Turbo Bus VW & Porsche September/October 1982 Perhaps the most important ingredient to a successful automotive project is the dedication of the builder. Except for the most simple bolt-on applications, working on improving a car's basic design or performance requires long hours, great patience and an ability to adapt to the unforeseen. Otherwise, the damn car stays in the garage, surrounded by loose parts. One of the finest examples we've seen of a builder's dedication to a final design goal is this 1972 VW Bus, created by Mike Karbacher. Mike has owned the car since '72, and about four years ago became determined to modernize the dependable but staid van. Little did Mike suspect that it would take him four years to complete the car, but his criteria for a good job is so demanding that he made over many of the modifications at least three times. The most obvious changes to the stock Bus are included in a kit available from Karbacher Prototype, 1107 S. Flower St., Burbank, CA 91502; (213) 845-6239. The front air dam, front fenders, rocker panels, rear fenders, all bolts and brackets, light covers, one set of fogs and one set of running lights, a front bumper bar and turn signals are all a part of the basic kit. Alone, these pieces are enough to change the most homely bus into a racey machine, but Mike didn't want a mere bolt-on changeover. For something different, Mike fitted a '77 2.7-liter turboed 911 engine. To keep all that power under control, Mike worked hard on beefing up the suspension of the Bus. He began by lowering the front of the car about three inches, and then fitted Addco anti-sway bars and Koni shocks, front and rear. Because of the suspension drop, the car understeers slightly, but that is handied easily using the throttle. Three-piece BBS 16x10-inch wheels sport Pirelli 225/50 VR-16 P-7 tires, and the resulting handling is absolutely superb. Top speed for the Bus is about 110 mph, and it is rock solid up to that point. Different gearing could undoubtedly coax some more top end from the car. Mike stayed with the stock Bus brakes, finding them more than adequate. The front air dam slots are functional, directing cooling air to the front brakes. For power, Mike went to a junkyard and bought the 911 motor. A great deal of engine work was required to get it into running shape, and then Mike started on the turbo installation. He used the BAE/Rajay setup with water injection, and it has worked well for him. He runs seven pounds of boost with the barest hint of detonation at full throttle under load. That could be dealt with in the future by the addition of an auxiliary fuel supply system. Mike estimates the engine puts out about 225 horsepower. Engine cooling is achieved through the installation of an extra cooler in the right rear wheelwell. Panels in the rear fenders show the location of the cool air intake. Even under the worst conditions the engine runs a cool 210 degrees F. The oil system is a 12.5-quart drysump setup with braided steel lines in all the right places. The engine was mounted using a special custom bracket built by Mike, and it was mated to the stock VW trans using an adapter plate from Kennedy Engineering. Kennedy also supplied a reinforced VW clutch that is able to handle all the extra power. The interior is as well done as the outside of the Bus. Mike fabricated a Rosewood gauge platform, fitting 911 oil level and fuel level gauges, and also using aftermarket VDO gauges. It's a very clean setup and very easy to read. The steering wheel is a Raid Turbo design from Racemark, and good sounds are provided by the Blaupunkt 3001 stereo cassette with four ADS speakers. Seating is the superior Recaro with jet-striping fabric. The amount of work that Mike has put into this prototype is really the only negative attached to the project. But the finished car and the driving pleasure it gives more than makes up for the years of effort. Fuel economy is quite good at between 15-20 mpg, and the engine maintenance is easily accomplished because of the accessibility of the Bus's rear hatch. Recent zero to 60 times netted Mike a best of 6.48 seconds! This is an automobile that not only looks fast, it also drives fast. The kit described earlier retails for around $1600. Contact Karbacher Prototype for the full story. Reminds me of how much I miss VW&Porsche magazine as it was in the old days. B. From: "William R. Kennedy, NJIT CIAT, 201-596-5648"