A Gasser Most of You Never Knew...

[rick m]

In the early 70's I hooked up with one of my first HOT VW friends who was a mechanic at a local VW dealership. He was one innovative guy and talented machinist. Attached is a picture of the car he built originally (which I later purchased) called BUG IRON.  It was an oval window with all the typical treatments of the day. It had a front tube axle, mechanically injected (Hilborne 1600V injection ) 2180, SPG 82mm roller crank, 92 NPRs, Norris cam, and owner ported and modified heads. It had 17" Halibrand magnesium spoke altered wheels on the front and 6" DDS wheels on the rear with 8" slicks.  The car ran 11.47/118mph in 1971.  The car was campaigned in northern California and made a trip to the Bakersfield meet that year too.  Just to give you some perspective, this was when Bill Mitchell and the Motion Mini-Car bug was out and killed the H/Gas numbers with his non-NHRA approved chopped top.  Later, Michell came out with his radically channeled sedan with non-chop top. What a fun era.

Ray painted the car and did all the mechanical work on it.  It was one of the many unknown gassers built outside the southern California scene.  I attended my first southern California BUG-IN shortly after meeting Ray this same year (BUG-IN 5).  It was the start of my VW madness that has lasted 38 years. My first bug was more of an auto-cross car, also pictured. A 66 bug with a 1968cc motor. A Bud Whitfield circular counter weighted (Cast) crank, NPR 92s purchased from DDS, VW Rods, Norris Cam, DDS deep sump and oil pump (Full Flow), stock heads with originally a Holley 2 barrel bug spray. Later my first motor had dual 40Pll Solex carbs. I am pictured (on left) standing with my VW buddy at the time Earl Bair in Fair Oaks, California. Earl had a 67 at the time. My orange 66 earned me over 13 moving violations...which also earned me some time in the Elk Grove, Sacramento County jail in 1972.  That tempered my driving habits...to say the least.

What an era this was. Seeing all the early drag cars (DDS Dean Lowry, Schley Bros, Vittone's Inch Pincher, Anderson Bros, Tar Babe and the rest) between 1970 and 1972, bit me hard and I have never been the same since. Nothing beats the fun of driving a dual carb HOT VW motor street car.

Thought you'd all get a kick out of yet a couple more cars from a bye-gone era.

Rick Mortensen

[Fastbrit]

Cool stuff, Rick!

[speedwell]

it look like an early lil snort 

[vwcab]

Hey Rick,do you have more pictures of your first bug?  I realy like those flared wings and the big wheels,it's a beautiful car.

[Lee.C]

I'm diggin this little 66 Flared wings, 14" chevy pattern mags, cool stance - I love it - it looks like a little street/slalom car 

Was it yours Rick 

[rick m]

Yes...the 66 with flared fenders (wings) was mine. I had American mags on it and G50x14 rear tires. They were about 10" of rubber on the ground. I had Bridgestone racing tires on the front. Yes, I did like to play with it as a road car (Autocross style).  I scared the beans out of a few of my friends I gave rides in it.  I have a lot of my pictures stored so I will need to look up some more shots of the car and post them later when I come across them. These are the shots I had already scanned.

I am the guy on the left in the picture. It was 1970.

Rick M

[Lee.C]

Yes...the 66 with flared fenders (wings) was mine. I had American mags on it and G50x14 rear tires. They were about 10" of rubber on the ground. I had Bridgestone racing tires on the front. Yes, I did like to play with it as a road car (Autocross style).  I scared the beans out of a few of my friends I gave rides in it.  I have a lot of my pictures stored so I will need to look up some more shots of the car and post them later when I come across them. These are the shots I had already scanned.

I am the guy on the left in the picture. It was 1970.

Rick M

Sorry dude I need to read things more carefully  I love that little 66 - I can't believe that little bug put you in jail 

I would love to see some more pic's - its giving me a bit of inspiration for my 66 

[Sam K]

That gasser is sweet, Rick! What happened to it after you bought it?