Mike Preston's Mango 1960 sedan?

[javabug]

What about the Mango Green '60 looker with Flat-4 Sprint Stars from the October 2003 Hot VWs?  Great looking car...some guy with the same name as our own Jim Ratto had a hand in the 2276.

Hey Jim, funny there's another guy with the same name that builds hot VW motors!   

[stealth67vw]

Truth be told, that car is/was a piece of shit. It's sitting in my friend Tim's shop with the whole front clip(windshield forward) cut off. Sometimes you can polish a turd enough for people to think it is cool. Personally I never liked it. Too many trendy trinkets and accessories.

[javabug]

Well it is a little on the resto-cal side of things.

[lawrence]

I looked at that car closely at Kelley Park one year and I also talked to Mike for a little while. He had some good advice on what not to do when building a hi-po vw. I remember him saying that it was a bitch to drive the car because of the high strung 2276 and the close ratio gearbox. I think he crashed the car when he got on it leaving a small vw show and the gas pedal got stuck somehow.

[Jim Ratto]

I looked at that car closely at Kelley Park one year and I also talked to Mike for a little while. He had some good advice on what not to do when building a hi-po vw. I remember him saying that it was a bitch to drive the car because of the high strung 2276 and the close ratio gearbox. I think he crashed the car when he got on it leaving a small vw show and the gas pedal got stuck somehow.

Hey lawrence, happy turkey day.
Mike's motor wasn't high strung by any means, it was a pump gas 2276 with mild 42 x 37 heads and an 86c. I drove the car when jetting it, it was docile, but pretty quick. If he would have tied up all the loose ends in that car it would have gone 12's on slicks. The car needed to be gone through, it would never drive straight, the brakes were deadly....most of the car was aesthetic stuff. Dan in Hayward did the seats. Mike painted it. I forget who did the trans I think Kevin did. Heads were semi-hemi'd 42 x 37 044 by Heads Up. N.O.S. Italian IDAs from Ray Schubert. Too bad Mike got too crazy leaving that show in Newark and stuffed the car. Full throttle with 2276 and 165 radials takes some real talent. Anyway, it wasn't the motor that made that car a bitch, it was the alignement and brakes.

[lawrence]

Happy Thanksgiving too you as well, Jim.

I never knew those specific details about the car. Thanks for the info correction.

[javabug]

Thanks for the background, Jim.  Shame it got banged up over getting aligned and worked out properly.

[Jim Ratto]

No sweat guys. Mike's a good kid, wish he'd build another car and get back into it. I think he still has the 2276.

[louisb]

That is too bad to hear the car got munched. I always liked the car. It had a nice stance.

--louis

[wolfswest]

any pics of this ride?

Dem