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A NEW GENERATION OF VW RACERS EMERGES

hypo-vw - March 18th, 2007 at 10:34 PM

At the tender age of just 14 years , my son Dean has acquired his CAMS licence to compete in Hillclimb events .
5 weeks ago Dean had his very first race meeting at Huntley Hillclimb , Dapto and he enjoyed it immensly . Dean drove his own 1961' ragtop beetle which is powered by a very stock low compression ULP engine that Dean himself assembled last September . His only critisism of the whole experience was that he never had enough power !!
Dean drove really well and kept his beetle on the bitumen , which not only pleased the officials , but also his panicing mum too .

pic 1 - Dean is adjusting his tappets and servicing his engine prior to racing his beetle at Huntley Hillclimb the following day .

pic 2 - Dean is anxiously waiting in his beetle , for his first run up the hill .

pic 3 - Dean waiting in the dummy-grid for his turn to challenge the hill .

[ Edited on 18-3-07 by hypo-vw ]

hypo-vw - March 18th, 2007 at 10:40 PM

pic 4 - Dean leaving the start line in his beetle .

pic 5 - 3 generations of motor racers . Dean stands with his very proud grandad ( Allan ) and myself .

VWCOOL - March 18th, 2007 at 10:41 PM

:thumb:thumb

hypo-vw - March 18th, 2007 at 11:05 PM

After competing in his own beetle at Round 1 , I have decided to drag my sports sedan that I won the Australian Hillclimb championships with , out of the back of the shed and get it back onto the track . This time out though , Dean will be the pilot .
I have reassembled the entire front end and refitted the brakes that had been robbed for another project . The front end is finished and the front wheels are back on .
The rear end had also been disassembled and various parts stolen by myself and used on my turbo oval project .
Today Dean and I spent the day at the workshop and totally rebuilt the transmission so that it is ready to be installed back into the sports sedan .
We are resurecting the sports sedan without robbing any parts from either the turbo oval or 'HORACE' the speedway bug . I will however borrow Horaces' 1642ml hypo engine for a short period of time until I get the spare 2.5 litre type-4 engine finished .
We will have to take a few short-cuts with the sports sedan with items like rear axles , tacho , rear wing etc . The rear axles that I have fitted are stock 40hp short ones as I dont have any race axles in stock in this length , a tacho will not be fitted but the engine will be fitted with a 7300rpm rev limiter , and the rear wing will have to be removed temporarily as it wont clear a type-1 fan housing . The rear wing can be refitted when the type-4 engine goes in and other items can be upgraded as we are financially able to .

pic 1 - the sports sedan sits in the back of the shed covered in dust .

pic 2 - Dean cleaning parts for the transmission so that it could be rebuilt today .

pic 3 - the transmission is stripped down to change the ring & pinion .

hypo-vw - March 18th, 2007 at 11:13 PM

pic 4 - the gear sets are reassembled after the ring & pinion have been set-up in the trans housing .
1st 3.30
2nd 2.21
3rd 1.58
4th 1.31
R&P 4.125

pic 5 - the gear carrier assembly is assembled and adjusted , ready to fit back into the trans .

pic 6 - a ZF LSD is used for better traction when cornering .

hypo-vw - March 18th, 2007 at 11:21 PM

pic 7 - the transmission is reassembled and the stock 40hp axles are fitted .

pic 8 - I use and recommend side plate strengtheners for all swing axle boxes that might cop some form of punishment .

pic 9 - Dean fits a couple of new rear axle boots to the transmission assembly to ensure that there are no oil leaks from the side of the trans .

hypo-vw - March 18th, 2007 at 11:24 PM

pic 10 - the transmission is completed and fitted with the rear disc brakes , ready to be installed .

With only 2 weeks till race day , I have still got a lot to do to get the sports sedan ready , but at least I dont have to build an engine or a transmission !!

dangerous - March 19th, 2007 at 05:32 AM

Awesome stuff Wayne, Alan and Dean.

That is one very grown up 14 year old, you must be very proud Wayne!

[ Edited on 18-3-2007 by dangerous ]

fullnoise - March 19th, 2007 at 07:58 AM

A chip off the old block.

A nice looking car too.

I'm sure the VW blood runs deep enough to resist the lure of Skylines, WRXs & EVOs that his mates will end up driving.

JVLRacing - March 19th, 2007 at 08:21 AM

:thumbMore kids should be doing it.

koolkarmakombi - March 19th, 2007 at 08:31 AM

You wont even need to change the name on the screen!

I bet he is the coolest kid in skool

VWCOOL - March 19th, 2007 at 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fullnoise
A chip off the old block.

A nice looking car too.

I'm sure the VW blood runs deep enough to resist the lure of Skylines, WRXs & EVOs that his mates will end up driving.

Good point!

Penrose will be quicker! :thumb

LIFE IN THE LOW LANE - March 19th, 2007 at 06:39 PM

Man good to see the young fella having a go. My old man put my brother and myself in cars competing in motorkhana's and sprints when we were about 10 odd years old. My first drive of a car by myself(with Dad in the passenger seat of course LOL) was when I was 8.

You can't beat starting young and competing in motorsport events as it teaches you how to drive and how to fix and pay for it when you break it!!!!

reub - March 20th, 2007 at 01:18 AM

Man....I wish I had a Dad like you when I was Dean's age....it's just not fair :P

Very cool Wayne and Dean...

amazeer - March 21st, 2007 at 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JVLRacing
:thumbMore kids should be doing it.

Nope. It scares the shit out of the event organiser. Hopefully there's a shortage of type 4 bearings for a while!

Dean does seem pretty mature for a 14 year old... though that could be due to him being 8 foot tall. Never gave any reason for concern at all, but how about you build a 4psi 1600 turbo and give him an extra 2psi each event. The slower the hp increase the better in the eyes of a nervous event secretary.

[ Edited on 21-3-2007 by amazeer ]

hypo-vw - March 22nd, 2007 at 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by amazeer The slower the hp increase the better in the eyes of a nervous event secretary.

Throttle cable adjustments are a wonderful thing Chris . And with me being the crew chief .... I get to decide just how much throttle he is able to use .
I feel that even the 1642cc hypo engine from Horace the speedway bug is just too much for a beginner . Dean will be using this engine with limited throttle travel .
After all , it is in my best interests to keep him on the track and enjoying racing . An off track excursion would be devastating to his confidence and only the lord knows what his mother would do to me if he was hurt !!
The idea of putting him in the sports sedan is primarily for safety . It turns exactly where you want it to , it stops when you want it to , it has a safe seat and harness , it has rollover protection , and handles like it is on rails . This combo with a small engine is perfect for him to learn with .

JVLRacing - March 22nd, 2007 at 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by amazeer

Quote:

Originally posted by JVLRacing
:thumbMore kids should be doing it.

Wayne knows whats hes doing! Iam a dad as well and my young Bloke will be learning on a track as well.:thumb....Its learning and great experience for when he hits that bad world of driving on our roads........

[ Edited on 21-3-2007 by JVLRacing ]

amazeer - March 22nd, 2007 at 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JVLRacing
Wayne knows whats hes doing! I am a dad as well and my young Bloke will be learning on a track as well.:thumb....Its learning and great experience for when he hits that bad world of driving on our roads........

[ Edited on 21-3-2007 by JVLRacing ]

Is your young bloke is waiting to drive the orange car? He might be able to get a pensioners discount by the time he puts bum in seat!

Racing miles wont make anyone a better driver. On a racetrack everything is routine, with the possible exception of rally driving. On a road everything and everyone is out to get you. Young people dont have the common sense to avoid those things nor the reflexes to cope when they do happen.

JVLRacing - March 22nd, 2007 at 08:16 AM

Your a bit of comedian! How are they to learn?...on there arses in front of tv....so having a swipe at my car makes you feel better does it?..... Yes Racing miles will give them miles of driving experience and they will gain commonsense in moments in correcting mistakes when driving around a track....If you fall over,you dont stay down! you get back up...

VWCOOL - March 22nd, 2007 at 08:23 AM

yep better on a track than TV - one of my old housemates reckoned he was a good driver because of his time on Playstation. Seriously...

hypo-vw - March 22nd, 2007 at 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by amazeer

Racing miles wont make anyone a better driver.

Young people dont have the common sense to avoid those things nor the reflexes to cope when they do happen.

Chris , I do understand your train of thought regarding young drivers . However I do not entirely agree with your opinions on this matter .
My following comments are not intended to flog you , just my opinions mate .
You and I were young once !! I had reflexes like lightning , and are still not too bad today . I dont know about you but I practiced my speedway driving at the age of 17 by sliding my V8 chev powered monaro sideways on just about every corner that I could around public streets . ( these days called drift driving )
I drove around quiet back-streets in Kanahooka doing speeds of 120kph in 2nd gear just to see how fast my car was . I had no concern for public safety at that age . THANK GOD NOW THAT NO KID RAN OUT ONTO THE STREET TO FETCH HIS BALL WHEN I WAS PASSING !!
When I met Lisa , I had to get one of my good mates to drive her into Wollongong to the cinemas as her dad wouldn't let her in my car .
I was given the opportunity at the age of 17 to drive a 6-litre methanol injected super sedan at Kembla Grange speedway back in 1982 , just 6 weeks before the track closed down . I had never driven on a speedway track previously and I competed against guys who had many years of experience .
I will never forget the look on the car owners face ( Don Sands ) when I drove back into the pits after the race , as all his family came rushing down to the pits to see who was driving his car . I had done quicker lap times than Don himself and lapped the entire field of 15+ cars twice in a 20 lap race to take the win .
One of the very few regrets that I have in my life is that my father ( Allan ) did not encourage me to pursue racing at other events or tracks at this time in my life after learning from Don about my driving talents .
I never got back to a race track again until 1990 , but the previous driving experience that I had gained on the track definately assisted me with my car control techniques on the road .
I have been very lucky through my younger years to not have any accidents due to my driving style , I have been chased by the police with my brother Rod in the car , and the police couldn't catch us . That was back then and I don't wish my own son to go down this same path .
I know I cant control how he behaves on the street , but I know how I feel after competing at a race meeting , and it makes me feel like cruising on the street and speed is the furtherest thing from your mind . I am hopeful that this will have the same effect on Dean .
If we dont give our younger generation the opportunity to drive on a track , then they will not learn car control . You might think it is routine to race up a Hillclimb , but I disagree . Every single time I sit at the start line looking up the hill that I am about to challenge , there is one thing in my mind . GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE QUICKER THAN I HAVE EVER BEFORE !! This is where car control starts .
How hard should I rev the engine ?
Should I flat change or not ?
How close should I get to the shoulder of the track to take that next turn ?
How deep can I go into that corner before braking ?
Should I gear down before or after the corner ?
Should I back off for that kink or will I try and hold it flat ?

THERE IS NOTHING ROUTINE ABOUT CAR RACING IN ANY FORM IF YOU HAVE THE GOODS !!

My best wishes to any new up and coming teenagers that are going to gain experience from on-track driving prior to getting out onto our public roads . The more you drive , the better !!

amazeer - March 23rd, 2007 at 02:27 PM

Yes, I think on their arse in front of a TV is the best place to start. Perhaps they should all be made to watch the talk show on SBS last week where mums, dads, other family, and mates of the dead teens were talking about how it can happen to anyone and does happen to quite a few. How it affects everyone and affects them forever. A little graphic footage wont go astray. Some pics of my sisters car wreck and her shattered skull maybe. Some shots of car wrecks in impound yards with the blood and scalps of victims. Why not show the harsh reality. Its good enough for cigarette packets.

I dont believe that the death toll of P platers has anything to do with their ability to control a slide. How many 38 year old mother of 3 Ford Territory driver's are gifted in the art of car control? How many 58 year old semi retired camry driving men are skilled in the art of drifting? There may be a couple but there arent many yet they dont show up statistically. In my mind that can only be because they dont put themselves in that kind of situation. They dont generally belt around corners at speeds high enough to cause slides in the first place.

Being taught how to regain control is not a bad thing and I'm not saying kids shouldnt be allowed to do motorsport. I'd buy my 8yr daughter a go kart(probably mostly for me) if she had half an interest. Speaking in general here, if a kid has in his head that he can control a car in a slide on public streets so he can go that little bit harder.... thats when things can go wrong. I just think it is naive to watch a kid fly sideways out the back end of Eastern Creeks turn one and think that all your problems are over. I know I wouldnt feel any more secure in that knowledge.

None of the proposals I have heard on how to combat the youth road toll have any effect on the recklessness that cause it. I dont have any ideas on how that can happen. I know from mine and my mates early driving habits that is where the problem lies.

amazeer - March 23rd, 2007 at 02:29 PM

I do apologise for hijacking the thread.

cjbolt51 - March 23rd, 2007 at 10:23 PM

Amazeer it soundslike you may have had some bad experiences with motor vehicles accidents. If that is so im sorry to hear that, but i think kids should be encouraged to participate in motorsports (if they WANT to)on the track in lieu of letting them loose on the streets, on the track they will learn not only car control but SELF CONTROL when they should & should not push hard or back of etc, and heaven forbid should something go wrong for any of these drivers (young or old) all the appropriate safety personell are at hand for instant assistance. I will be gladley be putting my daughter into a car as soon as she is old enough if she still wishes to drive at that time & as for Dean i know he will do well in his motorsport endevours as he is one of the most level headed & comited kids i have met. Plus with his father & Grandfathers tuition & guidance he will be more than ok...Good luck young master Dean

[ Edited on 23-3-2007 by cjbolt51 ]

VWCOOL - March 23rd, 2007 at 10:56 PM

just don't forget when dealing with kids - anyone - under the age of 25: They all think "Nah, it won't happen to me! I'm a good driver..!"

JVLRacing - March 23rd, 2007 at 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VWCOOL
just don't forget when dealing with kids - anyone - under the age of 25: They all think "Nah, it won't happen to me! I'm a good driver..!"

I agree with that.

hypo-vw - March 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 PM

During the week I have been able to spend a few hours on the sports sedan between 10pm and midnight , after finishing customers work .
I have mounted the new mallory ignition coil , the new fire-extinguisher , guages and idiot lights to the dash and wired them all up .
I have also been able to fit the urethane engine mount kit and the transmission strap kit to the tranny so that it is ready to install into the car .
Tomorrow Dean and I will be having a working bee on the sports sedan and should have it running by mid-afternoon .
We need to remove the engine from Horace the speedway bug first thing in the morning , then fit the transmission and engine to the sports sedan . The engine doesn't require any work or adjustments as I had just serviced it prior to the last race meeting . We don't even have to take the webbers off to get it in or out as the engine bay has been modified in Horace so that the engine can be removed with carbs still fitted and the entire rear comes off the sports sedan leaving the engine hanging out the back .
We then need to fit the new Holley fuel pump and pressure regulator and also the new fuel hoses that will supply the fuel to the dual webbers .
Will try to post pics and info tomorrow night .

pic-1 - the empi urethane engine mount kit being used for the sports sedan

pic-2 - a close up of the axle plate strengthener fitted to the transmission

pic-3 - the tranny is complete from disc to disc and ready to be installed with all engine mountings and straps fitted .

JVLRacing - March 23rd, 2007 at 11:30 PM

okay Wayne,keep it coming:thumb Maybe get Dean in those pics working.We can then show all kids the hard yards where everything doesnt come on a silver platter:thumbgreat stuff

[ Edited on 23-3-2007 by JVLRacing ]

pete wood - March 24th, 2007 at 05:36 AM

good stuff wayne. the younger people start, the better they are.

BTW, I wish I'd got into club racing earlier. Then I would have had no excuse for blowing of steam on public roads. Might have saved me a few bucks in bingles too. I had a mate at school who bought an SLR replica in yr12. His father told him, if I catch you doing burnouts, or find out you have been, I'll put the car up on blocks till you're off your Ps. I'm guessing you'd be able to pick the evidence of thrashing better than most. Dean will need to keep his nose clean in years to come.

hypo-vw - March 24th, 2007 at 10:20 PM

Well no news tonight . Dean decided that he wanted to go BMX bike riding with his mates today and I have no problem with that .
We will both work on the sports sedan tomorrow to achieve our goals as I was not prepared to do it on my own today . Even if I had of tried , it would have been useless trying to get it done today as I had a record number of people attend the shop for a saturday and 4 VW's bought in to me with breakdown problems . 2 were people that I had never met or dealt with before and both these cars had to be towed in ( a 97 transporter with gearshift problems and a 2005 Golf TDI with ULP in the tank ).
So today I decided to make some progress ( between interuptions ) on Chris Boltons' formula Vee and start repairs to the exhaust system . I started at 9am and packed up to go home at 4pm and spent a total of 3 hours repairing / modifying the exhaust and got 3 of the 4 pipes finished . Chris starts the first round of the NSW formula Vee championship in just 3 weeks time and I plan to have him at the front of the pack this season , after he finished 4th in his debut year last season with a very average set-up .
Will post details of the sports sedan tomorrow night .