Back when Land Speed Racing was young, a group of hot rodders went racing on the dry lakes just 30 miles east of a growing high desert community known as the Antelope Valley. The names of the dry lakes in this territory–Rosamond, Harpers, El Mirage, and Muroc–are not just the locations of where these early hot rodders raced, they are the original spots from which hot rodding was born. Suffice it to say that if you have a hot rod in your garage, or ever dreamt of having one, it’s due to the efforts of the racers who organized speed trials and ran at the lakes more than eight decades ago. This year, the SCTA is celebrating its 62nd year of Land Speed Racing activities at the legendary El Mirage dry lake.
The El Mirage dry lake bed came into its own after the U.S. Government kicked the racers off the ultra-flat and popular Muroc dry lake (now Edwards Air Force Base). But since the early ’20s, various lakes in the area had been used for racing by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), as a safe place to race their hopped up rods and jalopies. After the war ended in 1946 they picked El Mirage as their meeting place and have been holding several meets there ever since.
The dry lake today is, of course, much like it’s been for thousand of years. Although a fence installed around its perimeter a few years back keeps off-roaders from thrashing its surface and a paved asphalt road redirects dirt bike enthuisasts eastward onto a four-mile-long off-road facility while the SCTA holds court on the west end.
This Volkswagen Concept aims to challenge the existing A/BFL class record of 208MPH. Volkswagen Concept El Mirage runs in the Special Contruction Category, Lakester class - A/BFL. This is the ultimate category running at El Mirage as anything goes with regards to engine, fuel, induction and body style (Streamliners or open-wheeled Lakesters). Almost anything goes. In the Lakester class, these special cars are constructed in such a way that there is no streamlining, fairing or covering of the wheels and tires.
El Mirage starts off with an extendeded front end with an early Ford I-beam conversion kit from SoCal. Removing the fenders is easy enough; but the next step consists of making the vehicle look good. Extending the wheelbase by moving the front end a few inches makes the Bug look sleeker, less stubby, and, more importantly, stabilizes the volksrod when approaching terminal velocity.
A fenderless Beetle will also require new headlights. Dune Buggy-style shells may be used, but other alternatives like the seven-inch So-Cal Speed Shop buckets fill the bill quite nicely and pays homage to the great hot rods of yore. Then it is up to your local fab-shop to create a bracket to attach them to the body. Not wanting to use traditional VW taillights, we mounted a pair of traditional 1939 Ford-style teardrops from Mooneyes. Ultra Kewl!
Forgeting about modern Porsche 911-style fan shrouds, we stick instead to the tried and true! A simple 36-horse shroud and a pair of Weber 48IDAs would certainly feel right at home flanking it. Remember that some of the fiercest drag VWs in their heyday used them in the ’60s and 70s, Topped with a velocity stack as do those V8 Hot Rod guys, El Mirage’s 2275cc Type1 motor runs a darn noisy stinger exhaust system as well. Coolness!
Stock wide-five rims, widened in the back, painted a contrasting hot rod red color and dressed with chrome “smoothie” hubcaps are period perfect. Polished aluminum drums from a Porsche 356, with fins across the edge and Coker bias-ply tires at the front and wide cheater slicks from Mooneyes look killer on this hot VW.
Chris has one of the funkiest Volkswagens on this side of the planet. A member of the Gruppo Sampaloc VW Club, Chris managed to make a lovaeable Volkswagen even more adorable. Standing next to it, you realize just how short it is. You wonder how in the world do you get in. It looks like some supermarket kiddie ride gone crazy. IT’S ALIVE!!!!
Oh, and if you think that I’m pulling your leg, here are a couple pictures of the real thing 
Got some tokens??
Meet Lucille. She’s a Fasty and she’s real Nasty. Built like a brick shithouse, Lucille is pure hot rod heaven and she loves playin with the big boys.
Early T3 Fastbacks have a soft place in my heart. I just luv em. My Dad rocked in an early Fastback in the 60s.
This 68 US Version Type3 has that sleek, wind cheating profile. So cool, so sexy. Squarebacks are cool but not even Notchbacks can look as fast as Fastbacks, even when parked.
Motivation is via a tuned and eager Solex-fed flatfour. The Interior is familiar and comfortable like a pair of Chuckie’s All-Stars. A touch of punk rock. Gray seatcovers for the Toyota front seats and rear seat. Right now there is no carpeting. Who need it? The accesories include an original circa 90’s Vitaloni Tornados, early type 3 bullet turn signals (original for 68 fasties were the horizontal signal lenses), and early notchback flat tail lenses (which are quite hard to find). The dashboard sports one nasty scar. Lucille’s got “history”, a hard past. There is no stereo. The only sound needed is the sweet noises coming from the brawny flatty.
Wearin’ red rims and chrome ‘caps, she’s also got serious Firestone rubber ready and able to tangle with EDSA traffic. Front rims are 4.5 inches with 195/55 Yokohama A539’s. Rear rims are 6 inches with 205/60 Firestone 660’s (planning to change this to 205/65’s or even 205/70’s to get that meaty look… preferrably with embossed white lettering… hopefully still Firestones
She can drift if she wants to but prefers to leave that BS for the “kids” in their JJs. All in all she’s got more spunk than style really. None of the much coveted VW accessories, except for Aussie VW-inspired sexy side trim. But whatever she’s lacking in add-ons she makes up for in attitude. She’s a bitch sometimes, but when we get along we get along damn well.
Lucille has been with Ian’s (Poknatvw) family for the past 14 years. A member of the Marikina Boys, you can check out more of Ian and Lucille at http://veedubluv.multiply.com/
Lucille is special and she knows it. And were all grateful for it.
She’s a Brick Hauz…
Need a little bit more room for your Tommy Guns?
This stretched Volkswagen Concept comes out of the Rometsch 4-door. An updated Beetle body accommodates the full red leather interior worthy of Capone. Bulletproof Whitewalls, red steelies and smoothie chrome caps smooth out the ride through dangerous streets. An equally bullet-proof, dual Weber 48 IDA-equipped, Porsche 914 2.4 liter engine and Gene Berg 5-speed installed via a custom flywheel provides enough juice to outrun the cops. Big Al is not afraid to boogie.
Driving through Ayala, the deep House of color, Cherry Black paint glistens from the fresh detailing, new HiD headlight and LED tail light conversions brighten the way, and four-wheel disc brakes and Koni shocks firm up the handling.
The short front and additional rear doors open butterfly style, revealing the red-hot leather Recaro interior. Red leather door panels and blood red German wool carpeting are perfect complements to the maraschino cherry exterior.
The split dashboard is home to classic white-face VDO gauges and updated with a contemporary sound system. A Pioneer AVIC-D1 In-Dash Mobile Nav head unit, makes sure that Big Al doesn’t get lost on the way to the clubs. Rockford Fosgate 3Sixty DSP pumps Punch subs, and the Audiobahn A12005DN amplifier keep the beat thumpin’.
The early split-window roll-up ragtop is restored and opens to spectacular views of the moon and stars. Big Al shows them how it’s done. Updated 15×6.5 inch wide 5-bolt rims and matching bulletproofed wide whitewall Coker performance tires, with chrome ‘caps, Big Al goes on a night out.
Top of the World, Ma!
Keep on believing in me….and your next move will be your best move. Green for the money, gold for the honey. I’m in motion, just like the ocean. All a b*tch gotta do is come on drink some of this love potion (Owens & Shepard, 1998)
Remember the saying “No money, no honey”? Here’s a Volkswagen Concept for the pimp in all of us
Green For The Money, Gold For The Honey is a Volkswagen Concept that takes the lowly VW Bug to another level of “The Game!” Players, Pimps, and Macks are those at the top. The most paramount rule in the game is, “the pimp must get paid” There can’t be any “shame in your game” Second, the game is “sold”, not “told.” He has to develop his rap, a series of persuasive poetic and rhymic scats about life and making money.
G4TMG4TH patterns a Rolls Royce hood and decklid to fit on an early VW Beetle. Green and Gold paint glisten in the sun and a fortune in gold . . . bumpers, trim, wheels and ‘caps, and the enourmous Rolls Royce grille and “Flying Lady” mascot embellish the “Rollswagen”.
Some still dont believe how much it shines and pictures can only show so much, so dont hurt your eyes now.
