Huebbe RallyeSport

Links:
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/HuebbeRally
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huebberallyesport
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rallybug
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/huebberally/
Website: http://www.huebberally.com/

Background:
Mark and I started our rally team in late 2006 with the purchase of a 1970 VW Beetle. Our goal was to build a semi historically accurate rally car based off of the Volkswagen Porsche Austria racing team from the late 60's to early 70's. (The Salzburg Rallye Beetles) Most of the modifications and upgrades are similar to the Salzburg cars, with the exception of using some parts that are more readily available today. While not completely historic, the car is very close to the performance of the original cars (Engine HP/TQ, Transmission, Weight)

Location: St. Peters, MO (about 30 minutes west of St. Louis)

Team Members:
Driver: Mark Huebbe
Co-Driver: John Huebbe
Crew: Whoever is crazy enough to tag along.

Car:
1970 VW Beetle

Suspension: Front: VW torsion bar/ball joint front beam, upgraded with stiffer Sway-a-way brand leafs.
Rear: Stock independent rear suspension (boxed) upgraded with tapered bearings
Bilstein 7100 w/reservoir shocks all corners.

VW Polo steering rack with custom tie rods & 1.5:1 quickener (stock column)
15 gal fuel safe cell
CNC dual master pedal cluster
CNC 4pot disc brakes F&R
Stock VW Bus 100mm CVs & floating axles

Transmission:
Stock Brazilan transmission case
Upgraded Berg 5 speed with custom ratio Weddle gears / stock 3.88 Klink ring & pinion
Stock VW Thing clutch type limited slip diff

Engine:
Stock VW AS41 magnesium engine case
Upgraded forged Mahle pistions & cylinders / Engle FK45 cam / forged crank / 8 quart dry sump / CB 044 Wedge port heads w/ratio rockers
Stock Brazilian cooling shroud
Stock 019 Bosch distributor w/electronic module & stock Bosch coil
Dual 48mm Weber IDF carbs
Power band is 4800-6000rpm
HP is about 125-130 to the wheels (it was higher, but that exhaust didn't survive)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2012 04:01PM by johnhuebbe.

Videos:







Pictures:
















Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2012 04:02PM by johnhuebbe.

Cool car. The dash reminds me of a Cessna.

An update to my car. This past winter Mark and I tore down the motor to freshen it up. As we were tearing it down, we noticed that there were multiple cracks in the mag case. uh oh. So we decided to get an aluminum case and build up a new motor.

So, for the past few weeks we've been building the new motor with an all American made aluminum case (both cast and machined here).

Case looks great.
http://www.precisionalloy.com/pages/tf-1.html


The new motor is almost finished. I hope to have it in the car this weekend so we can test it out before STPR (kinda cutting it close)

Saw the car this weekend at STPR, loved it! Looked like it goes well too when we got to watch the super special stages.

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John Reed
John Reed Racing
www.johnreedracing.com
johnreedracing@gmail.com

Yeah, you guys looked good this weekend. Good results and the car is a crowd pleaser.

Tim.

Thanks. Easy to put on a good show at the super special stage, no trees at the road's edge.

Yeah, motor held up for STPR. Always a plus for a new motor.

But, we'll probably be pulling it to replace the flywheel and/or clutch. Seemed to be slipping at full power. (or the rear main seal was leaking a lot and the flywheel has oil on it)

Why isn't anyone else building these? Are parts that hard to get?

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Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.

The parts should actually be the cheapest part. You can build these motors for laughably cheap amounts.

I love mine for rallycross and plan to stage rally it at some point. I'm surprised there's not more beetle rally cars around too.

Perry

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Perry

FE570s course bike
KTM 950 ADV
74 Beetle turbo-efi etc..
72 Beetle stage rally project WRX powered
Attended about 15 rallies, usually a volunteer in a course car.

Quote
Anders Green
Why isn't anyone else building these?

Good question.

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Anders Green
Are parts that hard to get?

No. Big market in CA. Both used and new parts.

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Robert Culbertson
The parts should actually be the cheapest part. You can build these motors for laughably cheap amounts.

I usually cry when I see my CC bill. You can build cheap motors, but they wont last or rev as high or be as reliable. For the first few years of rallying, we could have gotten by with cheap motors. But now pushing the car to the max brings up all sorts of things. LOTS of heat being one of them.

I'm not surprised that more people don't rally them. Most bugs have rusted away, unless you live in the Southwest. And then, they don't rally in that part of the country. They desert race. And lots of bugs are doing that.

I will second the notion that cheap bug engines aren't gonna live for this use.. Like anything else, it's not cheap to build them up right and unfortunately with the beetle engine you're not starting with a whole lot of design margin. Also, there's a lot of very low quality bug parts out on the market.

But, they are a nice lightweight RWD platform, easy to work on, and handle well. There's tons of them around Pittsburgh, but they all seem to be in the car show and drag race crowd. There seems to be a steady supply of solid shells for cheap that people squirreled away and never finished restoring. A friend of mine makes a living just buying/selling and working on aircooled vw stuff.

Last time I checked the rules, I could run NASA events with a subaru powered beetle, which might be the backup plan..

Perry

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Perry

FE570s course bike
KTM 950 ADV
74 Beetle turbo-efi etc..
72 Beetle stage rally project WRX powered
Attended about 15 rallies, usually a volunteer in a course car.

Quote
Perry
Last time I checked the rules, I could run NASA events with a subaru powered beetle, which might be the backup plan..

Still fine with us, yes. I know I've seen that swap in some of the VW buses, but I haven't seen it in a Bug. (Most likely due to me not looking for it.)

Anders

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Grassroots rally. It's what I think about.