The Cal-look Lounge

Out of curiosity, what is the going rate for a race weight, pre-68 style EMPI fiberglass hood?

This hood has led a somewhat rough life and has been patched in a couple of places....definetly not NOS condition, could be brought back to useable condition with some love.

Have any pic's ...?...I have wanted one of those for a long time ..!!! where did ya find one..?

I've actually had it for 20 years or so.   It was kinda rough when I got it (previous owner had patched it in a couple of places).  My dad inflicted some more damage to it this past year when he was cleaning up the property.  That will also need to be patched.

It is currently laying in the woods on dad's property in Mississippi.  I will bring in home this weekend, clean it up and take some better pics.

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/IMG_0554.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/IMG_0551.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/IMG_0553.jpg)

Very Cool.....Can't wait to see some better pics....! It will for sure need some TLC....!!!

Any guesses as to the value after it has been repaired to the point of being functional and pretty on the outside?

Is it even worth spending the time to repair?

If you're going to fix it, fix it right. Inside and out. I think it's a fairly rare piece that deserves it. The way it is, it isn't worth much. But the labor it would take to make it right wouldn't justify trying to flip it. It takes someone who really likes the part for what it is, and isn't after a profit.

I sold one of mine 2 year's ago for $600.00

I agree with Zach.....it would be worth it for some who"Just have to Have One".......!

I'm guessing that one was in excellent condition.

Oh yeah  ;)

Its looks like the one that is missing from Stutt bee  "judging by the paint"

I would be interestred in it the way it is, as i would want to have it repaired after shipping here ???

I'm sure Russel would find a great place for it to go....!!...... 8)

That would look nice on my wall, even as is :)

I say fix it up and make a mold out of it.  I know it would not be a genuine "Empi".  I am sure a few would like a repop.

You would want to take a nice stock steel hood and glue empi badge on it to make a mold, They need to fit a car.

I think I will use of my spare hoods and make a metal one to resemble the original.   :-)

Rick M

I went and picked it up yesterday.  After work today, I will clean it up and take some pics to show its current condition.

Here are pics of the hood at my house.

Repairing it looks doable, but I think it would be best to make a buck to clamp it to while doing the fiberglass work.

Trying to decide if I should sell or fix it up and keep it for myself (I probably would never pay going rates to buy another one).

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0092.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0084.jpg)

Turns out there was only one old repair
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0077.jpg)

I placed a quarter as a reference to show the size of the cracks/tears.
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0079.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0080.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0081.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0082.jpg)

(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/Flipper_1938/EMPI%20Hood/DSC_0083.jpg)

I've already been offered $200 for it as is.

Does anybody think it will go for more?  or is that top price?

Take the money & run! Honestly, passing it on to someone who is nuts about original EMPI parts, who will painstakingly restore it to original condition, and value it far more than it's dollar amount is what it's all about. I know we all gotta eat & support our hobby, but the hobby is more about the people than the cars or parts.

Sell it to Russell Ritchie.  As someone who is seriously into preserving the So Cal heritage and it's cars, I think he would put it where it would find a good home on one of his early racer restorations.  It belongs to the VW history.

RM

I agree.

According to his profile, he is in the UK.

I would prefer to sell to someone that can arrange a local pick up.  ...I want the new ovner to fully inspect it before cash changes hands.

Looks like the hood will be going to a good home.

 ;D

Good news :)

Russell has a local guy in the US who helps him with aquisitions,  Ritchie Webb. Would be good to see them get the hood.

Rick M 

Anybody want a steel one made??

How would you do the logo on a steel one?  The detail on the fiberglass one is pretty crisp.

here's the one on small wonder  ;)

Wow, the body work on the small wonder looks pretty sad.  Very rough.

RM

A lot of race cars were rough back in the day.  Money went towards going faster instead of looking prettier.

Build quality/fit & finish in modern race cars is a lot nicer.

Flipper
I will pm you tomorrow, are you close to stanton, ca or Houston, tx

The hood has already been sold to Richard Roth.  We just need to meet up and finish the transactiion.

If for some reason, the sale cannot be completed, I'll contact you.

I doubt it's actually that rough. Fabian is constantly pulling filters over his images, boosting contrast and what not. So every small imperfection is bound to be in your face. The downside of out of control photoshopping  ;) ;D

correct tim so here's the original picture
 ;)

Actually Rick IMHO the bodywork on Small Wonder  has a nice patina that suit the car well.

Same kind of patina on the Vallero's 912

I wouldn't change anything if I owned it  ;D

madfrog

That is not the way Small Wonder looked in the past !
It was painted Apricot METALFLAKE !
The paint on it now is a very hastily applied coat of Datsun metallic with very little bodywork ,done by the previous owner for a quick sell.
:-(

richard any pictures of the original one  ::)

I have an hour long video of the day the previous owner brought it home.
I am actually in the video !
But I have no way of transferring the video into my computer.
:-(

I found this picture elswhere on this forum.
You can see the remnants of some of the Metalflake paint.
Some of the bodywork has been started as evidence by the red primer.
Also notice how the previous owner changed the door lettering.
 ::)

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the car !
Just hate the way it was altered to give it a fake history so it could be sold for more $.

Sure the bodywork is not the best ever made... just have a look on the roof where it was top choped, seems there's many bondo!

But I think it's the way they were made back in the days... Build to go, not to show  ;D

As said before to Richard, I'd be please to get some pics of the car before it was redone. On the only pics I have, the color seems to be quite the same!

To Richard:
is it possible to get a copy???
are you still in contact with Troy?

Sure I can make a copy and send it to you.
It is on VHS.
What I meant about the bodywork was that the current coat of non authentic paint was sprayed over the Metalflake.
That is why it is so rough.
When you see the video, you will also see how the quarter windows have been reshaped by Troy.
I have the original plexiglas windows from that car.
Troy burned his bridges with just about everyone I know.
No one is in contact with him anymore.

Oh Thats a pity..... Congrats Richard.

Its a pity that it cant be used to complete a car, i realise that there are many parts collectors like richard and its great for the hobby, but its a real pain when the cars that represent our VW Hobby history cant be completed to the most accurate detail as these parts hoarders keep the good stuff hidden away, hope they dont all sell it on ebay ! Ps this is not a dig at Richard just a frustration of all the good parts in collections that would help complete some old race cars......

I agree with Russell....these parts should be enjoyed not stored away in the dark !

I agree with both points, BUT..... if it was'nt for garage hoarding NONE of this stuff would even exist.  It would ALL be gone.  Just like the baseball cards your Momma threw out when she cleaned your room.  There was a time years ago that I thought about throwing away the Bug In plaque I have, but now I enjoy having it.  Twenty years ago who would'a thought anyone would give a sh*t about that stuff.  Things come in and out of vogue.

Too bad Richard and Russell can't make some kind of deal.  I am sure Russell has a goodie or two stashed away that Mr. Roth may want in trade eh?  Maybe some seat time in one of Russell's rides?????

In the words of Gordon Gecko..... "Greed is Good".  hah  Bad example probably

Make something happen guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cough cough ;)

The comments about the cars back in the day did not apply to all of them.  Some were as nicely done as they were fast.  The Babe was one of them, the Inch Pincher Too, the Chopped Lightning Bug, Super Bug, just to name a few, were all as nice looking as they were fast. Granted, a lot of the early cars were home builts with some rougher than others.  Bill mitchells cars were always pretty rough but then they were incredibly fast. So, to each his own.  Havings seen most of them in their original form, I appreciate the ones that had detail in looks and horsepower.

Rick M

On the outside at least. Perfect bodywork in and out... haven't seen that yet.

I agree with Russel, parts belong on cars.   

Well, opening up an old topic, but I just joined the forum after lurking for quite a while. Yes, Richard Roth is quite correct about the Small Wonder, it is totally the wrong paint, the wrong windows, the wheels are wrong, and the gas tank is in the wrong spot. Something that many people do not know is that the rectangular steel outlining the floor pan is not original and was done in 1984-1986 ( I may be wrong about the years but close) in Waterford, Ct. by a guy named Frank, can't remember his first name now, it's been a long time.

Actually Troy, the guy who sold it to Jerome replaced those pieces with U channel pieces from a bed frame.
 :'(

Do you mean Troy replaced the nice tig welded frame Frank had installed? When I first saw the car in '80-'81 it had a modified stock VW pan. The Gosselins sold the car to my buddy John (rip) who pulled the engine and trans and some other parts and installed them in his street bug. Now the engine as built early on, before the Gosselins owned it, was a 82x 88 slipper skirt. They decided to up it to a 92mm bore- I wish I had those p&c's that they THREW OUT! >:( >:(. This was back before John and I knew very much about performance parts, so when he disassembled the engine, we found some cracks between the valve seats and decided to sell those heads along with the cam (specs unknown) at a VW swap meet at the now defunct Colchester dragstrip. John replaced the heads with some 40x35 ported heads from SCS and the cam with GB equivalent of an FK87. He ran the engine this way for awhile until it broke one of the original Empi 1.4 rocker arms at which time he replaced them with some Sig Erson 1.5's. Around this same time he sold the body to his friend who I've referred to as "Frank". Frank was a professional pipe welder by trade and his plan was to make up a steel tube chassis and eventually integrate a better cage. The last time I saw the floor pan setup he had finished the tubing portion of the pan and added a partial aluminum pan. I think it was at this point he lost interest in the project and it was put up for sale at another auto swap meet. I "think" at this point a guy named Clay Smith got involved and the car somehow ended up with Troy. Some time had passed at this point and John decided to become a full time photographer and ended up selling the engine and trans to Troy to fund his new business and equipment. There are, as you have noted, changes to the car from its original state, most noteably the paint ( now hideous) as it was a really nice flake job, the pan as I've mentioned, the original chromed forged pedals and handbrake handle- that are still in MY car- the gas tank which was located up front, and the wheels, I'm not sure what were on it originally, but when I saw it while the Gosselins were the owners it had chromed stock style wheels. This does all go back quite a few years at this point, but those are the details I can provide from here on the east coast. By the way, that engine ran like crap when the Gosselins owned it since they didn't know how to tune IDA's, but the best time on the strip in John's '70  full steel body bug, with a spare tire, leaving the line at 5000 rpm's, shifting at 7000, with slicks and no fan belt, was a 14.2.

HERB here's the car  ;)

more  ;)

 ;)

 ;)

Nice pics! They really bring back some good memories. I would like to see it in it's original heavy metal flake paint though- it's a '70's thing, I guess.

the problem is  ,we haven't found any pictures from the car back in the days and jerome the new owner had some trouble with the admisnistration in france to registered the car ,because he doesn't have any infos/race results  about the car , but tomorrow i will see it at ebi , and will said that you're on the lounge , i know him , and he will asked you about the car  ,i know he still looking for info about  the car
thx in advance for him
fabs

ps , have you own the car??

No, never owned it, just sat in it at a local strip, and then at my friend John's house. I just own the pedals and brake handle from it.

I own the original windows from it.
I believe now it has a traditional brake pedal instead of the dragster type brake handle.
I was friends with the previous owner when he first bought it.
from then he continued to try and spin a web of it being a famous Empi built and sponsored car (notice the re-painted doors) to con someone into paying more money for it.
He also bought the NHRA stickers on e-bay to try and give it more fake provenance.
Sad, it's a great car, just would like to see it returned to the way it really was including the glorious Apricot metalflake paint.

Shortly after I found it had been sold to Troy I sent him a letter with all the details I could remember about the car but he never got back to me. I'm not sure if John's wife could find the pics he has of the car when he purchased it, but I'll start digging.