Fuller-Brizio - Speedway volksrod

Well...
Does anyone have any pics of the reduced scale full fendered Model T that radiator Guru Jim Babb tinkered up from scratch and a Subaru engine?

 

Probably about 15 years ago,I saw a T bucket with a Corvair engine mounted in front,and was rear wheel drive.The entire car couldn't have measured 36" at the top of the windshield,it was a very trick pice.Supposedly it had been an ISCA show car in the 70's.That would also be a neat project for the fuel economy minded.

 

Pretty sure that bucket was on the cover of either Rod Action or Rod & Custom. Think I remember seeing photos of it at an early Street Rod Nats as well.

 

Street Rodder Dec. 1973...

CC

 

I've got one of those Dick Landy blowers on one of my "toys." It's fun

 

I remember seeing that car at the '73 Nats in Tulsa, blew my mind. Well, that along with Jake's yellow coupe.

 

I found the frame plans on the internet and bought them last week Friday. They shipped Saturday and should be here in a day or two. I will advise how they look.

I could copy them at work and distribute them if you are interested.

The only negative thing I have heard from two owners of these cars is that they did not corner very well under hard acceleration. Think about it....1400# and 85% on the rear wheels. One guy solved his problem by drilling out the tube axle and adding melted lead weights. He just added weight until it tracked well. Simple low cost fix. The center of gravity is as low as it gets and the weight is as far forward as it gets. Ingenuity...the mother of invention!.

Thanks for your thoughts on the slightly O/T subject. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder A hotrod is a hotrod regardless if it has a 4,6 or 8 cylinder engine. Thanks

kermit

 

That's just a grown man's go-kart right there. Awesome!

Could do without the turtle deck tho'

 

I remember this now ......

 

You may find a pic or two at the Photobucket site for Causey Designs Volksrod Collection. Not sure if this link will work or not:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d Collection

Damn, that guy has photos of my old car with my friend's '27 T roadster, and he has shots of just the chassis with a motor built by a guy named Jim Feuling, that used seperate aftermarket Harley Davidson heads, and Hilborn injection... when the engine came to me, it had a dyno sheet that came with it that said naturally aspirated 470 horsepower. If anyone gives a shit, there are under the "SoCalook" part of that website

 

that vair is way cool, those spyders were wicked fast id be proud to own/drive that baby.........................

 

Check out the Model A about half way down the page here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59285&page=3

 

I saw the car in the early 90's at the Tri Chevy show in Peotone,Illlinois.
That car is way cool.

Again,I have to say just how cool this place is.....just a plethora of knowledge.

 

Hi All,
Ok I just spoke with my father Andy Brizio to see if the info here was correct, He did not get the Volksrod plans and stuff from Fuller, he got the chassis from Dragmaster, and Steve Archer made the bodies, He told me they actually looked at the plans mentioned above in R & C and figured them out from there,
Just a couple of ramdom things he told me
He was pretty sure Fuller still has his and said his was the nicest one of all
The radiator was a gas tank in the cars
Steve Archer made a cover to go over the bed that was out of fiberglass, but looked like fabric.
He has tons of pictures, if anyone wants to see them I can probable scan some
There is a few of them still around this area

Anything else you guys need to know about the Brizio Volksrod era, I will ask him

Terri "Brizio" Hollenbeck

 

How does that frontend work?? The upper arms joining the solid axle in the center makes sense, it would act like a normal I-beam. But they also seem to attach to the frame, near the motor. Does that act like a set of short radius arms? Very trick car, i've been looking for pics of it for a while!

 

One of the advantages of being old is you have this old stuff hidden away.
Here is Tom Medleys VRod in Memphis around 72'. Also another nice little Vrod that I really liked also and they were the talk of the fairgrounds. Even Elvis liked them. Sorry they aren't larger.
Tom Medley and I sat on the curb and talked for quite a while about the Vrod, because we were to tired to walk around anymore, and we were young then. Nice guy.
Glad to hear Andy's daughter respond and her dad had two cars at that show. One was a panel truck and one was a t bucket. Both had wild Himsl ribbon paint.

 

Being that Andy's daughter responded to this thread I thought I would also add these pictures from the 1972 Nationals in Memphis. Radical California guys come to the east and steal the show.

 

First I will pass on the questions to my Dad, lets hope he can remember all that stuff, and thank you for the C-cab pictures, that was one of my favorite cars, the paint on the sides were character drawings of everyone that helped build the vehicle. It was sold to John Bonham of Led Zepplin fame and appears in the movie The song remains the same. And last we heard it is still in England not sure who owns it now though.
Thanks
Terri

 

I thought I reconized that from somewhere!! I had read before that Bonham was really into cars.

 

I am digging up this old post to see if anyone has built one, or is building one, when I was young My dad went through the VW stage, which made me into VW's as well, I always wanted a speedway Volks rod kit. Now with gas prices getting crazy, I am thinking about building my own, I have been collecting stuff for this project for about 3 years now. Guys please don't post pics of your chopped bug or anything else that will get this thread closed, (like the one from 2010) also mods before you close this thread please note ryans post #22. If someone does post off topic on this thread Just delete their post, Not trying to tell you your job, I just get tired of a good topic getting closed because of 1 or 2 jackasses...

 

I've seen some good info on Volksrods.com

 

This is Kent Fullers Volks Rod. The first one built that started it all!!

 

Does anyone have a copy of the 1970's R&C Quarterly will Billy Belmonts blue 27 T Volks Rod in it. I think it was in NSRA Nationals coverage, with him driving it around the fairgrounds. It had a top that was hinged at the back, because it didn't have opening doors.

 

On a new build, you might research some of the current Porsche speedster kit car builders. Mid or rear engined, they use some cool frames and have Subaru engine options and sources for adapters and upgraded trannys. Getting the back half of a neat, well engineered frame to tack on your rails might be something to think about. I've always like these cars, don't know why, and there are quite a few threads on them here. Gary

 

I remember the conversations I had with Kent about the Volksrod like it was yesterday....I called and talked to Roy and his pop too, "why you want one of those things", I continued and went down the line... Dode and Jim were next, Dode was most informative but still to no avail.....so last call to Bill, nope ain't building or selling anything from those kits....I'll take them to my grave!!! So I must have have hit him on a bad day......I still like them though, I'll build one on day

 

R&C did a series with detailed plans.

 

Here is a picture of the VWT show car from the '70's. This is the one they would take around to the shows. My Dad worked there in the '70's and early '80's. Not sure where the car is now. When I go up to Ct in the summers, I try to stop in to see the Briglia's.

 

Kent still has his...

 

Thanks - THEKID49

Billy lost the fenders, put a ton of louvers on the deck lid, and put a track nose on his.

 

Yeah,
I was told something similar, had something to do with safety issues and fear of lawsuits. But I think that is a bunch of crap!!. I think the fact that speedway did not sell very many of them, Maybe that investment left a bad taste on Him....Really dosen't matter all that much anyhow as The car is built so simple anyhow. I would like to have a fuller style pickup box, just to make my build easier, But I can work around that also if need be. Also I think it is really cool that kent fuller stills has his after all these years, And it sounds to me like he will most likey have it forever as someone said he was asking like 80K for it. It is really nice but I have never seen a VW I would even think about giving 80K for, But each to their own..