The Cal-look Lounge

I am about to do a tackle a story on the history of Deano Dyno-Soars/ DDS, and I would like to get in contact with those of you that may have some unusual photos, stories, or items that might be included. If you rather not post (photos) of your items, I fully understand. So you can get in contact with me directly. I am not wanting to buy anything, so relax. My e-mail is dean@angliaobsolete.com, or dkirsten@hotvws.com

Thanks,

Dean Kirsten

got the signed print from the cover of hot vws.  Plus some nos cam bolts somewhere!

If only the cam bolts were signed by Dean Lowry.....

have an old catalog from 70 (yellow one) with dds stickers on it

I just found out that there was a Deano catalog published before the yellow cover one! This one was done when the Lowrys (and Berg), were still at the Alton Street address. How rare is that?

This is no help to you now, But randy long and I were at pomona swap meet about 6-7 years ago and he found a box of stickers like the one above, In the V-8 section, The guy had no qlue what they were. Shit there must of been 50 stickers.

(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t318/Photokernow/0352bfb3.jpg)

This kinda thing? ;)

Wow, but that is actually a little too old for my story. (I know you have more.....)

maybe to new duno. got stories too. im sure some of you seen the pictures. oh well here they are again. i wish i had more of the buggy when dean was down at carlsbad testing the 3.0s with injection. seen them once in arizona when he brought them out. hard to believe he has been gone for ten years already . i met him for the first time in 83. it wouldent have been any good with out him . UD .

few more. sorry to bring some of the bad into the picture. maybe d.. head cossey will see it and make his stumic turn.   UD .

jeff on the 1st pictures it's terasoar on the left on the super bug  correct ??? what is the date of that picture just to know at wich time the tera soar was white 

fabs

yes it is. that was 96. ken lowery son race the car at sac in 85 that was the last i seen it in action. the rest of the time it was in side the shop at ARPM. as i remerber it  didint alwase have that funky nose on it . dident sombody sand that off when it got over yonder? UD .

I will be awaiting this one patiently Deano.  ;)  Hope to hear more info on the terasoar.Ive looked but never found much info. :-\ At least no more than on here. ;)

.

  Now THAT was a Bad Ass first post.

Sowho's gene? Just kidden. Great story Doug, Hows that stainless working out???

Glad to see you on here Mr. Wizard! Keep 'em coming Doug. It doesn't get much better than this.  Cut + Paste = History book. ;D Steve N.

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Great to hear, And keep those stories coming. They are what this is all about!!!!

Great stories Doug!! :o

This one Doug with Faye Dunaway?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6vogI1JZZg

The Dyno-Soar Cave.... That's a new one for me!

man those are some cool memories, feel free to add as many as you can remember, we will all be lapping them up!

good story there doug. hard to beat that one. in 1983 dds deffenetly wasent the calliber it was in the 70s. but it still lived with two smaller shops. one the head shop and another parts and engine room. i was to young to realize who dean was to the world.he let me build my first drag engine in his shop 78.4x94 with obivisly all the good stuff arpm block his small port dds heads fk89 and so on then to top it off his son talked dean into letting me put the engine into the purple test buggy. deffenetly a dream come true.when orange county race way was on its way out in 83 dean would borrow marlas car before it was letterd with the older 2180 and 700 series box on wed night test and tune. running one night in the high 10s. not to shabby for the old guy and non 94/101bore that he was famose for. dean did sit proud of his sucsess in the 60s with his NHRA trophy staring right at you when you enterd his parts and engine room. 

keep the stories coming, great reading. cheers dean

Hi Dean, Frenchy and I were in CA a few weeks ago with our splits for the Treffen and spent Saturday night at Paul Schley's house talking hot rods.  As you know, Frenchy has a giant Dean Lowry collection of parts and memorabilia.  Paul was kind enough to give Frenchy some really neat pictures of Dean that have never been published or seen by more than a handful of people so he could put them in the collection.  You might want to talk with Frenchy.

Regards,
Jim

Hi Jim, Yes, I talk with Paul Schley several times a week about this subject. Since he and Mark were former employees of DDS, they are a wealth of information.. I did get scans of all his photos, and Dean Lowry's scrap book yesterday. Saw the first ever Deano catalog and the Berg's Renton, Washington one, which have a strong crossover from the Bergs, to DDS, '68-'69. Awesome stuff.

Sheep and I were @ Phoenix in 11/90 and Deano purple and orange Super Bug was there. We caught up with Dean in the pits in between rounds and he was as sweet to talk to as your own grandad. Really inspirational few minutes for both Sheep and I.

Weird to think how all encompassing his influence was. I wouldn't have the career I have if he hadn't lifted the scene off the ground way back when, really.

(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t318/Photokernow/d1fb2029.jpg)
Dean Lowry's penknife he used to gap plugs at the races. My most treasured memento...

(Check the trace of purple paint... How cool!)

I never had the chance to meet the guy (he passed right before I got really heavy into VW's), but I bet he thinks we're all nuts!! :D

It's great hearing your stories again, Doug!

I am anticipating this article very much.  How long away are we deano?

Show off.... drool, drool.

He would for sure!

Deano

If it helps i have his Torque Wrench that has his signature etched into it, iand some other bits......

.

 ;)

Deano,

When Dean first talked of building the chopped Super Beetle for the Pro Sedan class, he approached me about helping with the rear suspension. We collaborated on the design and I fabricated the first set of rear control arms on the car that was on it.  On it's maiden voyage at Sears Point it ran a string of 9 second passes with the rotary injection and alcohol. At the time, Pro Sedan was hung up on the fuel issues and basically the whole injection idea.  Still, dean was the first naturally aspirated Pro Sedan running consistent 9's, even if it was on alcohol.

Mike Fischer and I were there to watch the car run as I wanted to see how well my rear IRS control arms worked.  I still have shots of the original arms I constructed for Dean in my archives.  Later, Don Cossey collaborated with someone and they made aluminum boxed arms for the car.  It was my personal opinion that the design of the boxed arms were subject to fatigue from improper bracing for torque twist when the car lauched.  The aluminum arms were on the car when it rolled at our BUG-O-RAMA event.  When inspected, they had cracks in the welds of the boxing.

If you want me to send you shots of the arms let me know. It was my little piece of history with a Dean project car and we were very pleased with how they worked on the first outings of the car.  They should have left them on the car.  Later, Mark Reilly  (Dean's late son-in-law) kept approaching me to make new arms for the car. I actually did make a second set of chromoly arms for the car that Dan Lawson purchased at one time.  I don't know what happened to them but I had designed them for Dean to run a 10" wide tire within the stock body spacing (exterior) with his Porsche IRS gear box.

Rick Mortensen

Thanks for the offer Rick, but my story only relates to the Deano Dyno-Soars/DDS years, and not beyond. Once Dean left DDS and moved to Arizona, the story changes, and is not my direction. My story relates to when Dean and Ken were working together to form one company.. And yes, even Gene Berg, Mark and Paul Schley (and others...), will be a part of that story as well.

Also, I am not going to dwell on all the normal DDS parts that are flowing around and their value. I know what they look like as have all the original catalog photos on hand.

Thanks for the clarification. I understand your focus. Sounds like it will be a great article.

Rick M

just made this now  ;)

Cool speedwell! That 2nd one is not the flat 4 car is it? ;)

Can't wait for the article Deano, DDS is my favorite.

In that 3-fer' photos above, that is the "real McCoy" DDS #2 car, as it displays the NHRA class win "T" trophy sticker on the windshield (windscreen for those of you east of New Jersey).

Also, in searching through my "cave" I came across some really neat photos that were buried in my junk. I found a 2-1/4 transparency photo of Don Crane's red '67 with high-nose stance and BRMs sitting first in the staging lanes at OCIR in Bug-In 3. Don's car is parked right next to Bill Roll's Towd' Doug was talking about... And it is in color. Both cars look brand new. I also found an unused color action shot of the DDS #1 car at OCIR, and a bunch of photos of the DDS building, inside and out. Yes, it was purple and orange! Also, a picture of the first DDS shifter prototype with a wooden T-handle. I may have also traced down the true origin of the "Dyno-Soar" logo, as it was a stuffed animal that a family/employee member had. And it may still exist... This is an awesome treasure hunt!

   Deano if you need anything that I have in my collection let me know i.e the original tach that was mounted in his oval windows can be seen in the picture of his car staging at the lights and other items let me know.

    Thanks
    Frenchy

Hi,Deano,the story that you are going to do about DDS,is that for features in"Hot VW's",or is this for a book?(like the callook-book from KS)

I still remember going over to Dean's shop in Santa Ana in the very early 70s, no matter how busy he was he always took the time to stop what he was doing to help me out, he was very instrumental helping me out when I first started out racing, I sure miss him!

request sent dean

rgd

the archivist  ;)

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vic wilson  you want to say,  the organizer of the bug in ???

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 ;)

doug have any others  info about that car , the only picture i know was this one from vw greats , taken at bug in 10 running against anderson bros , it look like yours was took at the same moment
 i remember another tread with that car , but no one had any info

its the same race!!!!

yes lids , watch behind the minisoar  , there's ron anderson watching the dual  ;)

.

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Found this old footage  8)

http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1263582773438RA62

about 3.5 mins in

Love it....

brilliant!

very  8) 8) thanks for that.    UD .