All Videos, courtesy of Youtube.
What first got me interested in Modifying Volkswagens was reading up on the EMPI Inch Pincher Beetle.
Empi being an American Company that made plenty of Modified Components for VW.
Now with the Internet displaying Videos , you can see anything!
I saved to buy a Roller Bearing Crankshaft , Hot Camshaft, Ported the heads ( myself) Kombi flywheel , to fit a bigger clutch, lightened and balanced This was a 1600.
Did not want to go bigger as if I encountered problems, could immediately go back to Standard!
No Limits on Customising Beetle's
Built up the motor and fitted it in , including a Paint Job in Blue Toner ( for mixing other colours, but I liked it.)
Went with Chris ( think we were engaged then), to visit My Family in Cape Town.
I nearly drove her mad as I kept stopping to check oil etc, by the time we got to Beaufort West , I considered it to be run in.
Went past one one of the first XJ6's I ever saw , and stopped at the next town for fuel, and, of course checked the oil!
XJ6 pulls in behind me, " What is in that thing, I was doing close on 100mph and you shot by me?"
Not sure if he believed me when I said it was a standard 1300!
I now had a beetle that revved to 7200rpm , with power, and could probably do 110mph on a level road, more on a slight downhill and did over 90Mph in third Gear!
Renault Gordini's were very popular then with a whole bunch of tuning shops dedicated to them, I did not have too much trouble seeing most of them off( not just acceleration!)
Strangely enough?, I was very happy with this version of My Beetle for quite a while and could easily blow off most cars from a Traffic Light!
More on this in the next installment , and the next reincarnation of this Beetle!
Still no ADSL line , Shakira came to visit briefly and I am using her phone to get on the internet!