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BENJ'S CORNER - THE FOUR BANGER HANGER STORY!!!...

ANOTHER LONG FORGOTTEN GASSER... FOUR BANGER HANGER!!!

We all know that BenJ and I have a full passion for long forgotten race little VW bugs...

BenJ worked hard again compling one of those interesting stories about rare and long disappeared VW gassers... Moreover when they are from the America East Coast, Canada to be precise... Definitely not a country especially known for VW drag racing history...

BenJ would like to send a big Thank You to Brian BLY for his precious help and his good memory of those days gone by as a VW racing pionneer... And I second that... Direct from the source is the only way to go when you can...

SIDE NOTE : THE FLYING DEUTCHMEN...

 Let us reveal the FOUR BANGER HANGER complete story that starts with our two heroes of the day Brian BLY and Norbert (Nobby) SIEGFRIED looking at a very fast VW on a local dragway coming from Buffalo (New-York)... The bug in question was the Flying DEUTCHMEN which still exists nowadays and recently changed hands...


This is that famous little bug that Brian & Nobby couldn't believe how fast it was...

In fact Brian & Nobby couldn't believe how fast was the little VW, running the 1/4 mile in the 17'... They were very impressed, to say the least...


The Flying DEUTCHMEN at a later time (considering the stickers) on a trailer...


This is not a section about this bug but I have to confess that I'm looking forward to seeing it again on the tracks...

4 BANGER HANGER...

 And not surprisingly, in 1972 came the idea to build their own VW for racing... And the rest is history as they say...

Brian used to own a '63 bug that was his daily transport with its 40hp engine until rusted floopans forced to park the VW after the police pulled it off the road... What an ideal basis thought Brian & Nobby... Btw, today, Brian can't stop thanking that police officer as he devoted a big part of his life in drag racing a VW and its a real passion...

And soon the complete dismantling of the VW began... in an happy atmosphere judging the happy faces on the picture below...

And it began in Brian's mother driveway back in 1972 in Scarborough...

The first best ET was an encouraging 15.20 and we have to mention that the car ran only 2 years in its first version. As usual, early pictures are few and far between... And only 2 came up when doing some research and seems to have the survive the time...


A very early race car on a homemade trailer towed by a '72 Comet. Car had a mild 1600cc with 48IDA bought from Ludwig HEIMRATH...

In 1973, Brian & Norbert visited the NHRA US National at Indianapolis and were again impressed that some quick racers worked hard their cylinders heads for more compression ratio.


4 BANGER HANGER is now paint on the car and get some sponsorships considering the stickers on the sides... Location : Dragway Park Ontario. This is a very rare early picture confess Brian...

FOUR BANGER HANGER II...

In 1973, the decision was made... We need to go quicker... So they began ordering parts from Bill MITCHELL from Motion Minicar who was a very well known shop on the US East Coast (I'm sure you already heard of the Thunderbug racecar and its unusual choptop angle...). Parts were not easy to source when you lived in Canada at that time...

The paintscheme was of course inspired by EMPI Inch Pincher too... And it sure brighted up that lovely 70's Playboy bunny hired by Bill INNES for his car show... Those were the days...

The chosen bug began its life as a delivery VW parts car in Toronto in Norbert's father hands. The plan was to be NHRA legal in the A/Modified Compact class.


The paintscheme was of course inspired by EMPI Inch Pincher too... That bug inspired soooo many VW....

Our two partners in crime sharing the ownership and the wheel, it's funny to note that signwriting of one side of the bug is 'BLY and SIEGFRIED' while the other is 'SIEGDRIED & BLY'...


The whole 5 guys crew striking a pose in 1974 after a class win at the Indianapolis nationals. Note the matching colors HOOKER T-shirts...

Engine was a more competitive 2074cc (78x92) with hand ported cylinder heads. Best time was a nice 12.39. Bill MITCHELL was a precious help...


The crew used a typical 70s truck hauler, a very cool '66 International Crewcab used in 1974 and 1975. Sold in 1976 because the L/Gas Ghia was too low to clear the tire humps without a bunch of work....


With their friend Peter KINDERMANN and his awesome top chopped beetle... Another forgotten race car...


Peter roof chopped bug at Dragway Park for reference... He later built a Low light Ghia called 'Foolish Pleasure'.


VW Gassers gathering... How cool is this picture...


Hard launch at 1974 US Nationals Indy where the team won their class...
Copyright 2024 El Dub - All rights reserved.

E-mail : eldub@cal-look.com


 El_Dub_design
A FRENCH TRIBUTE
TO THE PIONNEERS OF VW DRAG RACING
---



FOUR BANGER HANGER III !
It seems the story quickly repeated itself as the urge to go faster had the two friends sell the FOUR HANGER BANGER bug to build another race car using a Ghia... And that built was far more successful...


A proud team after winning the L/G class at 1976 Summernationals at Englishtown New Jersey.

Drivetrain & Engine both came from the Four Banger Hanger II. The original roof was home chopped by Brian & Nobby and we have to admit it was very well done.


This is Peter KINDERMANN 'Foolish pleasure' in the foreground. A very nice matching pair of ghia!

Best time was quickly a very pleasant 11.39, proving a ghia can be very competitive.


There is something with roof chopped ghia racers... Four Banger Hanger III is no exception...

Brian remember that the Ghia made it to various 'local' racetracks : Dragway park Cayuga, Grand Bend in Ontario Canada but also Indianapolis, Englishtown in New Jersey, Norwalk in Ohio or Manassas Virginia... Making many friends alongside : Bill MITCHELL, Bear BARRILLEAUX, Damon HARMON...


Usual tire air pressure check...

Unlike many other racers, Brian & Nobby didn't use Californian Fumio cylinder heads because Imports taxes and exchange rates between Canada and USA were out of this world... They manages to work their own heads... They were real pioneers in the class in Canada...


Running at Dragway Park, years after the very first pass there with 4 Banger Hanger...

Unfortunately, the two buddies sold the Ghia in the early 90s to a chap in Ohio that crashed and destroyed it at his second pass...


At the 1976 NHRA Grandnationals at Sanair, Quebec...


At the 1976 NHRA Grandnationals at Sanair, Quebec...


At the 1976 NHRA Grandnationals at Sanair, Quebec...


At the 1976 NHRA Grandnationals at Sanair, Quebec...


At Cayuga mid-80s...