[Brian Watts]

Another couple famous drag bugs from the past. Anyone know where the bugs are today? :hrmm:

Horrible chop top job isn't it :boooo: And scary to see the "rollbar" they trusted their life to !!

 

[Brian Watts]

Bill Mitchell then moved to Porsche bodied race cars but still VW power in 1975

 

[dangerous]

I believe this was the first bug to run in the 10's in the USA,
but was deemed illegal due to the chop top being more than 4".

You can see the changes in the body in the above photos.
The ugliest version appears to have raised just the wind screen,
.....an innovative use of the rules.
And then the final version that left the roof alone and chopped the body instead.
Again innovative.

I think all the trouble surrounding this issue,
and the resulting protests from other racers is why he does not like to talk of his VW past.

The first VW to run in the 10's in THE WORLD was this car in Australia.

 

[dangerous]

http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i22/Dave_in_Florida/VW%20Race%20Cars/Thunderbug/

 

[Keith S]

What a lot of people don't realise is that the first Thunderbug, the unchopped one, was the second Deano Dyno Soars car. Mitchell offered to buy it but on one condition: that the Schley Brothers would take it across to the east coast and record the same times it ran elsewhere. It did, and the deal was done. But Mitchell NEVER acknowledged that this was a car built by Dean Lowry...

On the matter of the 'ten-second' run.... Mitchell admitted years later to the Schleys that he'd staged the car on the back wheels but, again, never had the guts to say anything to anyone publicly. The damage was done – in the media at the time he was credited with running the ten.

As far as I know, he still has the car tucked away but absolutely refuses to talk to anyone about his VW racing days. Wonder why?

 

[kaferdave]

Hey Keith- didn't Dave Conklin uncover one of those cars (and I'm thinking it might have been the Porsche) some years back, and there was some issues as regards to rightful ownership?
Trying to search the memory banks, and I seem to recall some
"stuff" about it...

 

[Keith S]

Yup, Dave found the Porsche for sale, bought it and then discovered that it had, in fact, been stolen back in the day. The original owner always wanted it back, so Dave did the righteous thing and agreed to sell it to him for the same $$$ he'd paid for it. Good for Dave!

 

[kaferdave]

Yup, Dave found the Porsche for sale, bought it and then discovered that it had, in fact, been stolen back in the day. The original owner always wanted it back, so Dave did the righteous thing and agreed to sell it to him for the same $$$ he'd paid for it. Good for Dave!

That's what I remembered, Keith.
Jeez, I'll have to take back some of the **** I said about that Cornpanzy guy :howdy:
Good for Dave. k: k:

 

[rmayes]

What a lot of people don't realise is that the first Thunderbug, the unchopped one, was the second Deano Dyno Soars car. Mitchell offered to buy it but on one condition: that the Schley Brothers would take it across to the east coast and record the same times it ran elsewhere. It did, and the deal was done. But Mitchell NEVER acknowledged that this was a car built by Dean Lowry...On the matter of the 'ten-second' run.... Mitchell admitted years later to the Schleys that he'd staged the car on the back wheels but, again, never had the guts to say anything to anyone publicly. The damage was done – in the media at the time he was credited with running the ten. As far as I know, he still has the car tucked away but absolutely refuses to talk to anyone about his VW racing days. Wonder why?

In the 1972 Nov/Dec issue of Hot VW's .. it clams the Thunder Bug to have run over 30 runs in the 10.90's and quote That's no Fluke. at the same time the Lighting Bug had NOT broke into the 10's yet with the best of 11.01 . I saw Mitchell run at Indy and here at Bowling Green that year and he was in the 10's on almost every pass and they didn't let him line up with the rear wheels ..........It must still kill the Schleys for them to make a statement like that. NHRA said his car was legal, but when he started runing the big numbers.. the CRY BABY crap started . and WHO started CRYING ?????? there still crying to this day

 

[vwxtc4free]

Finally. The answer to what all the crying was about. I always wondered what the controversy was about. Thats very interesting about the 2nd deano car being the first thunderbug. So Deano did build the first 10 & 9 second car ?

 

[MagOO]

So, now you can run a 10 with off the shelf parts, in an all steel sedan without a chop, and about 400- 500 pounds heavier...We do appear to be progressing...

 

[Brian Davis]

So, now you can run a 10 with off the shelf parts, in an all steel sedan without a chop, and about 400- 500 pounds heavier...We do appear to be progressing...

Funny aint it. Makes all the old arguments look childish. But then again that's what I think about most arguments.

 

[dragbug4064]

To the best of my knowledge, the Thunderbug was cut up after it was deemed illegal. I've tried to talk to Bill a couple times about the car, even standing in his own trailer at a big money bracket race. He does not like to talk about that Time at all, and is not happy when it is brought up.

The second Inch Pincher car wound up on the east coast as well, if I'm remembering the story correctly.

 

[phoenix]

ever wonder where the name Motion Sickness came from?

 

[Bugula]

Page 63 of the new Hot VWs. Dec 2012

 

[The Mad Pineapple II]

In the 1972 Nov/Dec issue of Hot VW's .. it clams the Thunder Bug to have run over 30 runs in the 10.90's and quote That's no Fluke. at the same time the Lighting Bug had NOT broke into the 10's yet with the best of 11.01 . I saw Mitchell run at Indy and here at Bowling Green that year and he was in the 10's on almost every pass and they didn't let him line up with the rear wheels ..........It must still kill the Schleys for them to make a statement like that. NHRA said his car was legal, but when he started runing the big numbers.. the CRY BABY crap started . and WHO started CRYING ?????? there still crying to this day

ever wonder where the name Motion Sickness came from?

Bill's VW powered 911 Porsche was named "MOTION", Darrell Vittone who was Bill's arch rival on the west cost named his VW powered fiat MOTION SICKNESS to dis Mitchell.

 

[BushwhackDave]

What a lot of people don't realise is that the first Thunderbug, the unchopped one, was the second Deano Dyno Soars car. Mitchell offered to buy it but on one condition: that the Schley Brothers would take it across to the east coast and record the same times it ran elsewhere. It did, and the deal was done. But Mitchell NEVER acknowledged that this was a car built by Dean Lowry...

On the matter of the 'ten-second' run.... Mitchell admitted years later to the Schleys that he'd staged the car on the back wheels but, again, never had the guts to say anything to anyone publicly. The damage was done – in the media at the time he was credited with running the ten.

As far as I know, he still has the car tucked away but absolutely refuses to talk to anyone about his VW racing days. Wonder why?

Part of the reason I think? - Bill took the name and likeness of the original "ThunderBug" show car created by my dad using the front hood scoops on his drag car - sure he doesn't want to talk about it......