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| | |-+  Thanks speedwell: 1980's Northern Calif Looker: Pete's Dragon
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Author Topic: Thanks speedwell: 1980's Northern Calif Looker: Pete's Dragon  (Read 16036 times)
Jim Ratto
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« on: September 27, 2007, 16:29:51 pm »

Got news today, that Fabian (speedwell) found the article on one of my favorite street cars. This is the car that got me into fast Volkswagens. I first saw the car on display either at Baylands or Pleasanton Fairgrounds, Bug Bash '87. I have some of my own personal pics of the car that show what it was all about, but don't have a way to scan them right now....(yet). Up until this car, the nicest VW's I had seen were the couple of nice Bugs at high school....(one kid had a semi-nice red '68 Bug with Dellorto 45's, 1776, CB cam...), but this car literally blew me away, with it's stance, paint, alloys,  exhaust (first merged header I had really seen...again, I was 16 and had just got into VW's), and then the motor! Weber 48's, Super Flo heads, 911 fan, ARPM case. I still remember my jaw drop when I peeked under decklid. The car was owned by Pete Staat in Castro Valley, CA, who was a long time customer at Buggy House. The engine was assembled by my old boss Jerry, and his right hand man back then, Tony Mace. If I remember specs right it was a full on 84 Okrasa x 94mm, Carrillo rods, Super Flo heads, Dial in Cam equivalent to FK89, 48's, close ratio gearbox....pretty nasty stuff for Bay Area in the 80's. Tony M. (a good friend and customer of mine now) always has lots of stories abut this car on the street....one involves Tony and Pete running the car around to get it jetted and coming up on some hot Z-28 Chevy and just leaving the guy wondering what the f-ck? Once I started working @ Buggy House in 1990, Pete would occasionally drive The Dragon down to the shop on Saturdays, and it sounded wicked. Nothing sounds like a full on Weber 48 motor blowing through quiet packs. He'd fire the car up, clear it out with a couple of footfulls of throttle and broil the poor tires through 1st and 2nd gear down Mission Blvd.
Thanks to speedwell to locating the Hot VWs feature on the car!!!

Jim R.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2007, 21:08:13 pm by Jim Ratto » Logged
speedwell
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« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2007, 17:22:10 pm »

de nada jim  , i hope that you will be happy with this  Grin
rgd
fabs
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speedwell
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« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2007, 17:27:26 pm »

 Cool
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speedwell
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« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2007, 17:30:21 pm »

 Wink
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louisb
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« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2007, 17:40:23 pm »

That is a sweet looking car.

--louis
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speedwell
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« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2007, 17:43:11 pm »

here's the engine specification now we're looking if jim has a good memories  Grin
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Jim Ratto
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« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2007, 17:45:48 pm »

Cool Fabian, haven't seen those pics in years. The color shots show the car with the turbo engine, I think it was an 1835? I don't remember.....but I believe that turbo motor ended up in Jerry's root-beer metallic-brown chop top car with original Empi 8 spokes. The decklid changed with the motor too....personally I like the earlier decklid. The black and white shots show the two motors....the 2332 has the 48's, Porsche fan, etc. The car ran merged 1-5/8 or 1-3/4 header with QPs. Thanks again for posting the pics!!

Jim  Smiley
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speedwell
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« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2007, 17:47:36 pm »

jim in the report they said that the car is a 65  , but when we're watching the car it's look a late model (door handle , front & rear decklid)  Roll Eyes
however it was a cool car , it's look like the same as mike maize orange car or mike make a copy of this one  Grin
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Jim M
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« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2007, 18:22:39 pm »

That guy used to show up at the hayward vw club meetings back in the day.I remember going to his house and seeing the spare turbo motor done on the workbench....way cool car
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lawrence
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« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2007, 04:25:41 am »

The car looks to have heater boxes in the color pictures. Any info on that?
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"Happiness is a Hot VW!"
nicolas
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« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2007, 07:30:09 am »

what a car! i really like the bigger front tires and the beam that isn't widened. jim, i can understand you built a blue car after being indoctrinated by this car and bergs car  Grin. it looks like a blend between early 70's raceparts and a very 80's look. i dont make much sense, but i hope you see what i mean...

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Neil Davies
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« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2007, 09:54:28 am »

jim in the report they said that the car is a 65  , but when we're watching the car it's look a late model (door handle , front & rear decklid)  Roll Eyes
however it was a cool car , it's look like the same as mike maize orange car or mike make a copy of this one  Grin


The late handles look like they're on early doors - wierd! Can't see a fuel flap either.

Quote from: Jim Ratto
Too bad this car is no longer around.

What happened to it Jim?
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2007cc, 48IDFs, street car. 14.45@93 on pump fuel, treads, muffler and fanbelt. October 2017!
nicolas
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« Reply #12 on: September 28, 2007, 10:25:41 am »

Quote from: Jim Ratto
Too bad this car is no longer around.

What happened to it Jim?

it rusted away from all the drooling jim did on the car.  Cool
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Cornpanzer
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« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2007, 15:43:29 pm »

Ouch, that sucks!  Good reminder to keep a big fire extinguisher in our cars!

FWIW, Jim...I remember that story too.  It was a cool car especially the 2332, but yours eventually ended up cooler IMO. Smiley
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Mike Maize
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« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2007, 16:46:28 pm »

jim in the report they said that the car is a 65  , but when we're watching the car it's look a late model (door handle , front & rear decklid)  Roll Eyes
however it was a cool car , it's look like the same as mike maize orange car or mike make a copy of this one  Grin

Actually my car was more inspired by the Auto House sticker Wink
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peeps
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« Reply #15 on: September 28, 2007, 19:33:04 pm »

The car looks to have heater boxes in the color pictures. Any info on that?
the picture of the car that you see does have heater boxes - that was the turbo motor - the big motor did have a merged system - car is a 68 - with early front and rear fenders - glass hood and deck lid. lourved hood went on with big motor
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peeps
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« Reply #16 on: September 28, 2007, 19:44:20 pm »

The car looks to have heater boxes in the color pictures. Any info on that?
the picture of the car that you see does have heater boxes - that was the turbo motor - the big motor did have a merged system - car is a 68 - with early front and rear fenders - glass hood and deck lid. lourved hood went on with big motor

Hi Tony! Tell us all the story about street racing the Z28 or even better, tell us some Mark Miller stories....like the Webster Tube on the drag car pan story.  Grin
Hi jim - have lots of stories but no time - some day i will jot them all down for the world too see
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Pete Dragon
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« Reply #17 on: September 28, 2007, 21:15:31 pm »

Hey Speedwell,
 I just talked to Tony whom I haven't seen in many years and he was telling that my old bug has been a topic of discussion her latley. I may still have some old photos or even the Hot VWs magazine it was in. I'll try and locate them and post them here.

Pete Staat
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speedwell
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« Reply #18 on: September 28, 2007, 21:38:41 pm »

thanks pete that would be cool to share your picture with us  Wink
rgd
fabian aka speedwell
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peeps
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« Reply #19 on: September 28, 2007, 22:59:31 pm »

Hey Pete, thanks for joining in here. Lots of guys into the Cal Look cars from days gone by. Cool to see you posting about your old car. If you get a chance to tell us more about the car or share some pics...we'd dig it.

Jim Ratto
HEY PETE JIM IS THE GUY I WAS TALKING ABOUT - WORKED AT B/H IN THE 90'S - TONY
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John Rayburn
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« Reply #20 on: September 29, 2007, 02:38:22 am »

Quote from: Jim Ratto
Too bad this car is no longer around.

What happened to it Jim?

it rusted away from all the drooling jim did on the car.  Cool
                                                                        That wasn't Jim's drool........
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Soda
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« Reply #21 on: September 29, 2007, 02:46:12 am »

Who would have thought that Jerry could build a motor like that. When I worked at BH the only motor he would build is a 1776 "or in Jerrys case a 1760" with a engle 110


Bryan
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nicolas
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« Reply #22 on: September 29, 2007, 19:25:17 pm »

Quote from: Jim Ratto
Too bad this car is no longer around.

What happened to it Jim?

it rusted away from all the drooling jim did on the car.  Cool
                                                                        That wasn't Jim's drool........

apparantly not...  Shocked

new traces in the investigation lead to his sidekick Mr sheep...


seriously, it is a very nice car, too bad that it caught fire. it would have looked good by todays standards as well.
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stealth67vw
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« Reply #23 on: November 08, 2007, 15:56:47 pm »

Here's a pic Kyle Madden took back in 87.
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John Bates
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Carlos De Alba
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« Reply #24 on: November 08, 2007, 17:59:19 pm »

 Shocked Shocked
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Der Kleiner Panzers
Jim Ratto
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« Reply #25 on: November 08, 2007, 18:07:35 pm »

Here's a pic Kyle Madden took back in 87.


awesome picture. I'm guessing Baylands. I love the paint detailed Vitalonis on the car.

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speedwell
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« Reply #26 on: November 08, 2007, 22:10:58 pm »

awesome pictures  Wink
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Jim Ratto
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« Reply #27 on: November 14, 2007, 21:37:02 pm »

hey RACEHEAD (Tony M.) you promised to share some stories about this car!  Grin Can you tell us what this car was like to drive and ride around in? Maybe you should do it before you take your car to Baja and get all drunk and dusty and lost.

Please tell us about the Dragon.  Kiss

and where did Pete go?
« Last Edit: November 14, 2007, 22:21:26 pm by Jim Ratto » Logged
nicolas
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« Reply #28 on: November 15, 2007, 09:03:58 am »

yes that car looks good!

so 80's but so good
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Jim Ratto
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« Reply #29 on: July 17, 2008, 16:53:02 pm »

ok for 80's cars..... which would you rather have.... Pete's Dragon or Peaches and Scream?
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