30 years of mayhem this weekend

[Jim Ratto]

Thirty years ago, this weekend, this car and I joined forces. I honestly have to say, much of my adult life has been directed in some sort of way by this VW.
Thanks to all the friends I've met along the way and made good memories with.

[Andrew]

Beautiful looking car, Jim

[kafermeister]

Congrats Jim.  30 years is a long time.  Car still looks awesome! 

[Bill Schwimmer]

Looks better than ever, having them a long time is what makes them special.

[2manytoys]

very nice,...VW Die Hard!

[bilboa2]

Always liked your car Jim. Interesting that now, I'm really liking early cars with full bumpers. br

[henk]

Great looking car.
Off to another 30.

Henk!!!

[Rick Meredith]

One of my favorite cars. Really looks outstanding since the repaint.

Here's to another 30 and more

[matthew]

Very nice ride.  There are a lot of memories associated with having a car that long.  I've had my 65 since September of 1992 when I was a high school sophomore.  It took me 27 months to rebuild and get her on the road.  I knew when I finished her (Dec 1994), that I would never willingly turn loose of the car.  It's been over 24 years since I took possession of mine and I have still never considered selling.

Here's to another 30!

[Brian Rogers]

Is the the same '67 as in the 4 year thread else where here?

[Jim Ratto]

Hi Brian
Yeah the only Type 1 I've owned.

[lawrence]

Hey Jim, Merry Christmas. Car looks good as usual. I haven't posted on here in a very long time, but I was in Orange County this weekend visiting family and that always makes me think of VWs and the cal-look scene.

[Sam K]

Congratulations! Did you always have Recaro seats or are they a recent addition?

[Jim Ratto]

Thanks. The Recaros have been in the car for about a year now.

[Andrew]

The Recaros do look good, more pics please Jim.

[mg]

Yeah the only Type 1 I've owned.

You are in Cal Look Zen. 

As a VW guy only owning one Type 1 shows some kind of focus or control or maybe just living within your means.
I'm amazed how some people find the right car for life and never have the desire to expand their horizons.
I was more typical VW hoarding guy in my 20s, before I was 30 I had owned 30 various AC VWs. (Many of them worth less than $500). lol

Maybe in my 70s an electric powered Cal look VW might be a good last hobby car. lol
https://youtu.be/CWQxjEOuV3A


 

[Jim Ratto]

Very nice ride.  There are a lot of memories associated with having a car that long.  I've had my 65 since September of 1992 when I was a high school sophomore.  It took me 27 months to rebuild and get her on the road.  I knew when I finished her (Dec 1994), that I would never willingly turn loose of the car.  It's been over 24 years since I took possession of mine and I have still never considered selling.

Here's to another 30!

Thanks. All kinds of memories, funny, now after 30 years, even the bad memories have softened some, and become events to laugh at. Or at least learn from. Now my kids consider the car some kind of family member, like a pet I guess. The car has taken on an additional role now. I hang on to it because it still gets it right for me, when those days come around when the right road is quiet and I have time to go put some miles under it. I live in the perfect area to go find some 2 lane time, in Ventura County, CA. After all the others' cars I've driven, of all kinds, nothing has the urgency and immediacy of a tuned big cc VW.

[Nico86]

Congratulations! Have celebrated 15 years with mine last summer. These cars stick around us longer than girls do

[Andrew]

Just out of curiosity, which Recaros are they, Jim?

[Felix/DFL]

Late but...
Wow 30 years of street madness and development, congratulation jim! Well done.
If i look around the Cal look guys seem to be more the keepers, which i find great.
Developing a car further and further without the trap to convert it to a race/trailer car and keep it simple is my idea of a perfect cal look street car.
Everyone could buy a porsche and go fast...
People know they are fast, they were build for that.
But pushing a peoples car, where the unknown wouldn't believe how fast those tiny things go? Priceless.

Some good seats are even on my list, the recaros fit nice.
Now please back to the writing board 

Best greetings, Felix

[Jim Ratto]

Just out of curiosity, which Recaros are they, Jim?

They're Specialist M. This all came about because the original 3-pt belts that apparently came with the car, driver's side let go, during DKP toy-drive 2015. I dropped my flashlight and bent down to pick it up from under RH (stock) seat and the locking jaw let go and I rammed my mouth into my steering wheel. I got home that night with my wife asking me who got pissed off this time and clocked me.
Anyway, I really wanted to do something smart about a street seat belt, for my own peace of mind, and my kids'. I talked to an old friend of mine who specializes in VW, Porsche, etc, especially aftermarket stuff. He suggested the 3 pt Schroth rally belts, but said they'd be useless in a crash with stock VW '67 and down seats.
The long drives I do in this car, and as I'm getting older, the stock seat has been a torture rack for the last 8-10 years anyway. The guy that sells Schroth is also a Recaro dealer on the West Coast, so he made me a package deal. Anyway, I put them in last December, and they literally transformed the car. I have a 2016 Golf GTI, and the factory seats are pretty comfortable and supportive after 6-7 hr in them, but the Recaros are better still. I used to brace myself in place (with stock seats) through corners by shoving my left elbow into door panel, and left foot into kick panel, and by hanging on dearly to steering wheel. I'd get home, even after just 30-45 min and be cramped and sore.
Thanks for the compliment.

[Jim Ratto]

Late but...
Wow 30 years of street madness and development, congratulation jim! Well done.
If i look around the Cal look guys seem to be more the keepers, which i find great.
Developing a car further and further without the trap to convert it to a race/trailer car and keep it simple is my idea of a perfect cal look street car.
Everyone could buy a porsche and go fast...
People know they are fast, they were build for that.
But pushing a peoples car, where the unknown wouldn't believe how fast those tiny things go? Priceless.

Some good seats are even on my list, the recaros fit nice.
Now please back to the writing board 

Best greetings, Felix

Thank you. I never wanted to make a pseudo race car out of this car. At a few times since 1986 I did want to try running a race-spec motor on the street, but didn't like the gearing that had to go with them to get the most out of them.

Having a car that has historically been looked at as the worst of the worst, but with enough go-power to scare the masses has always appealed to me. I like the idea of the amount of irritation a fast, noisy VW can cause amongst "car guys"

thanks again

Jim

[Martin S.]

A buddy of mine is currently doing some work for an agency uptown. Turns out they produced a documentary about a guy who did some amazing drives in his 55 VW along with some amazing photography. Kinda of reminds me of the long term relationships we have with our cars including Jim's. VW Canada commissioned the vid. Get the popcorn!! https://youtu.be/d02UDrVV1zA

[Andrew]

Thanks for the info, Jim. The stock seats suit the car but I no fan of them when it comes to comfort or safety. Were the Recaros difficult to fit?

. Thanks again,

Andrew

[Martin S.]

Is there a seats thread already started? Recaros are ok (a little lamborghini-ish) but I'd like to see other options. I got a pair of 83 Honda Accord 4dr sedan EX in a Beetle I bought where the PO had welded on stock lower frames to the Honda seats. My wife didn't want to ride in the car without headrests so I put the Honda seats in it temporarily and they've been in there ever since. When I had the car painted in 2016, the painter said his friend Mario saw the car and could reupholster the Honda seats to match my TMI interior. I like the idea but I should look at other options first.

[Neil Davies]

I've got early 912 seats in mine (had the car for almost 22 years and the seats in it since '99). They're like sitting in a comfy armchair, but they're more supportive than stock ones. I had some Recaros out of an Opel Manta in my Ghia and they were much firmer but the bolsters held you in better.

[Andrew]

Is there a seats thread already started?

Couldn't find anything in the threads thread.

[Martin S.]

Here's a pic of mine with the Honda seats. They fit perfectly! I like the unassuming adjustable headrests and the easily adjustable seat back angle going all the way back. They flip forward with one hand making the back easy to get into as well. I need the plastic trim piece for the bottom if I'm going to keep them. Also the PO welded them onto the lower frame too far forward. They are good for me when slid all the way back, but I'd like them to go back further so I will need to cut the frame off and re-weld so the seat is a couple inches further back. The foam seems to be holding up fine since 83. If the seats are too old the foam could be pooched.

[Jim Ratto]

Thanks for the info, Jim. The stock seats suit the car but I no fan of them when it comes to comfort or safety. Were the Recaros difficult to fit?

. Thanks again,

Andrew

Super easy. Took me about 90 min to install both and that included running to get some grade 8 stuff to mount brackets. No holes to drill. No fighting.

I have pics of the install somewhere if you want I can email them or whatever.

Thinking over last 30 years, and some of the best memories in this car:

1. I was 16 and it was my first journey alone in the car, a late-spring summer Sunday, 5:45am or so, on my way to Baylands in Fremont CA. It's buried in the 4 years thread. I remember pulling away from my parents' house, popped in Zeppelin first album into cassette player, "Good Times, Bad Times" turned way up, and S & S exhaust snorting and bellowing. When I hear that song still today it instantly takes me back.

2. A drive I did impulsively one day from San Mateo area, clear down to Monterey and back, using CA 35 and CA 9 until I got to Santa Cruz. This was summer 1989. Not sure why, but every mile was super super fun. Those two highways are redwood-tree-lined gems

3. An informal street race between my car and a Boss 302 a kid at jr college owned. He was a cool guy, not anti VW at all. After we raced, I found out he had some kind of small blower on the car too. So beating it kind of opened my eyes some.

4. A drive my old ex boss and I took in the car after I built a 2276 with Denham heads and 86C and almost 10:1 (1997). I let him drive. We got back to the shop and he said he was afraid of the car to his buddy (not to me of course). I overheard him.

5. A drive I did with some of the DKP guys about 7 years ago, around beaches of S. Orange County, just an impromptu deal Sarge put together. It was 100% "Cal Look"

6. The trip to AZ in 1990 that yes I will finish sometime in 2017, for the 4 years story.

Thanks again

[Andrew]

Super easy. Took me about 90 min to install both and that included running to get some grade 8 stuff to mount brackets. No holes to drill. No fighting.

I have pics of the install somewhere if you want I can email them or whatever.

Thanks, Jim, I'll pop you a PM, the seats are not my very top priority, I'm committed to a few other things first, but it will be good to have the info.