Project Elf: Part I - Courtesy of DIRTsports - Transaxle Trickery on our Class 11 - Competition - Racing and Rock Crawling
Project Elf: Part I - Courtesy of DIRTsportsTransaxle Trickery on our Class 11
Publish date: Sep 1, 2006
By:  Chris Shelton
Source: Dirt Sports

















If you watched Eric Solórzano's red Class 11 Bug pound through Baja in Dust to Glory you'd know why we wanted to build one too. We announced the creation of our own Class 11–Project Elf (the number 11, in German) a few months back and now we are fully committed to it. While many stock Bug racers are built in spare time, we had a serious lack of it. So, we decided enlist the help of The Fab School in Riverside. The students at the California-state approved school will get priceless hands-on experience with our Bug under the expert guidance of talented fabricator, instructor and school founder Troy Johnson.



Johnson found for us an early 1960s kingpin/swingaxle car to use as the foundation for Project Elf. This was based on the fact that our car was designed to take on long races like the Baja 1000. There are advantages to both the early and late VW sedans, but we decided that the king-and-link front suspension and swingaxle rear would be the way to go for our purposes. While it may sound odd to launch a series with a transaxle build, it's actually a pretty good metaphor for the class' modified-stock platform. Aside from the three or four legal aftermarket parts, the majority of a Class 11 gearbox's strength comes from reestablishing tolerances and modifying existing parts. From there, longevity is in the hands of the driver.



If you are going to race, a crucial component like a transaxle needs to be a top-quality piece. We turned to the VW and off-road experts at Rancho Performance Transaxles in Anaheim, Calif. to assemble our sedan's swingaxle gearbox. Rancho's Sam Shackelford entrusted the job to transaxle guru Mike Herbert. Instead of concentrating on the build itself–a tedious process that requires endless fixtures, patience and experience–we are focusing on the individual components that distinguish this transaxle from a stock unit.



Over the next few months, we will report on what it takes to make our Project Elf into a true racer, with the next installment zeroing in on the chassis. This is a just a sneak peak; we will give you the whole run-down next month. Maybe you can start building one of your own. Stay tuned.







SOURCES:

The Fab School
2001 3rd St.
Riverside, Calif. 92507
951-782-0567
http://www.thefabschool.com/

Rancho Performance Transaxles
1631 N Placentia Ave. #G
Anaheim, Calif. 92806
714-680-6737
http://www.ranchoperformance.com/



McKenzie's Performance Products
2366 E Orangethorpe Ave.
Anaheim, Calif. 92806
888-426-7461
http://www.mckenzies.com/

Sway-A-Way
20724 Lassen St.
Chatsworth Calif. 91311
818-700-9712
http://www.swayaway.com/




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Source: Dirt Sports, 9/1/2006
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