<Split off the John Button thread, this is info in one place on the rare Graf 16v heads and other similar unmarked ones which existed>. Found it in a book originally (Volkswagen Golf GTI, Iag Wagstaff, 1992 - p95). "It was a decade since GTIs had first taken to the rough in the UK, John Button's 240 bhp 16-valve GTI twin-overhead camshaft rallycross cars being among the pioneers" (comment made whilst book refers to Mk2 Golf rally activity in 1989). We have to asssume this is a Mk1 if the dates are right, but WTF engine? Hmmm. Anyone? Oettinger or Graf heads maybe?
turns out my mate actually built the cars for him. the heads on these (there were 2 and a spare shell)cars were fairly unique schrike(?) 16v in variety that were originally developed for formula 3.(only 5 made) however sucess was fairley limited due to oiling problems. as the heads were originally design to run upright in the back of an f3 car when put into the mk1 laying back they were a mare. the bottom end was an all steel afair with capacity out to 1900. this was also a problem as the heads were for f3 and the f3s of the time were only 1600 and they wanted to scream but the bottom end didnt.(over 10000rpm) the last my mate heard of the cars was one owned by someone in north london getting demolished and the other disappearing when the liquidators turned up. he also told me some storys of his special dealing but im sworn to secrecy on that one!!
The clues are coming in... ^^ Spoke to Maurice Reeves this eve - he recalls a couple of years on 8-valves and then over to the 16s (dim/distant, but worth a note). ^^ Found in a copy of an old Autosport from the late 70s a story of rod-thru-block. ^^ Heard in the last couple of days that the Graf heads/engines have apparently surfaced off these cars. Both the John Button and Geoff Thomas (Autocavan) engines just waiting on more details. Pics below from elsewhere:
Regarding the Bose Hi Fi Team Rallycross Golf Mk 1s, two were built at Autoconti mainly by workshop foreman Tony Bishop, who was a very able engineer, the 16v cylinder head came from Autocavan , we imported 2 from Austria but they were not Graf as pictured, the valve covers were plain. The other was intended to go in an Autocavan Golf 1 special saloon , but I went into Mod Saloon circuit racing instead from 81 to 84 and the 16v head went to Arnie Levics in Street , maybe he still has it.
I have just seen and read this thread. I actually have one of these heads. Funny looking thing and a little rough around the edges, but if it is as rare as I have been told it is, the small production batches go some way to explaining this. I guess I will eventually get it on the flowbench one day to get some idea of its true potential.
Geoff Thomas confirmed earlier that the heads he got were Austrian heads, not ones with marked cam covers. Irrelevant though - there was a rumour of one of these heads being around, about a year or so ago. Anyway, history, flow figs... over to you!
bit of info here on 16v heads,the austrian head get a mention but no name. http://www.icelord.net/vw/upgrades/collins_3.html
It's all out there somewhere. I may have mentioned an unused twin cam 'Austrian' head went from Autocavan to Arnie Levics in Street , Somerset around 84/5. I've lost touch but if any one knows him might be worth asking if it's still around/what happened to it. Somewhere !! I have some pics of it. Changing subject , some press cuttings of JB's court case/conviction etc have come to light amongst my Golf stuff , does anyone want to see them before I shred them?
Wow, nice find there Louis If they can be scanned, that would be a first for everyone. We know nothing about this head at all.
Erm, yes, it was in my mad purchasing stage. Unfortunately the head is currently with my engine builder, has been for, well, at least a year. I will take a look on my hard drive and see if I actually took any pictures of it...
Ok, these are the only pics I have because I got the head off to my engine builder almost as soon as I bought it...so this was the head and parts as received Rumour has it that John Button has one of these in some kind of single seater, however, I really can't confirm this...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Geoff would you say thats your cyl head but with unmarked rocker covers as mentioned earlier?
And a few technical details from memory: 33 mm inlet valves 28 mm exhaust valve 8mm valve stems Tiny sparkplugs 136mm forged carillo rods Pistons are forged mahle
Wow, great stuff - keep it coming! There was one of these engines floating around - a buyer in Leatherhead was looking at picking it up around 2 years ago. I believe it came from outside the country. Is this the one, or are there 2 which have exhanged hands recently? I'd imagine Geoff / the liquidators would like that back
Erm, well, cams and lifters were not with the head, but I would assume they ran solids. From the spring rates of the valve springs a hydraulic would be dead after about two turns of a race cam. The springs were like blocks of wood, I think spring technology and advanced simulation software have deemed these rates as unnecessary these days.
