don bedfords 67

[nicolas]

now there you go!!!

i just posted it as one of my alltimefavorite cars and bang there you have an article by dave 'cornpanzer' conklin about the car.

karma baby, we are all connected by the gods above.

i have posted a question about this car years ago on the other callook forum and dave told me he had the rims. it was good to hear some parts were kept as the car is no longer. so it stuck with me and now just a week ago i had to look at the car again in my vwtrends and just be marvelled again by how nice it really is. but i guess more of you like this car, so if you have pictures or stories, just post them up. i would be more than curious to hear them.

(and dave, if you ever build the replica, count me in! i will gladly help. but canada and belgium is a bit far apart...)

[speedwell]

it will be  very cool to own some parts from a car you like 
and dave own the 13 inch dds rims

[nicolas]

it will be  very cool to own some parts from a car you like 
and dave own the 13 inch dds rims

yes he does

i think he had them with an engine he bought if i remember correctly. something about opening the crate and there where 2 13" dds rims in it as well. dave should really tell the story i guess.

[Cornpanzer]

The photo above was taken by David Ward at Carlsbad many years ago.  BTW, it is Bedford, not Bradford Speedwell.

That car inspired me when I got the magazine in the mail way back in 85.  I would look at the magazine from time to time and I always liked that car.  Years later, I was talking to Jason Lauffer on the phone and I brought up Donnie's name.  Jason said that Donnie was the first engine builder that they hired at VW Paradise back when Jason was just a kid.   I asked about the car and he told me that Donnie had eventually put an automatic box (vanagon I think) in the car because he was tired of breaking gearboxes (I can relate).

At some point, Donnie bumped the nose of the car.  Tired of the work, he sold the car to VW Paradise.  They then cut the front end off and put a glass front on the car.  They raced it for a while and sold it to John Leso.  John eventually sold the car down into Mexico and that was the last anyone ever heard of it.

When talking to Jason, I casually mentioned that next time he saw Donnie he should ask if anything was left from the car as a souvineer.  I said, "I sure wish I knew what happened to the 13" DDS wheels!"

Jason responded, "You mean these goofy things right above my workbench?"

Shocked I said "you have the wheels from Donnie Bedfords old car?"

"Yep, and my dad has been after me to clear some of the old junk out of here"

A few weeeks later, my engine arrived from being repaired at VWP and shrink wrapped to the crate was a gift - a pair of 13 rims and tires - the exact ones from Donnies old car.  Those wheels hang on my garage wall next to my "Turbo"Muffler Mike door. 

Garage Art!

Attached the picture that I planned on running in the magazine.  Sadly the resolution was too poor.  The blue car in the picture was Dan Haugelstine's street car.  Dan owned the kawells tube chassied Ghia in the early 80s until he barrell rolled it at teh top end of the track - Palmdale I think.  I have seen video of the crash and it was a bad one.  Dan WALKED out through the roof of the roll cage.

Anyway, the blue car is now in Jason Lauffer's garage pretty much the way it was back then.  Put down the phone, I have dibs on the car if he ever sells it!   

[Cornpanzer]

Another pic of the Dan H / Jason L ragtop

[speedwell]

  pure cal look 

[lawrence]

Thanks for sharing the story and pictures, Dave. Its cool to know that some of those original cal-lookers are still out there.

[Cornpanzer]

I alway wondered why Donnie "bobbed" the rear fenders and apron on that car.  It was a bit different, but not distastful.   As I looked at Dan H's car I noticed the dents in the rear fenders down by the T-bars and remembered being told that this was from a pair of wheelie bars hitting the fenders. 

Im guessing, but perhaps Donnie saw Dons mistake and made modifications to avoid it?

[stealth67vw]

From the JSC catalog.

[Donny B.]

That was the turbo car as featured in VW Trends, right?  That was cool!

[nicolas]

That was the turbo car as featured in VW Trends, right?  That was cool!

yes it was in on the last page some years ago with the same picture as stealth67vw posted

[speedwell]

who're the owner of the other cal look behind especially the yellow with the 8 spokes 

[nicolas]

yes indeed fabs, who's car is that? it is a late model, but a very impressive car as well. the red one is not as visible. i just love that picture. look even at the parkinglot. it can easily be the same parkinglot where all the dkp pictures were taken as well.

[speedwell]

for me the yellow it's a 67  no fuel trap and the red was a 58->64 the front windows look smaller

[Cornpanzer]

The yello car was a feature car in VW Trends as well that year.  It was a late car 68 or 69.  I would have to do a lot of digging for that one

[javabug]

I was thinking it was the yellow '67 that is still running around Cali. from way back then.  Usually wearing a bra these days.

[nicolas]

I was thinking it was the yellow '67 that is still running around Cali. from way back then.  Usually wearing a bra these days.

nope it is adifferent one. this one has a fuelflap and has painted rims. this one is indeed a late model. the other one is featured in the callook issue of 78 and is indeed still around these days. it has also onepiece windows. there are some pictures here on the lounge, but i can't remember the guys name at the moment. it is way too early for me

[speedwell]

john ercse

[nicolas]

yes indeed that is that very beautiful 67. it sports a bra now and has some bigger (mustang) turnsignals insted of the usual lucas. the other car is a different yelly and i will try to scan a better foto of it, but we still need more pictures and info 

[donnyb]

Jason turned me onto this site. That was my 67 midnite blue bug. That thing was to much fun on the street. The best it turned the 1/8 in was 6.57 and 1/4 in 10.44. Top speed 1/8 was 119mph, 1/4 was 133mph. I had the fenders cut and rolled for wheelie bar clearance.

[nicolas]

waaauuuw!!!

thank you for coming here

and enjoy it. a very warm welcome

[speedwell]

you're welcome donny ,
rgd
fabian

[donnyb]

I alway wondered why Donnie "bobbed" the rear fenders and apron on that car.  It was a bit different, but not distastful.   As I looked at Dan H's car I noticed the dents in the rear fenders down by the T-bars and remembered being told that this was from a pair of wheelie bars hitting the fenders. 

Im guessing, but perhaps Donnie saw Dons mistake and made modifications to avoid it?

   I built my car before Dan did. I used to run an 1835cc engine in it before going turbo. I had it set up for drag racing and had a 486 rp with a 355 first  stock 2nd 158 3rd and 122 4th. It pulled good wheel stands. That package turned 12.05 and was also street driven as it was the only car I owned.
  Dan built the baby blue bug after his big crash at palmdale.

[nicolas]

what combo was that 1835 engine? and do you have some other stories about the car. i would love to hear more about it.

thanks

[speedwell]

and ahve you some old pictures to share with us 
 
fabs

[donnyb]

what combo was that 1835 engine? and do you have some other stories about the car. i would love to hear more about it.

thanks

  It had a  counterweighted stock crank wedge mated to the 15 pound flywheel, KEP 1700 clutch plate 4 puck disc, stock rods with .008 shaved off the side of the big ends to get the oil out quicker, Cam Dynamics cam ( i forget the lift, duration, ect.. but semi close to a Engle fk89), stock lifters, chromaly pushrods, NPR 92mm pistons,  1.4 rockerarms, dual valve springs, heads had 37.5 exhaust n 42 intake valves ported by me. Skattrak tall manifolds, 48mm Webers w/210 top n 180 bottom jets f7 tubes, compression ratio was 13.1, Vertex magnito 35 degrees full advance, Berg 4 quart sump stock oil pump w/filter, no oil cooler since I was running 7 quarts oil,

  I used to street race alot and every other thursday after work I would pull the engine and change the rod bearings to get ready for a weekend of crusing and racing.

[donnyb]

   
   I took out the 4 speed transmission and installed a bus automatic. I did this 1. Because the ring and pinon were the size of a ford 9 inch ring and pinon. 2. I bracket raced almost every weekend at carlsbad raceway and the automatic would be way more consistant.
   I had to put porsche rear drums on the car to get the torque converter to spool up. So my friend Marv H. was in the drivers seat and I was the passenger because I had to see excatly how much boost was needed to get the tires to break loose. Marvin had the brakes on hard and the boost shot up to 24 psi, breaking the rear tires loose and pushing the locked fronts down my driveway and over the side of a hill. As soon as I could I shut off the engine but it was to late. That's how the front end got damaged.

The other cars in the photo were owned by Greg Groepper red, and Todd Swartz(sp) yellow

[Cornpanzer]

Thanks for filling in the gaps Donny.  Of course like any addicts, we need more 

Any old pics of the car still hanging around?

[donnyb]

  I have a couple of issues of the VW Trends mag it was in.  There were other pictures of it in VW Trends that Scott took at the races.  I don't have those anymore. I'll have to ask Dan Haughelstine if he has any pics. It seems we were more interested in making our cars go fast than taking pictures of them.

[Dominick Luppino]

Oh yes, the good ol day's, how's it going Donny?