?

Good work fella, you just know theres loads more in there.. ;)

Ten thumbs up! Excellent progress.

Congratulations! :)

You dont even want to know how LOW the boost is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think i make more boost when i fart:) ;D  :P
its going to go crazy when he turns the boost up, the motor setup for 30+psi and its only running 13psi :o you figger it out.
nice one keeno, but the best is still to come!!!

"i think i make more boost when i fart:) ;D  :P "    oh so true!   lol

Hi Marco 8)... I wonder what the motor would make with the new turbo and induction system with 30 psi of boost?  :o :o :o

Got to be a fair few ponies!

Keeno

DO IT!   ;)

Are you all thumbs BeetleBug?  ;D

Uncovered the Oval for the first time in about 2 months and got excited today! Me and Fonz worked on her all day and have gotten stuck in to modifying the rear suspension coil over mounts for multi-adjustable pivot points. Hopefully will be able to dial the rear suspension in for the next race at the end of October at Shakespeare County Raceway. Also, got some 8 inch rear Ercos to go on shortly with Mickey T's 8 inch slicks. The larger sidewall is in theory good for another 6 mph so should be able to see 141 mph @ 7,500 rpm :)
Keeno

Didn't go too bad before. 8)

Hope you didn't give Fonze free reign there, I think it took him two years to design an interior door handle in Germany!  :o  :P

Sounds great Matt..... good luck for the last meet!!

 :P

They're very thorough in Germany.  ;D

Obviously!  :o

Do you have an 'artists impression' of what the rear suspension coil over mounts might look like yet?  :P  ;D

or the door handles... ;)

Neither....sorry....both are still highly classified.  :P ;D

Seems to work Ok.  8)

(http://www.offdrc.co.uk/images/news_2009/news_2009_030.jpg)

VERY cool shot! ;)

Michael

See that is GOLD not Green. ;D

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/gold65turbo/MeGlenn.jpg)

At least you have a good moniker for your race car now... Muffler Mart ;D ;D ;D

My first wheelie 8) I feel like a proud new dad!

Cool shot Mat, very nice work indeed 8)

 ;D

All things considered I think it's fair to say you're off to a good start with the Oval.  8)


That one's Sal's.  :)

Impressive work!

Got up close to your car last week end and was totally blown away by the details and quality of the car.

good luck for next year

regards Ron

ps talk Mark into some 48's or a turbo please ;)

Cheers Ron 8)
I think Gyles is already commited to the quest for Ida's and higher compression. It seems you have spurred him on with the impressive et's your car is laying down!

Dont think he needs too big a push in the wrong direction, he's halfway there already  :D :D

Oh I'm all for it.  I just hate parting with any cash :'(

easy don't buy the fat chick type 3 :D

Squarebacks rule gyles  :)

I reckon the best thing you could do for your times is a more modern drag radial out back, or maybe a set of M&H DOT's. One of the guys in our club has run DOT's and slicks and sees little difference between them, so those M&H's must hook up hard (he runs lows 12's on the motor and regular mid 11's on NOS in a full weight, all steel, full interior etc. regulalry street driven bug). Also, while they look, sound and just plain ARE awesome, I don't think you'll see a huge leap from the IDF's to the IDA's.

Good point on swapping tyres. My can ran so much better on the new 8 inch Mickey Thompsons - coupled with the new rear suspension setup the car went a whole second quicker! 11.3 down to 10.3. Get them sticky tyres sorted Gyles! I have a spare pair of 6 inch Ercos you can borrow...

Cheers for the offer Matt, but I have spare 6" rims already.  Just don't leave your shop unlocked without keeping an eye on those MT's! ::)

You would need a ladder and a big spanner to have them Mickey Ts away Gyles... I still reckon you should have a go with those Hoosier low profiles!

I take it you must be back after spending the proceeds from the sale of your Ivory Back Scratcher. ;)

Might look a bit gay on my car, but I'm keen to give them Hoosiers a go. :-\

Congrats Matt,awsome work-looks really good!

Thanks Stian! Are you coming to the VolksWorld show this year? It's going to be a whole bunch of fun, and there are some amazing cars being debuted this year 8)
Regards, matt

Big up for an excellent feature in Volksworld  8)  Cool pictures and a great write up of an inspiring car. 

You and the Fonz must have been at the back of the 'shop bent over rubbing like mad to get it looking so good  ;D

Superb write-up, and yes, definately a 9 in there.

I had a pervy thigh-rubbing moment myself, while I looked over this at Open Sport Nationals at Shakey last year - a great bit of kit, you should be very proud of yourself

Thanks guys! I am amazed how shiny the car ended up after a week's worth of Doctor Detail's (the Fonz) buffing! I absolutely love the side-on shot - I need to blow that up and hang it on my wall. Excellent shots and superb article by Mike Pye, well chuffed'

Its a credit to you

best feature ive read in ages.


Martin

ps
I've still got that pound ;)  lol

Well, if you ask me it's all a load of Turboist/Fuel injection propaganda,
I'm off to make my car feel even more backward by converting it to coal gas and running one of those big bags on the roof like Corporal Jones butchers van in Dads Army, that'll show ya...

Andy

Will it double as a 'chute at the other end?

:) :) :)

Well done Matt, have not seen the feature yet but no doubt it looks very good!! :)

What a bug, its worthy of a feature in an art exhibition but packs a punch like Mohammed Ali.

Its awesome, well done Matt.   8)

Hey Matt.If I get time and can afford it I'll come and visit,I'm sure it's going to be a great event.
Regards Stian

Well done Matt ;) ;D

Cheers Boom Boom 8)
A brief update...
Well, Marco has been down visiting for a week eating me out of house and home as usual!  ;D. Pulled the motor from the car for a spring freshen up. Marco set about stripping it down to check for any problems. There was an issue with the lobes of the cam slightly flatting off, so the cam was replaced along with a new set of lifters. The valve springs were also replaced along with a full set of engine bearings. All looking good!
Back in the car it was time to hook up the MSD DIS2 I had lurking in a box under the bench. Time for a trip to the rolling road and a full remap and increase in boost pressure. Firstly, there was a couple of issues that needed ironing out. The software on the Wolf Ecu had a couple of glitches. Firstly, my second set of injectors has not been working at all, even though the laptop says they are! Secondly, deep in the software is a boost limit engine cut system that has somehow switched itself on! This was the reason why my car had this strange misfire last year on every run up the quarter mile. An upgrade to the latest Wolf software patched these bugs and we could finally go past 18 psi on the dyno. Up to 20 psi the power was increasing by 10 hp per psi of boost as it did last year, but as soon as we reached 22 psi the turbo got into its groove and started hitting its efficiency range. At 25 psi we called it a day because it had made some serious power for a 2.1 liter motor and we didn't want a pile of scrap scattered around the floor. The net result? 573 horsepower (503 hp at the wheels!) and 440 ft/lbs of torque! OMG! Interestingly, with the mapping so much better lower down the engine now makes so much more hp at lower rpm. At 5,000 rpm, the engine is making nearly 200 hp more than it did last year!
Big up to Marco for the engine work and mapping - once again the genius has delivered the goods! You da man Big Dog!  8) 8) 8)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/dyno.jpg)

Same here - cool feature on a cool car  :)

p.s a genuine 500 bhp at the wheels from a 2ltr 8v WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice work fella!

Thats impressive 8)
9's on the way soon..
Excellent feature in Volksworld too ;D
Cheers,
Kev

Holy Moly! Congrats with your good results Matt! Now all that is left is to bring it to SCC and race it hard  :)

Best rgs
BB

Those are some really nice numbers! Good work guys. You definately have the power to do whatever you want.

I also must admit ive not bought the mag in a while, always the same old imo but glad i did  :)

side on shot looks particularly ace. good right up too, fair play  8)

I haven't seen the feature yet but gee I am really impressed with those numbers.Hope to see you race this season.

Michael

Matt

Bet your over the moon with that dyno sheet

good luck for next year

regards Ron 

Thanks guys! Stoked with the feature and the new hp figures! Better buy a titanium codpiece for the new race season! :)

very impressive Matt! Nice score..

 :P

Read the article very good indeed (mostly just drooled over the pics).

Well looks like

the little engine that thought it could,can :) 

That really shows its in the combo of parts,not the most expensive that gets the job done,good effort to both of you :)

cheers richie

Cheers guys! It's going to be a whole new ball game driving the car now. The motor has always had good potential as Marco has built a superb engine with some beautiful internals. I was properly impressed with the work done to the heads. It was good to see the motor laid out in component form to take it all in. 

When are you out in it next Matt?

Here's a video of the 572 hp dyno run. Sorry about the loss of sound when the car comes on boost - the noise blew the microphone on my camera!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HD6ndN0UCM&layer_token=df83bdaf6714f83e

Nice one Matt. The feature looks superb and the new numbers are something else! Are you coming to Shakey for the 17th-18th RWYB? Bit of pre season testing? ;)

Cheers Neil. Not sure on making Shakey as funds are critically low. Would be good, maybe I'll have to work even harder this month...  :o

Congratulations Matt,

Im thinking I need to talk to you about turbo's, I need to try and keep up with you guys ;D

Holy cow Matt,talk about unleashing the beast. 8)

Holy smokes! Thats crazy power! and such from just a 2.1 ltr engine... :o

Impressive numbers and a very clean & superb looking car. Congrats to that beauty-beast!

Work harder  ;) be good to see you guy's there . There's food too so should see Marco there  :D

The mention of food will ensure Marco 'The Buffet Slayer' attendence ;D
I would love to go, but am saving for the first msa event! 

The Buffet Slayer , Gary Picnic  ;)  ;D ;D
Its scary to see that man go to work on an all you can eat ....
Marco , legend  8)

Just mental. Well done all involved

Impressive stuff.  8)

Thanks Mat! You going to Volksworld show?

 ;D

Ha Ha Ha Marco is coming up here in the morning.......First thing on my list tonight ? Just been food shopping to Tesco  ;D

Turn around and get back to Tesco, you've not bought enough! ;)

FOOD = HP

MORE FOOD = MORE HP!!!!

simple  ;)

Awesome work as always Matt/Marco.

SWEET dyno vid!

We are doing OK so far !!!  ;D

Guys, I'm sorry to dissapoint you, but the 'big dog' I can confirm has NOT and I repeat NOT eaten me out of home and house yet!! We are doing pretty well actually! Maybe it's quality and not quantity  ;D  ;)

Quick, call the Vet - the Big Dog is obviously ill!  ;D

He must be off his game , check to see if his nose is wet  :D

I think he has a little kennel cough... I am sure he will be fine once he gets his sense of smell back ;D

Castration sorted my dog out :o

Hi Matt!
How did the intercooler work out? I`m curisous because I am using two of the same on my setup.
Will be used with radiator and ice tank.

Pict of an early testfit..

the intercooler worked really well. My tank was full with ice and after the dyno run the ice would disappear, so it was pulling out the heat well. Flow thru the inrtcooler is also very good as the hp was really good. For the money I spent on the intercooler (80 quid) it is amazing. I believe Richie Webb now runs one and it works well for him, too. The only down side is it is quite heavy. Matt

A little update: It's always been an ambition of mine to have some artwork done on my car by Neil and Mandy Melliard at Prosign. Post VolksWorld show it was arranged that the car would work its way South to their workshop, where Neil, Mandy and co would work their magic. The brief was simple: anything goes! Boy, have they ever done a fantastic job - I was speechless when I saw the car for the first time yesterday evening. Aside from the turned gold lettering, there is some subtle coachlines, which really set the car off. I can't thank Neil and Mandy enough - they have done such a wonderful job and the spaghetti bolognaise was top-notch, too! Have a ganders at these pix folks! Regards, Keeno

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00022-1.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00023-2.jpg)

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/DSC00026-1.jpg)

Just BEAUTIFULL!!

That looks great Matt. Good call.
Ciao
Mr. Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooole  ;)

Looks shit to me dont like it. :P ;D

mmmmmmm!! i think its time to go to the track  ;)

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...  :'(

To beautifull to race  ;D

Gr
Wout

 
I had the pleasure of meeting Neil whilst he was striping my brothers Phaeton- his work is beautiful and he's fascinating not only to watch, but to chat to also!
Great guy all round...!

Beautiful.

love the pinstriping on the wings

looks cool  8)

A little update and pic... The car ran a new pb of 10.31 @ 130.5 at Bug Jam. The new JPM Raptor cam and lifters work really well and the motor seems to respond nicely with this setup. A few people commented that it sounded 'crisper' than before, which is always a good sign  8)

A big thanks to Sturge and Mutley for helping out all weekend! It was really good to have you guys on board - especially with the suspension and launch tips! Got down to a 1.43 60ft time as a result of their help.  8)

Still a little way to go with the rear suspension, but it seems to be getting better with each event. Hopefully, will have it dialed in soon  ;)

I learned a great deal this weekend with regards to how the car drives and behaves etc. There are certain little issues that you only learn with seat time such as how the chargecooler really works, and that the alternator on my car is not big enough, causing running issues when on boost. (voltage drops to 11.9V). As a result, the battery went flat on the car as there is just not enough juice to sustain all of the gizmos and I missed the eliminations as a result of non-starting  :-[

Anyway, a great weekend!

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/15window/launchbugjam.jpg)

Congrats on the new pb mat 8)
You running at york btw?

What size is your bottom pully Matt ? had a similar problem with Martins little altenator , whrer we were running too large a diameter bottom pully frying the alt and throwing the belt too  ::)
Maybe if you ran a larger radius bottom pully you may see some more volts

A new PB and no breakages is surely never a bad weekend.

Congrats Matt.

Looks like it's lauching loads better now.  8)

Nice work! Nice ride!  8)

Thanks guys! Glenn, the bottom pulley is stock size and has all the fuel injection notches, so can't be changed. It's simply down to the alternator being too weedy! Got a 75 amp one on the way ;)

Sorry Matt , thought you ran one of those tiddely bottom pulleys  ::)

Any new updates about your race car Matt ?

gr henri

So, it's been ages since an update on the car and having read Kev D's posts I have been inspired again to update what's going on with the racecar. Marco as always has been in the mix and between us with have been up to quite a lot recently! The engine has been fully rebuilt by the spaghetti muncher and now features lightweight internally cnc machined pistons, made from top fuel spec alloy. They weigh 60g less than the previous design and also we have upped the compression a little.

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The front end needed a little work on the brake side of things. The previous Wilwood spot calipers had to be replaced as I fancy taking the car for an mot and driving it on the road occasionally. I managed to source some period Wilwood 2-piston callipers and made some lightweight mounting plates. 

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Next up is the gearbox. I've been wondering how long the 915 tranny is going to cope with the power, so a few weeks back I purchased a long-bellhousing 930 turbo transmission to replace the 915. The turbo trans is a big old beast and needs a lot of work to fit my application. No bother for the Big Dog Marco! He came to pasty land and spent a week working in my shop. This guy is not scared of a challenge, trust me folks. There's not a problem he can't fix, he can do it in the mix... Breakdance!
 
So, Marco pulls the 'box apart and we check over the unit. Absolutely perfect and very low mileage. Result. The L.s.d. is in great shape also. Bingo! We then work out how much needs to be shortened from the bellhousing and input shaft. Marco duly machines down the shaft, I chop a section out of the bellhousing and then weld it back on. Marco then machines down the bellhousing so that it is dead flush. Now comes for the really tricky bit. I've always wanted a Vertigate shift mechanism. 'Don't worry Keeno,' says the Big Dog, 'we'll work it out'. Well, after much head-scratching and copious amounts of tea, we come up with a cunning plan and machine, weld and do all sorts of trick bits to the box. 11.30 pm on Friday eve, we have a fully working in VW application, Vertigated 930 turbo trans ready to go in the car! Bear in mind we started on Tuesday without any advice or help... Naturally, whilst it was fully disassembled, I gave the casings a beadblasting  ;)

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And the finished item waiting in the wings... Hopefully I will find a Vertigate shifter for sale soon. Anyone have one for sale?

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Big shout out to Marco Mansi: www.marcomansiperformance.com If you need anything, and I mean anything VW or Porsche doing to the highest of standards, then get in contact with the Big Dog. He is absolutely awesome! Cheers, Keeno

love this car  8)
i just hope andy(fast65)dont see this as his almost car will be dismantled again to fit a vertigate setup  ::) ;D ;D

 is it ready for dragday ? :)

Cheers Danny! The car should be there racing with the old setup. The V-gate trans will have to wait until after the Drag Day...  ;)
Cheers, Keeno

Hi Matt,

Awesome work as always by the dynamic duo  :D

Very cool if you get the beast road legal now too and go out on the prowl around Pasty Land and beyond  :)

Do you think you will have road legal title by UK Drag Day chap ?

Keep up the good work and see you on April 1st.

Cheers, Shane.

That box almost looks too shiney to fit & get dirty ;D
Speaking of Marco & gearboxes its his old 'box thats in my car, which I think used to be attached to your motor??
Small world.. :D
Cheers
Kev

That's ace I like that :) Didn't know you could get one for a 930  ;D

Hi Shane, long time no see! I remember back when you and I were racing eachother in the 'thirteens'! Long while back now... How ya been? Don't reckon I'll have the car road legal before D-day. Besides, would never claim it to be a road car per se. That would be unfair to the genuine folk who drive their cars to and from the track.

Andy and Kev, cheers :)

Matt and Marco, you make it sound so easy!  Wish I could eat pasty and drink tea and be able to achieve that level of work :)

Will see you at Volksworld

Lee

Nice work,how do the gear ratios in the 930 box compare to the 915? what about weight?do you need to use 5 gears like Russ had to?   Good luck with the MSE shifter hunt,i had fun getting the one for Kevs car ::)

cheers richie

Hey Richie. The 930 is four speed unlike Russ's G50. The ratios are very tall. Will work on a homemade clutch management solution to get off the line ;)
Let me know if find another Mse ;)
Cheers, Keeno

The 930 is lighter than both the 915 and G50 ;)

opps didnt mean to repost  :D ::) :P

Hi Matt, yes indeed it's been a long time. That was good fun you and I competing in grudge stylee to see who would be the first to nip a 12  ;D you with your turbo 1915 T1 or me with my NA 2276 T1. I'm doing ok thanks. Been outta the racing scene for the last 6 years partly due to financial struggles and partly a very very long wait for a new motor to get built. But hey ho, I shall be racing my 2332 IDA motor'd '57 Oval at Drag Day, so we'll catch up and 2012 is my 1st season back behind the wheel in a new car for me so need to learn how to drive again !!  Mate I like and respect your ethos on road car / race car as I am one of those folk who drives to the track races and hopefully drives home again.

Cool.

Hey Shane... got any specs on your new motor? JMR motor? As I remember, John built your old motor. Great engine builder, would love to see him back on the track, too  8)

you cant ;)

Its alot of work. :)

Hey, the spaghetti muncher is in da house! Word up Big Dog!

Its always a pleasure to see you again Matt :)  hey your picture of Ba-baracus and the turbo is looking more realistic nowerdays!!!!!!! ;) hahah

Do you reckon BA is holding a HX52? ha ha ha  ;D Nah, probably Paul's new turbo  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Morning Matt .... Yes John has built this one too, for me. It's nothing too unusual has Comp Eliminator heads, FK87 cam. 11:1 and IDA's and makes 214 bhp at the flywheel with fanbelt and muffler attached. This is hooked up to a street strip box from Peter with stock 1st / 2nd, 1.58 3rd and 1.21 4th AFAIK with a 4.12 R+P.

All bolted into a full steel bodied 57 Oval with glass all round, one of Jim's 6 point cro-moly cages tied in, stripped out interior with a race seat and harness much like my old blue '63 was  ;D

I don't think John will race again on the mainland, although for fun he has raced a customers car at his local meet, The Hebridean Drags. I think John has been too busy for the last 2-3 years with his new business venture which is a specific style of photography. It's pretty funky stuff and he goes under the name of The Flying Monk.

But , John, if your on here and read this and you know different, I am sure there are loads of fellow racers that would be excited to hear of your return  ;)

uhh ohh  a "back in the day" post  :D
didnt realise you guys were that old  :D :D :D

'Fraid so... Duffer central, population me  ;D

And me  ;)  ;D

 :D

I'm not quite there, just on the outskirts, but I remember both cars well!

Changing subject back to an earlier photo, Matt, do you run a belly pan under the front? Does it make a difference to the handling?

Hi Neil
Yes I run a belly pan. The front end is super stable. Can't say what it's like without the belly pan, as it's always been part of the design ;)
One thing that really helped stability is the rear wing I made - it is a night and day difference   ;)
Cheers, Keeno