Mark Herbert's "quaife car"

[Diederick/DVK]

As far as I'm concerned not much is known about the car that became famous for the quaife test video.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZvP9Pe0a9DY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZvP9Pe0a9DY</a>

But apart from that I have never managed to find a lot of info on it. I think I did read about the engine in it. Mark Herbert wrote an article on the other cal-look website and wrote about his favourite engine; 2276/w120/40x35/48dells/8.5:1CR. He mentioned this was the engine used in the car for the video. But apart from that and the fab 'box in the car not a lot is to be found.

So, did anyone ever see this car in real life? Does anyone have any photos of it?

For example, I love the way it's been lowered! It's so subtle.
I read it ran on CB drop spindles and had 145 and 165 tyres. And I suppose the fuchs are 4.5" and 5.5"?

The reason why I want to know is partly because it seems to handle sooo well! Of course that's mainly due to the quaife differential. But you can even see the front shocks picking up really well!! I think I could learn from this as my car feels so stiff. I cannot even get the back-end to slide (ok, the engine's a stocker, but) I do sometimes go into corners HARD and the rear wheels start bouncing/jumping.

But was it ever featured in a magazine? Did it race somewhere? Etc etc.

The last thing I know about it is that apparently this is what's left of it:

[Rennsurfer]

That tranny looks pretty bullet proof. Does anyone have more information on it?

[danny gabbard]

I don't care how many time's you watch that ,it's always great, long live mark

[Bruce]

..... And I suppose the fuchs are 4.5" and 5.5"?

4½s and deep 6s is what it had.  Those wheels live on today on his sister-in-law Susy's Ghia.  Notice, the wreck is wearing gasburners.

[Jim Ratto]

that vid will live in infamy. I love showing it to people that think VW's are slow.
RIP Mark.

[louisb]

That tranny looks pretty bullet proof. Does anyone have more information on it?

I know his brother built it special for the quaife limited slip dif tryout. They ran a set of rock hard 165s for that clip. I have that clip saved to my desktop. I wish I could find a version that was not OSV modified.

--louis

[Brian Silva]

That is one of my all time favorite cars and videos. R.I.P Mark

[lawrence]

Great video and clean car! I show that to non-VW people all the time also. The sound is great!

There was a great, full length version on cal-look.com. It was removed shortly after Mark passed away.

[Diederick/DVK]

it is a great vid! i showed it to a friend when i had just bought my beetle and told him one day i'll have my beetle driving that fast. and i hope that moment is close 

so, does anyone have any more info on the car itself?
has it ever been to shows?

[Jim Ratto]

the video was playing one year at DKPIII booth at the Classic. Kafercup and me stood there jaws on the pavement. Somebody told me it was a 2332 with Denahm non welded 40mm heads, Engle 125 and 48 Dells. Imagine the opportunity the cops missed out on that day.

[kafercup]

the video was playing one year at DKPIII booth at the Classic. Kafercup and me stood there jaws on the pavement. Somebody told me it was a 2332 with Denahm non welded 40mm heads, Engle 125 and 48 Dells. Imagine the opportunity the cops missed out on that day.

I remember that day.  We must have watched it play 30 times over!!

[Jim Ratto]

then we had to drive home in a car with SODA and his bad ass for 6 hr.

[John Rayburn]

Mark used to bring it to our cruise nights all the time until he rolled it. Mark always used to laugh about the night that happened. He rolled the car and walked away to go call his brother or someone to help him get the car out. When he returned, there were Police all around. He asked what was going on, and they said there was a terrible accident and that they were trying to find the body. God bless you , Mark! I miss you!

[Diederick/DVK]

so, are there any photos of it at the time? when was that by the way?
any tech specs that are known?

[John Rayburn]

That was '98 - '99 ish. My guess that Stephan might have some shots, as he's always armed with a camera or two. That car was 84X94, with 5.5 rods, W120 , 48mm Dellortos and Jeff's non welded 40mm intake super whammy heads.

[PIMPPRIDE]

I would say that not many photos of the car exist, as digital cameras just had come out at the time... being I took digital photos of the quaife exploded on the workbench and soon later the video...

the car itself had ghia spindles with stock disc brakes and ghia/type 3 calipers and an simple adjustable beam... nothing narrowed, no drop spindles... Mark bough the car from a local friend ( I  forget his name, thou I remember later on he had a off road motor cycle accident that left him in a wheelchair, a cool guy I wonder how he's doing today? )

the car also saw both motors... the " race " motor with IDA's from the SSB and the " Street " motor with the Dell's... Mark always swore the street motor was just as fast with the Dellorto carbed motor then the IDA race motor aka Mark Riley ( spelling? ) and the street motor was 82x94 where the race motor was 84x94... I can recall helping a number of times pulling the motor in and out... and Mike building the trans / updating the diff to the quaife for testing 

I still have a copy of the video unedited... ill post it up when I have some time to host it for D/L if anyone needs it...

[Rennsurfer]

I still have a copy of the video unedited... ill post it up when I have some time to host it for D/L if anyone needs it...

Thank you.

[Susy]

I have watched this and other videos of this so many time, and it will always put a huge smile on my face, but always brings tears to my eyes also. 

Mark was a wonderful, crazy guy, and I was so lucky to have him in my life. Without him, I would have never met Mike.

I do have the wheels on my car, that were on his car at the time of this video, and they will always be very special to me.  He is always with me as I go down the track, or just crusing around the streets.

RIP Mark!!  You will be forever remembered!

Susy

[danny gabbard]

amen sister! it's funny I have a deck lid from mark going on my new car, that was a special time when all of us would meet up at that mexican resturant in hunington beach what 15-20 years ago. Crazy and drunk times.

[Susy]

Danny - my friend,

What are you doing home on a Friday night, in front of the computer?

We need to have a reunion at Mario's again - I need to work on that!  That would be a good time.

I run into people all the time, telling me that they have a part - motor & etc. that they bought or were given to them from Mark, and they are proud that they have a part of him with them.

I remember the time he told me the story when he crashed the above car.  I was rolling.  The best part was when he came back to the crash scene, and the cops were looking for a dead body all over the field.  And they could not believe he survived that crash.  You have to say - it does look really bad.

 For all of us who knew Mark well - we also know that he had nine lives! I just wish he was still with us! Mike &  I miss him!

Susy

[WCB Hitler's Hot Rod]

One of my favorite videos EVER! I lost count how many times I have watched it over the years. R.I.P.

[danny gabbard]

I'm getting old susy plus the girls look at me now like a father figure , sucks getting old. Yes mario's would be great! AND NEVADA IS GREAT RIGHT NOW

[GreenTom]

propper trany
my favourite movie it helped me to sell a grate quaifed gearbox to a customer here in Poland Built by rancho for us
beutifful car with all the gear and it runn on DRLAs

[Brian Silva]

one of the best videos ever, never gets old. RIP Mark

[JeePee/DVK]

it is a great vid! i showed it to a friend when i had just bought my beetle and told him one day i'll have my beetle driving that fast. and i hope that moment is close 

Keep on dreaming

[Diederick/DVK]

i will

[Larry]

It's 2am in the morning and I cannot stop watching this video, it is so addictive. R.I.P Mark

[Sarge]

.... "the girls look at me now like a father figure..."

  :    at least they still LOOK at you

[Zach Gomulka]

I can't believe that there aren't ANY pics of this car when it was a driver! Someone knows, where are they?!

[Diederick/DVK]

that makes 2 of us, zack!! i'd love to see some.