A Ride for Everyone at the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals

Who doesn’t love dune buggies? You could have gotten a good healthy dose of buggy envy at the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals which was held last weekend in Carlisle, PA.

Dig that metallic green finish!  Wow!  There were two seaters, four seaters, white ones, blue ones, green ones, and just about every color imaginable.

If you strolled over to Building T you could have chatted with Bill Meyers, the designer of the first fiberglass dune buggy known as the Meyers Manx. Bill Meyers was present all weekend to sign autographs and pose for pictures if you asked nicely enough. The good news is that you can once again buy new Meyers buggies like the Manxter 2+2, which is capable of doing 0-60 times of just over 4 seconds.

Want something with a little more displacement? How about a Cobra replica? The Cobras dominated the kit manufacturer area and there were plenty of them on the show field as well. Throw a 4.6L motor in a Factory Five Racing 1965 Cobra replica like Anthony and Robin DiMemmo did and I bet you would have a smile plastered on your face from ear-to-ear. So what if it is fiberglass; it’s still a hot rod! What do you think?

Kit cars come in all shapes and sizes. There were several very exotic looking ones at the Carlisle show like this Sterling Sports Car model. Want one? Basic kits start at $11K and quickly go up in price from there.

And like the spoiler says, “It’s not what you can buy it’s what you can build.”

Club action was hot on the import side of the fairgrounds. Volvos, Triumphs, MGs, BMWs, Datsuns, and many more makes were well represented. Do you own an Opel? If you do then you would have fit right in with the Opel Association of North America group.

The Susquehanna Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) was handling the autocross as seen above in a Friday morning practice run.  Can anyone name this car pictured cone bashing above?

I always seem to enjoy myself when I attend a Carlilse Events show. The facilities and the grounds are kept clean. There is always someone around to help out and even most of the concession stand vendors are friendly. Heck, they even have onsite car wash capabilities. As long as you have a good attitude it is hard not to have fun.

So, what shows do you like to attend? Do you go with a club or are you a lone wolf? Let us know!  We want to hear from you so comment below!

Check out some more photos of the Carlisle Import and Kit Car Nationals over in the picture gallery.

Aircoolers in Germany

I think its time for some more aircooler LOVE!!!  Remember our German Facebook friend, Pascal Hein?  We blogged about his cherry Lemon (lemon is what he named the car) classic 1973 BMW 1802 Touring.  Pascal took these pictures at a big VW Bug and Bus Meeting in Germany, home of the “People’s Car” brand.   Most of the bugs you’ll see came from Great Britain, Belgium or from Netherlands. 

I thought I’d grab my favorites from Pascal’s photo website  http://www.vipallica.deviantart.com/. 

This is my favorite picture.  I’m really likin’ this blue Cal-Look big window bug.  It’s got the big single turbo muffler, nerf bars, narrowed front beam with all the chrome trim.  Bugs with a nice raked stance are one of my favorite cars of all time. 

One of the coolest vdubs is the early buses or Kombi’s.  When slammed, they are saweet kruzers!  This rust-a-rific bus is rockin’ some white painted Porsche Fuch wheels on low pro tires.  I think this is a barndoor model.  Also, check out how you can see right through this car with the barndoor open.  ha ha

Gold Member anyone?  Polished Fuch Porsche wheels are always a win on classic Volkswagens.  This is another Cal-Look inspired ride.  Peep the interior.  Check below for a close up. 

Boom!  This interior definitely has a Kustom vibe to it with the purple velvet seats and floor mats.  I am digging on the white steering wheel and pedals.  The dash is custom too.  I love the old metal dashes of cars from yester-year. 

One last photo from Pascal for you.  The Camper Bus.  The ultimate “People’s Car” no?  What’s withthe American Flag though.  Maybe its owned by someone in the US military…who knows.  White walls, flip out front windowns, full length roof rack and full camper interior is a HUGE WIN!!!  Style and functionality.

So, there’s a quick look at German cars in Germany.  Next up I’ve got some American cars in Germany.

Do we have any international members of MyRideisMe.com Community reading this?  Send us pics from your car scenes!  We’d love to share the car culture in your area.

Are you a Member of MyRideisMe.com yet?  No?  Well, join us by simply clicking HERE.

Hechtspeed

Larry’s Old Volks Home Land Speed Racing Ghia

Bonneville Salt Flats Race Car:

I arrived at the Salt for World Finals 2009 right as the sun peaked over the mountains.  What a beautiful sight.  I pulled up to the start line where there were race cars and bikes waiting to make their record return runs.  The first car I walked up to was this bright yellow VW Karmann Ghia owned by Larry Monreal from San Bernardino.  I asked the gentleman standing next to the car if he was Larry, and he responded that no, he was Jim, Larry’s friend and driver.  As with any Bonneville Salt Flats land speed race car and team, there is always a big, long and interesting story.   No long  stories today, but I do want to share some details I learned by spending a few minutes with Jim that I hope will display what dedicated hot rodders and land speed racers these guys are.

I chatted with Jim Bradshaw for like 10 minutes.  Something you’ll experience when you attend a land speed event at the Salt Flats is the people.  It’s almost sounding cliche attending my 4th event, but the people are the heart of this amateur racing sport.  Jim and I talked about the Ghia you see here, as well as what we do for a living, about the salt conditions and weather, Larry Monreal’s long history, etc.  Land speed racers are real people, they are passionate about what they’re doing and enjoy talking about it with you.

Larry Monreal has been coming out to the Salt since 1947 according to Jim.   Jim Bradshaw is Larry’s “5th” son and friend.  Jim grew up as Larry’s youngest son’s friend and was given the chance to drive. This Ghia is obviously not Larry’s first car, Larry has raced bikes, a belly tank lakester, another Ghia and even the family sedan.  Larry’s other Ghia over the years racing on the Salt became too rusty to race.  It was sold to a gentleman from across the pond and was appropriately restored.

This yellow Ghia, as you can see from the Bonneville stickers on the fender, has been coming out since at least 2002.  There’s also an El Mirage decal or two.  Larry is 82 years old now and lives for this stuff says Jim.  Larry has a degenerative eye condition and has had some surgeries already.  His eyesight is such that he can’t drive anymore.  But Larry spends the off season prepping the car and getting ready to run.

Larry has owned a big VW wrecking yard for years and thus, has all he needs to piece together a race car.  He uses a turbocharged 1497 cc watercooled destroked Rabbit/Golf inline 4 cylinder and runs in the H/BAGC class (H = 1.01-1.50 Liter, B = Blown, A = altered, G = gas, C = coupe).  Larry set the record for the H/BAGC class at Speedweek 2009 and blew his own record out of the water today (10/10/2009) with a two run average of 164.158 MPH.  Congratulations!  The car is a 1968 or ’69 according to Jim, runs AEM ecu tuning, has a ram air box in the rear quarter window to a water to air intercooler with an icebox.  Up front sits an MG radiator, a VW 5 speed transmission connected to a vw aircooled transaxle via a homemade adapter plate Larry had cast, using a wood plate he made himself.  Wow!

Jim gives a big thanks to Jon Romero and Mike Mangelli who tune the AEM system for them.  Jim says the car was running crazy fast with the latest tune.  Way to go on the new record guys!  The next goal for Larry in his long career in landspeed racing at Bonneville is to go 175 MPH.

Thanks Jim for taking time out to talk salt!  Congrats on your new record, good luck with your future salt endeavors and tell Larry thanks as well!

Hechtspeed

Check out the Bonneville Picture Gallery for more Salt Flats racers and cars:

Bonneville World Finals Picture Gallery

Bonneville Speedweek Streamliners and Lakesters

4th Annual “No Show” Vintage VW’s and Bicycles

I’m a huge air-cooled vdub nut at heart.  My first car was a 1972 Standard Beetle that I bought for $500.  With my dad’s help we turned it into a nice Cal-Looker with new bright Corvette yellow paint, black 8 spoke Empi’s, freshened heads and new interior kit.  I was even a member of the Wasatch Vintage Volkswagen Club for about a year until I sold that Bug to get wedding/honeymoon money.

On to this past Saturday, where I took my wife and 3 young sons to the No Show in Kaysville, Utah.  This was the 4th annual show and is put on my the Northern Utah VW Club.  I’ve been to the 2nd and 3rd annual shows as well.  This year’s show was at a new venue and it seemed bigger and better, with more cars and people.  This No Show is a laid back affair, just the style of VW owners.  They have a Hot Wheels track set up for the “kids” to race and the trophies are miniature vdub scenes using rusty hot wheels.  As we were driving up to the Show, we pulled off the freeway behind a sano beige custom bug with a mild exhaust.  I told my wife, “This show is going to make me want to buy an old VW”.  ha ha  Ya, I’ve already started searching for a Type 3 Squareback.

 

What’s your VW story?  I know many hot rodders start out owning air-cooled vdubs.  Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear your vdub stories, whether it was offroading escapades in a Baja Bug or your Beetle catching fire on the freeway.  Let’s hear ‘em!

To see more pictures from the No Show, check out the No Show Picture Gallery.

 

 Hechtspeed