Canadian '68 Street/Strip Beetle

[neil68]

Here's a few photos of my '68 Deluxe Beetle, that has slowly morphed into a street-strip ride:

[neil68]

Registered license plate:

[Peter]

Great Car!!!!
I always loved it

[pupjoint]

sweet! 

[neil68]

RLR "bolt-in" rollbar powder-coated and installed:

[neil68]

JPM MS230 heads (10 fins) flycut by K-Roc, reducing chamber from 60 to 50 cc:



New Raptor 06908 camshaft and matched lifters installed for 2012:



Having some fun with the Subaru guys:  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/B2jeGRqRUvo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/B2jeGRqRUvo</a>

[wolfswest]

Hi Neil,

did you have a 86c before?  what's the raptor you have now?  can you share some details about the HP differences?

Dem

[neil68]

Yes, Web 86C was installed previously (among others)...and it was an excellent camshaft, for sure.

Here's the 86C dyno test and specs:  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/FF2gCti3dro" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/FF2gCti3dro</a>

I haven't been on the dyno, or race track, yet with the new Raptor cam, as I'm fighting some ignition and IDA issues at the moment

Hoping to race on Friday and dyno at Concept1 sometime in June.

[wolfswest]

great!  I hope your problems don't take long to solve.  Can you update this topic if you've been to the dyno with the raptor cam please?  I would like to compare the results.

Dem

[neil68]

Well, it's been exactly one year since the last post.  We had a long winter in Western Canada, just over six months of snow from late-October to late-April...winters are getting longer out here, the past few years!  So, the Beetle has been parked safely in the garage, to save it from the road salt and sand that is liberally applied to our roads.

One of our local high school's had a show & shine today, so I finally got the Beetle out for a drive, after installing some lightweight spun aluminum wheels.  They are 6" wide CMS rears (4.0 kg each) and 3.5" Bogart fronts (3.6 kg each).  Unfortunately the 145R15 front tires are rubbing on the fenders (wings) when making a full turn, so I'll have to look for some smaller tires.  Here's a few iPhone photos from today:

[neil68]

Found some sweet centre caps at a local wheel store and some nice repro Wolfsburg stickers from CIP1.ca:

[dielinde]

Very nice ride  i´ve an 68 too

[neil68]

Update:  Switched back to the 42 mm IDA venturies and also increased the launch rpm, which produced a 12.8-second ET at elevation (2,200 ft/670 m) and an increase in top end speed to 106.40 MPH (170 km/h).  This is a tenth of a second faster for this particular track/elevation.

60 foot time was 1.793 seconds without a burnout, which is close to my best time.

Now, I'm thinking about racing at sea level in a few weeks at the GCVWS...maybe try for a 12.7 ET

[Stephen schmidt]

Now, I'm thinking about racing at sea level in a few weeks at the GCVWS...maybe try for a 12.7 ET

Please do!  Mission is great every year!  We spoke briefly at the Boston Pizza meet during the GCVWS a few years ago.  Hope to catch up again this year!

Stephen

[neil68]

Update:  Raced at Mission Raceway, BC, August 23rd, during the Great Canadian VW Show weekend and improved ET by 2/10ths!!

12.658 seconds at 106.44 MPH with a 1.718 sixty-foot time...all three of these were PB's

No burnout, 22 psi in the M&H 215's and tried to increase the rpms at launch, so that may have helped a bit.  I'm starting to think that the Raptor cam likes high rpms!  Going to increase the CR for next year.

Great to talk with you Stephen, and everyone else!

[neil68]

After wearing out the original 4-wheel stock drum brakes (45-year-old parts), I decided to switch to discs.  Also, at the main drag strip where I race on weekends, they insist on forcing us to turn at the first exit to the return road, which sometimes makes for an "exciting" cornering transition

Picked up some basic 4 x 130 TRW Varga solid discs (copies of the original VW 4-bolt discs).  Since this is primarily a street Beetle, this basic kit should suffice.  Also going to tinker with the IDA's a bit, with some JPM 44mm venturies and some jetting changes on the chassis dyno.  The Raptor venturies dispense with the original auxiliary stacks:

[neil68]

Decided to bypass the stock fuel lines and upgrade to 9.5 mm fuel lines, Jaycee 3.2 mm IDA needle valves and "top entry" fuel inlets.  Experimenting with the jetting, starting with JPM's recommendations for the Raptor 44 mm vents:  F2, 185 fuel, 180 air. Installed Geers stacks which provide a wider air intake to the IDA's (they don't sit inside, rather they are bored for the top diameter).

Must get on the dyno one of these days.  Ran some easy high 12's in the 1/4-mile last Friday.

[neil68]

Update - Finally got the Beetle onto the Dynojet at Concept 1 on July 24th.  Had enough time to run five tests with various timing advance settings and changing a few jets.  Best test results with 10:1 CR and 94 CLC octane (98 RON):

204.21 WHP
175.45 lb-ft torque

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/M9B_H3eklAo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/M9B_H3eklAo</a>

[neil68]

Now that winter as arrived, the next modification will be a new header.  The old basic economy Bugpack header will be retired and replaced with a CSP-JPM Wasp Stage 2.  I will keep the current A1 pipe & Magnaflow muffler, as there is no CSP-JPM muffler available:

[Frallan]

So nice your car. Congratulations!

I wish internet would have been around 1986-88 when I lived in North Westminster.
Found out about most of the VW team after moving on. 
I built a 2732 cc engine at the time and did many trip down to the strip in Washington and a couple in California.
Mission I missed in spite of hearing so much about it.

[-Alex-]

CSP/JPM wasp header muffler is supposed to be at sale on december.  I guess they make 100 to 200 pieces of them(?) before any sales, like 50% for wasp stage 1, 30% wasp stage 2 and 20% for wasp stage 3?   

[leec]

Now that winter as arrived, the next modification will be a new header.  The old basic economy Bugpack header will be retired and replaced with a CSP-JPM Wasp Stage 2.  I will keep the current A1 pipe & Magnaflow muffler, as there is no CSP-JPM muffler available:

I am considering a wasp header over the winter. What made you go stage 2, thought that was for 230bhp plus?
Lee

[neil68]

The Wasp Stage 2 is advertised for 220+ HP. I'm not sure if that's flywheel HP, or to the rear wheels...does anyone know the answer? I currently have 204 WHP, which is ~220 HP at the flywheel (8% conversion).

I will also bump up the CR to 11:1 this winter and run premium fuel.  The Stage 2 starts with 1 5/8" piping at the exhaust port, so that should be good for MS230 exhaust ports.

[pupjoint]

Neil, what is your premium fuel in Canada rated at RON wise?

my 2027 is running at 10.1 now with RON 97, i am in the midst of collecting some parts to upgrade it (new heads, cam, 82 crank 5.4 rods ) and am considering upping the CR to 11.1

with 10.1, running full german tin i am not having any issues with overheating or pinking so far. just wondering what is the highest i can go with RON97.

[neil68]

We have 95 and 98 RON premium fuel. I have mostly run 95 RON with10:1 CR.

I use 98 RON Petro-Canada when I'm down at sea level and when I used to have 10.7:1 CR.

I have the late-70's German doghouse FI shroud with Venturi ring for cooling.  We also don't get too many warm days above 30 C.

[Shane Noone]

Hi Neil, I know slightly off topic but your fan housing with venturi ring - is that a factory one ? If so do you have any pics showing how close the ring sits into the fan opening, like does it go as far in as possible without fan interference as you might expect ? Or does it sit back off the fanshroud with a gap ?  Reason for asking is I fitted an Awesome Powdercoat Venturi Ring to a 30HP style aftermarket shroud and let the rings pre-bent tabs sit against the fanshroud without further bending, checked for fan spin clearance and then riveted it home. But there is this fairly big gap tha runs most of the way around between shroud and ring edge. If that makes sense ?  I have watched the install video on youtube but it doesn't really show just how close your expected to get the ring up against the shroud and it doesn't show that you have to bend the legs....so real curious to see a VW Factory installed Venturi Ring and compare.

Cheers.

[LGK]

The Wasp Stage 2 is advertised for 220+ HP. I'm not sure if that's flywheel HP, or to the rear wheels...does anyone know the answer? I currently have 204 WHP, which is ~220 HP at the flywheel (8% conversion).

I will also bump up the CR to 11:1 this winter and run premium fuel.  The Stage 2 starts with 1 5/8" piping at the exhaust port, so that should be good for MS230 exhaust ports.

Hi Neil,

The numbers are " flywheel HP numbers."

Rgds Steve

[Zach Gomulka]

Hi Neil, I know slightly off topic but your fan housing with venturi ring - is that a factory one ? If so do you have any pics showing how close the ring sits into the fan opening, like does it go as far in as possible without fan interference as you might expect ? Or does it sit back off the fanshroud with a gap ?  Reason for asking is I fitted an Awesome Powdercoat Venturi Ring to a 30HP style aftermarket shroud and let the rings pre-bent tabs sit against the fanshroud without further bending, checked for fan spin clearance and then riveted it home. But there is this fairly big gap tha runs most of the way around between shroud and ring edge. If that makes sense ?  I have watched the install video on youtube but it doesn't really show just how close your expected to get the ring up against the shroud and it doesn't show that you have to bend the legs....so real curious to see a VW Factory installed Venturi Ring and compare.

Cheers.

Just measured a factory one, it's about a 12mm gap.

[neil68]

Hi Neil, ...your fan housing with venturi ring - is that a factory one ? If so, do you have any pics showing how close the ring sits into the fan opening...so real curious to see a VW Factory installed Venturi Ring and compare.

Yes, my venturi ring is an original German FI part, as I bought the complete fan shroud in the condition that it was, when removed from a late-70's Beetle (IIRC a '75 or '76 sedan).  Since the engine is in the Beetle currently, I can't easily measure, but it looks like Zach has already provided the correct dimension above.

Here's a photo:

[-Alex-]

From CSP webpage:

Wasp Stage 1 (up to 230 hp)
Wasp Stage 2 (220 - 290 hp)
Wasp Stage 3 (from 270 hp onwards)

The Wasp Stage 2 is advertised for 220+ HP. I'm not sure if that's flywheel HP, or to the rear wheels...does anyone know the answer? I currently have 204 WHP, which is ~220 HP at the flywheel (8% conversion).

I will also bump up the CR to 11:1 this winter and run premium fuel.  The Stage 2 starts with 1 5/8" piping at the exhaust port, so that should be good for MS230 exhaust ports.