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The Okrasa Motor
You have probably heard the term " OKRASA " if you've been
into VWs for a long time. There are many people who do not know what an
Okrasa motor actually is. This article will describe the characteristics
that make up a vintage Okrasa motor, and why they are so rare and expensive.
Back in the early 1950's, when VWs were just starting to come into the
USA, EMPI came out with a kit, which they called "OKRASA". This
kit was to beef up the engine a bit, with dual carbs, and special cylinder
heads, and pistons.
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| The Okrasa Kit |
To put it nicely, the Okrasa motor was the race car edition for its day.
The Okrasa motor had a compression ratio of 7.50, which was much greater
than the standard VW compression.
I have found some performance information in an old road and track magazine,
and it states that the Okrasa motor could push a VW as fast as 87 mph,
compared to 76mph in a stock one. The price for an Okrasa kit was $250.00
in 1956 from EMPI, which was a bundle. The data also shows the acceleration
from 0-60 increased by three seconds. Horsepower on a stock VW is at 36@3700rpms,
while the Okrasa was 46@4200rpms. As you can see, the Okrasa kit was a
nice way back in the 50's to make your VW a little peppier than the rest
on the block. The price of these kits are outrageous today, considering
prices on eBay have risen as high as $5000+ for an Okrasa motor.
If you find an old Okrasa motor, it's worth a bundle. Snag it, and store
it away.
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