Another couch built find.

Here is a find from the bast, a 50s hand built aluminum roadster using VW parts and an Okrasa engine. Check out the post on the samba.

More OZ racing.

These picture are of ex racer and VW/Porsche mechanic Jack Bono who passed away a few year back. Greg Mackie was nice enough to share these photos and his recollections of Jack and his little 356, which had a motor that makes use here at the OSS drool.

Here are a few of Greg's words:

"The 356 is Jack Bono's race car (pictured above) It had a super-charged (Marshal) 1500 Porshe engine and I made an aluminium bonnet (hood) and engine lid for it, along with other light-weighting mods.

If you look closely you can just make out Jack and I, standing beside Jack's Karman-Ghia tow car - probably engaged in some sort of VW talk! Jack is in white over-alls. The K.G. had a Denzel engine, and did a 15.3 quarter mile! It had Jack's signature number-plate......BON-OOO."

We then had no choose but to ask if the 356 was a 2pcs or 3pcs case and what year the 356 happened to be. This was due to the fact that we were discussing late 50/ early 60 racing and as we all know the 2pcs case ended long before the end of the 50s.

"Porsche was 1954 - from memory - it had a split screen when new. Drum brakes for sure, wheels were Kombi, drilled for cooling. The 1500 was 2 pcs case, to which Jack fitted a Carrera roller crank. The crank, which Jack got for free, had been damaged, so Jack called on his friend , Merv Waggot - a brilliant engineer - to repair it. Hirth said it couldn't be done, but Merv made a special tool to dismantle and assemble the crank. He sleeved the damaged big-end and fitted new rollers, and the motor ran for years. Merv was one of those men who loved to achieve the 'impossible'."

We here at the OSS must thank Greg for this invaluable information and also remind other out there that these pictures are owned by Greg and reproducing them with out his pr omission is forbidden.

Project OZ

Here is a sneak peak at what the OSS is currently working on. This is pre rebuild and once it is finished it will either go on the back up 36er, in to the treasure chest or up for sale. Cool little items vintage dual carb set up.

Modern Motors Okrasa Hot-up article

We here at the OSS have been skimming through lots of Australian car magazines from the 50's and early 60s as of late. And while looking for specific articles we have also stubbled upon a few other interesting articles that tell about the different options for making the little VW go faster.

Racing history from down under.

While talking to a gent about an Amal dual carburetor kit that he had constructed for his little 36hp back in 1960 the subject of VW racing was broached. With the door open an exchange of information and pictures over the interweb was commissioned. Sadly in 1961 the 40hp arrived on the scene and like any good racer, he decided to go for the "more powerful" engine and did awayt with the 36hp! : ) The good news was that some pictures of late 60's VW racing have survived the eraser of time and Greg has been generous enough to allow us to share some of them with you.






































Silverdale 1962: Greg set the class and sedan record at this event!






































Bathurst 1963





















Catilina Park 1963


Here are a few words from the man himself:

"When the 40hp engine was released here I promptly traded my 1960, 36hp beetle in on a 1961 model. In exchange for some body work (my trade)

on Jack Bono's race car - a 356 Porsche - Jack 'worked over' my 40hp engine. He fitted bigger valves, ported & polished the heads, bored barrels

out to 80mm (1300cc), ground cam, fitted bigger oil pump, etc.

I fabricated inlet & exhaust systems, and fitted a pair of 1 3/4" SU carbs. It showed 72 hp on the dyno! It clocked 102 MPH at Bathurst!

That little Beetle gave me excellent service, a few race wins and records, and great pleasure for almost 40,000 miles - it was not only my race car, but my only car!"

The photos in the post were used with permission and can not be replicated for any purpose with out the consent of the proper owner.

Looking for the ark.

Well perhaps that is a bit of an over statement but we here at the Old Speed Shack have been delightedly searching for information on a dual carb kit that we recently acquired. Now we can't release any of the particulars till we have gathered enough info to put together at least something of a proper history.

But in the mean time we have uncovered some more cool period correct advertisements to entertain and amaze.

Blown 36er...

Here is a nifty 36hp with a blower, pretty sure it is located in Germany but we have not done enough research to know for sure.

Here are the specs, listed by the owner and borrowed from the interweb:

"first the AMR300 is on a 36HP engine driven 3:1 ..the engine has some modifications but same stuff like stock engine just improved the most parts + a cam grinded to porsche preA dimensions.
29,6mm inlet valves 28 outlet valves.
the engine runs but at the moment way to lean. but it pushes 0,9 bar =13 psi.
the engine has water/methanol injection what is in off position at the moment and i have no heating problems CHT goes to 125°C.
the engine goes like hell and i think it has something between 60-70 DIN PS. if the A/F ratio is perfekt i will go on a dynotest. at the moment the clutch can't hold the power."

And if that has wetted your whistle then check out this video of the little beast running down the highway.

Busy Busy

The beginning of winter is a busy time at the OSS as we have to stash away all the rides that have been living out side for the warm season. This keeps us from posting as often as we would like so we have decided to post up some ads that we have collected for those that check back often.