Jeans Beetle Circuit Racer

[70Turbobug]

Great story! Hmmmmmm wonder what those holes in the firewall are for? Turbo and intercooler?.....

[Moog]

Originally Posted by cookvw

just a question.....why dont you just use your other beetle as a track car?

Good question, and one i had considered myself. There are a couple of reasons:

1) I needed to do something with this car otherwise it would end up being scrapped, and after 27years i have too much attachment to it to do that (sad i know...)

2) Build regulations for a race series - The Beetle Challenge regs are for T1 aircooled, Carburettor/distributor, all Steel body. With fuel injection & mapped ignition of the WBX engine, plus Fibreglass wings it falls well outside those regs. Looking around at other series such as the MSV Trackday Trophy, Engine mods are allowed but engine swaps seem excluded. Also again many series preclude fibreglass panels.

3) The WBX Bug has evolved its own pathway as a road car, and i like driving it on the road. To change it into a race car would compromise the ability to use it on the road - things like an approved roll cage would require my very nice interior to bite the dust, while changing shocks, tyres etc would all make it even harsher on the road. I also have a part-built Turbo WBX and Porsche 915 gearbox which i want to use, which would also add further complication to finding a race series that will allow it. I can still use it on informal track-days without a cage.

Originally Posted by 70Turbobug

Great story! Hmmmmmm wonder what those holes in the firewall are for? Turbo and intercooler?.....

Sadly no turbo/intercoolers allowed - Beetle Challenge regs state "non-turbo", MSV Trackday Trophy rules state "if turbo fitted then must be correct type for engine" so ruled out there as well. Other series seem to have similar restrictions. :-( Still, i'm targetting somewhere around 180bhp so it won't be short of power. The holes in the bulkhead are for cold air ducting straight to the back of the fan (from NACA duct in right rear window) and to oil cooler under boot floor (from NACA duct in left rear window). There is still another hole to be drilled in the boot floor for the oil cooler air-feed.

[volkdent]

Looking smart, thanks for letting us follow the build!

Jason

[dub_crazee]

Very cool car and story! I'l definately be keeping an eye on this one!

[Humble]

Glad to see another track car coming together, lots of detail too. I'd be wincing in my helmet every time I heard a rock hit the front of the bug while on track after all that body work! My paint was more or less ruined after a couple of events but it's still pretty from 20 feet.