Katla Turbo
Drivers of Katla Turbo
| Year | Driver |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Ingólfur Guðvarðarson |
| Guðbjörn Grímsson | |
| 2019 | Grétar Óli Ingþórsson |
| Elvar Bjarki Gíslason | |
| Guðbjörn Grímsson | |
| 2017 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| Kristján Birgisson | |
| Elva Stefánsdóttir | |
| 2016 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| 2015 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| Sigurður Þór Jónsson | |
| 2014 | Ingólfur Guðvarðarson |
| Guðbjörn Grímsson | |
| 2013 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| 2012 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| 1989 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| 1988 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
| 1987 | Guðbjörn Grímsson |
Detailed description of Katla Turbo
| The Car | |
|---|---|
| Name of Car | Katla Turbo |
| Built by | Guðbjörn Grímsson along with his team |
| Year Built | Rebuilt 2019 |
| Weight | 1320 kg |
| Length | 3100 mm (122 in) |
| Width (Front) | 2600 mm (102in) |
| Width (Rear) | - |
| Engine | |
|---|---|
| Type of Engine | Ford 351/428 Stroker Twin Turbo |
| Horsepower | 800 - 1700 hp |
| Turbo / NOS | 2 x 72 mm NRE Turbo |
| Max Boost | 36 psi |
| Block | Dart Aluminum 9.500 Block |
| Piston | JE Pistons |
| Cylinder Heads | AFR Cyl Heads |
| Intake Manifold | Hogans Sheetmetal dual injector intake manifold |
| Camshaft | Custom NRE Camshaft |
| Crankshaft | Callies 4340 forged 4.0 stroke crankshaft |
| Connecting Rods | 6.400 Oliver billet connecting rods |
| Injection System | Electromotive Tec3r injection system |
| Engine Builder | Nelson Racing Engines |
| Intercooler | Water cooled |
| Torque | 760 - 1440 lb/ft |
| Fuel | VP Racing C16 |
| Transmission | |
|---|---|
| Type of Transmission | Ford C6 |
| Input Shaft | TCS 300 Maraging |
| Clutch Drum | TCS Billet Steel Forward Clutch Drum |
| Converter Stall | TCS Converter stall at 4200 |
| Gears | 3 |
| Transfer Case | |
|---|---|
| Type of Transfer Case | Ljonstadir Special |
| 1-1 lightweight aluminum 15kg | |
| Axels | Front Axle | Rear Axle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Custom 9" Ford | Custom full floating 9" Ford |
| Axles | RCV Custom 35 spline gun-drilled M300 | RCV Custom 35 spline gun-drilled M300 |
| Differential Ratio | 4.11 | 4.11 |
| Case | Moser Aluminum Case | Moser Aluminum Case |
| Locker | Spool | Spool |
| Knuckles | GK Racing double CV knuckles | |
| Joints | RCV Double CV | |
| Steering Ratio | 58° |
| Suspension | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Shocks | ORI 14" STX Strut with Integral Reservoir | ORI 14" STX Strut with Integral Reservoir |
| Trailing Arm | Triangulated 4-link | Double triangulated 4 link |
| Tires | |
|---|---|
| Type of tire | Hosier w/ Bigger Digger |
| Tire Size | 34,5 / 17-16" |
| Type of Wheel | Homemade Aluminum |
| Wheel Size | 17x16" |
| Brakes | |
| Brake Caliper | Wilwood |
| Brake Pads | Wilwood |
| Brake Discs | Wilwood |
Background
The Car
Katla Turbo was originally born in Wayne, Michigan in the year 1972 when she proudly came out of production as a 6 cylinder, golden brown Ford Bronco with manual hub. She wasn’t in Guðbjörn’s possession until 1983and did he rush into modifying her to an Off-Road car. The 6 cylinder engine was ripped out from her chest and instead came 351 Turbo along with brand new axles, in front Dana 44 with super axles and in the rear Dana 60 which later on turned into 9″ full floating axles.
Katla was not only used in the mountains but did Guðbjörn compete on that very same car in Formula Off-Road in 1986-’87 but in ’88 futuristic changes were made. He built the entire body from fiberglass and aluminum and extended the car 25cm between wheels. The engine was moved further back and downwards and springs were set up in the rear which had never been done before at that time in Iceland.
She was then sold and was only used up on the mountains for few years. Katla returned to her previous owner 10 years later but was kept in hibernation for few more years.
In 2011 Sigurður Þ. Jónsson, the team captain, called Guðbjörn up and asked if it wasn’t the time to build a Formula Off-Road car. By that phone-call the latter competition career for Katla began. She had no engine and Guðbjörn’s dream was a twin turbo engine with approx. 700 hp then he stumbled across Nelson Racing Engine. That engine has 1640 hp which was just over 900 hp greater than he had imagined. The axles were then too weak to handle that kind of power so the whole drive-line was changed. The old chassis was thrown away and replaced by steel tubes. The old fiberglass and aluminum body didn’t fit the structure of the new and improved Katla so other one had to be made.
To sum up, the beautiful ’72 golden brown bronco had completely vanished in the 2011 modification but it’s still the same one. After all, Katla Turbo is the only off-road car Guðbjörn has ever had.
Guðbjörn Grímsson
Guðbjörn went to his first competition as a spectator back in 1983 in Grindavík. His first race was in 1986 on Akureyri and did he compete on his ’72 Ford Bronco for three years, yet racing wasn’t enough for him so he started to meddle with the organization of the events in 1986. When he stopped competing in 1988 he started an association called Jeppaklúbbur Reykjavíkur and did Guðbjörn sit as Chairman until 1990. Not only does he have his fingers in the Icelandic competitions but has spread out to Norway as well. Today we drive according to the rules and regulations he among other have written.
Although Guðbjörn is well-known for his rules and regulations he achieved titles such as Icelandic Champion in 1987 and Best in Show a few times, most recently in 2014 for his world record Hydroplaning.
Grétar Óli Ingþórsson
Elvar Bjarki Gíslason
Elva Stefans
Elva is the social media manager and creative director of Volcano Racing (Katla Turbo) and FOIceland. She also shoots and edits videos for FOIceland.
Her IFO career started in 2013 where she helped Formula Offroad Club with their race in Vestmanneyjar. On that raceday she met the owner and driver of Katla Turbo, Guðbjörn Grímsson.
They have been working together ever since that day. They have taken many tasks in their hands and have the results of those tasks been amazing. Just to list a few they have:
– Put together this website
-Brought IFO to the USA
– Found new and creative ways of advertising IFO worldwide
-They’ve been entrepreneurs on social media and marketing their teamþ
Not only has she been working behind the scenes but she raced for the first time in IFO in 2017 on Akranes when Guðbjörn loaned the car to her. She also participated in the race in USA that same year. Which made her the first female to compete in IFO in America.
In 2018 extreme renovations took place in Katla. They tore the car to pieces and the plan was to rebuild the whole thing. So when they went to USA again in 2018 they didn’t have their IFO car to race in, but fortunately for Elva, she was offered “The Raging Hornet” which is a Rock Bouncer that was competing in Bikini Bottoms Off-Road Park. Making her the first Icelandic female to compete on a bouncer.
The rebuild of their car finished in May 2019 and will she try out the new build soon enough.
Kristján Birgisson
Kristján started as a part of a service team for champions like Sigurður Þór Jónsson, but in 1994 he got the chance to get behind the wheel himself! Now we’ll see him behind the wheel of Katla Turbo in Bikini Bottoms Offroad Park where he will participate in the second annual Icelandic Formula Offroad in USA.
Guðni Jónsson
