Small Stock Fun

[pdub]

Re: Small Stock Fun

Yeah, I remember Thunderbug from VW magazines. The paint on the side says '72 record holder, and I got into it a bit later, around 75. My ride had 88mm pistons and cans. You could bolt those on without cutting the block. With the stroker crank it made the displacement around 1850 cc, and since the block was intact, it would stay together. Reliable transportation that you could race on the street with.

Thunderbug and all the drag strip hotrodders would open up the block to accept even LARGER pistons and cylinder cans, to get to a displacement around 2010 cc. Even MORE hp, but it's gonna blow. The aluminum block will crack around the cylinder cans because you've cut the beefiest part of the block away.

The only other trick you could do, which I didn't do, was to get a close ratio thrid gear for the tranny. In the stock VW tranny with a beefed-up motor, winding first and second was like coming out of the hole on a motorcycle. When you hit third around 6K rpm and about 60 mph, the stock 3rd drops the R's out of the pull zone for the cam. With the close ratio 3rd, you'd have a few more seconds of fun to the redline and then 4th was like dropping an anchor.

Running between stoplights, I didn't see the need for a close ratio 3rd. The Bug was definitely a 1/8 of a mile rocket, and then the show was over.

[min301]

Re: Small Stock Fun

Hey Pee, where you located?

[pdub]

Re: Small Stock Fun

I'm in Cleveland TN. Work called me here from SC. Here we are - house, wife, cat, dog, tools and toys. I did all the street racing in Rock HIll, SC. ((A big smile here for the Rock Hill cops.)) We did it and got away with it way back then before people and cars overwhelmed the streets and highways. Not that street racing is a very good idea anyhow, because it sure isn't. I did it, but don't y'all ever try it.

pee

[min301]

Re: Small Stock Fun

Nice.


There are still quite a few still boppin around up here.
Likely will be popular for years to come...

[pdub]

Re: Small Stock Fun

Look at the back end of Thunderbug. The hood (is it a hood when it's on the rear?) is jacked away from the body. You do that with thread rod and some washers. No, it's not an air scoop. If you put the thing in the wind tunnel, you'd see that there's no flow going in there at speed.

It's to let heat out of the engine compartment when you're NOT going. The stock VW engine had heater box headers that were under a piece of sheet metal. In order to install the tuned headers for a hot rod engine, you had to remove the heater boxes and the sheet metal as well. So, the headers are heating the engine compartment like a furnace when you're stopped. You could sit at a stoplight and watch the oil pressure drop on the gauge.

So the engine cover is jacked away from the body to let heat out. Plus with a street car, you no longer have a heater. I'd be driving the Bug to work in the wintertime and have to stop and scrape ice off of the INSIDE of the windshield. No heater.

[pdub]

Re: Small Stock Fun

There's more to Hot-Rodding than just V8's. Welcome,P/W ;D. ~J/W ;D ;D.

Yep. V10, v12, v16's... ;D

ditto - welcome!

Yeah, magnesium oxide. Gunpowder on steroids. The solid rocket boosters on the space shuttle. How far do you want to take it? How far can you go?

Thank you all for such a warm welcome to this forum. Seroiusly.

[Pumpkin]

Re: Small Stock Fun

Cool stories peewee, you're just up the road from me as I'm 20 miles south of Chattanooga. Welcome aboard.

[STINEY]

Re: Small Stock Fun

Welcome to the melee, Peewee.

There are a few of us here still tweaking Germany's small wonder.... not to hijack, but here's some of our toys.










You need to build another bug and relive your youth!

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Small Stock Fun

thunderbug - a bunch of chevy guys running a volks ....