The Cal-look Lounge
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 29, 2024, 07:26:11 am

Login with username, password and session length
Thank you for your support!
Search:     Advanced search
350646 Posts in 28563 Topics by 6811 Members
Latest Member: Bren
* Home This Year's European Top 20 lists All Time European Top 20 lists Search Login Register
+  The Cal-look Lounge
|-+  Cal-look/High Performance
| |-+  In Da Werks
| | |-+  Okrasa Special
« previous next »
Pages: 1 ... 6 7 [8] Print
Author Topic: Okrasa Special  (Read 187801 times)
thehanz DVK
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 652


« Reply #210 on: June 06, 2018, 20:42:35 pm »

Masterpiece.....
Logged

67 bug ragtop 091 berg 5. 2276cc 48 Ida
Neil Davies
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3437



« Reply #211 on: June 07, 2018, 00:09:06 am »

I'm really looking forward to seeing this at the Chateau. It looks beautiful.
Logged

2007cc, 48IDFs, street car. 14.45@93 on pump fuel, treads, muffler and fanbelt. October 2017!
Rocket Ron
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2861


It's old school for a reason


« Reply #212 on: June 08, 2018, 20:32:45 pm »

Loved the video you did on instagram, really showed the lines of this fantastic project.

I’m sure you’ll upset a few people on the track 👊
Logged

13.12 @ 101.84

Grooving out on life

You can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter
Steve Wright
Jr. Member
**
Posts: 91


« Reply #213 on: July 12, 2018, 22:02:07 pm »

Well we did indeed debuted the car at the Chateau Impney hillclimb this weekend just gone by. What a fabulous event it is - if you haven't been I highly recommend it because it's a rare combination of great location and venue, relaxed atmosphere, lovely crowd and fabulous cars. And we made it there!

It was quite a journey to get there! Although the car looked 'finished' when it left Mouland & Yates there was still a myriad of things to finish. The car went straight to Ian's at WPS for long list of things. Because it's not a production car everything Ian fitted or sorted had to be a custom job. He and Andy (a lovely chap who helps Ian out) did 12 and sometimes 14 hour days straight to get the car finished. Here's a few arty shots doing no justice to the sweat and toil, but they look good as Ian has an eye for taking a pic...



Basically they had to dismantle the car and build it up again, this time with wiring, plumbing and a host of things attached...





Two of the key jobs were the harness install...


And the fire extinguisher fitment....


Just as important to make it go round and round was getting the chassis dialled in and the corner weighting done. Sean McClurg, who races a Chevron and ultra fast Lotus, and who specialises in this stuff came and did his magic.... 588kg's is with 35 litres of fuel, so we know actual weight is 565kg's. Not bad considering it has a full rollcage and fire extinguisher system installed. Not to mention that steel roof!


I also knew that if we didn't get Neil Melliard to do his magic I'd be forever trotting out the same lines, so Neil painted up the beautifully made M&Y display board. Watching this boy is poetry in motion...




Neil also painted up a couple of chassis tags, first for M&Y so they could join Ian's WPS as major partners, and then one I did off the cuff, just a simple badge with 'Okrasa Special' in the centre, and my name and David Small's in each corner. It felt appropriate he was acknowledged.


And then it was off to Impney! We arrived late on the Friday night, so the first time I got to sit in the car was rolling it off the trailer onto the grass. Before we did that we had the first of many celebrations that weekend!


The next morning I drove it (in first gear I hasten to add) across the campsite to the paddock where we set up for the weekend, all proudly wearing Okrasa Special' t-shirts Tom of threefiftysix had sorted for me... The lads from M&Y came over too as they seldom get to see their handy work being raced hard. They were chuffed to see it and it was brilliant they made the trip up from Portsmouth. Unfortunately they're not in this shot...


And then it was race time. In the assembly area just before the start line I must admit to having an 'oh shit' moment, realising that my first drive of the car was going to be up the hillclimb in front of a large crowd and with camera's and commentators rolling, but by then it was too late.


I had no idea how the car was going to handle or feel, let alone whether it was going to perform well, so it was very much a case of suck and see. Fortunately it launched straight and without drama, although it did take me by surprise how quickly it shot forward. Although only 1,300cc (it's still got the original Okrasa engine from 1958 with just 46 miles on it remember), the lack of weight meant it felt like it was being fired out a cannon. You sit much further forward than in a rear engined Porsche and the noise is just just shattering as the engine is just two inches behind your left shoulder. What I hadn't really appreciated either until I drove the car was that the drivers seat and steering wheel are located further into the centre line of the car to put the weight closer to the centre of the car. The passenger sits further outboard if you're carrying one, in a more conventional position. Anyway the car really didn't like being driven like a 356. After two runs I realised it required a much different style, so drove it with a lot more aggression, hustling it hard through the corners and carrying much more speed than I'd dare in the 356 or a 911. It responded well and I immediately knocked 3 seconds off the qualifying times...


And for me this is the money shot - just a fabulous photo I think encapsulating the essence of the car beautifully...


There's a bit of in-car footage on Instagram that I've posted if you want to get a sense of what it's like in the cockpit. Just look up kiwisteveinuk or Okrasaspecial.

To show the versatility and to put another marker in the history of the car, we did the school run in the car the next morning for my youngest son's last day at primary school (this gives you a real sense of how small the car is given he's 11...)


Next up is a circuit race, hopefully at Brands Hatch as part of the Porsche celebrations on 2 September if my entry is accepted, and then we're going to do a speed event somewhere and see how fast she will run when given a long stretch of tarmac with the foot buried to the floor...

Thanks to all of you for your support over the last ten (yes 10!) years. We've finally completed the first chapter in this story and are now writing the next. Until next time...
Logged
Neil Davies
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3437



« Reply #214 on: July 13, 2018, 06:38:43 am »

That is amazing. You could get the picture of the car in motion made up as a poster, its that good! I'd planned on coming down for a day but it was so hot that weekend! Rather gutted now, looks like you had a great time.
Well done to all involved.
Logged

2007cc, 48IDFs, street car. 14.45@93 on pump fuel, treads, muffler and fanbelt. October 2017!
Wout
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 387



WWW
« Reply #215 on: July 13, 2018, 06:46:34 am »

Have no words for it but really love it!!!! Well done, unbelievable the car is finally finished decades after it's original start...

Hope I'll see it in the flesh some day.

gr
Wout
Logged

Aircooled vw's for life!
http://aircooled-wout.fotopages.com/
karl h
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 927



« Reply #216 on: July 13, 2018, 06:57:58 am »

amazing achievement, Steve!!
Logged

Glauco
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 497



« Reply #217 on: July 13, 2018, 07:01:52 am »

what an amazing car this is!  Shocked Shocked

glauco
Logged
alex d
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1031



« Reply #218 on: July 13, 2018, 07:44:54 am »

amazing! it must have felt great to finally get to drive it, congratulations!!
Logged
vwcab
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1901


peter


« Reply #219 on: July 14, 2018, 13:44:01 pm »

Job well done........awesome 👍👍
Logged

'72 standard käfer
'74 cal-look project
'78 1303 cabrio
'12 Triumph street triple

ESCARABAJO's CALIENTEs
Neil Davies
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3437



« Reply #220 on: July 27, 2018, 23:28:19 pm »

I'm just watching the Channel 4 coverage of the event, and both Steve and the car get a few minutes of screen time.
If you've got All4 where you are, search for "Motor Sport" and it's the first programme listed.

Edit: Ian and the '52 get some footage in part 2 as well!
« Last Edit: July 27, 2018, 23:40:01 pm by Neil Davies » Logged

2007cc, 48IDFs, street car. 14.45@93 on pump fuel, treads, muffler and fanbelt. October 2017!
Fiatdude
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1823



« Reply #221 on: July 28, 2018, 04:37:15 am »

Well worth all the effort you've put into it!!!!

Beautiful
Logged

Fiat -- GONE
Ovalholio -- GONE
Ghia -- -- It's going

Get lost for an evening or two -- http://selvedgeyard.com/

Remember, as you travel the highway of life,
For every mile of road, there is 2 miles of ditch
brewsy
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 357



« Reply #222 on: July 28, 2018, 12:12:12 pm »

I'm just watching the Channel 4 coverage of the event, and both Steve and the car get a few minutes of screen time.
If you've got All4 where you are, search for "Motor Sport" and it's the first programme listed.

Edit: Ian and the '52 get some footage in part 2 as well!

Thanks Neil,
On holiday and the TV guide hadnt any listings before I left!!
Logged
speedwell
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 14701


the archivist


WWW
« Reply #223 on: August 07, 2018, 20:00:49 pm »

awesome job as it is written all the way to its topic
and car looks very good
Logged

http://speedwell55.skynetblogs.be/
oldspeed 61 standard empi/speedwell
Steve Wright
Jr. Member
**
Posts: 91


« Reply #224 on: August 19, 2018, 11:53:04 am »

Thanks for all the kind words - I'm using the car as my daily driver at the moment, trying to put road miles on it to shake it down as much as possible ahead of racing it and doing speed runs.

Now, I'm not sure how many of you might want to accept this invitation, but we'll be taking the Okrasa Special back to its birthplace of Martins VW (previously Barnett & Small) to celebrate the car's birth exactly 60 years ago and you're all of course invited. David Small's grandson George is representing the family and we plan to re-enact the run up the Farnham Bypass (now the A31) that David did to test the bare chassis, putting the first 46 miles on the car.

Martins VW have kindly offered to leave the dealership forecourt empty for us to park up classic VW's and Porsches, and they will also clear out the workshop where the car was constructed. If anyone has a black 1950's Oval window Beetle and you would be prepared to bring it I'd be thrilled, so we can replicate this photo, which we think is the original donor car and David's son, so we can bring the car back literally full circle 60 years later. It seems like a fitting tribute to the original designer and constructor of the car...



Martins VW will open the dealership from 8-10am on Sunday Nov 4. Their address is: Volkswagen House, West St, Farnham, Hampshire, GU9 7BG, England. If you do intend to come please let me know here or as a PM so I can give Martins VW some sense of numbers. Many thanks.

Cheers,
Steve
Logged
Steve67
Full Member
***
Posts: 169



« Reply #225 on: August 20, 2018, 16:02:14 pm »

great to hear that all the work put in it finally paid out...
The driving shots are fantastic, what a masterpiece!
Logged
JeeWee
Jr. Member
**
Posts: 67


the Netherlands


« Reply #226 on: August 21, 2018, 11:03:39 am »

unbelievable, what a great project and craftmanship, very nice too see, respect! Enjoy it!
Logged
Pages: 1 ... 6 7 [8] Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!