What does Cal-look Mean to you

[javabug]

Cal-look means nothing to me.  I'm only here because I can't afford a hood ride yet.   

[Jim Ratto]

From reading these answers I get more confused than ever?

Cal look is about wearing helmet and taking names? 

Not so confusing. Just absolutely insane.

[Rick Meredith]

What does Cal Look mean to me today? With the look having evolved over the last four decades, I see two common threads: horsepower and some sort of rake enhanced by big-and-little tires. Even this last point is subject to discussion. Think about the cars from Der Kleiner Kampfwagens back in the early ‘80s… Many had lowered rear suspension; but I would still consider them as Cal Look. See, there’s no easy answer.

Lost of wisdom in your post Stephan. One thing about the DKK cars... even though we did lower the rear ends, the front was always substantially lower than the front. Cars that sit level or nose up were not done. As an example, my '67 was lowered 3" in the back and 6"-7" in the front. It's gotta have the rake!

[Georg/DFL]

Most of the answers referred just to the cars and how they should look. In my opinion Cal Look is more, a kind of life style. Louis pretty much summed it up for me, but I would like to tell you two different storys about true Cal Look - at least for me.

Last spring we met at a members barn to put his old gearbox out and the new one in. While we were working on the car a friend of us came by. Michael is a young student, 20 or 21 yars old and driving a 66 as a daily (summer) driver. This car used to be the Looker of an Ex-DFL member. It went through some hands before Michael bought the car. The car is far from beeing perfect, is lowered in the front, has MWS-BRMs, 145s/165s and a single quiet plus stock 40 hp. He would like to have more hp, but can't afford it right now. He drives the car daily to university, he goes on vacation with it, it's his every day companion. And for me it's Cal Look. It may lacks the horsepower but it got the attitude. While our cars are in their garages waiting for the summer this car gets driven. It looked so cool outside the barn, at that rainy and cold day.

The other story is about the strong company in the Cal Look scene. A few years back one of our members had financial problems and he wanted to sell his car to safe his company. The company that feeds his wife and child.
It's a very clean, completely restored car and it's his baby. He said he is waiting till the car will be featured in VW SPEED magazine three month later to get a better price for the 67.
The rest of us had three month time to get the money together that the car would have achieved when beeing sold. This member had NO CLUE AT ALL what we were doing. Everybody in the club donated money and parts we sold on ebay. Other Cal Look fans heard of the problem, spending money and parts as well. The photografer who took the pics of the 67 said that we can try selling the feature to other magazines and then keeping the money - his way helping our member!
We even made a T-shirt with the statement printed on "Keeping the spirit alive!", a Cal Look beetle underneath and the logos of the four leading european Cal Look clubs at that time - DAS, DKT, GEZUVOR and of course DFL. The other clubs authorized us to use their logos. The money we got from selling it went straight to the special bank account we opened.
Three month later we had 3000 Euros together - a sum far from the amount of money the car was worth.
When we called that member telling him what we (and al lot of other Cal Look fans - some even didn't know him personaly) had done, he was speachless. He said that he is still struggeling with the company but it's getting better and he can keep the car and he can't accept the money. After talking to everyone who donated something we gave the money to the Red Cross Organization.

I think these storys show what Cal Look is all about - like minded friends, camaraderie and cars with a certain attidude.

[Christoph]

if you talking about the cars callook means to me a hot rodded vw with 70´s style influences. there are no strictly rules to build your car, there are only loose guidelines that you use so the car fits your personal requierments. for what should i need a quarter mile engine when the car is mostly driven in town? or a thousands of dollar/euro show paintjob when you swear every time someone makes a scratch at your paint or a little dent when the car stands in a parking lot. you see for me is the street ability a basicly point i have(cause its my only driveable car) and want to use my ride as most possible.

also i could only agree that callook is not only about cars, its about lifestyle and nice people and bbq

almoust forgotten to say that for me callook in 2008 is this place too, the lounge were we all meet. i´m not the activest member, mostly lurking around here, but everytime i´m here i enjoy the stories from back in the days, see pictures from nice cars or learn something new.

@georg/dfl: michael has dropped his rear end and joined the dark side of the force

[Georg/DFL]

@georg/dfl: michael has dropped his rear end and joined the dark side of the force

He will be back! Trust me, young padawan! 

[Stephan S]

I think these storys shows what Cal Look is all about - like minded friends, camaraderie and cars with a certain attidude.

Great stories and great way to sum up the subject!

[louisb]

I think these storys shows what Cal Look is all about - like minded friends, camaraderie and cars with a certain attidude.

Great stories and great way to sum up the subject!

Aye, I agree. 

--louis

[Zach Gomulka]

I think these storys shows what Cal Look is all about - like minded friends, camaraderie and cars with a certain attidude.

Agreed

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,3489.0.html

[Jim Ratto]

So I was driving to work this morning, thinking about "what is Cal Look" and a thought crossed my mind. I guess it relates to Dean Kirsten's question about soul and so on, and I don't know where I read that post, so maybe it will fit here.
Things I notice about hot rod VW's that have soul: signs of use AND signs of care. Again all my opinion, which you are free to contend if you wish to, but things like gravel bumps up inside fenderwells, and a little grime behind crank pulley, the obligatory spitback fuel stain from 48's open stacks on inside of decklid, a slightly deformed and caved in driver's seat...that sorta thing, subtle signs of use. Missing wheel center caps, a ride height that lists to one side, a 3 cylinder-4 cylinder, non-operational lights, filthy engine, incomplete restoration that's been taken to the street before it's done....NOT soul.

And another little weird thought of mine, again, feel free to debate it......

Seeing a hot rodded VW with soul, to me, means seeing a car that has a certain amount of funk to it. A lot of guys might reel back in horror thanks to mirrors on Gary J's car, being that they are in some opinon's "outdated", but they're what that car 'grew up' with. Personally, I like them. A chrome-3-spoke 12" steering wheel in a late 60's DKP hot rod looks right at home, and if Mahaffey's split was showing up @ Nick's in 2008, that wheel would help define its soul. I remember way back in 1991, being at the Classic with Sheep, and we stood there as Dave Mason parked his black '62, shut it off, opened decklid, quickly wiped off the motor with a shop rag as another guy he knew walked up, and pointed out some old NOX emissions sticker that was on the Berg breather tower. Dave laughed and remarked "yeah remember those?"

That's the thing with real soulful hot rod's...they've got stuff on them that make us retreat to yesteryear. BUT, those parts weren't screwed on or stuck on last night. They grew up with the car. Some cars have it and some don't.

Back in the late 80's, when I first started seeing street cars sporting BRM mags, they were so weird to me. I was a 911 alloy guy until I saw BRM's. I'd seen pics of Inch Pincher and original Underdog and could make out some strange rims on them. Seeing street cars with them was so shocking. Even though "I wasn't around for the Inch Pincher, Underdog, etc" I did have books with really old pics of these cars (knew they were old by the clothing and hairstyles guys were sporting in the background of these pics), and the sight of BRM's made me think back to sideburns, bellbottoms, collar-length hair, etc.
VDO gauges, to me, take me back, and have a certain funk to them.

[louisb]

incomplete restoration that's been taken to the street before it's done....NOT soul.

So your saying my car has no soul? The nuns who used to own it may not agree with you. 

But seriously, I think your on the right track. I would add that cars which we tend to consider to have soul elicit an emotional reaction from people who see the car. (People who know what cal-look is anyway.) The car has that "it" which is so hard to define. The "it" that means the car is greater than the sum of its parts.

--louis

[Donny B.]

Yeah many would say that the billet dash in my car means it's not cal-look. BS, I've had the car since 1984 and was driving it then in it's tired stock form when I met my wife.  Somewhere around '86 I bought the dash insert and the gages and have had it in the car ever since.  The car was far from perfect and still is, but since I purchased the car from a friend and co-worker I have driven it almost 300k miles.  I agree with you Jim my car grew up with that stuff.  I am not real crazy for billet stuff, however I have some on the car and have no plans to change them out.  I have a billet steering column and an emergency brake handle.  I like them both.  I wasn't around in VWs back in the 70s.  I was racing motorcycles back then.  When I got into the scene I followed the trends of the time some were cool and some were not.  I had different mirrors on the car for a while and different taillights as well.  Heck I had '39 Ford taillights on the car for a number of years.  They are gone.  The car evolved into what it is today and it's the way I like it even if it needs to be redone.

[Jim Ratto]

Yeah many would say that the billet dash in my car means it's not cal-look. BS, I've had the car since 1984 and was driving it then in it's tired stock form when I met my wife.  Somewhere around '86 I bought the dash insert and the gages and have had it in the car ever since.  The car was far from perfect and still is, but since I purchased the car from a friend and co-worker I have driven it almost 300k miles.  I agree with you Jim my car grew up with that stuff.  I am not real crazy for billet stuff, however I have some on the car and have no plans to change them out.  I have a billet steering column and an emergency brake handle.  I like them both.  I wasn't around in VWs back in the 70s.  I was racing motorcycles back then.  When I got into the scene I followed the trends of the time some were cool and some were not.  I had different mirrors on the car for a while and different taillights as well.  Heck I had '39 Ford taillights on the car for a number of years.  They are gone.  The car evolved into what it is today and it's the way I like it even if it needs to be redone.

Bravo!
yeah my dash isn't up to snuff as far as the current "stock dash with Monster tach hung in your face" trend goes, as I wanted VDO's back in late 80's so I could monitor temp and so on, during trips. They still do the trick for me.

Besides I don't care how my car is defined...soul-less, resto cal, cal look...whatever. I define it as a car.

[Ivan]

Pulling up at the next stop light and looking over at that 'fast' car I just annihilated and then seeing the driver with his mouth agape.
The best bit, and in fact the most important bit, is to make sure you have that slightly vacant look on your face that just says to him...
'What could possibly be the matter?'

You can't put a price on the feeling you get, and I have found it to be very addictive.

[speedwell]

[

Besides I don't care how my car is defined...soul-less, resto cal, cal look...whatever. I define it as a car.

it's ratto look 

[Sarge]

[

Besides I don't care how my car is defined...soul-less, resto cal, cal look...whatever. I define it as a car.

it's ratto look 

  !!!

[Peter]

OOOH Ivan, I m longing for that feeling for sooo long
cant wait

[Donny B.]

Don't you just love it when you run the same guy three lights in a row and he still thinks he can beat you.  I had some cowboy in a new Ford pickup do that to me many years ago.  My right arm got a big bruise from the wife hitting me every time I went off against him.  Funny thing was he had another guy and a girl he was trying to impress.  Oh well....

[Jim Ratto]

Don't you just love it when you run the same guy three lights in a row and he still thinks he can beat you.  I had some cowboy in a new Ford pickup do that to me many years ago.  My right arm got a big bruise from the wife hitting me every time I went off against him.  Funny thing was he had another guy and a girl he was trying to impress.  Oh well....

 

Back in early 90's when I was running around with my Super Flow 2276, full tilt, million dollar motor, I was coming home from Sheep's place and was driving past Livermore Airport, which was on north outskirts of town. The roads around the area were long and straight and two lanes each way. Perfect for a good rough and tumble. This particular night I met a maroon Pantera at the intersection and of course, being 20 couldn't resist. Plus there was a chick in the passenger's seat. Perfect! We left intersection in a bellow of Ford 351 V8 and open 48-carbed screams, and there was only enough room to get up to 100mph out there, and the little VW left the dude. Not by much, but enough to get a funny look from the chick at the next stoplight. I'm sure Mr. Pantera had some explaining to do that night,

[jick]

OOOH Ivan, I m longing for that feeling for sooo long
cant wait

yeah, me too!

although i'm slightly reluctant to adopt Ivans slack jawed vacant look. i might give the wrong impression 

[Jim Ratto]

[

Besides I don't care how my car is defined...soul-less, resto cal, cal look...whatever. I define it as a car.

it's ratto look 

is it THAT bad?   


 

[louisb]

OOOH Ivan, I m longing for that feeling for sooo long
cant wait

yeah, me too!

although i'm slightly reluctant to adopt Ivans slack jawed vacant look. i might give the wrong impression 

If you don't drool you should be okay. 

--louis

[ESH]

...He will be back! Trust me...

He better be, I bought one of those shirts in good faith. If I'd have known he'd do that to the car I'd have kept the money!  

(I concurr with you by the way, as we've discussed a few times!)  

[Harry/FDK]

Cal- Look inspires me, but every rule is made to be broken. On some events when i see 20 perrrrfect Cal-look Cars i just get bored about the perfection. Respect to everyone. But i just have a wild hair up my rear end to do my own thing. Cal- Look for me is mostly about attitude, and respecting each-others cars. I just don't like to be labeled.

[Georg/DFL]

...He will be back! Trust me...

He better be, I bought one of those shirts in good faith. If I'd have known he'd do that to the car I'd have kept the money! 

(I concurr with you by the way, as we've discussed a few times!) 

Mat, Michael is the young fella who owens the Ex-DFL car of Christian Veit. He lowered the rear of his car, not the member we made the shirts for! He is and will forever be into Cal Look - don't worry! 

[ESH]

...not the member we made the shirts for! He is and will forever be into Cal Look - don't worry...

That's OK then!

 

[Bill Schwimmer]

What does Cal look mean to me...
  Well it means a few different things to me .


First off I enjoy the tradition and history around it.
  Much like the tradition of Hot Rodding in the Pasadena area From the 30's. OC is this to the VW's Anaheim, Fullerton, Orange ect.. this stuff has been happening around here since the 60's I like driving down the same streets that Sarge and his band of hooligans did many years ago. I also like pulling into a gas station ect.  And have somebody a bit grayer than me ask about DKP or Bug In's ect. & tell me that they remember VW's from way back when. it seemed to be part of the social fabric around here.

 Cal Look VW's are the car of my youth..
  Just like 32 Fords of the older generation and Honda's and mini trucks of today youth, picture Fast Times @ Ridgemont High, I lived that time. I graduated HS in 1980 and VW's were the cool car of the time. They were everywhere and chicks dug em'

 They are the annoying Underdog
  Nothing spells annoying Punk Rock rebellious youth like waxing the local loadie stoner dudes V8 Vega with your little VW. Fast VW's are scary and I like that.

 I like the people around them , some are a bit quirky and I think that is cool. Most VW people think a bit outside the box. Otherwise they would have a turned up collar and a Camaro.

  Enough rambling for now   Later  Bill

[streetvw]

heres a picture of Ivan after a stop light race for those wishing to emulate the look

[Lee.C]

"They are the annoying Underdog"

That is the best descripion EVER 

Thats why I love them and I think Ivan described the best "Feeling" about them, well Cal Lookers anyway   

"Pulling up at the next stop light and looking over at that 'fast' car I just annihilated and then seeing the driver with his mouth agape"

The least said about the "Look" the better 

[Ivan]

heres a picture of Ivan after a stop light race for those wishing to emulate the look

He looks more like you (with my teeth) than me - far too much hair to be me, unless it was me back in the mid 90's.