Getting to know you

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:47 pm

Thought we might try something that worked out pretty cool with the off-road guys.
I am sure a lot of you know one another..but it might be nice to fill in some of the blanks.
In example...What you do for a living
Where you live/lived
Where you went to School (college or high)
Tell us about parts of your life you feel are significant.
You know...the things you would tell a new friend.
It's not a job interview...just something to help others in here know who they are talking to, helping, or getting help from.

Howie · Post by **Howie** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:49 pm

I don't post much, but I found this an interesting question.

I'm 53, bought my first VW at 16, and owned one, mostly Ghia's ever since.

I had a '64 Ghia I drag raced for 10 years or so. There was nothing like telling a guy in the pits with a big block Chevelle that it was a VW and not a Porsche that just blew his doors off.

8 years ago I was diagnosed with MS. But for many reasons that have been good for my outlook, I have built the fastest Ghia I've ever built.

It is a street only 73' Ghia I've owned since even before the MS. It now sports a 2007cc Turbocharged, Fuel Injected engine with a narrowed front suspension and a Rancho tranny, 4 wheel discs and a hot pink paint job that catches people's eyes even if they know nothing about what kind of car it is.

Best of all, other than the tranny, it was built by me. It's the last hotrod I'll be able to build.

There has never been, or will ever be, another car like the ACVW. IMHO, it's the greatest car ever built.

Marty · Post by **Marty** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:09 pm

Welcome to where I like to hang out!

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:10 pm

Glad to hear from you Howie...would love to see a picture or two of your car.
I guess since I am the one who started this thread...it would only be fair for me to jump in...should have done it right off...sorry about that...

Oh boy...well....I'll see if I can give you the "reader's digest version" of Scott.
Did well in high school football...got a scholarship to Notre dame...After a while I decided that was not for me (stupid)..Joined the service like my Father, Grandfather and Great grandfather....Getting shot hurts...went back to what I am good at.....Motorcycles, cars and engine building. Specialized in building top fuel Harley engines and frames....rode one too....worked my butt off to be competitive with the "big money" crowd...when I beat said crowd...politics took over and they made a new rule JUST for me...so what I just did...did not count....it broke my heart....I pushed the bike into a corner of my shop...covered it up and that is where it sits today...The whole experience put a fowl taste in my mouth...so I shut the doors on that and started with high performance car engines. I started kind of small...but built it into an all "in house" operation that specialized in building performance engines. If you watch Winston cup...you have seen or heard one of my mills running....As of last year...I sold a head design to Honda...Which put me in a good place....I still build engines...just not as many....and I only do the ones I want....I have two dyno's...both Chassis dynos (power at the wheels) type...one is for motorcycles and the other is cars....I still enjoy running them...because it's fun. A few times a year...dynojet will fly me here and there and I teach the instructors of trade schools...like M.M.I and such...new procedures in dynamometer operation. I left out A LOT...but...you get the idea.

Howie · Post by **Howie** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:54 pm

Here's a few pics I took before I actually drove it and scared myself.

Eddie Brown · Post by **Eddie Brown** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:57 pm

Hey Scott. Thanks for posting. I do read some of your posts on the Offroad forum due to Class11streeters insistance usually. Great stuff.

Let me preface this by stating that I'm a huge AL BUNDY FAN. With that said, did YOU ever score 3 touchdowns in 1 game?. If you did, then you rock my friend.

Later.

E.

PS. Marty, you look like a damn rock star in that pic.

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:04 pm

Polk high MVP buddy

Eddie Brown · Post by **Eddie Brown** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:09 pm

scott the viking wrote:Polk high MVP buddy

I left out Polk High on purpose

LOL!.

Things were looking up for him until "Agent Red" captured him.

BTW, I could only wish to have the experience that folks like yourself, Marty, Matt D, and others have.

ToRy 70 · Post by **ToRy 70** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 10:36 pm

Hey Scott, good to have you on board. As for me, I have just turned twenty, enrolled as a full-time student, with two part-time jobs (Dad's welding and fabrication shop, Anheuser-Busch brewery). My major is architecture, and I hope to transfer to Cal-Poly SLO soon. I still live at home, though most of my spare time is spent in my little corner of the shop, working on my dream car.

scott the viking wrote: Think back to the first time you drove (or rode) a vehicle that was turbo charged...Remember that feel you had when you could hear the turbo spool up and feel the boost. If you were anything like me...you could not even stop thinking about it when it came bedtime...I laid there thinking of that sound and that feel, and wishing I had went turbo years ago. To give a new comer that rush, and the feeling that he built it himself...that's really what I'm about.

You have just described the past couple weeks of my life. My car has been off the road for almost two years during my efforts to rebuild her into a turbo love machine. God willing, the key will be turned for the first time before the year is out. I'm inviting all my friends who have wished me well ( or thought I was crazy) to help me in a crossed fingers party.

Yet, it was only a couple of weeks ago that I actually got to ride boosted. Before I had only read about the whine that pushes you in your seat like you're launching off in a rocket.

I did some welding for a buddy of mine that recently finished his Lightning truck. He swapped out the supercharged 4.6L, and in it's place is a built 5.4L 32-valve lump from a Lincoln Navigator, topped off with a turbo. Though not yet optimal ( turbo is slightly small and runs out of breath after 14 psi, 3'' downpipe will also be replaced with a 4 inch), he has managed to lay down 675 horsepower at 14 psi on 91 octane at the local chassis dyno.

I caught a ride in this beast recently. I've never had a bigger grin on my face, even though at the same time I was scared out of my wits. Absolutely terrifying. I hope I haven't been spoiled.

Mine is being built almost entirely on the advice I receive here from the forums, and has thusly evolved along the way. The final product will be a 1970 bug, set up for the street. Motor is a 1776 with a recent top end rebuild, W120, ported 044's, MS injection, chargecooler, and t3 turbo.

With luck, I will be in the neighborhood of 200 hp when all is said and done. I can't wait.

scott the viking · Post by **scott the viking** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:44 am

Tory...glad you posted.

As far as the 675hp in your buddies ride spoiling you...I doubt it. While he will have a slightly higher power to weight ratio than your car...it won't be huge (if your car is 200 hp). Your will be around 8 and a half pounds of car for every hp and he will be around seven pounds for ever hp. Then take into account the way your car will leave...you will be happy. A 200 hp bug is really a pretty mean street car.

I am thinking of starting a photo thread for you guys, so everyone can get a good look at what you are working on or driving. So have a shot or to of it ready...I would like to get a glimpse of it before it hits the road.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:10 am

Well.. where to start?

I’ll format it for easier reading.

Age = 38
Location = St. Paul, MN
Nationality = Dual (US & Canadian)
Marital Status = Married (2nd time.. wasn’t looking)
Children = None (also running out of time)
Interests = Travel, Personal Finance, Victorian Architecture
Education = WAY too much from snobby elitist institutions
Career = Unemployed.. was fired from my last job years ago at a Fortune100 (best career move yet)
Military History = Denied for Attitude
Coolest Job = Played Bass for International Record Label Bands
TV = None
Dog = Mini Wiener Dog “Moe”
VW Cylinder Index = 70+

VW Interest…
I kind of fell into the VW addiction. Crazy thing is that I really don’t like driving and/or cars. I knew nothing about cars before stumbling onto our 69 MiniT. I’m constantly amazed at the “modular” construction of them. Our fleet ranges from factory restorations to extreme offroads… restorations are better investments… Our next level of improvement is on HP for the rails etc.

I'm confident to say I'm your least talented induction poster!

mightymanx · Post by **mightymanx** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:33 am

Hey gang here is my life in a nut shell.

33
Married (she races a VW also)
first kid on the way

15 years in the Navy (most of them deployed)
Live in Bremerton Wa.
have 7 VW's

love racing!! I have a Manx with a 2275 with a holley 850 turbo draw through.

Other hobbies:
snowboarding
hunting/camping
Scuba diving (deep mixed gas)

I have always loved going fast and if it has wheels and an engine I dig it.

I love the VW because @ the track when a VW is on the line, I don't care who you are you stop and watch. Who really wants to watch a 10 second mail order Camero

and the V-8 guys hate being beat by a VW it drives them nuts that something that small can go that fast.

VW_Dale · Post by **VW_Dale** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:54 am

Hi I'm 43 and love to build VW aircooled motors. At age 12 I saw a shortened VW van do a wheelie across the intersection and just miss my dads car. This really caught my attention

, I was hooked. By 15 I owned my first VW bug it was a 68 and I wasn't old enough to drive it

At 16 I was rebuilding bug motors for friends who also had VW,s. In my early 20,s I got my mechanics license, but had to leave the trade do to health reasons. As a hobby now I build motors for bugs, kitcars, dunebuggys and VW ultrlite airplanes, so the fun continues.

I;m married, have two kids, I thank God for an awsome family.
My daughters bug has a turboed 1641cc.
My sons car [which we are currently working on] will be a NASCAR Herbie with a 1955cc blowthrough turbo motor.
I'm located in Calgary ,ALTA , Canada.

bugninva · Post by **bugninva** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 12:37 pm

Howie wrote: It is a street only 73' Ghia I've owned since even before the MS. It now sports a 2007cc Turbocharged, Fuel Injected engine with a narrowed front suspension and a Rancho tranny, 4 wheel discs and a hot pink paint job that catches people's eyes even if they know nothing about what kind of car it is.

the pictures DON'T do the car justice.... it is an awesome piece and howie has done a top notch job on it.... a picture of his face while just moving the car would not do justice either.... he really did look like a big kid!!! looking good howie, hope you are enjoying the car...

fl_buggy · Post by **fl_buggy** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:11 pm

My name's Dave. I'm 31, live in Odessa Florida which is just north of Tampa. I'm a reforming IT slave that now does AutoCAD design and engineering for a company that builds travel cases for just about anything (mainly the entertainment industry). My family was into riding rail buggy's in the Florida woods when I was little. We lost our main riding area and sold them, but the VW "bug" was still in me. My first car was a 66 T1, I later had a 69 T3, but got out of VW's when I got hurt pretty bad in a wreck in the T3 (not my fault). I got into 5.0 mustangs and then into turbo 2.3 Mustangs. I did a turbo 4/5 speed swap into a 93 LX, built my own header and exhaust, all the intercooler plumbing, and wired in my own TEC2 fuel injection setup. I still have a Turbo 2.3 Mustang, but got tired of the constant wrenching, closing race tracks, increased cops on the road and thus, no good street racing. So the mustang is for sale and I'm building a T4 with Megasquirt powered rail buggy to ride in the woods. I also have a fiberglass body as a project which will be a street car. Neither will be turbo'd, so I really don't belong here, but I love turbo motors and have been around the block actually building my stuff instead of paying someone to do it.