To BERM or not to BERM - is that the question?
Bill Schwimmer:
Real BRMs....hmmm. I remember when I paid $900.00 for my 1st set in '87 & I brokered a set in '91 for $4000.00 I thought that was quite a bit of money. Now sets regularly trade for $6000 to $8000. I have had my current set for 17 yrs & I feel that they are part of the car ,not to be parted from. Yes, they are not for everybody. There is a risk in using them. Sort of the same risk when you race an irreplaceable vintage car. If you can afford to own them ,you can probably afford the risk. Replica wheels are cool. They probably helped to promote the Look more than anything else.On the other hand ,replicas have never been to a DKP 1 meeting or Bug In 1. I can remember when I was just getting into the history of the Look in the early '80s and seeing a set of BRM's in the flesh was like seeing a unicorn. They were mythical back then, only hoarded by a select few. When I joined the magnesium club in '87 that was one of the highlights for me in the hobby.There are more out of the shadows now than ever, However it is still a very small group. I am a bit dismayed by the current trend to not polish them & let them go black.This will result in pitting that will not be able to be repaired, all of the white fuzz that you see is a pit underneath.
I think you know my answer to your question. I would keep the replicas to have the car on most of the time, & when you want to go back to cruise OC in 1975, you are a floor jack away. Later Bill
Shubee2 (DSK):
Being an Old Fart that grew up with Empi Products I Worked For Auto Haus in the Early 70's You Could buy a Brand New BRM,Empi 5 Spoke, or Empi 8 Spokes We Sold Them At Auto Haus for $49.95 Each in the early 80's you could buy a set of BRM's off the Bullitin Board at Auto Haus for about $400.00 a set I Have Owned over 15 Sets Of Orginal BRM's Over The Years I Was In the VW Club DVB in the mid 70's which a few of us guys Quit DVB and started our own Club DSK (DER SELTEN KAFERS) there are still a few of us Around Unlike DVB WE Wanted Quality Not Quanty We Wanted To Be Like DKP 1 Super Clean Original Cal Look Cars With Big Horse Power And Driven On The Street I Grew Up With The Original Cal Look Clubs DVB,DKP,DRF,DSK,KOB,DKK,DRA, where we Street Raced After the Car Rallys Behind Pacfic Stereo in Anaheim, And Behind Nabisco Those were the good Old Days Getting Back To The Wheels I Also have a set of each I Recently got back into the Bug Scene about a year ago after being away from it for over 15 years I am Presently Buliding An old school 67 Sedan with an 84x94 motor I Am Going to use the Flat 4's most of the time since I have seven of those 2 for slicks 4on the car and a spare I will use the Originals for Shows and The Classic If you have ever owned a set of real BRM's they are a real pain in the ass to polish but if you dont take care of them they will pit easy The Set Of Original BRM's I have now I Bought over 20 years ago and Paid $900.00 for 5 wheels caps, and all hardware even though there worth almost nine times what I paid for them I Will Never Sell Them, I also have an NOS set of 15 inch 8 Spokes in the Original Boxes..
Frank LUX:
Quote from: shubee2 on October 28, 2006, 07:02:50 am
I also have an NOS set of 15 inch 8 Spokes in the Original Boxes..
First of all cool story!!!
About those 8 Spokes, you should get in contact with DKK Rick, I think he is looking for some... ;)
Frank
Dave Galassi:
Quote from: shubee2 on October 28, 2006, 07:02:50 am
Being an Old Fart that grew up with Empi Products I Worked For Auto Haus in the Early 70's You Could buy a Brand New BRM,Empi 5 Spoke, or Empi 8 Spokes We Sold Them At Auto Haus for $49.95 Each in the early 80's you could buy a set of BRM's off the Bullitin Board at Auto Haus for about $400.00 a set I Have Owned over 15 Sets Of Orginal BRM's Over The Years I Was In the VW Club DVB in the mid 70's which a few of us guys Quit DVB and started our own Club DSK (DER SELTEN KAFERS) there are still a few of us Around Unlike DVB WE Wanted Quality Not Quanty We Wanted To Be Like DKP 1 Super Clean Original Cal Look Cars With Big Horse Power And Driven On The Street I Grew Up With The Original Cal Look Clubs DVB,DKP,DRF,DSK,KOB,DKK,DRA, where we Street Raced After the Car Rallys Behind Pacfic Stereo in Anaheim, And Behind Nabisco Those were the good Old Days Getting Back To The Wheels I Also have a set of each I Recently got back into the Bug Scene about a year ago after being away from it for over 15 years I am Presently Buliding An old school 67 Sedan with an 84x94 motor I Am Going to use the Flat 4's most of the time since I have seven of those 2 for slicks 4on the car and a spare I will use the Originals for Shows and The Classic If you have ever owned a set of real BRM's they are a real pain in the ass to polish but if you dont take care of them they will pit easy The Set Of Original BRM's I have now I Bought over 20 years ago and Paid $900.00 for 5 wheels caps, and all hardware even though there worth almost nine times what I paid for them I Will Never Sell Them, I also have an NOS set of 15 inch 8 Spokes in the Original Boxes..
This and a lot of other information in Shubees head, needs to be written down and put in the second book. Not to mention information and stories from Larry Rick, Russ Welch and Steve Walker. These guys were there and know a LOT of history. Pictures too! My knowledge of what happened before I got into the scene in the early eighties came from them.
An interesting side note would be to try and assemble a list of the originals still out there. Not to steal the thread, though.
Shubee2 (DSK):
One THing I have to say about the Flat 4 BRM's THey are a very Good Quality Wheel Flat 4 has them made at the same Foundry that makes wheels For To#¤taThe Flat 4 Wheels have the same Foundry casting mark as any brand new To#¤ta, As Far as the Shine The Clear coat can be stripped off and Professionally Polished to Shine that looks almost chrome ADD a Set of Good Quality BRM Caps Made by Greg Arronson from FAT PERFORMANCE not the cheap crap and you have your self a Great Looking set of Wheels and you Don't have to Worry about them Breaking or Cracking them you can Race with them or Cruise with them and if you hit a Curb ? or Bang One Up You Can Go Buy another One. My Vote Would Be To Run the Flat 4's put the Originals Away its not like there going Down in Value in 39 Years they went from $49.95 each to $2000.00 each and the wheels that are out there are the same wheels there just being sold over and over again. Before I got out of VW's 15 years ago I was Buliding a 57 Oval old school Cal Look I Had And Original Set Of Magnesium AMERICAN 5 Spoke Wheels On the Car. The Car was Done except for the Interior I Decided to sell it The Car Sold for $10,000.00 with no interior in it It Went to Japan it was in Volks World Mag when I owned it The Wheels on That Car are now going for $8000.00 a set I could have kicked myself in the ass for letting them go but who would have thought the wheels would ever be worth that? When I Bought those Wheels I Paid $550.00 for 5 Wheels With all the Hardware just to show you the same wheels keep going around Those wheels were on a 70's Cal Look they came off a 59 VERT that was in the VW Club KOB (Keep On Buggin) from Long Beach. I Also Had A Cherry Set Of Empi 5 Spokes which were sold a few times now, they were even on Bill Schwimmier's Ragtop for a while From What I Understand one of his friends has them now.. Bill Can Tell You How Cherry They Were!!!!
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