RCNMag.com WINTER 2020 -Based Stratos Shelby GR-1 Concept Gas Ronda’s Galaxie 500

Page 50 History repeats itself in a 427- powered Daytona Coupe that coulda, woulda, shoulda been SECRET WEAPON

Scratch-Built Sauber Mercedes Page 56

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50 COMING NEXT ISSUE On the Cover Racing in the Rain’s Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Repro CSX2286, one of the most contested Shelby projects, was powered by a 390 ci Shelby GT350 from the Original Venice Crew big-block for Le Mans in 1964. The was never raced, but lives on now as an Rick Dore’s LT4-Powered Speedliner exacting Kirkham continuation. Photo by Ted7. Tribute to the Teardrop-Shaped Lago

THROTTLE STEERING FEATURE CAR 6 Electric Vehicles — Where’s the Juice? 28 The Great One By Steve Temple, Editor The Shelby GR-1 takes the Cobra Daytona Coupe to a whole new level. By Steve Temple RCN ONLINE 8 @RCNmag.com TECH A preview of current online exclusive content. 34 Cobra Cowling How to improve airflow and dress up your ride. FEATURE CAR By Dan Burrill 10 Numerical Advantage FEATURE CAR The figures all add up on this race-ready 818R from Factory Five. By Steve Temple 38 Mathematical Methodology Lynx Motors crafts a derivative Jag with a Le Mans legacy. FEATURE CAR Courtesy of Fantasy Junction 16 Feral Cats FEATURE CAR Bruce Meyers’ wild inspiration for the and its evolution into a high-performance machine. 44 Sky-High Stratos By By Steve Temple and Joshua Golabi Launching a lofty reincarnation of a legendary rally car using Ferrari mechanicals. FEATURE CAR By Joe Greeves 22 Stellar Street/Strip Tribute COVER STORY Recreating a high-performance Galaxie 500 XL that famed racer Gas Ronda preferred on the street. 50 The Secret Weapon By Steve Temple History repeats itself in a 427-powered Daytona Coupe that coulda, woulda, shoulda been. By Steve Temple

4 CONTENTS

10

28

Racing in the Rain’s Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Repro Shelby GT350 from the Original Venice Crew 16 38 Rick Dore’s LT4-Powered Speedliner Tribute to the Teardrop-Shaped Talbot Lago

FEATURE CAR 56 Scratch-Built Sauber C9 Emulating a Le Mans-winning Mercedes prototype. By Jim Youngs

TECH 62 Bright Idea How to create a shiny finish using Barracuda glass instead of metal. By Dan Burrill

READER’S RIDE 66 RSK-y Business 44 56 This boosted RSK has been an exhilarating ride. By Jim Youngs

READER’S RIDE 74 Dream Interpretation Visualizing a supercharged big-block surrounded by a street rod. As told by Bob Warren

EVENT RECAP 78 RCN Drivers’ Choice Award Recap

READER’S RIDE 84 The Exterminator Working the bugs out of a giant-killing replica. 66 84 As told by Lyle Kruger

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 5 DO IT YOURSELF

THROTTLE

REINCARNATIONElectric Vehicles — Where’s The Juice?

ome automotive pundits feel that electric vehicles consumption and the use of toxic chemicals. Besides are the next big thing. Increasing numbers of these issues of pollution and energy reserves (not to S OEMs shifting hundreds of billions of dollars mention the risk of fire from lithium-ion batteries), take into the development of EVs. a look at the density of chemical versus electrical energy, But are they all they’re cracked up to be? They sure and the differences are even more dramatic: look cool, for the most part, and many clearly perform • It costs less than 50 cents to store a barrel of oil, or Steve Temple well with instant power and sporty handling. its equivalent in natural gas, but it costs $200 to store Editor There are some downsides, however, such as “range the equivalent energy of a barrel of oil in batteries. anxiety.” That can be alleviated as battery technology • About 60 pounds of batteries are needed to store improves, resulting in greater energy density, faster the energy equivalent of 1 pound of hydrocarbons. charging and longer life. At least 100 pounds of materials are mined, moved Higher prices for EVs are a concern as well, but and processed for every pound of battery fabricated. cheaper sodium-based, solid-state batteries are in the • It takes the energy equivalent of 100 barrels of oil works (from the inventor of the lithium-ion technology to fabricate a quantity of batteries that can store the among others). energy equivalent of a single barrel of oil. While these blue-sky promises might sound appealing, Granted, some of these statistics might alter somewhat here are some facts to bring us back to earth. According in favor of EVs as technology improves. And we have to a report from the Manhattan Institute by Mark P. no problem with covering replicas and specialty Mills entitled The “New Energy Economy”: An Exercise with battery-only power. But EVs won’t be replacing in Magical Thinking: our petroleum-powered vehicles anytime soon, despite • A 100x growth in the number of EVs to 400 million government subsidies. That is a comforting thought for on the roads by 2040 would displace only 5% of our enthusiast hobby that pays tribute to all sorts of cars global oil demand. with internal-combustion engines. • Replacing U.S. hydrocarbon-based electric Here’s one final thought that might be yet another generation over the next 30 years would require a game-changer. Army researchers recently discovered construction program building out the grid at a rate quite by accident that an aluminum alloy powder, when 14-fold greater than any time in history. mixed with any water-based liquid, produces hydrogen. • For security and reliability, an average of two This fuel could in turn be used for either a fuel cell or months of national demand for hydrocarbons are an internal-combustion engine, without the need for in storage at any time. Today, barely two hours of high-pressure cylinders. The raw materials needed are national electricity demand can be stored in all massively more abundant than lithium — and utility-scale batteries, plus all batteries in 1 million environmentally friendly too. So maybe Doc Brown got electric cars in America. it right after all, in Back to the Future with his DeLorean’s While lithium-ion is the current state of the art for beer can-fueled Mr. Fusion energy generator. EV batteries, there are some environmental concerns with the use of lithium. Even though lithium mining is Steve Temple relatively cheap, it comes with huge drawbacks in water [email protected]

6 reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 7 NEWS & ALERTS Visit RCNmag.com and sign up for our newsletter. RCNmag.com Get exclusive content delivered @ right to your inbox. Visit the site daily for new, exclusive content. Read our daily content and get the most out of ReinCarNation Magazine.

Bentley to Build 12 Blower Continuations Bentley celebrates 100 years by building 12 continuation versions of the iconic ’29 4 1/2-liter “Blower” team cars. By disassembling and cataloging the original No. 2 team car, Bentley assures the cars will be as identical as possible to the original. www.RCNmag.com/news/bent- ley-to-build-12-blower-continuations Delightful This aluminum-bodied Ferrari 196S Dino recreation is Cool Customs at Mid powered by a 2.65-liter Dino V6 and honors one of the America’s Corvette Funfest earliest dedicated to Enzo’s son. While on location at the world’s largest Corvette party, we picked www.RCNmag.com/fresh-finds/ out eight exceptional custom cars delightful-dino-aluminum-bodied-196s-recreation that stuck out from the crowd.

www.RCNmag.com/news/ corvette-reincarnations- at-mid-america-motorworks

SEMA Sues US DOT Over Low Volume Act Thursday, Oct. 17, SEMA sued the U.S. DOT for its failure to enact its portion of the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act. This vital piece of legislation is nearly three years delayed, and paves the way for bespoke turnkey classics. www.RCNmag.com/news/sema-sues-u-s-dot-over- delayed-low-volume-legislation

RCN’s Top 10 Car Films Fast cars, beautiful women and cliffhangers: the RCN movie vault features a few familiar faces with a tasteful smattering of cult classics and road films. Join the Discussion www.RCNmag.com/blog/rcn-magazines-top-10-car-films FB.com/ReinCarNationMag

8 Advertiser Index

CONTINUATION, REPLICA AND LOW VOLUME AUTOMOBILES

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reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 9 Factory Five 818R

The figures all add up on this race-ready 818R from Factory Five Story and Photos by Steve Temple

10 NUMERICAL ADVANTAGE

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 11 Factory Five 818R

odifying cars, trucks and bikes has always been an opportunity to express M personal creativity and innovation, but component cars are arguably the greatest form. Your creation starts life as nothing more than a package of parts, and it’s a total blank canvas for the builder’s art. A prime case in point is Ray Pasquetti’s 818R. A general engineering contractor by profession, he’s constructed a couple of custom Cobras and several drag boats over the years. But on his 818R, he really pulled out all the stops by working the numbers, giving it a radical power-weight ratio, similar to his lightweight Emerson Motorsports Cobra. Why so? “I built the 818R to whip my son’s butt in the Cobra that we still race,” Ray notes. His son Jason’s competition-spec Cobra replica has a thin skin and frame, so it tips the scales at just 1,900 pounds. Not only that, but it’s powered by a 4.6-liter Ford Aluminator boosted by a Kenne Bell Mammoth twin-screw supercharger. At 11 pounds of boost, power output is somewhere north of 600 hp. This car is so quick, it beat the track record at Thunderhill awhile back. By comparison, Ray’s 818R weighs about 100 pounds less and delivers 350 hp. A much higher output is easily attainable, though, given that the boost is set at only 7 pounds thus far. Ray says he could dial it up to 17 pounds, good for more than 500 horses. “But the engine won’t live,” he points out. He also points to a potential for oil starvation on big sweeping turns, as all the engine lubrication flows into the one side. Even though its power- weight ratio is not as extreme as the Cobra’s, it has other advantages for road racing, as we’ll see. The 818R project took about three years, 5,000 hours of labor and $65,000 in coin. The list of components he incorporated goes on for days, so we’ll try to hit the highlights instead to illustrate our initial point about creative expression. The donor car was a 2007 Subaru WRX that cost $5,700, but it provided only a few parts. “I only used the steering column, rack-and-pinion, engine and ,” he points out. He later swapped out the factory lump for a built STI engine, as he Access to the engine wanted a stronger setup. bay requires removing The engine was substantially reworked by FW the large rear wing Motorsports, using a nitrided crank rotated by and a couple of Manley Performance H-beam rods and Wiseco 100 panels. mm pistons with ACL race series bearings. Boosting the output is a heat-shielded Blouch turbo (a

12 Dominator 1.5XT-R) fed by a Cobb Tuning short-ram SF intake with an AMR Performance cast-aluminum inlet and controlled by a GrimmSpeed solenoid (electronic blow-off valve). The dash features To keep up with the higher airflow from the forced induction, MagnaFuel supplied a QuickStar 300 fuel a Racepak IQ3 with pump and EFI pressure control unit, running through a data logger. fuel racks and Injector Dynamics 1,000 cc nozzles. A Very Cool Parts air-to-water intercooler improves air density to optimize the burn. On the exhaust side are ceramic-coated Perrin equal-length headers. Keeping this blistering mill from overheating is a KOYORAD aluminum racing radiator with a pair of Mishimoto shrouded fans. Transferring the engine output to the transaxle is an EXEDY organic clutch and lightweight flywheel. Ray admits that Jason’s Cobra could best his 818R in the straights, but not in the twisties. Here’s where weight balance has its advantages. Since the 818R has a midengine setup, it’s a primo corner carver. “The Cobra can’t keep up with my 818 in the turns — the car flies,” he beams. “It’s balanced so much better. It just sticks.” That’s in marked contrast to the nose- heavy Cobra’s tendency to throttle steer, spinning the loose as it drifts around the apexes. This old-school

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 13 Factory Five 818R

The rear splitter is a Factory Five Racing option.

style of handling can be way fun, but the G-forces are so much higher on the 818R that “I had to get a full containment seat to stay in it!” he exclaims. Achieving such a tight suspension required some extra custom work on his part, yet another expression of creativity. He notes that the Factory Five Racing manual covers the street version of the 818 in detail, but for building a racer, “You’re pretty much on your own.” Relying on trial and error, he added custom SuperPro polished aluminum lower control arms and Godspeed’s rear lateral links and trailing arm setup with adjustable turnbuckles. Ray set his Eibach coilover shocks at 400 pounds upfront and 650 pounds in the rear. Brakes are Wilwood Dynapro units (six-piston front, four-piston rear), and the chassis is fitted with a Baer Brakes bump steer kit. Ray is still sorting out the suspension and trying to add more caster to the front end. In the meantime, the body went on a high-fiber diet, as he added loads of carbon components supplied by Factory Five. Ray also worked in a two-tone color scheme with burgundy rose and matte silver. The result earned him a Best of Show trophy at Factory Five’s Huntington Beach Cruise-In. Now all he has to do is whip his son’s Cobra road-course record and get a track trophy as well.

The STI engine currently runs about 7 VENDORS

pounds of boost, but the wastegate can be Ad on dialed up to as much as 17 pounds. Ray Pg. 3 Factory Five Racing Pasquetti is keeping it low for now, though, 508-291-3443 as he wants the engine to survive. www.factoryfive.com

14 The rear splitter is a Factory Five Racing option.

The custom

rear suspension consists of Godspeed’s rear lateral links and trailing arm setup with adjustable turnbuckles.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 15 Meyers Manx Evolution

FERAL16 CATS he origin of the famous and enduring Meyers Manx is an oft-repeated tale, T but it merits revisiting, as this free- spirited sand slinger is now becoming a serious collector car. After all, the Manx has been shown at the prestigious Petersen Automotive Museum, posted big wins at Baja and Pikes Peak and crossed auction blocks at lucrative prices. As just one example of the latter, a nicely finished Manx sold at RM Sotheby’s auction for nearly $65,000. On the other hand, some well-used Manxes have been trading in the low teens, creating an investment opportunity for automotive restorers. So when we came across the opportunity to visit with Bruce Meyers and his wife, Winnie, at Mid America Motorworks’ VW Funfest last June, we jumped at the chance to talk with this talented and influential designer. We were entranced as he shared some untold stories and insights about the Manx, but before revealing them, we should provide some background on its development. It all began in 1963, when Meyers and a few friends were mired in the sand at Pismo Beach, California, in a chopped-down, V8-powered sedan. He then spotted another vehicle effortlessly whipping all over the sand with hardly a care. The crude runner was a bare Beetle floorpan with no body, just an engine, seat and roll bar. That VENDORS proved to be a decisive moment of inspiration for him. Meyers Manx “What if that rig had a sleek, lightweight fiberglass 760-749-6321 body?” Meyers mused. It would be far more www.meyersmanx.com comfortable and still just as capable in the sand and dirt. Drawing on his artistic vision and boat- Outfront Motorsports building skills, he crafted a monocoque chassis 714-994-5222 with a fiberglass body and Beetle suspension. Meyers’ inspiration for the shape is somewhat unclear however. Commenting on the design of the original Manx, he admits, “I don’t know why I did what I did: It’s a mystery to me. I just followed my instincts.” Only a dozen Manx models had this early chassis Bruce Meyers’ wild inspiration for the design, as it proved to be too expensive to produce. Later production models used a shortened VW pan Meyers Manx and its evolution into a instead. Meyers went on to produce more than 6,000 high-performance machine vehicles, not exactly a huge number by modern production-car standards, but still sizable for a Story by Steve Temple and Joshua Golabi | Photos by Steve Temple

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 17 Meyers Manx Evolution

Pulling 200 horses out of a Volkswagen Type 1 is

entirely doable with forced induction from a Garrett turbo.

small-scale operation. That figure doesn’t include of the roll bar. The fiberglass contour is bent at all the imitation dune buggies built in those a 90-degree angle. “And this,” he notes, “this days, though, and some estimates run as high is the arabesque line.” as quarter of a million copycats. The Manx’s French for “Arabic-style,” it’s an artistic trendy shape grabbed the attention not only style dating back to the early 6th century. of Hot Rod magazine, but also Car and Arabesque art and sculpture focus on rhythmic Driver, and it appeared on their covers three linear patterns. Symmetry is fundamental to separate times. a harmonious design; it exemplifies completeness, The design’s enduring popularity doesn’t perfection and the desire for unity. come as a surprise to Meyers. “When you create On the Manx, these lines give its elegant, something with an original thought, grace and stylish curves. But the arabesque line is about a sense of balance in its form and function, it’s more than just style, as the angle is a structural timeless,” he observes. design as well. It forms a continuous functional As the Mac Daddy of all dune buggies, angle around the body, which provides structural Meyers is arguably one of the most significant support needed for the fiberglass to withstand designers in automotive history. “To me, the the forces a dune endures. aesthetic is very, very important,” he says. “To So how did a California surfer with no project that sense of freedom and fun — that’s formal automotive design or engineering the essence of the Manx.” Some have gone so background create something so unique and far as to liken the car’s design to a bikini, given complex? As fate would have it, Meyers is its trim lines and beach persona. talented at sculpting, and life drawing, and has Meyers gladly shared some perspectives on a keen eye for structural elements as well. how he came up with such an alluring shape. “It’s all about sculpture,” he explains. He points with a knobby finger to a curved “Sculptural shapes are important to the look, section of the body over the rear , just aft but more important to the shape.”

18 Pumping out 406 horses, this high-powered Manx weighs

only 1,800 pounds for a radical power-weight ratio. Builder Mark Frey couldn’t help upping the stock output.

Bruce Meyers demonstrates Meyers spent many years studying and drawing the human body, eventually moving the off-road capabilities of his on to teaching life drawing. first , Old Red. “I’ve always been fascinated by the elegance and structure of the human body,” he notes. “You have these beautiful areas that curve and bend smoothly, then you have a bone or joint that pokes out. Then the body transitions back to smooth curves, and suddenly you encounter another joint sticking out. All these joints allow the body to bend and move while maintaining the body’s structural integrity.” All this attention to detail and creativity came into play when he designed the Manx. “I modeled the car after the naked human body,” he grins, a bit mischievously. “A mesmerizing shape of curves and joints.” Meyers combined his appreciation for the human body with his talents in sculpting and boat building. The result is a car unlike any other: designed with the arabesque curves of the human body, structural integrity that can navigate just about any geography and a style Another distinctive feature of the that brilliantly captures the spirit of Southern Kick-Out SS is the dual-hoop roll bar. California.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 19 Meyers Manx Evolution

Two eras of Meyers Manx for one amazing ride

It’s not often the owner of a car gets “We already owned the original body to meet its designer, and even more rare that Bruce made,” they reasoned, “so why that he’ll sign and pose with his creation. not own the last body style he would make?” Mark Frey enjoyed this privilege twice over, Rather than redo somebody else’s since he owns two Manxes, an early design dilapidated project, though, Mark and Kelly (finished in yellow) and an updated version started fresh with a body already signed by called the Kick-Out SS. Meyers at the factory. While waiting for it Mark’s training as a mechanic has to arrive, they began planning on a serious come in handy on various projects, but after upgrade in the power department — more dumping too much money into a ’93 Z28 than double the output, in fact. Camaro, he became intrigued by the lower “I didn’t want a stock engine. That cost of a Volkswagen-based buggy. is not like me at all,” Mark admits. “But I “I found a Meyers Manx body up in needed something that would be reliable Wisconsin,” he relates. “The guy didn’t know at the same time.” While some people think if it was a Manx or not, but that didn’t really there is no such thing as a “safe” high-per- matter to me, as I loved the body style com- formance engine, Mark feels they are pared to any other one I had seen out there.” completely wrong. After Mark got it back home and start- “It is very doable as long as the ed giving it a detailed look over, he realized engine tuner knows what they’re doing, it needed much more than a little TLC. and that’s exactly who I found.” To safely “There was a lot of bodywork that optimize the performance of his new Sub- needed to be done. It also needed a different aru engine, Mark sought the services of a The formed dash pod on the Kick-Out SS is derived from frame because I wanted the IRS suspen- company called OG Tuned. While tweaking the cowl located over the gauge cluster of a 2004 Honda Fit. sion,” he relates. The buggy came together the output was a fairly straightforward nicely over the course of a year, with a VW affair, the install was not. Type 1, stroked and punched to 2,110 cc. He “Everything about this entire build also converted it to EFI, using a MegaSquirt is custom,” Mark relates. “What a lot of MicroSquirt ECU and custom intake with a people don’t understand is that I installed Honda B Series throttle body. Initially he left a water-cooled engine and a five-speed it naturally aspirated, but after he got a taste transmission in a car that should have had of turbo boost, he never wanted to go back. an air-cooled engine and a four-speed trans- So he bolted on a Garrett 2967 turbo, and the mission.” whole shebang delivers 200 horses, many So there was nothing in this build that times over what the original 1,600 cc Type 1 didn’t need to be . Start to finish took lump ever did. two years to complete, but it was worth it to Not one to let his Manx curl up on the see the final result. couch, Mark drove it to Mid America Motor- “I can honestly say there is nothing works’ VW Funfest in 2011, where he met up I would do differently on this build — it is with Bruce Meyers, who promptly authenti- 100% done.” Even so, his Kick-Out SS is far cated it by signing the tail of the car. more than just a project car for him. “That was an awesome feeling: To have “The buggy has been a part of every - the creator of my body [design] personally sign thing that has happened in my life,” he says. it meant the world to me,” Mark relates. “I don’t “I have met wonderful people, married a think I have smiled that much in my lifetime.” wonderful, supportive wife and met amazing Well, except for when he met his future wife, friends. If it wasn’t for my buggy projects, Kelly, who shares his passion for the Manx. I don’t think this path I chose would have Looking for a joint project, they both also liked ended up this great. My journey in life is far the Kick-Out SS. (The name Kick-Out refers to from over, but I can tell you one thing: This a surfer’s move at the end of riding a wave, ride has been an amazing one so far.” something Meyers knows firsthand.)

20 The output on this turbo 2.5-liter Subbie is more than double that of the turbo Type 1 on the yellow Manx. But installing a water-cooled engine requires way more custom fabrication.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 21 Gas Ronda’s Galaxie 500

STELLAR STREET/STRIP

22 TRIBUTE Recreating a high-performance Galaxie 500 XL that famed racer Gas Ronda preferred on the street

Story and Photos by Steve Temple

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 23 Gas Ronda’s Galaxie 500

Kenny Youngblood crafted a framed tribute to Gas Ronda in his final race, where his Mustang

Funny Car caught fire. He survived but never competed after that. Racers back then were often regarded as tough and greasy, but Gas was always well groomed and nattily attired.

ans of Ford need was his ride in 1965, and later he ran Ford’s no introduction to Gas Ronda. altered-wheelbase Funny Cars until 1970, F He didn’t start out as a driver when he was badly burned by a transmission for the Blue Oval, though, oil fire that ended his career. (Ford actually having worked as a dance instructor for a had a fire retardant system on the way, but time. But by the late 1950s, he gave up the sadly it didn’t make it on the car in time.) fox trot for the three-pedal shuffle, selling After recovering from his injuries, he his dance studios to fund a full-time opened the popular Tavern in professional racing career. Azusa, California. In 1993, he was presented In the early 1950s, he drove Hudsons with an NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award, and and later switched to a Corvette. and in 2016, he was inducted to the Disappointed by the lack of variety in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. competition field, he made a dramatic change, Before then, Gas and wife, Nina, had picking a 1960 Ford Starliner running a 352 two sons, Gaspar “Gas” Jr. and John, and a ci V8. He then joined forces with Les Ritchey daughter, Tyline. John followed in his father’s of Performance Associates and moved up footsteps, racing for several years as one of to Super Stock with a ’62 Ford Galaxie packing the youngest drag racers ever. He went on a 406 ci FE with three two-barrel . to a couple of other business pursuits, one In ’63 he upgraded to the vaunted 427 of which is Ronda Racing Enterprises. FE, but even with the uptick in power, the Returning to his father’s early days of car was still burdened with too much heavy competition, he decided to recreate a 1964 steel sheet metal. So he manned the wheel Ford Galaxie 500 XL lightweight. The car As a World War II veteran, Gas Ronda always of the lighter 427 Fairlane Thunderbolt and he sourced for the build was born a P-code paid tribute to those in military service, shown became one of the top Ford drivers in 1964, 390/330 hp Police Interceptor with a four- here on both the high-rise hood and rear panel. winning the NHRA World Championship. speed. But John converted it into a reasonable A cammer-powered (427 SOHC) Mustang facsimile of what Gas Ronda was driving on

24 Kenny Youngblood crafted a framed tribute to Gas Ronda in his final race, where his Mustang

Funny Car caught fire. He survived but never competed after that. Racers back then were often regarded as tough and greasy, but Gas was always well groomed and nattily attired.

the street when he won the 1964 Winter- nationals for Russ Davis Ford out of West Covina, California. Easier said than done, of course, as the donor was in pretty rough shape when John found it, and sourcing long gone custom parts proved to be an expensive proposition. But John persevered out of regard for his dearly departed father, who died in October 2017 at age 91. Replacing the steel bumpers, hood, rear deck and front fenders with fiberglass parts pared off about 800 pounds of pork, John estimates. But reproducing the Thunderbolt cold-air induction system intake cost nearly two grand. The only change he made in the original setup was adding K&N air filters at the screened headlight openings. Other modifications included a solid lifter 401 ci, which is a bored-out 390 that ran in A-Stock class (the 427 was for Super Stock). It’s topped with a Ford aluminum 2x4 intake and dual Holley four-barrel carburetors in a custom housing that was fabricated to the specs of an original ’64 racer. Backing this big-block is a stout

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 25 Gas Ronda’s Galaxie 500

Recreating the spartan engine bay for the 401 ci Ford was no simple task, especially the dual cold-air intakes.

Toploader four-speed with a Hurst shifter linkage. Both The aluminum valve covers are just like the engine and driveline were assembled and balanced by those used on the original Galaxie racer. West Coast Mufflers. The stout 401 exhales through a pair of Sanderson ceramic-coated headers, dumping into dual exhausts with Quick Time Performance electric cutouts and Dynomax mufflers. The front has disc brakes and a sway bar, and in the rear is a Ford 9-inch with a 3.50 limited-slip. As per original, he relocated the battery to the trunk. Inside is original red vinyl upholstery, also a challenge to track down since aftermarket companies didn’t always send John the right parts. It has a factory XL center console and bucket seats, along with a Sunpro tachometer on top of the dash. Given all this effort, some might wonder why John chose to recreate a Galaxie instead of the Mustang that his father Gas was known for. “Every year my dad got a driver from Russ Davis Ford, a wagon or a truck, in order to push sales since he was so well known,” he explains. “In ’64 he got a Galaxie as a driver. He loved that car; it touched his heart.” Later on, John asked his father which one he should replicate, and that’s the one he recommended. “I could go someplace and still have a high-performance car,” Gas related to John. “My most favorite.”

26 To keep debris out of

the intake, John Ronda added K&N filters to the cold-air intake hoses.

But John decided to go one better, by making the car even more appealing by turning it into a custom lightweight. “It was my idea,” he admits. He felt that it would have more appeal from a customer standpoint since the car is now up for sale at My Hot Cars (where we came across it at the firm’s facility in San Ramon, California). Once that one sells, John has another tribute to Gas in the works as well. “I’d like to do a ’70s vintage Mustang,” he says, “Like the one that caught on fire.” He plans to tub the back for big tires and lower the suspension so it looks like a Funny Car. And also paint it Ronda Red, of course, with a 427 cammer engine under the hood. “Something that would make dad happy,” he smiles.

As a World War II veteran, Gas Ronda always paid tribute to those in military service, shown VENDORS here on the rear panel. Ronda Racing Enterprises 925-984-1981 My Hot Cars 925-292-0922 www.myhotcars.com

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 27 The Shelby GR-1 Concept THE GREAT ONE

The Shelby GR-1 takes the Cobra Story and Photos by Daytona Coupe to a whole new level Steve Temple

28 GREAT ONE

hat follows are the final chapters in the While we’ll touch on some highlights from the astounding career of — book, what we want to focus on in particular is the W literally. A new book has just come out chapter on the Shelby GR-1, a fascinating concept titled The Last Shelby Cobra by Chris that follows in the footsteps of the Cobra Daytona Theodore, former engineering vice president at both Coupe. Recently I was able to examine the car Story and Photos by Ford and . While the subhead indicates that personally at Shelby Legendary Cars in Irvine, it’s about “My Times With Carroll Shelby,” since California, and also inspect some related engineering Steve Temple Chris worked directly with Shelby, it’s actually much documents in the office of Lance Stander, who serves more. This intriguing tome reveals in detail just how as president and CEO. relentlessly creative and controversial Shelby was, By way of background, Chris has extensive even right up to his death in May 2012. experience in the . He once

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 29 The Shelby GR-1 Concept

While the rear of the GR-1 doesn’t have the exact tail configuration of the Daytona Coupe, it does have a recess to enhance aerodynamics.

served as the director of /Truck Powertrain, to create a conquering scuderia [stable], and and in the spring of 1988, his team was working ultimately the bespoke brand of automobiles that on a new V10 truck engine when he was asked carried his name. Carroll Shelby, on the other to show the plans to Shelby and discuss a new hand, was a risk taker, engaging and funny. His halo car concept — the Viper. East Texas drawl, ‘aw shucks’ down-home self- Later on, in the early 2000s, he switched deprecation, just-do-it attitude and public persona horses to Ford and was instrumental in bringing was something that everyman could love. He was Shelby back into the Ford fold. Notably, he worked equally at home with barons, movie starlets, on projects such as the Ford GT, the Shelby Cobra business executives, race drivers, mechanics and prototype (Daisy), the Shelby GR-1 and ultimately the man on the street. He had a magical way of the new line of Shelby Mustangs produced by engaging and connecting with them all. Carroll Ford. wasn’t an engineer or car designer. Nor was he a Space doesn’t permit covering every detail of detail-oriented manager. He had the knack to In a new book, Chris Theodore shares seize an opportunity, attract and select the right firsthand recollections of his work with Chris’ book, but it suffices to say it’s a compelling people and turn them loose to accomplish Carroll Shelby in the later years of his read, backed up by not only his firsthand seemingly outlandish goals.” impressive career. experiences with Shelby, but also corroboration from other key individuals. Before getting into Clearly Chris knew Shelby the man well and the chapter on the Shelby GR-1, Chris shares his engaging approach to life and business. During several key episodes leading up to the car’s the years that Chris worked with Shelby on the development, along with Shelby’s stature in the Viper, he once approached him during a heated industry. debate at Chrysler about the technical aspects of He starts out by drawing a dramatic distinction the car and asked for his opinion of the car. between Shelby and another automotive legend, In typical Shelby understatement, he drawled, . “‘Aw Chris, I’m just an old marketing guy. You “Enzo had only been a mediocre race driver, guys are the experts.’ True, Carroll had long ago but possessed the managerial and political skills learned the benefits of marketing with his

30 trademark bib overalls, and ‘just a chicken farmer’ humility, but he was very much more than that. Years of racing and building cars with the likes of Phil Remington and had taught him what it took to build a great ‘sport’ car.” Despite a previous falling out between Shelby and Ford execs, as explained in detail in the book, eventually they reconciled. That led to “Project Petunia,” the GT40. (If you’re wondering how the GT40 became the Ford GT, it’s actually Safir GT40 Spares that owns the trademark rights to the name.) While Ford secured the naming rights for the concept car, that was not the case for the production car. Moving forward with the project, Chris points out that Shelby was much more than a figurehead for its development. “I think most team members thought Shelby’s role would be limited to that of ‘spiritual advisor,’ but Carroll took the role of ‘senior technical advisor’ seriously. He could still expertly handle Nothing traditional in a car and spent a lot of time evaluating the GT40 the cockpit — it’s definitely as development progressed, starting with the a forward-looking treatment. workhorse.” Following the enthusiastic reception for the Ford GT, Shelby took on yet another project, code-named Daisy. This would eventually become a modernized version of the Cobra with a V10 engine. But why a V10 instead of a V8 or some other power plant? “Back in the early days of the Ford GT, I called together guys from the Petunia skunkworks, SVT, Ford Racing and Advanced Powertrain to discuss engine alternatives. There were four factions: One wanted a small displacement high- revving motor like a Ferrari V8; another wanted twin turbos; a third pushed for a supercharged Mod V8, like in the SVT Lightning; and I had suggested a large displacement V10.”

Most of the body of

the Shelby GR-1 was formed with a superplastic process where aluminum sheet is heated to 500 degrees C (which is 932 degrees F) and then slowly blow- formed over the tool with hot air. The entire front had to be NC milled out of a block of aluminum though.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 31 The Shelby GR-1 Concept

The V10 engine developed for Daisy, the

new Shelby Cobra concept that Chris Theodore eventually purchased at auction, was also used in the Shelby GR-1 (shown in background).

Chris’ preference eventually prevailed over these engine alternatives and for solid engineering reasons: “I could see a horsepower war brewing, and a V10 would allow us to supercharge or turbocharge it in the years ahead. The naturally aspirated version would also be lighter and permit a lower center of gravity (Cg) than a supercharged V8. The high-revving engine option was put to rest when I told the guys we needed at least 500 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. Turbocharging would have been a thermal challenge to execute in a midengine car in such a short time frame. Finally, [John] Coletti convinced me that the only way Petunia could meet its timing objective was if we used the Lightning motors as surrogates in the Ford GT ‘workhorse’ vehicles.” Eventually, “… four V10s were assembled and installed in the Mustang mule, the 427 concept car, Daisy and a concept car planned for 2005. The Daisy [Cobra] would use the Ford GT transaxle in the rear to improve the interior package and weight distribution. And it wouldn’t be just a pretty concept, but a full-on runner that also used the Ford GT’s steering, brake, and cooling system components. The space-frame used many Ford GT aluminum castings and extrusions as well.” With all this tech in mind, you might be wondering about Shelby’s take on both his early Cobra and Daisy, “the last Cobra.” “I never dreamed it would become an icon, as it did. I was just trying to kick the shit out of Corvette,” he admitted at the time. “I’m 80 years old, transplanted heart and transplanted kidney. I wake up three times a night with new ideas. There are so many things left in the world that I want to do that I don’t even care what I’m remembered as. I just want to be there to do a few of those things, and building a new Cobra is number 1.” Several of his innovative ideas are covered at the end of the book, but it’s time we dig into the Shelby GR-1. It all started back in 2003, when the Cobra concept was agreed to by Ford designer J Mays and Shelby. It only made sense for them to follow it with a coupe in the mold of the beautiful Shelby Daytona designed by Peter The roofline displays a sleek shape for optimum airflow. Brock. But it would have its own distinct personality and hit like a lightning bolt.

32 VENDORS Shelby Legendary Cars 888-743-5298 “The actual sketch for the ‘Daytona’ came www.shelbylegendarycars.com about one day in November thanks to a young designer, George Saridakis,” Chris relates. “He had seen the Daisy rolling chassis at the Irvine studio, and thought, ‘What can I do with this?’ In a stroke of genius, he sketched three different views of a gorgeous coupe. When J saw them, he told George, ‘Don’t change a thing,’ and sent them along to me. I immediately agreed — it was exactly what we were looking for. Rarely in my career have I seen a sketch that immediately screamed, ‘This is it!’” Lightning in a bottle, to be sure. As for the name, he doesn’t recall who came up with the GR-1 designation. “Reportedly, the GR stood for ‘Group Racing.’ To me it didn’t matter, so long as the name Shelby was attached to it.” In our view, it also seems a fitting acronym for the “Great One.” And the drivable chassis lived up to that meaning on the track: “…like driving a 600 hp go-kart!” Chris enthused. At the unveiling of the body design, response to the GR-1 was unequivocally positive. For the prototype car, however, the body would not be made of fiberglass as initially seen at the unveiling: “While the body panels were indeed superplastic formed (a process where aluminum sheet is heated to 500 degrees centigrade and then slowly blow- formed over the tool with hot air), the front fascia exhibited too much spring-back. No amount of heating or beating could persuade the aluminum to take the proper form. Consequently, the entire front had to be NC milled out of a block of aluminum — an expensive process.” Ensuing chapters of the book cover several other projects, including a Super Snake, the Uni- Chassis, a few secret projects and various new technologies, all of which surprised Chris: “It struck me as unusual that a man in his 70s and 80s would continue to be curious and interested in exploring a wide variety of subjects and technologies, but Carroll was always working on new stuff.” As a fitting finale to Chris’ times with Shelby, he ended up acquiring Daisy, the 2004 Shelby Cobra concept, at auction and later got it up and running. But he also feels that the Shelby GR-1 needs to be on the road too. “It is, arguably, the best-looking car I ever worked on, and I believe it outshines contemporary grand touring cars.” A great one indeed!

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 33 COBRA COWLING How to improve airflow and dress up your ride Story and Photos by Dan Burrill

ooling always seems to be an issue in replica builds for a Note, too, that this functional enhancement can also be used as a way variety of reasons. Perhaps the horsepower level is much to dress up the underside of the fenders or hood, in the trunk, or on the C higher than the original engine used. Or maybe too much firewall for a neat, clean look. While almost any car can benefit from this airflow is lost going around the radiator, rather than through treatment, Cobra replicas in particular benefit from it due to the large it. One way to address this inadequacy in airflow is by funneling it inside gaping hole in the nose. As a side note, the original Shelby 427 Cobras the grille opening by enclosing the cowl area. used a pair of inefficient refrigerator fans to push air into the front of the An added benefit of this cowling is covering an unsightly hole between radiator, rather than the more effective method of modern puller fan on the bottom of the radiator and the body of the car. Doing so is a fairly the opposite side. quick and easy way to dress up your project car. For this project, we used five pieces of aluminum: one for the opening All you need are some sheets of cardboard and aluminum, available at the top of the radiator, one for the bottom, one piece folded up on each from most metal supply companies or even recycling centers. Comparatively side for the sides of the oil cooler (if one is used) and two pieces for each speaking, aluminum is easy to work with. The key to a nicely finished side of the radiator. More important than the materials, though, is that project is to use cardboard templates to work out the design before cutting now this Cobra runs cooler and looks cleaner. and bending the aluminum.

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715-493-7911 • www.7fifteenMotorworks.com reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 35 Start by measuring and cutting a cardboard Since this Cobra will have an engine oil Tap with a small hammer to mark the template to fit into the areas surrounding the cooler, it’s temporarily set in place and the hose underside of the template. This shows us exactly radiator. holes are marked in the cardboard. where the oil cooler hoses will come through the aluminum sheet.

Cut out the marked holes and check for fit We made the lower template out of pieces with the nuts and bolts. of cardboard taped together. After double- checking for fit, the outline is marked on the aluminum, and next we get to cutting it with the tinsnips. VENDORS

A small hole is drilled in the aluminum for the Boffin Motorsports oil lines. Then a hole cutter is used to make the 503-624-2659 larger hole. This cutter helps to keep the aluminum from warping and leaves a smooth- edged hole. The finished project adds a lot of

class and makes the car really stand out.

The opening for the oil cooler is wider than the cooler, so we designed a piece of aluminum that will fold up around the sides and give it a finished look. The finished cardboard template for the oil cooler is laid out, and the design is scribed onto the aluminum. Then the aluminum is cut and bent to fit around the sides of the oil cooler and securely bolted in place.

36 reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 37 Lynx Motors C-Type

38 MATHEMATICAL METHODOLOGY Lynx Motors crafts a derivative Jag with a Le Mans legacy Courtesy of Fantasy Junction | Photos by Derek Tam Scott

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 39 Lynx Motors C-Type

he C-Type is undoubtedly one of experience of one of the all-time great sports racing Jaguar’s most successful and iconic cars without the massive price tag or uneasiness T creations. A dedicated racing variant associated with enjoying such a valuable car. of the lightweight XK120, the C-Type One premium-grade example is from Lynx was converted to competition duty through the use Motors, a British firm whose cars are highly regarded of a stunning body and careful reengineering of for their exceptional craftsmanship and faithfulness all major mechanical systems. to the original C-Type. The Lynx recreation closely Designed by Jaguar’s legendary engineer Malcolm mimics the factory cars with a tubular chassis Sayer, the bodywork is among the most beautiful dressed in hand-wheeled aluminum bodywork. ever fitted to any car. But interestingly, Malcolm This particular car was built in 1997 for its eschewed the term “stylist,” stating he was not a original owner, Rodney Smith, who was a prominent hairdresser. Instead, he relied on proven aerodynamic San Francisco Bay Area collector. He was closely principles and took a mathematic approach to involved with the build of the car by corresponding design, a methodology that bewildered even his regularly with Lynx in the U.K. during its close colleagues. construction. It was built using a 1959 XK150 as a The car was an instant success, winning Le basis and is titled accordingly. Today it retains the Mans on its first outing in 1951 and again in 1953. original registration number of that car, RFY 910, It continued to use the sophisticated twin-cam XK as well as its Swansea V5 logbook from the U.K. inline-six and for the first time in an automobile, The car was shipped to its original owner in 1998, disc brakes, which had been pioneered on World and it has remained in the San Francisco Bay Area War II airplanes. since. Just 52 C-Types were ever built, and they now Included with the car is a large file of trade hands for millions of dollars, as high as $13 correspondence with Lynx, which includes discussion million for one example with racing pedigree. Given of the aesthetic details, colors and mechanical such lofty values, it comes as no surprise that faithful specification, along with photographs of its assembly. replicas built with Jaguar mechanicals are popular It was used extensively in Lynx’s marketing materials, among enthusiasts. They seek to capture the historic including appearing as the feature car in their

40 Few cars have such impressive and flowing lines as the C-Type Jaguar.

Except for the rich red leather seat upholstery, the rest of the cockpit is functional in execution.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 41 Lynx Motors C-Type

C-Type brochure and numerous print advertisements. The paint and bodywork were done to high standards The 3.8-liter XK engine boasts nostalgic with excellent fit and craftsmanship throughout. Some looks, right down to the voltage regulators minor wear with a few small cracks are evident in the and cloth-covered wiring harnesses. otherwise deep, lustrous paint. An original-type air intake scoop on the driver’s side of the hood feeds air to the Weber carburetors. For nostalgic effect, a pair of Brookland screens are fitted, along with a full-width aero screen. The classic wire wheels wear Cinturato tires. Red leather upholstery accents the purposeful and period-correct cockpit treatment. Other than the seats, the interior is spartan in execution, with silver framework, body panels and Hardura trim, in addition to four-point harnesses and a kill switch. The car is fully instrumented, including speedometer and counterclockwise-rotating tachometer. To the right of the steering wheel is a spare spark-plug holder. The 3.8-liter XK power plant makes a strong visual statement in the nicely detailed engine compartment. An appropriate four-speed Moss gearbox backs the twin-cam six-cylinder, which breathes through triple Weber 45 carburetors. The engine was upgraded with competition pistons and connecting rods, along with a competition specified cylinder head that is ported with large intake valves. The compression ratio is a manageable 8.75:1 to allow for use of 91 octane. A correct vintage appearance is evident in the engine bay, down to the voltage regulators and cloth-covered wiring harnesses. The Lynx sports an AP Racing competition clutch and a lightened flywheel, which was balanced with the crankshaft and clutch unit. The suspension is correct in layout, including the rear axle, a Salisbury unit with a limited-slip. Series III XJ6 disc brakes are used in all four corners with KONI An authentic-style air intake scoop on shocks. the driver’s side of the hood feeds air Since being acquired by the second and current owner directly to the Weber carburetors. in late 2014, the Lynx has been fitted with heat-resistant barriers and floor mats to make the car comfortable to drive on the street. Period-correct roundels have been fitted on the nose and rear of the car, making it suitable for street or VENDORS track use. The car is a definite head-turner, and an incredibly well- Fantasy Junction sorted reproduction that provides a remarkable driving 510-653-7555 experience. It starts easily when cold and packs a punch www.fantasyjunction.com when up to temperature, delivering a coherent and trustworthy experience. The well-tuned engine is powerful Bespoke British and makes wonderful music, with exceptional throttle Sports Cars response and a smooth-shifting gearbox. The brakes have (Lynx USA) great stopping power and an excellent feel, with a nice firm 919-413-4908 pedal. The steering is direct and pleasingly quick, with the www.bespokebritishsportscars.com suspension providing excellent feedback and control. Overall the car inspires the kind of trust that allows the pilot to drive in a spirited fashion with confidence. This beautiful car faithfully captures every meaningful element of one of the greatest cars of all time. An absolute pleasure to drive and look at, this car was built to the highest standards and represents superb value as well.

42 Fantasy Junction 510-653-7555 www.fantasyjunction.com Bespoke British Sports Cars (Lynx USA) 919-413-4908 www.bespokebritishsportscars.com

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 43 Lancia Stratos Reincarnation

44 SKY-HIGH STRATOS

Launching a lofty reincarnation of a legendary rally car using Ferrari mechanicals Story and Photos by By Sudhir “Banzai” Matai

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 45 Lancia Stratos Reincarnation

he Lancia Stratos is one of the best- racing his one-off creation. Demand from other known rally cars of all time. It was quarters led him to grant production rights for the T famously conceived as a competition new Stratos to a small-scale Italian firm called car first, rather than being a road car Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT). Those converted for racing duty. This built-for-purpose familiar with the exotic creations of Scuderia approach would account for its multiple titles. Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) will be interested to With a short wheelbase and a midmounted 2.4- know that its cars were built by MAT as well. liter V6 from the Ferrari Dino, the car’s agile nature With all the hard lessons learned on Michael’s made it quick on the torturous rally stages of the car, the creation of a limited run (just 25) of the World Rally Championship, which it won in 1974, new Stratos units was a no-brainer. MAT showed 1975 and 1976. its very first creation to the public at the 2018 As a young rally fan, Michael Stoschek longed Geneva Motor Show and opened up its order book, for the car that he watched compete during his and buyers started to line up pretty quickly. formative years. When the German entrepreneur MAT starts with a Ferrari F430 (usually supplied was old enough, he bought himself an original by the client), using either the street model or the Lancia Stratos (which he still owns), but that car’s track-focused Scuderia version. At MAT’s Turin, value continually rises and its age makes it less , headquarters, the company starts by stripping than ideal for regular usage. away all the interior trim, as well as all the body So Michael decided to create a modern-day panels and roof panel, leaving a bare-bones platform version of the Stratos and turned to famed Italian that includes the shock towers. automotive consultancy . After several At this point, what’s left of the car is mounted years and bucket loads of cash spent on the project, into a jig, and the company removes 8 inches from Michael finally had the car he lusted after as a the wheelbase, reducing it to 94.5 inches, and then youth: a modern-day Stratos. the two halves are joined back together. MAT welds Fast-forward a few years, and Michael had an integrated roll cage onto the new structure to plenty of time in the driver seat, enjoying and compensate for the removal of the roof section.

46 The cage is fashioned out of FIA-spec FE45 steel that has a tube diameter of 1.5 inches with a wall thickness of 0.1 inches. Another area of additional stiffening results from two braces bolted between the rear bulkhead and shock towers. The net result is a car that is more rigid torsionally than its donor vehicle. While this extensive rebuild of the car’s underpinnings is taking place, MAT starts work on the naturally aspirated 4.3-liter V8. As noted above, the original Stratos was also powered by a Ferrari-sourced engine, albeit a V6. At a client’s request, the motor can be overhauled and MAT adds its own touches to improve its character and output. A reprogrammed Bosch ECU, along with a new intake and exhaust system from Capristo, While not identical to the original Stratos, the MAT liberate quite a few more ponies from the high- revision has the same wedge shape and flicked-up tail. revving mill — that is now good for 540 bhp (up from 483 bhp) at 8,200 rpm. Swapping out the standard engine’s exhaust for a freer-flowing system brings with it a unique engine Before MAT fits on the new Stratos-style, carbon fiber note. Gone is the melodious tune sung by Ferrari’s body, a Ferrari F430 donor is stripped to the frame bent eight; in its place is a hard-edge, guttural growl and then reinforced with a roll cage. that’s in line with the car’s rally roots. Selecting a transmission is up to the buyer, with most purists opting for the open-gated six-speed manual. There’s an automated manual version available as well, which is an F1 transmission with an electrohydraulic actuated setup and paddle

To further evoke the look of the original Stratos, the iconic Alitalia livery can be added.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 47 Lancia Stratos Reincarnation

shifters. Owners can also choose whether to have left- or right-hand drive, so cars can be built either for the U.S. or for Australia, South Africa and Japan. Back in MAT’s body shop, the heavily modified platform is fitted with new suspension bushings on the double- wishbone setup, as well as Bilstein springs and damper units. The latter have been tuned to handle a car that is somewhat lighter (up to 200 pounds, depending on options) than a stock F430. When it hits the ground, the MAT Stratos tips the scale at 2,740 pounds with a rear-biased mass distribution of 44/56. MAT also replaces the wheel hubs with race-style, center- lock items to accommodate the bespoke wheels produced by . The new alloys measure 19 x 9 on the front axle and 19 x 11 on the rear. These are shod with 265/30 and 305/30 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 semislick rubber. Inside those wheels is a race-derived braking system. The brakes consist of 398 mm ceramic discs and six-piston calipers on the front wheels, with 350 mm discs clamped by four-piston calipers at the rear. Once the underpinnings have been fitted with cooling and electrical systems, it is all covered up with a tailor-made suit of carbon fiber panels. The shape, while not identical,

While the original Lancia Stratos had a Dino 2.4-liter is meant to evoke the rakish lines of the original Lancia V6, MAT’s reincarnation runs a Ferrari 4.3-liter V8. MAT Stratos. One major difference is the lack of pop-up headlamps can tweak the output from 483 to 540 bhp at 8,200 rpm. on the newer car. However, the wraparound front windscreen, wedgelike profile, circular taillamps and flicked-up rear

48 spoiler are almost direct carryovers. View the two cars side by side and the DNA is undeniable. Clients can pick and choose exterior color options, as well as interior trim. Many opt for the rally fog lamps, Hawk’s high-flying Stratos as seen on the company’s blue demonstrator, and one new owner went the whole hog and had his car painted By Rob Hawkins in rally-style Alitalia livery. Some owners choose to have the original Ferrari With an original Lancia Stratos seats recovered, while others prefer full race buckets selling for more than a half- with multipoint harnesses. Either way, the new car million dollars, many people harkens back very closely to the original in the cabin. The original Stratos famously had door pockets large turn to the replica market to enough to hold a helmet, as the cabin was too small fulfill their classic rally to place them anywhere else, and so too does the dreams. Stratos replicas have recreated version. been available since the The gauge cluster isn’t some digital data logger, but 1980s, and the longest- rather has a full suite of analog dials — way cool. MAT established manufacturer is arguably Hawk Cars in the U.K. Hawk has developed a host of retains the F430’s steering wheel and Ferrari’s manettino authentic parts and sourced components that were once available from donor cars but dial, which allows the driver a quick and simple adjustment have now become scarce or expensive. of the electronics governing suspension settings, traction control, electronic differential and change speed of electronic gearbox. Most Stratos replicas are based around Italian donor car components like the , As far as reincarnations go, the MAT-built Stratos and Hawk’s range of replicas follows this rule. The 164 can be used for the really turns the game upside down. Restomods are engine, gearbox, management system, front brake discs and calipers for the rear. The typically old cars with modern fittings and technology. front stub axles are sourced from the 132 or FSO Polonez. In contrast, MAT has taken a new car and given it the appearance of a sky-high rally classic. The rear suspension makes use of front struts and top mounts from the Lancia Beta, although GAZ struts are now available along with alloy solid mounts manufactured by Hawk. Other donor components are sourced from the Fiat X1/9, along with the 124 Sport and 850 models.

Hawk has developed many of its own components for its Stratos replica. Aside from the space-frame chassis, which was created by the manufacturer, the front suspension uses double wishbones with outboard coilovers and an anti-roll bar. At the rear, the struts are attached to Hawk’s own uprights, hubs and track control arms.

Hawk’s Stratos replicas are known as the HF range and denoted according to engine size. HF2000 designates a 2-liter Lancia engine, while HF3000 is used for the 3-liter V6, among others. There are other variations based on road-going Stradale bodywork, wide arched with a full bank of spotlights along the front of the bonnet (hood), and the even wider Giro d’Italia .

VENDORS Hawk has done such an accurate job on its replica that owners of the genuine rally cars now buy spares from the company. At this point, sales of Hawk’s Stratos replica far exceed Manifattura Automobili Torino (MAT) the number of original Lancia units built. www.manifatturaautomobilitorino.it

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 49 427 ci Daytona Coupe SECRET WEAPON

50 History repeats itself in a 427-powered Daytona Coupe that coulda, woulda, shoulda been

By Steve Temple | Photos by Ted7 and Courtesy of Tom Kirkham

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 51 427 ci Daytona Coupe

Dropping in a 427 big-block required a few changes, such as enlarging the exhaust system.

inston Churchill is famous for describing Russia’s actions as “a riddle, wrapped in a W mystery, inside an enigma.” That could also apply to an unusual Cobra Daytona Coupe created by , colorfully referred to as The Secret Weapon. Like so many of Shelby’s impressive achievements, there’s an intriguing backstory to the car, and now there’s a modern variant, as we’ll see. But let’s start at the beginning. Never one to mince on power, Shelby wanted to replace the 289 Ford small-block (rated at 340 hp in race trim) with more cubes and enter it in the prototype class of the 1964 Le Mans race. What he had in mind was the massive 427 SOHC cammer NASCAR engine, but he couldn’t get his hands on one in time for Le Mans. So he initially went with an aluminum 390 ci big-block instead. Both engines would require modifications to the car, and chassis number CSX2286 was lengthened 3 inches, among other changes. According to Shelby American, one of the development drivers for the big-block car was . He stated that the Cobra’s tremendous torque allowed him to burn rubber and get sideways in any gear, noting that it “went like stink.” He and other Shelby staffers speculated it could have easily exceeded 200 mph at Le Mans. Weighing about 2,200 pounds with the power of a big-block and world- class aerodynamics by the legendary Peter Brock, the car had tremendous performance potential. But it was not to be, for reasons that are somewhat mysterious to this day, as noted at the outset. Reference works such as the SAAC Registry indicate that two other coupes, CSX2287 and CSX2299, took priority for Le Mans.

52 So they went on ahead to the racetrack, and the long- wheelbase, 390-powered CSX2286 would be shipped a few days later. Here’s where things get a bit muddy. According to both Shelby and the SAAC Registry, the truck carrying CSX2286 to Le Mans was involved in an accident that damaged the Shelby too extensively to be repaired in time for the race. It never ran a lap in anger with the big- block and was later returned to small-block configuration by Shelby American. At least that’s the official story. Brock provides a different account. He points out that the car was never really finished, as it still didn’t have all the parts needed by June 1964. Contradicting Shelby’s version of events, it never made it on a truck headed for Le Mans. Rather, it was left incomplete at Carrozzeria Grand Sport, the shop in , Italy, where most of the Shelby coupes were built. As noted in an article published on Hagerty’s website (and also confirmed in my personal interview with Brock), If a five-speed is requested instead of the

“I think this story was invented by Shelby as an answer original-spec four-speed transmission, the to why it never arrived in France for the race,” Brock says. aluminum paneling requires some adjust- “It couldn’t have, as it was never completed and never ran. ment to accommodate a different shifter. Since some people knew of Shelby’s plan to embarrass Ferrari with a prototype Daytona Coupe at Le Mans and it never showed, he had the story released that it had been crashed on the way to France.” He estimates that the car was maybe 70% complete, as it was awaiting a long list of parts from Ford, including a clutch. One of Shelby’s trusted fabricators, John Ohlsen, who installed the 390 ci Ford in CSX2286, confirmed this fact in the book Daytona Cobra Coupes by Brock, Dave Friedman and George Stauffer: “The motor was shipped to me without a clutch, flywheel or headers, and all sorts of other things were missing. I had to make the headers for that engine in Italy, and I had to ring California every night to try and have bits sent over so I could finish the car. These delays were why we never made it to Le Mans or Reims.” Whatever the reason for the conspicuous absence of CSX2286, Shelby and his crew still prevailed with a small-block Coupe, winning the GT class over Enzo Ferrari’s GTOs.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 53 427 ci Daytona Coupe

The original 390 ci V8 in CSX2286 had Indy car Weber

58 mm carbs, but those are virtually impossible to find. So this 427 has 48 IDA Webers instead, good for an output of 550-plus horses.

Famed Cobra racer Bob Bondurant,

A portion of the subframe was elimi- who test-drove the big-block Coupe, said,

nated to clear the 427’s valve covers. “It went like stink.” Here he checks out Shelby’s continuation of The Secret Weapon.

54 VENDORS Shelby Legendary Cars 888-743-5298 www.shelbylegendarycars.com

Today, history repeats itself (albeit with a few minor Ad on Pg. 2 Carroll Shelby Engine Co. revisions) in a continuation big-block Coupe now offered 877-836-1534 by Shelby Legendary Cars. Six cars are planned in all, www.shelbyengines.com just like the original run of Daytona Coupes. The man who initiated the project is Tom Kirkham, formerly of Kirkham Classics Kirkham Motorsports but now working on his own. 801-318-7646 The inspiration for the project actually came from the Daytona Cobra Coupes book. “I had been wanting to build The Secret Weapon Coupe for quite some time,” Tom shares. Barry Smith, a noted collector of Shelbys, funded the project, with the body and chassis made in Poland by Lech Kowalski of Caro Cars — who formerly worked at a MiG jet factory. The first car actually started out with a standard 289 chassis, just like CSX2286, and it was lengthened 3 inches right at the engine mounts. In addition, a 3-inch section was spliced into the engine cowl, right between the front wheel and side vents. Other construction challenges included fabricating a much larger exhaust for the 427, which required cutting down the footboxes and eliminating a portion of subframe tubing that interfered with the valve covers. The two ensuing models, one of which is still under construction, came from Caro Cars already extended in length and with the body mounted on the frame. From there, Tom smoothes out the body to a mirror finish with Perfect Polish, a product also used on airplanes and Airstream trailers. On this portion of the build, Tom comments: “It takes forever,” he admits. “Lots of elbow grease.” He also tweaks inner panels with various alterations, such as the wiring and location of the shifter — if a five- speed transmission is used instead of a four-speed. Tom also installs a 550 hp, aluminum 427 FE engine from Carroll Shelby Engine Co., but neither the cammer nor the aluminum 390 are available. In addition, the Weber 48 IDA carburetors used are not the ultrarare Weber 58 mm units. So some slight changes have been made in reincarnating CSX2286. That’s understandable, though, and Tom admits that the hardest part of this project was doing the research to get the car accurate, and not every item is readily available. All told, each of the six Coupes will command some serious coin — nearly a half-million dollars. Even so, the finished car is a work of art, a refined tribute to an enigmatic, yet utterly compelling car that “coulda, woulda, shoulda” raced at Le Mans.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 55 Scratch-Built Sauber C9

SCRATCH-BUILT SAUBER C9

56 Emulating a Le Mans-winning Mercedes Group C prototype SAUBER C9 Story and Photos by Sudhir “Banzai” Matai

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 57 Scratch-Built Sauber C9

The doors and engine cover on this one-off replica function the same as on the original C9.

here are car guys, and then there are year. The car reached a searing 248 mph on the hardcore car guys, and Johan Mulsanne Straight during qualifying. T Ackermann qualifies as the latter in Such a performance clearly made the C9 worthy every sense. During his life, he has of immortalization in the gaming world, which is worked for both BMW and BMW Motorsport and where Johan’s obsession with the Mercedes began. was once a development and test driver. He has “I’d been playing Gran Turismo from PS1 all those also built not one, but three cars with his own years ago,” Johan relates. “I used to love driving hands. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he also the Nürburgring. One day I read about a competition happens to be an aircraft technician. where a guy from Germany was trying to find the That’s quite the list of accomplishments, but fastest gamer around the track — you know, the Johan has no plans of stopping just yet. His first long track.” Johan chose the C9 and had to set up creation, the Sauber Mercedes C9 you see here, is the car perfectly to set a good time. After weeks of the stuff of legend in South Africa. But what led trying, he set an incredible time that was quicker him to tackle such a daunting project? It’s a pretty than anyone else in the competition by five seconds. unusual story, with a surprising twist, as you’ll see. “Man, I was really happy with the result!” he The one-time race mechanic for BMW is recalls. “Then I started to think to myself, ‘I want obviously a motorsport enthusiast, to say the least. to drive that car on the road in real life!’” Of course, But it was an unrelenting desire for competition getting your hands on a Group C racer is harder that led him into the world of gaming, more than finding hen’s teeth, so Johan would just have specifically the Gran Turismo franchise of PlayStation to build his own if he ever hoped to drive one. games. It was within this arena of virtual racing Building a Le Mans-style racer is not something that he became infatuated with the Sauber Mercedes easily undertaken — especially so if you don’t have C9, the famous Group C racer that helped Mercedes your own race car team. There are no molds or secure victory in 1989 at the . specs to work off, just creativity and ingenuity, both For those readers not familiar with the C9, it of which Johan fortunately seems to possess in marked Mercedes’ official reentry into world sports abundance. car racing. Until that point, projects To kick off the project, he took a 1:32-scale (such as the C8) had been run under the Sauber model of his dream car and figured if he scaled up banner. In ’89, the Mercedes-Benz C9 won all but all the dimensions, he’d have a decent starting one race in the FIA’s World Sportscar Championship, point. With a basic set of plans in hand, Johan easily claiming the Constructors’ Championship approached the owners of a local Mercedes-Benz for Mercedes and helping Jean-Louis Schlesser to parts business called CJ Auto. Initially, the the driver’s title. The C9 claimed decisive first, management there thought he was crazy, but after second and fifth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that a bit of convincing, CJ Auto agreed to provide all

58 The rear wing is a custom unit consisting of a fiberglass skin over a metal frame, all made by Johan Ackermann. The uprights holding the wing in place are stainless steel.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 59 Scratch-Built Sauber C9

the hardware for the build. As a result, the car is 100% built from Mercedes-Benz parts. “I started with a few basics: the front and rear suspension, engine subframe and a wheelbase measurement,” he notes. Using those as guidelines, he constructed a tubular steel chassis, which wasn’t too difficult, he claims (that’s if you already know how, of course). The total length of his car is the same as the C9, but it’s slightly narrower than the original. The really hard work was still to come though. With the width and length finalized, Johan had the unenviable task of creating the unique body shape of the low-slung racer. He began by creating a metal skeleton from 3 mm flat iron. “I bent and shaped those bars to get a simple frame,” No trailer queen here. Many hard miles he recounts. When that was done, he filled in all the gaps are evident in the gritty, well-worn cockpit. with 4 mm cardboard that was zip-tied to the frame. Satisfied with the overall shape, he started to lay down sheets of fiberglass on both sides of the cardboard, effectively creating a sandwich, and the body started to take shape. But that wasn’t the hard part. “The flat sections were OK because you can just use sheets of cardboard,” he explains. “But you can’t make a rounded roof with flat sheets.” So he created a smooth papier-mache mix and started to use that to make the roof. “When the roof looked right, I laid sheets of fiberglass over the solidified paper.” After the basic body shape was complete, Johan sanded and smoothed the surfaces until he had the finish he desired. The fiberglass body was finally covered with Mercedes’ signature race-car hue, silver. All told, creating the bodywork took the better part of 1 1/2 years, with Johan working on the car in his shed at his home. The result is jaw-dropping though.

Intercoolers and turbo wastegates flank both sides of the twin-turbo 3.2-liter Mercedes V6.

60 With the body completed, it was time to get cracking on the mechanicals. Suspension consists of double A-arms front and rear with C-Class W202 wishbones, and Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers absorb road irregularities. The alloy wheels came off a Mercedes S600, but now feature a carbon fiber finish. The front end features multipot brake calipers from the S600 as well, while the rear items came off an E-Class. In order to have a bit of freedom in terms of the engine packaging, Johan decided he was going to use a more compact 3.2-liter V6, as opposed to the V8 used in the original race car. For improved power over the factory output, he bolted on twin Garrett with an identical layout on each bank, as well as two external wastegates. The engine was then mated with a Mercedes five-speed manual transmission that’s mounted directly to the differential — no drive shaft, just a rubber coupling. Using an aftermarket Spitronics Engine Management system, the motor has been dyno-tuned to produce 330 hp (versus 800 hp on the twin-turbo race car). With mass of just over 2,300 pounds to lug (about 400 pounds more than the original), this C9 tribute has brisk, rather than neck- snapping performance. No matter though, as it has plenty of beans and reliability for driving many miles on open roads, as we’ll see. First, though, Johan faced the final hurdle of getting the car road registered, a task that he managed to complete at the very end of 2015. Since that day, he has driven his hand-built replica over 8,000 miles, including a trip covering over 600 miles to a car show in another state. As a result of his long-haul trips, the C9 tribute car is now well-known by Mercedes enthusiasts and at classic car gatherings countrywide. At some point, word got back to , the man who owned the company that produced the C9. Peter was extremely impressed by the build and wished him many years of happy motoring in a hand-signed letter that he sent to Johan in South Africa. At the time of writing, Johan was finalizing the sale of the C9 to its new owner. “I achieved what I set out to do all those years ago,” he smiles. “I wanted to drive the car on the road and I did so for many happy miles. It’s time for someone else to enjoy it now.” But this retired technician isn’t going to sit back and bask in the glory of the C9. His next project, the Le Mans- winning BMW LMR, is already at an extremely advanced stage, and we can’t wait to see the outcome. Stay tuned.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 61 TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Tools required: • Router and a selection of bits • 4.5-inch body grinder • 45-grit flapper wheel • Long-block hand sander • Plastic or steel putty knife

Supplies required: • Fiberglass cloth • Barracuda glass fabric • Fiberglass mat • Chopped fiberglass BRIGHT • Resin and catalyst • Clear gel coat • Duraglas body filler • Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mold-release compound • Plastic mixing cups and wooden stirrers • Sandpaper from 80 to 2000 grit • Wood for making a buck and reinforcing the mold IDEA How to create a shiny finish using Working time: About 16 hours, spread over several days Barracuda glass instead of metal Story and Photos by Dan Burrill

62 Start by measur-

ost project cars don’t come with every single part you ing the cockpit area need to complete the vehicle. Sometimes you have to to determine the M make them yourself, especially if you want a custom size of the dash- treatment. For instance, when we started restoring our board you need. old fiberglass hot rod roadster, the body was nothing but a shell. Also, determine There was just a big empty space where the firewall and dashboard how you want to once resided. To fill this area, we decided to create a brand-new mold mount the dash- board in the and make a new part from a special fiberglass product on the market. cockpit. You’ll want Since it’s a vintage roadster, the dashboard would be fairly simple to have all your in order to be period correct. After all, back in the day they were gauges and other basic cars with lots of flat planes. So all this project needed was a features on hand rectangular-shaped panel without any curves. It would measure before you finalize about 38 inches wide, 6 inches tall and about an inch deep. The the design of your finished dash would fit into a metal frame in the cockpit, so the top dashboard. and sides would be left square. For an item like this one, it’s a good idea to first figure out what is going to be mounted in the dashboard panel and where each piece is going to be placed. The placement of a stereo, engine instruments, toggle switches, keyways, indicator lights and so on will determine the actual size of the dash. The width is somewhat determined by the width of the car, but there is some leeway on the depth and shape. A narrow, angle iron framework provides much-needed support for the fiberglass dash panel. It also allows for complete access to the back of the instrument panel by simply removing a few screws. If you’ve ever had to crawl upside down into a sports car to get to the dash wiring, then you understand how nice it is to have a removable instrument panel. To achieve a nostalgic look, we used a Volvo Penta instrument panel out of an old boat. This style was considered hot stuff back in To craft the buck mold for the fiberglass part, start with a smooth and flat piece the 1960s. Looking for something different, custom hot rod builders would often use instrument gauge clusters, and entire instrument of wood, checking for any warpage and bends, and shape it to the size you need. panels out of boats and airplanes. For ease of installation, the Because the top of the dash will fit into a metal frame, you can cut those corners square. But the bottom side of the buck should be carved with your router or some instrument panel was mounted directly on top of the fiberglass dash kind of shaper to give it a rounded and smooth look. The key here is to create the panel (rather than recessed). exact shape you ultimately would like to see in the final part. For the fiberglass part of the project, we chose a metallic fiberglass cloth called Barracuda aluminized glass fabric, which is the trade name for Texalium cloth made by BGF Industries. This material has the unique appearance of moldable woven aluminum with the working characteristics of high-performance fiberglass. Barracuda glass actually looks like a shiny, woven stainless steel when combined with resin, along with a clear gel coat that has been sanded and polished. It’s a nice, unique touch for any highly visible part of a project car. Barracuda glass works substantially like standard fiberglass cloth and offers the same appealing features as fiberglass or carbon fiber cloth. Compared with creating parts out of metal (such as engine- turned aluminum, polished steel sheet or brushed stainless steel For this simple project, the mold consists of just two pine boards: One that is sheet), Barracuda glass is a fraction of the weight. The Texalium fibers in the cloth are polished to a high shine, which gives the product the the actual size of the item we are making, which serves as the buck, and the look of braided stainless steel. second that serves as the supporting base for the mold. Note that although the Be sure you always use clear transparent resins, although some sides of the buck may appear to be straight, or at right angles to the base, they are actually tapered inward from the base by a few degrees. This draft angle prevents light tint could be an excellent effect. Ditto for the gel coat: Do not the finished mold from getting trapped to the buck when the resin hardens and use “neutral” colored gel. This would have a gray sheen that will ruin cures. Also, keep in mind that what you see (and feel) at each stage is what you the shine of your part, which is exactly what you want to achieve in will get when the finished product comes out of the mold. So sand the buck as the first place when using this compelling composite. smooth as possible. If you are using a soft, porous wood, such as the pine boards specified for this project, seal it with a commercial-grade wood sealer. To keep the wood from warping or bowing, clamp the base to the workbench.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 63 Next, wax the buck about eight — yes eight — times.

Any good paste wax intended for automobiles works fine for this purpose. You can never be too safe with this, so be generous with the wax. Next, follow the wax with polyvinyl alcohol mold-release compound. When the mold-release PVA dries, it forms a protective film so the fiberglass does not stick to the wood.

VENDORS BGF Industries 800-476-4845 www.bgf.com

When the PVA is dry, the next step is to spray gel Now apply the first layer of fiberglass cloth. Follow the first layer with eight additional layers of coat on the buck. While you’re waiting until the gel glass, one layer of chopped strand and a final layer of cloth. coat is tacky, it’s a good time to cut your fiberglass pieces before mixing and applying the resin. You’ll need a total of 10 pieces of fiberglass cloth and a layer of chopped strand or mat, so there’s plenty of cutting to do. Don’t try to cut this glass exactly to fit. Give yourself some room to make the mold bigger than it needs to be around the edges.

For additional strength, you can laminate small pieces of wood (leftover pieces of indoor corner molding work well) into the back of the mold. Simply add more layers of fiberglass around and over the wood to encapsulate them into the mold. You can add as many additional supports as you need based on the design you’re creating.

64 Once the fiberglass has Once you’ve given it at

initially cured, a leverage least 24 hours to cure, tool can be inserted inspect the mold for any between the buck and the rough areas or air mold. Apply pressure bubbles that may have carefully, and the mold been trapped in the should separate cleanly layup. If you find any, fill from the buck. At this point, them with body filler with you can set aside the buck a spackling knife or and the new mold. Let the apply more activated mold cure at least 24 more resin. Then fine-sand the hours before you use it to inner surface smooth, create the final part. and apply more gel coat.

BGF Industries 800-476-4845 Trim the excess www.bgf.com fiberglass off the mold with a body grinder. Then apply several coats of automotive You’ll also want to put a coat of

paste wax on the PVA mold release on top of the wax molding surface. Any and then a layer of clear gel coat sticky spots will adhere before you begin the layup of your to your layup and are part. The PVA keeps the initial mold likely to ruin both the from sticking to the buck, and later it part you’re making and keeps the completed piece from the mold as well. sticking to the mold. This photo shows how easily the PVA peels off the mold once you’re all done.

Back up your initial

layer of Barracuda glass with six more layers, alternating between conven- tional fiberglass cloth and fiberglass mat. Place the mold under the heat lamps to cure the part.

For this project, cut just the right amount of

metallic Barracuda aluminized glass fabric. When the gel coat from the previous step turns tacky, lay down a layer of resin and place the Barracuda glass into the mold first, and work more resin in on top of it. Be gentle when working the material to be sure the Barracuda glass stays in position and does not have its weave distorted.

Once the part is free from the mold, the next step is to Given the design of this mold, it was necessary to cut off wet-sand the gel coat on the surface with 2000-grit wet

one end to provide an open avenue to tap in the wedges sandpaper. Get it absolutely smooth, and then spray and separate the part from the body of the mold. If you another layer of clear gel coat over the top for a high shine. plan to make several parts, this would be a good design to When that coat is dry, you can polish and wax the part and set up as a two-part mold. Be careful separating your part make any cuts you need to accommodate your dash from the mold so you don’t damage the front side. switches, lights and instruments.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 65 RSK Replica Readers’ Rides

RSK-Y 66 Porsche RSK Replica Readers’ Rides

Despite a tumultuous, oil-drenched debut, this boosted RSK has been an exhilarating ride Story and Photos by Jim Youngs RSK-Y BUSINESS reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 67 Porsche RSK Replica

Readers’ Rides On the initial roller, note the Speedster

windshield that we ended up changing dramatically. We used the glass from this windshield to create a low-slung windscreen sunk into the cowl for a distinctive look.

ot every entrance to a party can With my wife’s help, I rolled the beast out be a glamorous one. Some turn of the trailer the following morning to position N out to be downright embarrassing, it in its spot inside the Thunder Ranch display which was the case with my area at the show. I started the engine to move Porsche RSK replica. the car a few feet to where it would spend the Right after I rolled into a car show with day in the sun. As it motored into place, the paint still drying on my newly completed someone standing beside the RSK pointed out project, I had to rush over to the local that there was an oil waterfall coming out supermarket for a big load of kitty litter. from under the car. “How many cats do you have?” asked the I shut it down immediately, totally cashier as she scanned the 10-pound container embarrassed, and headed for the supermarket on the conveyor belt. “None,” I responded, for some kitty litter to mitigate the slick river “I’m more of a dog person.” She then got a flowing across the parking lot. As I spread the brief education on using kitty litter as an grainy stuff under and around the edges of excellent oil absorber — a teachable moment the car, I quipped that I was aiming for some for sure. sort of beach scene for my display. Or at the The occasion for this exchange was very least, something similar to the display prompted by a planned coming-out party for of a Bonneville streamliner inside the NHRA my newly completed Thunder Ranch 718 RSK Museum with salt similarly spread. Apparently Spyder, a magazine project car that could best the oil slick didn’t hamper the car’s award be described as “years in the making.” Its chances, as it scored the Best Porsche trophy debut was to be the 2012 Association of in the show. Handcrafted Automobiles Fun Under the Sun After getting the car back to the shop, it show at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports didn’t take much investigation to determine Museum in Pomona, California. I had just the oil leak came from a faulty oil cooler. picked up the tiny terror the day before at We originally announced that we were Here Thunder Ranch honcho Tom McBurnie (right) Thunder Ranch’s headquarters in El Cajon, going to build an RSK back in the December and his former shop manager cut the dash from the California, where it was driven into my box ’03 issue of Builder, where we covered cockpit to afford easy access to the car’s wiring and trailer and strapped down for the ride to Thunder Ranch’s RSK prototype. Due to have the ability to replace the windscreen if necessary. Pomona, then onward to its home in Colorado. numerous delays, we didn’t take delivery of

68 On the initial roller, note the Speedster windshield that we ended up changing dramatically. We used the glass from this windshield to create a low-slung windscreen sunk into the cowl for a distinctive look.

My son James became very proficient

with the cut-off wheel, shown here cutting an access hole for the steering box.

Here’s the turbocharged engine

going into the RSK for the final time. The 2,110 cc mill was originally slated for a Speedster replica, but the builder ran out of money.

We found a set of polished Fuchs Porsche 911

wheels online and fit them with new hubs and drums drilled for the 5 x 130 mm bolt pattern.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 69 Porsche RSK Replica Readers’ Rides

the internet and catalogs. Thankfully the VW aftermarket is rather robust, and you can buy virtually any component you need brand new. In terms of powering the little beast, we sort of lucked our way into a modified VW Type 1 that was just too good to pass up. It was one of those “guy needed money” scenarios you hear about, but never seem to find. We ended up scoring a completely rebuilt our project car until January 2005, and the 2,110 cc engine sporting a Garrett draw- first build story didn’t appear until October through and single 40 mm 2005. The car was then the subject of nine DCOE side-draft Weber . All that build stories from 2005 to 2010, but rather for about the price of a turbo kit alone! than recap its construction here, we’ll just The engine was configured for a rear- hit the highlights of the finished car. engine setup (as in a Speedster replica), but Our Spyder initially arrived as a complete the more we studied it, it appeared fairly body assembly with the doors and lids hung. simple to reconfigure the intake and exhaust The body was bonded to Thunder Ranch’s plumbing for a midengine application. Well, modified Beck 550 Spyder tubular chassis, the simplicity we envisioned turned out to which makes use of Volkswagen mechanicals. be quite a bit of work. As we tore it down As such, it had a new adjustable twin-torsion for a routine inspection, we found that the beam from a welded in engine builder was quite sloppy. He had place and ready for the front suspension overlooked a couple of critical items that components. The rear is set up for a VW Type probably would have led to failure on the 1 transaxle that had to be modified for first crank of the starter. midengine operation. Other parts included In addition to the reconfigured header with our package were an acrylic windscreen system for the midengine configuration, the and headlight covers, modified rear swing little mill also got a new oil pump, huge oil arms, shifter mechanism, sump, stronger lifters, racing rods and several reproduction Porsche gauges, custom wiring other beefed-up internal components for harness, taillights, headlights and forced induction. We also opted for an MSD miscellaneous items. 6AL multispark ignition with an MSD billet The rest of the necessary components distributor and a 911 fan shroud. were either begged for, borrowed, purchased One of the easiest things we did was or stolen from JPS Motorsports’ salvaged approach Rancho Performance to handle the VW parts bin. We also bought from a variety transaxle modifications. Because the RSK of VW parts houses in person, or through calls for a Type 1 transaxle flipped around

70 VENDORS Beverly Hills Motorcars for a midengine application, the ring and pinion it’s doubtful any of the 33 originals had floor 619-232-6864 gears need to be flipped to operate properly. Rancho coverings. For shifting duties, we used a cable system www.bhmotorcars.com Performance techs have been doing these from Brandwood Cars. Its appearance fits the Ad on modifications forever and could likely do them competition style, with little attempt to make it Pg. 96 VDO Instruments both blindfolded, we’d assume. look pretty. www.vdo-gauges.com Besides flipping the gears, the company also Typical of magazine project cars, the 718 RSK beefed up the internals to accommodate the increased bristled with components that are above and beyond output of the turbocharged VW. Rancho assembled standard spec. We quickly fixed the oil issue after one of its Pro Street transaxles featuring a Super the car’s troubled first outing so we could finally Diff, aluminum side cover, hardened keys and experience how this little car performed. Honestly, welded 3-4 hubs for added strength. The gear ratio we quickly learned that a turbocharged 300 hp car was also changed to a brisk 3.88:1, a nice compromise weighing less than 1,500 pounds is quite the handful. between low-end grunt and highway operation for You might say that the fear factor spools up about the four-speed. as quickly as the turbo. In fact, when the beast was For the most part, we used stock VW components sold a few years ago to Beverly Hills Motorcars and on the front and rear suspensions, except that we then later transferred to one of its customers, the opted for front disc brakes for added stopping power. new owner removed the turbo in favor of naturally The discs weren’t much of a problem, as Karmann aspirated thrills. Ghias were outfitted with them in that era and it’s Even though Thunder Ranch is no longer in a common swap these days on Beetles. Of course, business, the tooling for the RSK has changed we had to complicate things even further by hands a couple times. As of this writing, a sale specifying a set of polished Porsche 911 Fuchs wheels is in the works with a buyer from Down Under, that have a different bolt pattern than stock VW. so if you’re in the region, you’ll soon be able to The 5 x 130 mm bolt pattern of 911 wheels complicated get behind the wheel of an RSK of your own. Just explanations with mail-order folks, but that too is be sure to check your lubrication system twice a common VW swap. With discs and drums drilled before that first outing. for those wheels, about the only modification we had to make was milling the snout of the rear drums 0.550 inch to fit on the short-spline axles. At some point in the project, after a bit of soul- searching and reality checks on my part, Thunder Ranch honcho Tom McBurnie offered to pick up the RSK on his way through Colorado and return it to his shop where his team could properly finish the project for me. Part of that relinquishment additionally included a very slick, custom paint job done by the maestro himself. In addition, the Thunder Ranch crew handled the installation of a new fuel pump, raised the front and rear suspension, repositioned the brake The RSK’s cockpit master cylinder reservoir, reworked the steering retains a vintage feel, linkages and made some bizarre exhaust pipe with a Speedster-style bends from the turbo to the huge exhaust tip. Then three-gauge cluster, it was up to me to install some seat belts, trace that minimal switch gear oil leak and find the proper carburetor jets for and FLAT4 banjo operating at elevation. steering wheel. The finished cockpit is purposeful and spartan with just three VDO reproduction Porsche instruments to keep track of things. Adding in a bit of nostalgia is a FLAT4 banjo steering wheel and a pair of Thunder Ranch Spyder bucket seats that we mounted on adjustable brackets. Square-weave carpet finishes off the interior trim. In a tribute to the car’s history as a race car, you can see brake lines, throttle cable and such running from the front to the engine compartment, though

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reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 73 Supercharged ’33 Ford Readers’ Rides

DREAM INTERPRETATION Visualizing a supercharged big-block surrounded by a street rod

74 As told by Bob Warren Photos by Steve Temple

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 75 Supercharged ’33 Ford Readers’ Rides

ome folks put the cart before the horse. In my case, I put the horses before the cart. All 710 of S ’em, in fact, from a blown big-block 402 ci Chevy. How I managed to squeeze so much power into a ’33 Ford is a story in itself, which I’ll get to in a moment. But I should tell you how I got into this project in the first place. After building a ’41 and winning awards in several car shows, I was ready for a new adventure. I wanted to build a car that would turn heads not only because of its looks, but also for the sound of its engine. A car buddy invited me to go to the Factory Five Racing Annual Huntington Beach Cruise-In, where I saw the car of my dreams — a ’33 Ford three-window coupe. Later that year, I ordered one from the Massachusetts-based factory (which I later visited), and it was delivered the day after the following Huntington Beach show. All 15 boxes packed full of wires, car parts and directions, along with a frame, body and other essential pieces. It took me exactly one year to complete building the car in my five-car garage at home. I did just about all of the buildup work, including painting (except for the pin striping and some of the upholstery). It was a labor of love to make sure that the fit and finish was just right. After assembling the car to make sure it all fit together, I took it all apart and sent the parts out to have them chromed and powder coated. I then painted the body in my driveway on trash cans: five layers of primer, four layers of gold base and candy red (from House of Kolor), and five layers of clear coat. Truth be told, building the ’33 was not without challenges. Especially given the massive Mooneyham 8-71 supercharger. I had some problems with the engine not fitting because of its blower pulleys in the March Performance serpentine belt drive. So I made new motor mounts moving it back 1 1/2 inches. I also had to make custom headers because of the engine placement. A friend helped me make all stainless steel headers Carbon fiber toggles give and exhaust all the way to the rear with MagnaFlow mufflers. the dash a modern treatment. Other details on the engine include Keith Black pistons, a Competition Specialties hydraulic cam and Quick Fuel Technology 750 cfm carburetors. I had to hurry to complete the car for the Factory Five event, and it only had 6 miles on it when I ventured out on the highway. It was an exciting day that began a long streak of winning awards. At Huntington Beach, it won the Best ’33, the Editor’s Choice award and Best of Show. Since that day, the ’33 has won over 50 awards in several categories. But the best recognition to me is being able to say that I built my dream car in my own special way.

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76 Bringing up the rear is an 8.8-inch Ford in a three-link setup. The exhaust is all custom up to the MagnaFlow mufflers, which needed to be built after the engine was relocated to fit the blower pulleys.

With 710 horses and 820 pounds of torque on tap, the bored and stroked 402 ci Chevy emits a staggering decibel level; so several yards of Dynamat were needed to quite it down.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 77 EVENT PHOTO RECAP 2019 SEMA Show

The following companies were Drivers’ Choice Award Winners as voted on by ReinCarNation Magazine Readers:

DIY Build Packages Transmission Supplier Brakes Exhaust Components Gold: Factory Five Racing Gold: TREMEC Gold: Wilwood Engineering Gold: MagnaFlow Silver: Hurricane Motorsports Silver: Forte’s Parts Connection Silver: Brembo Silver: Flowmaster Bronze: Superlite Cars Bronze: TCI Automotive Bronze (tie): Baer Brakes Bronze: Shell Valley Classic Wheels Bronze (tie): Hawk Performance Rolling Chassis EFI Systems Hand Tools Gold: Superformance Gold: Holley Performance Suspension Components Gold: Harbor Freight Silver: Hurricane Motorsports Silver: FAST Gold: Cobra Valley Silver: Cobra Valley Bronze: Superlite Cars Bronze: Jim Inglese 8-Stack Systems Silver: Posies Rods & Customs Bronze: Woodward Fab Bronze: KONI North America Turnkey Carburetor Package Shop Accessory Gold: Superformance Gold: Holley Performance Electrical Components Gold: Race Deck Silver: Posies Rods & Custom Silver: Edelbrock Gold: Cobra Valley Silver: Harbor Freight Bronze: Vraptor Speedworks Bronze: Jim Inglese 8-Stack Systems Silver: Haywire & Co. Bronze: Race Ramps Bronze: Performance Electronics Ltd. Dealer Wheels Pluwmbing Gold: Hillbank Motor Corp. Gold: Vintage Wheels Gauges Gold: Classic Tube Silver: Vintage Motorsports Silver: Trigo Wheels Gold: Smiths Instruments Silver: Meziere Enterprises Bronze: Time Machines Motorsports Bronze (tie): Cragar Silver: Classic Instruments Bronze: BAT Inc./Mocal Bronze (tie): Tire Rack Bronze: Speedhut Builder/Fabricator Heat/Sound Control Gold: V’s Performance Tires Steering Components Gold: Dynamat Silver: Posies Rods & Customs Gold: Tire Rack Gold: Flaming River Industries Silver: Cool It Thermo-Tec Bronze: Vraptor Speedworks Silver: Coker Tires Silver: IDIDIT Bronze: Koolmat Bronze: Vintage Wheels Bronze: Total Performance Crate Engine Gold: Carroll Shelby Engine Co. Silver: ROUSH Performance CONGRATULATIONS to all award winners and Bronze: BluePrint Engines THANK YOU to all of our faithful readers for voting!

78 2019 SEMA Show

Beth Maranda & Brad Bisnette, RCN Mag Dynamat

Dave Smith, CEO/President & Brad Bisnette, RCN Mag Factory Five Racing

Superformance & Hillbank took home three awards combined Superformance/Hillbank Motor Corp.

Lauren Christensen & Ashley Burton, Flooring Specialists Race Deck Don Meziere, Dave Meziere & Brad Bisnette Meziere Enterprizes

Jessi Safsten & Team Valerie Nadalini, VP of Marketing & Richard Waitas, Senior Manager Speedhut MagnaFlow reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 79 EVENT PHOTO RECAP 2019 SEMA Show

Trever Cornwell, General Manager & Team Trent Goodwin, Marketing/Media Coordinator IDIDIT COMP Performance Group (Winner with FAST & TCI brands)

Brandon Miller, Race Assistance & Product Support Brembo North America

Brad Bisnette, RCN Mag & Jeannette Ladina, President John McLeod, COO & Brad Bisnette, RCN Mag Flaming River Industries Classic Instruments

Jess Hoodenpyle, VP of Sales & Gus Francia, Export Sales Rep. Coker Tire

Randy Pugh, Marketing Coordinator & Harbor Freight SEMA Team Jeremy White, Project Coordinator Harbor Freight Cool It ThermoTec Dru Chramosta, Product Manager & Steve Sparkman, Marketing Specialist & Allen Briere, Automotive Sales & Trent Goodwin, Marketing/Media Coordinator Brad Bisnette, RCN Mag Brad Bisnette, RCN Mag Lee Grimes, Product Manager COMP Performance Group (Winner with FAST & TCI brands) BluePrint Engines Holley Performance KONI North America

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The Car is the

Now appearing in the movie The Art of Racing In The Rain, this reproduction of a pontoon-fender

1957/58 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was hand-built by Rod Tempero Motor Body Builder in New Zealand.

As on the original, it features an aluminum body and Ferrari 12-cylinder engine. The car is featured

in advertisements for the film, which is based on the New York Times best-selling book by Garth

Stein of the same title. Look for a full feature on this exacting reproduction in our next issue.

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Now appearing in the movie The Art of Racing In The Rain, this reproduction of a pontoon-fender

1957/58 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was hand-built by Rod Tempero Motor Body Builder in New Zealand.

As on the original, it features an aluminum body and Ferrari 12-cylinder engine. The car is featured in advertisements for the film, which is based on the New York Times best-selling book by Garth

Stein of the same title. Look for a full feature on this exacting reproduction in our next issue.

COMING NEXT ISSUE reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 83 Type 35B Bugatti Replica Readers’ Rides

THE EXTERMINATOR EXTERMINATOR84 Working the bugs out of a giant-killing Bugatti replica As told by Lyle Kruger Photos by Steve Temple and Ed Baumgarten

ot everyone can say they drive a Bugatti, but I certainly can. Of course it’s not the latest Chiron N supercar, powered by a 1,500 hp, quad-turbo W16. No, mine is a replica of the famed French-built Type 35B Bugatti that won at Le Mans, along with over 1,000 other races as well. Instead of the original’s 90 hp straight- eight engine, however, my car has a 65 hp Volkswagen Beetle Type 1 engine. (That is somewhat fitting since the Volkswagen Group acquired the Bugatti brand in 1998.) I did a lot of restoration work and added several custom modifications over the years, but more on that after I share what led me to this particular car. My fascination with the Bugatti Type 35B started about a dozen years ago. I was attending VW Funfest at Mid America Motorworks in Effingham, Illinois. I was there with my 1974 Super Beetle cabriolet when someone drove in with a blue 1927 Bugatti replica. Admiring its arch-shaped radiator and tapered body, I thought: That is about the coolest car I’ve ever seen. Now fast-forward to 2006, when I was on an antique car tour from St. Louis to Cumberland, Maryland, on the National Scenic Byway. We were to meet a couple of cars joining the tour from Indiana at the Wicks Organ Co. in Highland, Illinois. As one couple was getting out of their vintage Thunderbird, the gentleman named Richard Carey made a comment about my Beetle convertible. For some reason, I brought up the story about the Bugatti replica, and he casually stated, “I have one of those in my hangar.” That reference did not compute with me until he said he flew airplanes and that he had built a Bugatti replica from Antique & Collectible Autos from Buffalo, New York. The car happened to be kept in his airplane hangar, and I asked if it EXTERMINATOR might be for sale since it had been in storage for 12 years. He EXTERMINATORreincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 85 Type 35B Bugatti Replica Readers’ Rides

With the engine in the rear, there’s

plenty of room under the hood for other components. Currently, a 10-gallon gas tank that fills though the radiator cap, the battery, a set of metric wrenches and 75 pounds of cast iron window sash weights fill the space.

sent me a couple of pictures that summer and we dickered over the phone. He was going to spend the winter in Texas so negotiations dropped off. In March, I gave him a call and made a $2,500 offer for the car. He said he would sell it, and the rest is history. Upon arriving home with the Bugatti, the work began. The body was in excellent shape, but the wheels were a mess. They are 1932 Ford wheels with two adapter plates to fit the VW hubs. I think every coat of paint that was ever on the wheels was flaking off. I had the wheels dipped in stripper and then sandblasted and powder coated. The tires were also in terrible shape, so a new set from Coker Tire sized 5.50 x 18 with BFGoodrich logos were installed. I believe the cost of the rubber and refurbishing the wheels was my biggest single expense. I got the 1,300 cc Type 1 started but had a real battle with mouse nests in the cylinder fins. Tweezers, picks and other tools were required to clear out the mess. With some help from my local VW guru, I got the motor running smoothly. The next project involved the brakes. Upon taking the right rear wheel off the car, I found the brake lining had separated from the shoe. I checked with Mid America Motorworks for new shoes, and they said they were back ordered. But the 2007 VW Funfest was coming up and I really wanted to drive the Bugatti there.

86 Type 35B Bugatti Replica Readers’ Rides

With the engine in the rear, there’s plenty of room under the hood for other components. Currently, a 10-gallon gas tank that fills though the radiator cap, Fortunately, after replacing the brakes on my Beetle convertible, the battery, a set of metric wrenches I had saved the old shoes. But they were wider than the 1965 brake and 75 pounds of cast iron window shoes on the chassis used to make the replica. I managed to pry the sash weights fill the space. lining off of one of the wider shoes and grind it down to the proper width. I then glued it on to the shoe with super glue. I drove the car to the VW Funfest with my fingers crossed. The repair held fine until I was on my way home and a fellow on a motorcycle pulled out of a gas station and stalled the bike in my lane. I hit the brakes hard and the pedal went to the floor. I managed to avoid a collision, but I now had no brakes at all. I managed to ease sent me a couple of pictures that summer and we dickered over the the car the 5 miles or so home without incident. I eventually replaced phone. He was going to spend the winter in Texas so negotiations dropped every component of the brake system. Later on, new plugs, wires, an off. In March, I gave him a call and made a $2,500 offer for the car. He electronic distributor and other incidental components were installed. said he would sell it, and the rest is history. The only modifications to the exterior of the car are the fake Upon arriving home with the Bugatti, the work began. The body muffler and header, made of PVC pipe and flexible electrical conduit. was in excellent shape, but the wheels were a mess. They are 1932 Ford There’s also the parking/emergency brake that looks suspiciously like wheels with two adapter plates to fit the VW hubs. I think every coat of a breaker bar, and the right-hand brake light that is fabricated from paint that was ever on the wheels was flaking off. I had the wheels dipped PVC pipe. I also had the body rolled off and floorboards cut down. in stripper and then sandblasted and powder coated. The international decals were all on the car when I bought it. I The tires were also in terrible shape, so a new set from Coker Tire suppose I could drive the car from Paris, Illinois, to Rome Township, sized 5.50 x 18 with BFGoodrich logos were installed. I believe the cost near Peoria, to make the decals on the hood ring true though. of the rubber and refurbishing the wheels was my biggest single expense. All of the dashboard gauges are functional except the switch I got the 1,300 cc Type 1 started but had a real battle with mouse for slippery road/dry road. The previous owner told me his daughter nests in the cylinder fins. Tweezers, picks and other tools were required had bought the switch at a flea market and he put it in the dash. to clear out the mess. With some help from my local VW guru, I got the The center cluster is from a very early , and the oil pressure motor running smoothly. and amp gauge work. The next project involved the brakes. Upon taking the right rear The gas gauge is correct to the amount of fuel in the tank — The Type 35B Bugatti wheel off the car, I found the brake lining had separated from the shoe. but only after I installed the original VW chain-pull sending unit body’s distinctive tapered I checked with Mid America Motorworks for new shoes, and they said into a 10-gallon air tank converted to a fuel tank. The original lines frequently get a they were back ordered. But the 2007 VW Funfest was coming up and VW tank leaked around the spigot fitting, and no amount of thumbs-up from onlookers. I really wanted to drive the Bugatti there. brazing would fix it.

reincarnationmag.com | Winter 2020 87 Type 35B Bugatti Replica Readers’ Rides

Owner/restorer Lyle Kruger

relishes driving his Bugatti replica to various events.

Another interesting challenge was the I liked that sound and the idea, but the pipes speedometer, as it read about 38 mph when the were bent in a series of short bends with some car was running 55 mph. To make it accurate, I restrictions. I bought four J-tubes and constructed devised a miniature pulley system for the back of a cleaner set of bends that ran forward as well. the speedometer with 1-inch and 3/4-inch pulleys There is no muffler in the system, but the good turned from brass, with an O-ring used for a belt. sound is still there. I enclosed the pipes with heat- After driving the car for a couple of years, I resistant wrap for looks. came across a 1972 1,600 cc engine on a trailer at I don’t drive the car as much as I used to after a VW swap meet that appeared to be locked up. It 12 years, but I do drive it to the coffee shop and was complete with a 12-volt generator, exhaust around town. I also drive it 50 miles or so to car pipes and carburetor. The price was $75, and I shows, but trailer it to shows farther away. bought it as I was planning to rebuild it anyway. One event I took it to was the Illinois Secretary When I got it home, I found it was not locked of State’s car show held all around the state capitol up after all, just stuck because of slight rust on in Springfield. The first two or three years, I entered cylinder walls. I went ahead and bought an overhaul in the show-only class. There is a class for race cars, kit from Mid America Motorworks to make sure but they are supposed to be in the trim that they it would run well. The kit consisted of new cylinder raced in and I was afraid somebody would file jugs, rods, pistons and rebuilt heads. Since I had protest. never worked on VW engines, I asked my guru to Again the VW Funfest came to the rescue. handle the rebuild, which only cost me $120 They hold a slow-speed slalom race that I entered (including line-boring the block and installing and won my class. I took the winning plaque along new bearings). with me to prove I had raced it, and as a result, last The exhaust system that the original builder year I won Best in Class at the Springfield show. installed had the pipes reversed, so the exhaust I don’t get too excited about things being less ran toward the front of the engine. Then, the two than perfect on the car. As a fellow car enthusiast pipes dumped into a 2.5-inch pipe coming out on put it nicely one day, “That car has a certain patina the right side of the back of the car. The system to it.” Along with some panache too. had a sound all of its own, nothing like a VW.

88 Type 35B Bugatti Replica Readers’ Rides

Owner/restorer Lyle Kruger relishes driving his Bugatti replica to various events.

After driving the car for a couple of years,

the owner came across a 1972 1,600 cc VW engine at a swap meet for just $75.

Another interesting challenge was the I liked that sound and the idea, but the pipes speedometer, as it read about 38 mph when the were bent in a series of short bends with some car was running 55 mph. To make it accurate, I restrictions. I bought four J-tubes and constructed devised a miniature pulley system for the back of a cleaner set of bends that ran forward as well. the speedometer with 1-inch and 3/4-inch pulleys There is no muffler in the system, but the good turned from brass, with an O-ring used for a belt. sound is still there. I enclosed the pipes with heat- After driving the car for a couple of years, I resistant wrap for looks. came across a 1972 1,600 cc engine on a trailer at I don’t drive the car as much as I used to after a VW swap meet that appeared to be locked up. It 12 years, but I do drive it to the coffee shop and was complete with a 12-volt generator, exhaust around town. I also drive it 50 miles or so to car pipes and carburetor. The price was $75, and I shows, but trailer it to shows farther away. bought it as I was planning to rebuild it anyway. One event I took it to was the Illinois Secretary When I got it home, I found it was not locked of State’s car show held all around the state capitol up after all, just stuck because of slight rust on in Springfield. The first two or three years, I entered cylinder walls. I went ahead and bought an overhaul in the show-only class. There is a class for race cars, kit from Mid America Motorworks to make sure but they are supposed to be in the trim that they it would run well. The kit consisted of new cylinder raced in and I was afraid somebody would file jugs, rods, pistons and rebuilt heads. Since I had protest. VENDORS never worked on VW engines, I asked my guru to Again the VW Funfest came to the rescue. handle the rebuild, which only cost me $120 They hold a slow-speed slalom race that I entered Antique & Collectible (including line-boring the block and installing and won my class. I took the winning plaque along Autos Inc. new bearings). with me to prove I had raced it, and as a result, last 800-245-1310 The exhaust system that the original builder year I won Best in Class at the Springfield show. www.acautos.com installed had the pipes reversed, so the exhaust I don’t get too excited about things being less ran toward the front of the engine. Then, the two than perfect on the car. As a fellow car enthusiast Coker Tire pipes dumped into a 2.5-inch pipe coming out on put it nicely one day, “That car has a certain patina 866-516-3215 the right side of the back of the car. The system to it.” Along with some panache too. www.cokertire.com had a sound all of its own, nothing like a VW.

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Page 50 VDO 356 gauges History repeats itself in a 427- powered Daytona Coupe that Give your ride the classic look of German performance. coulda, woulda, shoulda been

Our 356 gauges feature the timeless look of the original VDO factory instruments with crisp graphics and brilliant chrome bezels. Available in a 120 MPH / 200 KMH 100mm Speedometer, an 8,000 RPM SECRET 100mm Tachometer, and a 100mm Temperature and Fuel Gauge with warning lights, 356 gauges have a classic look backed by modern technology. WEAPON [email protected] 800-564-5066 Scratch-Built www.vdo-gauges.com Sauber Mercedes

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