Pics and info of Gary Berg's Blue 67

[Stephen schmidt]

The thread titled what cars you'd like to see back on the road got me interested in Gary Berg's old blue 1967.

I'm looking for more pictures and information about the car.  If I can remember at one point it was powered by a 2110 with 48 IDA's fueled by a stock fuel pump running 12.20's?

Thanks,

Stephen

[Rennsurfer]

The thread titled what cars you'd like to see back on the road got me interested in Gary Berg's old blue 1967.

I'm looking for more pictures and information about the car.  If I can remember at one point it was powered by a 2110 with 48 IDA's fueled by a stock fuel pump running 12.20's?

Thus proving once again that VW engineering is simple and effective.

[Stephen schmidt]

The thread titled what cars you'd like to see back on the road got me interested in Gary Berg's old blue 1967.

I'm looking for more pictures and information about the car.  If I can remember at one point it was powered by a 2110 with 48 IDA's fueled by a stock fuel pump running 12.20's?

Thus proving once again that VW engineering is simple and effective.

I'm running a stock fuel pump on my 2160cc with 48 IDF's!  No issues here! I think more people run an aftermarket fuel pump for the cleaned up look in the engine bay, however the stock fuel pump has the perfect amount of fuel pressure for big and little motors.  Why change something that works perfectly fine?

[speedwell]

nice pict here

[speedwell]

here we go again   

[speedwell]

 

[speedwell]

 

[Rennsurfer]

I'm running a stock fuel pump on my 2160cc with 48 IDF's!  No issues here! I think more people run an aftermarket fuel pump for the cleaned up look in the engine bay, however the stock fuel pump has the perfect amount of fuel pressure for big and little motors.  Why change something that works perfectly fine?

Agreed. Plus, I prefer the looks of a stock pump. But to each their own.

[team97]

Fabs, do you have the Bergs Bomb article? Baby blue color

[Jim Ratto]

/\ x 2 I was just going to ask same fabs,

Jim

[glenn]

I'm running a stock fuel pump on my 2160cc with 48 IDF's!  No issues here! I think more people run an aftermarket fuel pump for the cleaned up look in the engine bay, however the stock fuel pump has the perfect amount of fuel pressure for big and little motors.  Why change something that works perfectly fine?

Agreed. Plus, I prefer the looks of a stock pump. But to each their own.

Same.. 2180, dual IDAs and a stock mechanical fuel pump. I did find its limitation, from a dead stop with 7600rpm shifts my carbs do run out of fuel when when I shift into 5th gear @ 110mph. If I lift off for a spit second and then put my foot back into it I catches up and the car still accelerates. A higher flow electric pump would most likely resolve this but lets face it, how often will I hit this limitation.

[Jeff68]

After reading a Berg Catalog back in the 80's (yellow one from around 86) I decided I wanted to build a bug with an engine similar to Gary Berg's "Berglar" engine. While back in school, It took me 8 years to locate and buy all the parts, but I finally replaced the 1600 in my 68 beetle with a built 2110 with all Berg parts that is very similar to the Berglar's.  It was worth the wait!!  The differences are I used a Berg / Engle K-10, Berg dual springs, one off Berg CNC ported CB 044 42 X 37.5 heads that are similar to 870 style heads, 8:1 compression, 933S header with no heater boxes.  I use a stock mechanical fuel pump to the IDA's as well.  I have had no issues with the carburetors running out of fuel during various high speed runs and occasional 8000 rpm shifts.

I even contacted Gary Berg to see if he would build the engine.  I just didn't have the money to have him build it and then ship it to me.  Thanks for posting those Berglar articles, I love that car!!

[speedwell]

Fabs, do you have the Bergs Bomb article? Baby blue color

glenn , i 've to answer that ....................

[Jim Ratto]

that incarnation of the car still spells "u l t i m a t e" in my book.

If there was ever a car to build a tribute clone of.... 

[Rennsurfer]

that incarnation of the car still spells "u l t i m a t e" in my book.

If there was ever a car to build a tribute clone of.... 

Agreed, Jim. That was my favorite version, too.

[benssp]

for me this is up there with Dave Rhoads bug, the wheelie picture is as iconic as the Hot VW's cal-look diagram

[Jim Ratto]

that incarnation of the car still spells "u l t i m a t e" in my book.

If there was ever a car to build a tribute clone of.... 

Agreed, Jim. That was my favorite version, too.

the car had it all, without having too much of it all. While so many of today's "top shelf" hot rod sedans trip over their own billet doodads and AN- blubber in their effort to be the "next big thing", this car simply had only what it needed to go fast and look presentable doing it.

[glenn]

Back in 1989 I was out in LA visiting family and took a day to checkout some of the local vendors... of course I went to GBE. I walked in and Dee was behind the counter. She saw I was wearing a Long Island VW Association club shirt and had Gene come out to say hello. He gave me a 60 minute personal tour of the shop. At the end he pulled the cover off a car in the back of the shop... it was Gary's car. He opened the door and asked if I wanted to check it out. I was incredible. He then asked if I had any questions so I say "can I have the keys". We both laughed.

I never forgot the hospitality and friendship of that meeting.

[Jim Ratto]

Back in 1989 I was out in LA visiting family and took a day to checkout some of the local vendors... of course I went to GBE. I walked in and Dee was behind the counter. She saw I was wearing a Long Island VW Association club shirt and had Gene come out to say hello. He gave me a 60 minute personal tour of the shop. At the end he pulled the cover off a car in the back of the shop... it was Gary's car. He opened the door and asked if I wanted to check it out. I was incredible. He then asked if I had any questions so I say "can I have the keys". We both laughed.

I never forgot the hospitality and friendship of that meeting.

Sounds like a spur of the moment trip Sheep and I made to GBE one Tuesday morning in 1990 from SF Bay Area. We got to shop @ 2pm and Dee took us on a hour tour, ending with the cover coming off Gary's car. I remember her opening the door and the alarm going off. Same trip that Sheep earned a speeding ticket on I-5 just north of Castaic (he says to cop "speeding??!!! In this old Fiat? We're lucky to be rolling!")

[Zach Gomulka]

Those 2 weren't the same car... were they?

[glenn]

Same car.... there is only one... and it still exists.

[bugnut68]

I remember reading that Gary had a pretty bad crash in the first incarnation of the '67... does anybody have the details of what happened in that crash?  I heard it was head on, or damn near close to it...

[team97]

someone turned in front of him, it was rumored that he would never rebuild the car again, too heart broken, too damaged, too much work. But after 9 years? he did get it back on the streets.

[Jim Ratto]

12.30's /105mph in 1980 with heaters. Ahead of its time for sure.

I wonder what it turns today?

[ST DRAGN]

someone turned in front of him, it was rumored that he would never rebuild the car again, too heart broken, too damaged, too much work. But after 9 years? he did get it back on the streets.

Gary's Bomb is one of my all time favorites cars..( 67 to boot ).  I heard the samething, but I believe his brother was sitting shotgun. ( Clyde? ). Anyways, Got to love that interior, not everyone can pull that off, get away with it. unless you can pull the wheels as well...

[deano]

Were we given prior notice that this thread was going to start? Just wondering.

Like many of you, Gary once gave me the 10¢ tour down Ball road, up on the 57 freeway, over to the 91, off at Tustin and back to Lime. Big power, smooth ride, all smiles.... At that time, the engine was seriously detuned with low compression and not the 12-second setup as run at the Bug-In. Still, with maybe 160hp (his guess), it would fly down the highway in five!

[Stephen schmidt]

Were we given prior notice that this thread was going to start? Just wondering.

Didn't know we needed to give notice on starting a thread 

When I was 18 I got a huge box of hot vw's from the 70's, 80's and 90's and I wasn't interested in the material (as it wasn't "new content"), so I gave it all away.

Now at 24 I want to know more about these cars that were once on top and could be again!  I have a lot to learn, but its sad to say that there aren't many young people that I know that are into the aircooled hobby.  I grew up around watercooled VW's, fox body mustangs, and honda civics and I can honestly say that 90% of the people that are into aircooleds in my area are 40 to 50+ years of age.  Just a few young people here and there.   

[Rennsurfer]

HAHA!! I see what you did there, Deano.

 

[danny gabbard]

Second time he did the car was the first time I had heard of somebody narrowing a beam.

[Bryan Nunes]

I've seen that car in Jim Ratto's garage see.