Volks World 1997

Just when you thought you had seen it all, along comes Roger Crawford's new race car! Without a doubt, the most beautiful drag race VW ever built, this new Pro-Stocker is perfection on wheels.

To anyone familiar with the VW race scene, Roger Crawford's name will be very familiar. Back in the 1970's Roger ran a green '67 sedan by the name of Bad Company, which was one of the best-known race cars of the Bug-In era, running in the low 12sec bracket at over 110mph. In those days, Roger ran a business under the name of Crawford Engineering, located in Newport

 

Today, some 20 years later, he still runs his own business, now called Heads-Up Performance, and still located in Orange County, this time in Fullerton. Heads-Up has an excellent reputation for producing some serious, dyno-tested race and sand rail motors. However, what has made people sit up and take notice is the new race car in the back of the shop. While the old Bad Company was always a sharp-looking car - it graced the cover of April 1977 Hot VWs - this new ride is a breed apart.

The story begins in 1989 when Roger decided that he wanted to compete in the PRA Pro-Stock series, which was just getting off the ground in a big way. A chassis was purchased, along with a $200 '62 Beetle bodyshell. And then, as so often happens when you're running your own business, the project ground to a halt. Fast-forwarding seven years, Roger decided once more to get back into the Pro-Stock ranks and work started again. The first move was to take the chassis and 'shell over to Jim Larsen, at JCL Racecars, where the project was discussed in minute detail before Jimmy waded into it.

 
The decision was made to bring the car right up to date in every respect so, to begin with, a pair of Lamb Pro-Stock front struts was fitted along with Lamb disc brakes. Having front brakes on a drag race VW is pretty rare in the USA, but Roger decided that the gain in weight was more than offset by the ability to stage the car more accurately and, most importantly, to be able to perform full-on static burnouts to warm the slicks. Oh, and there was the matter of being able to slow the car down from its projected 135mph blasts. To steer the car in the right direction, a Pinto rack and pinion is fitted, controlled by a Schroder steering wheel. A set of JCL pedals looks after the clutch, brake, and throttle controls.

 At the rear end, a ladder bar set-up was installed, with Koni double-adjustable shocks and 400lb springs. The rear brakes are modified JayCee Enterprises parts (Wilwood, long time the VW racers' favorite, no longer make rear disc/hubs for the Beetle) and are works of art in themselves. As for wheels and tires, the front end features a pair of 3.5x15 Monocoques with Firestone Frontrunners, while at the rear a pair of 8.5x15 Bogarts are fitted, shod with Mickey Thompson 26x8.5x15 slicks.

The transmission is a VW Type 1 swing axle unit assembled by Jim Kaforski at Der Transaxle, whose own street car was featured on the cover of our September '96 issue. Inside the welded and gusseted stock casing, Jim installed a 3.88:1 ring and pinion, followed by a set of FTC gears: 3.78 1st, 2.25 2nd, 1.56 3rd and 1.31 4th. An aluminum spool is used, along with 3in shorter Sway-A-Way axles inside modified stock axle tubes. As far as the clutch is concerned, a J&G 'Floater' set-up is the favored choice.

 
Now, as you might expect from someone who spends his life building race motors, the engine Roger put together for the Pro-Stocker is pretty awesome. Perhaps surprisingly, in light of the number of aftermarket castings that are currently available, he chose to stay with a modified VW factory crankcase. Into this, he squeezed an 88mm Scat flanged crank with Type 4 main bearings and 2in Chevrolet rod journals. Hooked up to this is a set of 6in Carrillo rods, 94mm Wiseco forged pistons and Autocraft barrels, resulting in a massive 244cc. Childs & Albert Z-gap rings, with a Dykes top ring, are used to maintain compression and control the oil.

As far as the cylinder heads are concerned, there was only one choice: Autocraft 910s. These are heavily modified by Roger and fitted with 50mm inlet and 38mm exhaust valves, the latter being titanium by Manley. The valves are opened and closed by a set of EMPI 1.4:1 rocker arms which, in turn, are controlled by an Engle FK-98 camshaft (332 degree duration, 0.446in lift cam on 108 degree lobe centers) with steel straight-cut timing gears.

To supply the VP C-16 race fuel, a pair of 62mm JayCee Terminator carburetors is used, these being equipped with 50mm chokes. To ignite the C-16, an MSD 7-AL ignition package is used, with a billet MSD distributor and a crank-trigger system. To get rid of the waste gases, a 2.125in Phoenix merged header exhaust system has been installed.

No matter how impressive the engine is, how well the driveline has been put together and how well the chassis has been detailed on this car, it's the paint work that grabs your attention first, and famed custom paint supremo, Dick Vale, is the man to congratulate for the eyeball-grabbing scheme. Fading progressively from front to back in every respect (the main body color, the graphics, and even the chassis all change shade as you move towards the rear of the car), the paint is faultless and, well, for once, even I was left speechless. Finishing the visual package off a treat is some superb lettering and striping by Brad King. Incidentally, all of the paint was donated by California Auto Bodyshop Supply and is from the House Of Kolors range.

 
With such a stunning exterior, you wouldn't expect anything less than perfection inside, wouldn't you? Well, when Jimmy Larsen is involved with a race car project, you can be sure that the detailing will be first rate-and so it is. The view from the Beard driver's seat, which was retrimmed by Whittier Custom Upholstery, is one of endless blue anodized aluminum paneling, broken only by a pair of lightweight Autometer gauges and a modified Berg shifter. With a set of Simpson five-point harnesses holding him safely in place, driver Greg Brinton feels right at home.

There is an old saying that if something looks right, it is right and that has certainly proved to be the case with this car. You can see for yourself that the car is perfectly executed and from the engine specification, you would assume that there is no shortage of horsepower. But what about out on the track? That's where it all really matters. Well, fear not, for first time out at Sacramento this year, Greg clicked off a 9.85sec pass at 134.85mph, claiming number one qualifier spot into the bargain. A 60ft time of 1.21 shows that the car hooks up, too.

Even if out and out race cars are not your bag, you can't fail to be impressed by Roger Crawford's latest missile. As an ad for his Heads-Up Performance, it speaks volumes. And, as for the times, well, they always did say actions speak louder than words.