The Cal-look Lounge

Keith Seume mentions that THE cal-looker of all is still around in his book.
I know it was converted to something Baja like... but I would still love to see a picture of it.
Maybe you guys from way back when can help me out?

 

The last time I saw the Aronson car was about '82.It came to one of our DKK meetings with owner Julie Martin (if I recall correctly..)It was in original cond.The last I heard of it was around 15 yrs ago & somebody I know had located it & the owner had "updated" it .It was not a baja but all of the original bits were gone.The owner was aware of some of its history but was unwilling to part with it.Back then original Cal Look cars were cool but they did not have the reverence they do today.Take a look @ the June 76 HVW,the Mark Hunsaker car is where I bought my 1st set of BRM's in '87.Set of 4 w/ perfect original caps & original lugs & hardware $900..I could have bought the whole car w/ Becker paint,Brads interior,FAT close ratio gear box ect. less motor for another $1000.Did'nt want it ,I had a 55 & that was more desirable @ the time.Things have changed a bit...Later Bill

I think Dean Kirsten tracked down that white Aronsson/Holmes sedan from back in the day. Just my 2 cents.

Hot vw's may 75 the aronson / holmes is  for sale,  Here's the announcement  ;)

$2700.....That might buy 2 of the wheels today...

oh yes but at that time ,the car had no glory which it has today . How much could she cost today ???

I got hold of the 75 feb issue back in 1978.......I wanted to buy it at that time but living in Sweden did not make it easy!!.....I saw the ad from 75 then and imagined it had gone for ever........But did it sell then!!! I think I remember Holmes owning it in 78 (Bug In Aug 78 have a photo of the car in the DKP club display)........................So when did it loose it's soul........guessed it lived for quite a while?

I liked the Scott Bakken copy and had the oppertunity to visit Scott and the car back in 2002...........That car had it's soul too and lost it to the racing devil!!!

Happiness is a Hot VW!!

Wow Sven-Olof,

that's exactly what I think:


I first saw the car in 2000, when it was debuted at the Classic week. On Saturday we decided to go to Fuddruckers after the Toy & Literature Show instead of heading for GBE for the rallye. We planed to relax a bit and wait for the end of the rallye. When we reached the parking lot we saw it: It was sitting there in the evening sun under the trees, no other cars in sight. We parked and stayed in the car, just looking at the white beetle. I new from Dean Kirsten that the original car was beyond rescue – but what was it? Slowly we went towards the car. I had goosebumbs in that very moment and still get them when I think of that moment. Was it the real one? Was it a replica? We weren't shure, because we had no clue that Scott Bakken had built that car.

Today it's....well...it lost it's spirit...in my eyes.

I get sad when we lose any nice street car to the race track.... :'(

"Beond rescue" what does this mean??  ::)

It means – as far as I know – all important parts are gone and the body is useless due to rust (?), damage (?), whatever...

As they say. A legend!

it's a beautiful car but damage that scott  don't have to leave in is original version .  bill how the car always maintaining with the ercos and all these ugly stickers??? :(

I don't know what other concessions have been made to racing but some stickers and a change of wheels isn't too much of a big deal, still a sweet car. Other than that looks much the same to me. Hey, it isn't a Baja! Looks a world better clean and on BRMs though.

The race/street question is difficult, in the UK we have some tough rules to adhere to for racing which means that anyone racing a street car pretty much has to make it a race car if they're running any kind of time. That said you can keep trim, windscreen wipers, door cards and so on but you have to put in a cage. That said the street guys I know that race still run on the street. So I guess all is not lost. :)

What I am trying to say is not so much physical damage to the car ,is that we just see them @ races & not the streets anymore.They always seem to be in the garage with the motor & trans in a zillion pieces.Our DKP cruise nights used to be much larger before Renn Kafer came along & turned a bunch of street cars into shiney race cars to only be seen a few times a year.

Seems like something got a little mixed up here... The Scott Bakken car has taken a turn for the worse... like most US cars lately... curse the rennkaefer cup...  but hey, it's just a copy... nothing "holly" about that!

Myself I really can't understand why people build replicas of old cars... and especially car's that are still around?!
Just my $02

Hi Jon,

I do like replicas, if they are well made – and if the original car is no longer around. And the Aronson/Holmes car might be still in existence, but as said: It's beyond the point where you can bring it back to it's former glory. Ok, with enough money you can build a new car around an old chassis number, but that's not the same.

For me Scotts car does it. It's a very well made replica. Or was, now it's more or less just another white Looker.  :(

That's a pity, it's great seeing a clean looker running hard on the street. The car that came out of the racing thing worse for me was I think Troy Palmer's. Still a great car but it was awesome. It's lost something.


That's the one I was referring to, look on the bright side though, it's still pretty much there, just needs a couple of changes.


The worst kind!  ;D

Isn't that terrible when it happens?  ;D

Seems quite a few things got mixed up here... the real question is - WHERE is the REAL Aronson car today?...and who posts a picture of it.. no matter its condition..

I still want to see THE ONE!!!  ::) :o :o ;D
If I just knew were it was I would jump on a plane and hesd out... same with the Inch pincher 1 or 2...

Any pics clues or rumors?   

Ive heard that it is still around. Even Greg Aronson knows its whereabouts. But all of the desireable pieces are long gone, and the current owner knows enough about the cars history that he wants BIG bucks for it. Ive heard that Greg wants the car back to restore it in its former glory, but the current owner just wants too much for what is left...

How Much is Too Much then...?

Frank

Here two more of scott's car.

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/gold65turbo/P1010022-1.jpg)

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b115/gold65turbo/20.jpg)

Yep... I remember when that car showed up at the DKK meeting. That was the only time I've seen it.

I agree with you there. Renn Kafer was a good idea but it has morphed away from a street car class to a purpose built class. Maybe if they went to a bracket style set-up, street cars could be competative.

And ran on a spec "pump" fuel!!!

Ya.. that too!

Guys

We all need original cars, replicas and new ideas to keep the movement going, we all like things slightly different even if it is based on the same floorpan...

If the Aronson/Holmes Looker is out there it should be saved, we spend $$$$$$ to restore cars with no history, an original old careven if it has had a few changes can be brought back to life im sure (we can put a man on the moon and we can beat the V8s) If in the 60's people gave up there would be no Empi, No DDS, No Race Shop and No cal look (heavan forbid) In the 2000's its too easy to buy new, look at the world museumns they are full of restore thinks Planes, cars, Houses and even Dinosoars !

Put it this way if some one has a tel number for the guy that owns it let me know ill buy it take to a show and we can all dream about what might be..............

Russell

Loving Life, Loving VW's

Russell, how can a replica be a new idea, surely that's a contradiction?  I prefer cars to be used as inspiration to produce a modern twist on an old theme, this is the only way the scene can move forward.  unfortuately it sometimes goes wrong, for example the 80's!!

Lids

Sorry you must have misread my post "We all need original cars, replicas and new ideas" 3 different types.

I never said a replica was a new idea, what i was trying to say if a replica was built of a famous car that no longer exsists it would help keep the memory alive.... for example look at volksworld this month and you will see Iguana, its a replica but the history is superb, Bill who built the car is not of best of health at preset but is delighted to see that someone was prepare to copy something he made in his backyard for fun, over 30 years on and we are all still talking about it......

With out the 80's there would have been no Wham ! No volksworld, no UK cal lookers, no WWW and no cell phones, So im glad they exsisted.

Cheers

Russell

You sure they have put a man on the moon. :P

You mean they didnt..............

Does Art Deco move on? Its a style a classic style with parameters. I have nothing against a modern twist. Cal-look in IMHO doesn't need a modern twist. When John Plow wrote about the evolution of cal-look he mentioned that maybe we have lost our way, in the fact that some cars are just too perfect.
I love the Aronson car or Scotts car I think this is the benchmark. Was the Aronson car not raced years ago to acheive comparable times to the DRC.

As far as ther 80s are concerned I thought that was an inspirational era as well.
I love variety  ;) People should do what they want to do and not be a slave to style for styles sake.

Read "NASA Mooned America!"  ;D

Maybe the vintage guys get sad when cars are "lost" as cal lookers....... ?  :-\

I belive its HOW a car is used not as what, lookers, racing even vintage/original "grandpa"  stuff does it for me, anything but replicas or clones- simply boring.

We need more originality, lets get wrenching on something mindblowing  :o unique instead of just be daring and add just another set of wheels we seen a zillion times or paintschemes that are just .... ? ?

Or owners that think they have a looker just by lowering a worn out beetle and put a bigger engine in it hmmmmm makes me wonder.

Oh and I agree, lets get some pics of the "leftovers" of the white -63.   ( Is Tar Babe restored yet btw ? )

Just out of curiosity, any word on whether the same fellow owns the old Aronson looker? 

Yup, I dug up a four year old thread. ;D

No... As in, no he doesn't.

Last word on the Holmes/Aronson car was that it still exists in Arizona somewhere.....

Cool info Deano! And I hope the owner knows that it's worth money?

I hope the owner thinks it's not worth much (and sells it to someone who knows what it is and does it right!) ;)

My point is that I want him to post it on samba for silly money, instead of crushing it...

When, If, rebuilt I will be able to tell as I still have the original, unusual deck lid lock key...  And maybe a 2 finger baggie is still under under the pasenger floormat, so russell be careful going through customs when bought...bill

don't even remember key ring place or the girls..?

California Look, California Girls, it's all good.... Nice key fob, Bill. Maybe someday, we can clone the entire car from your deck lid key.

For clarification, I meant the guy who owned it when this thread was last current four years ago?  I realize now my question was probably unclear.

Rumor has it that Mr. Bakken's car has been stripped of the race parts and the stickers are in the trash. Those are just rumors though.... :-X

Anthony D&A Racing

On A Good Note Scott will Be Putting the Clone Back to its Original Cal Look Appearance He has Removed all the Drag Car Pieces And Transfered Them To Another Car that will look the same as his race car but a hardtop instead of a ragtop so know Scott will have one for the Street and one for the Strip ;D

Sigh!

As far as I'm concerned, Aronson's car started the California Look. I know someone will refute that statement but for me, this is the car that changed history. I don't remember what year it was, early, early 70s I think, but I first saw it at a small car show (I believe at Don Burns VW). No one painted their car appliance white back then and did it stand out!! It was so clean looking without chrome and here I was trying to find more crap to bolt onto my bug (remember whip antennas?).
This was the start of the California look in my book.
A few years later (1975), I was honored to be in the same magazine article with it demonstrating the "Look".

When I was at the Auto Haus store in La Habra, one of my regular customers owned the car......I think his name was Jim also...he owned a picture frame store in Brea. I'm thinking he bought it from Holmes. Anyway, he took good care of the car.

Of all the cars, this one deserves to be restored....it's a treasure.

Marc

 ;)
(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=123.0;attach=40388;image)
(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=123.0;attach=40389;image)

same day different angle ;)

 ;)

 ;)

check behind the 63 it was greg aronson 356 A cabriolet

I loved that car, and it was a thrill to see it at the only Classic I've been to so far, which was in 2002 a week before I graduated college.  Drove my bone stock '68 Bug down to SoCal and spent the week hanging out and hitting up the DQ (before it became Nick's) as well as other Classic-related activities.  That was a great vacation for me, good times.

The pic of Greg, Ron and Mark was in front of their second location, not long after Mark signed on. Keith Goss, Guy Newhouse and the Tar Babe could
be found hanging around there also.  I'm thinking 74' ? (someone help me out here).

FAT Performance trivia question.....Anyone remember the oxy/acetylene "cannon" and what they did with it?

If my fading memory serves me right, that pic was taken before Greg put a 2 liter with 42's in it .....sweet  :D

Fabs, can I get a copy of your hard drive with vw pics?  ;D Scott is one of the nicest guys in the vw industry. I remember seeing him race the car  in the early days of renn kafer along side many killer cal-lookers (Mike g's flying tomato, Art G's killer green 67', Larry Mckenzie's red 67', Ray Medrano's black car, Mike Lawless and the ghia, Kevin (KCR) bitchin looker, Damon, Patrick and the chopped notch) Sorry, the early days of DRKC were great. Can't wait to see it back in street trim! Russell, Get the og Aronson/Holmes car and bring it back to its former glory!

Phil, you are probably right. But the first VW engine Greg installed into that 356 was a 82x88 slipper skirt killer with IDAs. Soon there after, the slipper skirts were removed and replaced with full skirt Mahles, the IDA came off and DCNFs went on. A stock weight flywheel also went on.

Dean, I wish my memory was as sharp as your SLR. Where you still shooting with a 35mm then, or did you use a big Pentax like Jere ?

I only vaguely recall the car with 48's, but I do recall the wheelspin  :D  I think the later motor dyno'd at 150 or 160 hp. And typically a very clean install. 

phil correct about the HP, according to vw greats the engine output 156 hp
here's the report from vw greats  ;)

I agree! They were the best days. I got flamed on for stating my opinion about that on the "other" forum years ago, haven't been back since. The people here just "get it".
Anyway, back on track...

I often wonder, how much influence did the 911R have on Greg's 63's stark appearance? Not too many other "production" cars of the era were so free of tinsel. Everytime I see a pic of a 911R (in white esp), it makes me think of the Aronson/Holmes sedan. And vice versa. In any case, I have to agree with Marc that this car has to be the car that turned the VW hot rod scene upside down. Amazing how few cars in recent times are painted a appliance white (instead of stock ivory or Lotus or whatever it's called).

I concur Marc, Greg's car defined Cal Look. But IMHO the look was refined by Ron, Greg, at  F & A (later FAT perf), several members of DKP and other notable VW clubs. An environment that included Berg, DDS, Empi, Beckers, Brads etc. It was all there at one time in virtually the same space.

 As I'm sure you recall everything was changing so quickly, in a state of flux ...so to speak.  Just when we thought our cars were "finished", fresh paint, motor, wheels etc, someone like Greg comes along with a car that looks so "right".  And ours looked so wrong!  Fog lights, nose high with bumpers, woody goodies......what were we thinking? 

afaik Scott did more performace driving with his replica.
Fearless driver, great running car.
too bad Greg's car was not developed as Scott did with the replica.