Date:         Mon, 22 Jan 2001 05:44:52 EST
Reply-To:     BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Benjamin Tan <BenTbtstr8@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: convertible westy?
Comments: To: andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 1/22/01 1:26:06 AM Pacific Standard Time,
andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ writes:

<< Seen it done to a Split...or was it a Bay...called "Moosezilla", in one of
 the US mags years ago. HVWs, probably. Good idea. The body should be rigid
 enough. They cut the entire roof off, even the cab. >>


KRE, makers of the early turbobugs used to drag race a split bus without a
roof back in the late 70's. I can't remember what it was called. It was
featured in Hot VW's several times and it was a regular at all the VW races
in California. Hot VW's did an article last year about old drag cars and
sadly reported that the convertible bus is no longer around. The Kawell's are
still around. I still remember seeing this bus race alongside their 850 HP
turbocharged VW dragster. Both exhaust systems on their racers would be
glowing cherry red before they even took their first run. This was the time
when many raceways were pitting VW's against American iron with huge V8's. It
wasn't very long after that many VW drag fans started affixing stickers on
their cars saying "I could have had a V8" like the vegetable drink
commercial.

BTW, they cut the entire roof and the door frames as well. Then they
fabricated a wooden ledge which run the entire perimeter of the opening. It
was one cool and very fast bus.

BenT
San Francisco