The Cal-look Lounge

Sat in school eating pizza waiitng for year 11 parents evening, and thought is a roof chop cal-look?

I could go through lots of cars that have been chopped and would meet all the other requirements of cal look, but is it really cal-look.  Or is it more custom/hot rod?

Thoughts?

Definately. Cal Look was influenced by the dragstrip, so why not? Keith Goss was influenced by Tar Babe for his car, it's just so much work to do (correctly!) that it didn't really become that common.

Are you thinking of chopping your car then Lids?!

he realised it's nearly ready for the road so needs to delay it some more ;D

Tar Babe, Goss Car....nuff said ;D

Yes!
(Although some looked better than others ;))

Quote from 70's Cal-Look rule book, section 3, paragraph 1, article 7: Chop tops are bitchin' man.

~DR.

California Look street cars <----------> VW gassers of the era

For sale CHEAP!  Just found this

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/1451405133.html

If it's got the rest of the look to go with it, then absolutely!

That is what a true cal-look chop top should look like.  I remember see that car at OCIR,  just perfect with the magnesium wheels, metallic color and chop combo..( bad ass ).. Just wonder why he needed so many blinkers. bullets and semaphores?

Mike wash your mouth out with soap and water and don't bring those sort of thoughts on here ever again  >:( ;)

I read the question about whether or not Chop Tops are Cal Looks. Since the early Chops were done by Cal Look guys the answer is yes, of course. I saw a reference to Tar Babe. Not sure whether it is common knowledge but the original Tar Babe was put together and drivin by Greg Aronson (the A in FAT) of FAT Performance. Just an FYI in case it's not mentioned somewhere.

You got that "Wright"... Dave's car sure looked awesome.  What ever became of him and that car?

Ben has got it in one again. ;D

 Sarge,

Shortly after it was finished and showed a time or two the car was sold and went back east... I really wish it would turn up.
I'm sure you know I have a real soft spot for that car... A lot of blood, sweat and beers went in to building it ;)

I've contacted Dave Wright, but he's out of the VW / car scene these days... too bad, he could tell some stories...

~Dave

one for you dave  ;)

Perfect timing Fabs ;)

Thanks!

Wow for $500 that sure save's a lot of work , don't look too bad either  8)

I remember shooting that car. In front of some restaurant near Fairview Blvd, in Santa Ana-ish....

If a roof chop is cal-look, which years are better suited?  And are certain chops not allowed?  If its too obvious and not subtle is it really cal-look?

Early model chops seem to be more popular than later models. But it's your call as to what you like!
I personally don't like the wedge chops, meaning chopped in front and not so much in the back. I can remember a chop at Bug In OCIR of a Hawaiin owner who chopped his bug and filled in the rear quarter windows. In place he added a long smoked verticle piece of plexiglass.  Made for a different look.

IMO I feel that a car with a long wheelbase or cabin space,doesn't look good chopped. It just seems out of porportion to me. That's why I think the coolest cars to chop are Fiats or Ghias.

Generally I think that '58-'64 cars look best chopped, although the Anderson Bros first chop top and Dave Wrights brown oval above look really good too. Even though my race car was a big window car ('66), and was wedge-chopped (although not too much, I think I got away with it because of the lack of gutters and rounded door tops. it was only 2 3/4 inches out of the B pillars - enough to look different but not obviously chopped like Tar Babe.

(http://muchos.co.uk/members/neil hab2/Headstraight - bigbang03.jpg)


Should I chop the '51? ;) I need to replace a section of the roof where something fell on it, just above the windscreen...

Final thing (for now!) - rear side window shape is important. I prefer the slightly sharper corners on Tar Babe compared to those on the Goss car.

I dont like chops, never really fancied getting my big head in there......

Yet you own more than anyone else! ;) ;D Is that why you get KS to drive? :o :-* :D

Awesome job Deano (as usual ;))
Everybody has an all time favorite car, that one is mine.

~DR.

There is an early black chop top that shows up at Cars and Coffee in Irvine now and then, it has Flat 4 BRM's but it looks almost exactly like the Dave Wright chop. It even has the old aluminum offset fan shroud. I know everybody and their cousin had those in the early days but I wonder if it is the same car?

 ;) some cal look chop top  ::) ::)

 ;)

 ;)

 ;)

 ;)

some late model  ;)

 ;)

Fabs i now disagree, louvers and flames are custom not cal-look (Ducks for cover)

Whew!! There's a fugly car or two in that bunch!!  Uh... "thanks" Fabs...

Like I said... "Some look better than others"  8)

(Note to Worm: Waiting on your input on the models... you know, face like a foot, things like that.)

~ ;D

Back in the day Mike Martinez's car was the shit. Alot of folks aspired to have a car like that. I always considered it the ultimate Cal-Look.

(http://www.cal-look.pl/callook/historia/california%20look%20artyku%B31/mike%20martinez%20chop1.jpg)

-jeffrey

Yep, me too!

i agree about the Mike Martinez's ca, there's something about the lines of the chop that work, especially compared to some of those posted.