The Cal-look Lounge

All I am delighted to announce that the "relpica, sorry Dave !" Dave Rhoads 64 DRF/DKP original looker is onroute to Europe, this survivor will take up a new home with some other reconised cars from the original US cal look scene. The car will once again hit the shores of the UK and will also be seen by the European Cal Looker Fans out and about.

Just wanted to say, a massive thanks to Mr Rhoads for supporting my dream and allowing us all to see this car on this side of the pond, Dave A big thanks.

Ps Make sure you take your race hat, you may need it.......

congrats Russell  ;)

Awesome!

See, I was a good boy and kept the secret! ;)

Wow

Congrats!

Nice one!!!  ;)

Hope to see it @ EBI this year

great news

So did you buy it or is Dave just shipping it out there to race along side your cars? ???

GREAT  ;)

The former…

Well that moves me up one rung on the "Who's owned their Cal-Look car the longest" ladder.  :D

I think the only ppl that have me beat are Marc and Glenn.

Holy shit ! Never thought Dave would sell that car. It was its last visit to the UK that inspired me to build my (now sold) 64 looker. I remember chatting to him while he polished the mags after the crossing in the container, he said the salty air made a mess of his rims.
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 For Mr Seume
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Ps is that Bill eating a dog burger ? :)

Come this summer, if Russell comes walking toward you, RUN!!!  ;D :D

How many years is that? Dave's was 40+ :( sad to see it leave the streets of Orange County. It takes a lot for someone to keep a car for that long and even more to let it go.

The cat has departed the bag... :D..be great to see it over here..Dave is a great guy and I'm really pleased that it's gone to a Grumpy new owner  ;)

Wow - look forward to seeing it over here  ;D

Woof <yes>

Dave was just shy of 40 years He bought his in May '71. I think Marc bought his split in 72 and Glenn bought his car new in '74. I bought mine in August '77.

Glad its going to a good home!  :)  Someday I'm going to have to venture overseas to EBI... that would be cool.

Thats great news, and kind of heart breaking as well, like hearing about folks you thought would be together forever divorcing....

At least its going somewhere where it will be properly looked after as well as driven (and the odd race up the strip too!).

Look fiorward to seeing it at EBI!

WOW ! congrats russel ! i was really "stunned" by the car when i saw it in the UK years ago ... we all know it's going to a good home ! I would be reallllllly happy to see it again on the European Bug In 4 ... the real "blast from the past" for me !

Dave against me at Avon Park :)

A brilliant car

(http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7cc25b3127ccec29c207d216e00000010O08AcsWLJw0ZtQe3nwY/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/)

thats a cool pic..........who won? ;D

Me because Dave broke a drive shaft coming off the line  :'(

That really IS a cool pic Peter...

I'm not surprised Dave broke a driveshaft though, you probably freaked him out sticking your camera out of the window as you went into stage!  :D

When will the Rhoads car hit Uk soil then? And what is the full line up of Gasser Garage cars going to be for EBI? Man am I glad I got EBI tickets early now!!!

What a sad moment in Cal-look history  :'(

That car should keep roaming the streets of southern California with Dave. Don't think it'll like to be locked away in prison.

Sad......not sure thats the correct word  ???. How does being locked in prision = being showed and raced all over europe...... vrs being used a few times a year in CA.

Trust  me it will love its new home......

Russell

My reply was not meant as criticism to you. Who wouldn't love to have that car in their garage given the opportunity?

I just think it's sad that Dave and the car has parted ways and that there's almost no real cars left where the history started.
Prison may have been the wrong word, but I pictured it parked in a building in Scotland only to see daylight when taken to shows. Would be cool to see it used and raced, that's what these cars are all about.

You funny man!  ;D ;D

There's an old DKK saying... "Cool cannot be bought!"  ;) ;)

Rocekt racing

No problem, it will be used and not just at shows.

Congrats on the purchase, Russell. A legendary car that I will miss seeing on my trips to Socal. Be sure and post some pics of it every so often.

I know a lock up in North London that its welcome to use, I'm sure it will enjoy the daily commute into East London!

Pick up the glove then Russell, and come and race it at SCC this year!!? I think that would make Dave really happy!  ;)

It's true that my green car will be seen and I hope enjoyed in another part of the world.  Thank you to everybody around the world for the support and admiration you have given to it.  First to Tim Gavern when in December 1991 did the first article and cover of it in VW Trends. To fellow DRFer Roger Crawford for a superb set of heads and lots of help with everything. Keith Seume for with March 1995 Volksworld and again last year in Ultra VW. And also for help bringing the car to England in 1996 (and back again). All the Hot VW's staff. Also big special thanks to Bill Schwimmer, Mike Herbert. Stephen Szantai, Richie Webb, "Dyno" Don Chamberland and countless, countless others. After having the car for almost 40 years there are so many to thank. I was proud to have my car put with John Rayburn's for the last article in Ultra VW. Not a big enough thanks to Russell Ritchie for giving it a new home and the care it deserves. He was the ONLY one that I wanted to have it. I know it will be cared and treated with the utmost respect. I hope everybody enjoys it being in the UK again and Europe.  Thanks again to everybody.   Dave Rhoads

Well, Dave, you're just gonna have to pay a return visit to the UK, aren't you?  :)

well my reply IS ment as a criticism!!!  This is one car that should have been left in California  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

A very very sad day indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who are you to judge?
If Dave is happy with it, so be it...it was HIS car!

..And now guys in Europe will be able to drool on it too :)

You are 100% right Dave regardless the why the who the reasons etc
would love to see you at EBI4 or why not SCC10 behind the wheel , that would be great
anyway see you in SOCAL end of April

Gunter.

So who is your criticism aimed at? Dave for selling the car? Russell for buying it? Kingstown Shipping for shipping it over? The American public for not buying it? People in Europe for wanting to see this legendary car? Or yourself because you didn't go to SoCal and buy it???? ???

well if I am honest (and not just trying to suck up to Russell like the rest of you!) my criticism mainly aimed at Russell! Whats the point of bringing it to the UK????? so what if it get seen at a couple of UK shows, Its a Cali Car thats part of the Cal Look history and I just think it should have stayed there - There you go theres my 2 cents !

Oh brother… So, if you had the chance to buy a car of your dreams, you mean you wouldn't actually want to drive it? You'd really prefer to leave it half way round the world and would be happy to simply boast to people that you owned it? Come on, Lee, that stretches even my vivid imagination.

Dave wanted to sell his car – and wanted it to go to Russell (To quote Dave's words: "He was the ONLY one that I wanted to have it. I know it will be cared and treated with the utmost respect."). He has the financial wherewithal  to buy it and wanted it (didn't we all!). That's all there is to it. By the same token, are you saying I was wrong to buy the Chop Top off Keith Goss? Very similar deal - Keith wanted the car to go right away, to someone who would appreciate it. The last thing Dave wanted was to turn up at a Cruise night and see his old car in the hands of a local. Keith Goss felt the same way...

At the end of the day, it's a car. No animals were hurt in this transaction, no nuns were slaughtered, no children made homeless. Well, at least, not as far as I know.

Just my two pen'orth… :)

Lets not make bad feelings about this, after all it`s a free world (at least it`s supposed to be..) and trades on collectors items happen every day.
The only special thing about this deal, is that this car had a life and a on going history with Dave, now it has kind of gone to the "museum" and any changes to the car would be wrong.
Maybe we should look at this as a special happening, as we are seldom witnessing this "live" ;)

No I just wouldn't buy it in the first place - and its a COMPLETLY different case to the Chop Top, from what I understand the Chop Top had been sitting unloved for a few years with a broken rod - Not really the same as a freshly restored Car that had over 40 yrs of driving/racing/theft/history with it  :-\

I just think its a REAL Shame Dave decided to let it go  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

(it might have been better if it wasn,t gonna get stuck in a lock up in scotland - the worlds WETTEST place!!!!)

dont worry Lee,

we might occasionally get to see the car with or without prior notice....of the important cal-look type.

sorry guys....im just being an asshole as is my right. :)

I can't believe the comments here!!

Well done Dave for building a car that most would love to own, and well done Russell for working hard to enable him to be
able to be in a position to purchase it.

No 'sucking up' here but just don't let things get to me/bother me about a simple car transaction where both the buyer and seller are perfectly happy, you don't hear  that very often these days!!

Lee

I'm not going to take sides here, but sometimes parts of your past life begin to become just that: your past. If you don't have the same drive and interest as you did when you were younger, that's not 'sad', that's life. Ten or so years ago, I became really burnt out with my own car and instead of walking by it, seeing it covered in dust and pawprints and knowing I wasn't "into it" like I used to be was a sign something needed to happen. Thoughts of selling it came up. And while my car isn't anywhere as cool @ Dave's, nor had I owned it as long as he has (25 years this year though  :)), I know my Bug was one of the most important parts of my younger life. But I was ready, at that time, to let that part of me go. No big deal.
Some personal changes in my life brought me back around and I found I started enjoying "driving" and working on the car again. I emphasize "driving" because prior to this it all became so exhausting to work on it solely to "keep up with the Joneses." Now a days I couldn't care less if it's a tenth slower than so and so's car or mph off or whatever. That's what burnt me out.
I'd say, be happy this car was such an influence on the scene and all of us and be happy it is still a survivor, no matter where it is. Last time I saw the car was @ Fontana and it sure looked good.

Over and out
Jim R

AMEN.

So you don't actually have a problem with the transaction, just the destination..???  It would have been ok if the car was going somewhere sunny?? 

I'm loving the logic in this argument...  ::)

Well said, Jim. Dave's message to me was that even after the resto-repaint etc, the spark had gone.

I've been there in the past, and will probably be there again. It just happens sometimes. Do I regret selling certain cars? Maybe. Would I do it again? Probably.

It's called 'life'...

Now let's all relax and enjoy this short time we have on earth...

Read what I wrote dude: "it MIGHT have been better"

At least there are a FEW guys that get it  ;) :D

same reason most of us don't sleep with a teddy bear any more. Except for Sarge.

I'm going to miss it dearly... along with all of the others that have made their way out of the States. Glad it's going in good hands though.

 :'(

 ;D well put Jim  
Lee WTF , way to go fella , let it all out . I don't think anyone's kissing up to Russell .
 If I had that sort of cash to go out and buy my own collection of looker's & gassers I bloody well would .
  Not just that but then to get them out for all to see and take em out to play  8)

way to go fellas! IMO it's good we speak up, it always is. i can only say it must've been a sad moment and decision for Dave to sell off his beloved cal-looker, and hey... Russell must've made him "an offer he could not resist"! :D
i just think it's become sort of a moral responsibility for Russell to pull out the trailer for EBI 4 so we can all have a peek at the cars we only know from snapshots.  ;D

peace out ;)

Again and a sigh...  ::)

I think people are been dicks, it has nothing to do with you, your not in a position to influence it, but out.  I admit i am very jealous and when i win the Euro lottery tomorrow I will be banging on the lock-up in Scotland trying to get my hands on one of those cars.

But I know Russell is a top bloke and we all know it will be taken to shows and more importantly taken down the strip.  I still think it needs to be kept in North London where it will be closer to Santa Pod and also Europe, Oh I will even polish it :)

[attachment=1][attachment=2]
just wanted to post the magazine articles I found at home on this legendary green machine: vwTrends from 1992 and latest issue of the hungarian vw Depo

Location shouldn't change anything! The car was and always will be a major part of Dave's life. I know from from experience what the car means to him. It is, and always will be Dave Rhoads' '64! He has decided it is time for it to be under new custody and to be with a number of other historically important cars. We will continue to celebrate the car as one of the most inspirational Cal Look cars of all time.
Russell's passion is without any doubt.
Would I want to own the car - yes, just like everyone else who is into Cal Look - but Russell has that honour and congratulations to him!
I always remember spending the day with Dave and the '64 at Terminal Island in 1992 and getting to know the man for the first time and I will treasure the fact my '67 was the only car to race against Dave at the 1996 Beetle Bash (Sadly he blew the tranny on the startline on the next pass) and I will never forget thinking " :o that was a lot faster than I was expecting it to be!' As all I saw was the back of Dave's '64 for the whole quarter!  Of course my little 2007 was no match - but as my '67 was the first car like it built in the UK/Europe, to be up against a 'real' Cal Look car was like that warm feeling you get in your stomach on Christmas morning when you're 12 years old.
Now, well, I'm up for the rematch!

P.S. Lee don't worry - Russell WILL look after it!
  

This is what seperates us from ''real'' classic car circles. A man cannot sell a car to another without causing such controversy.
What business is it off anyones but to celebrate the existence of such a great Bug where ever it sits on Mother Earth :)

You use the term ''Lock Up'' very loosely  ;D

Some say that if we all had the same opinions the world would be a boring place. This is somewhat true, but thread turns like this make VW internet socialization very unappealing.

It's moved on to a good place I think.

I saw a recent interview with Bruce Meyer on a "History of the Hot Rod" show where he was talking about the historic hot rods he has restored and owns, and he said they are not Bruce Meyer cars, they are the Pierson Bros coupe, the Socal belly tank, etc. 

The situation is the same with this green "64.  It's always "Dave Rhoads' '64".  It's just moved on to a different caretaker now.

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I knew I would get some panties in a twist hehhehehehehe  ;)

its not like I am "Pissed off" about the sale I guess I am just a little disapointed  :'(

Any chance Russel could pop over to Japan and grab some of the cars tucked away over there... Its a really shame for some of them to be hidden from our eyes !!

Cars are moving objects and their location is seldom important.
But the Cal-look cars of California is perhaps different, at least seen from the outside.

If you were to compare them with buildings it's a bit more clear, if you had enough money and bought the leaning tower of Pisa and placed it Borås in Sweden, would the magic be the same?
Would it draw as many people to Borås as it did to Pisa??

My point is simple, location is part of the magic. Also with cars.
I love to see the cars in Europe, but I would love it even more to see them in California...

Perhaps this is what Lee is feeling... and maybe not... I don't know, anyway, congratulations Russel!!

Now there's a good idea! Looked after AND seen at events?! Thats surely every old VW's dream come true...

Amen  ;)

BUT before we get any more "issues" I think people have really taken my posts "out of context"

I have NO repeat NO issues with either Russell or Dave for this sale I am just DISAPOINTED thats all  :(

To hear that my all time favourite VW/Cal looker had been sold was a horrible feeling - Having spent some very cool time with Dave on our road trip to SCC back in 2008 Talking about how him and his dad had built the dash and the Late night street racing in the 70's (& hiding from the Cops!) I just could not believe he'd actually sold it!!!! :'( :'( :'(

So I wish Russell all the best with his new purchase and I look forward to seeing it at EBI4 (maybe even with Mr Rhoads driving ;))

Lee, as y`r almost Norwegian now you have certain obligations, so I corrected that last sentence for You ;)  :D

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Dam Right Dude - Maybe Dave/Russ will let me have a little drive  ??? ;)

Seriously though - Good luck Russ  :)

Well said there Monki, exactly what i tried to say in my first post.
It's one of my favourite lookers too, but then I allready knew we had the same taste  ;D LOL

And no, I wouldn't go to Borås to look at a leaning tower. Come to think of it I haven't been to Pisa either..  :D

 ;) :) Its funny just how quickly some panties get in a twist  :D

Once again Good luck Russ  :)

(This should put the cat back with the pigeon's - I would have prefered it if Dave had NEVER restored the 64 in the first place :o but thats just me hehehehehehehehe ;))

Guys thanks for the support and the opinions........ I gave Monkiboy a call today to confirm a few facts.  ;D However like him I was disappointed that Dave wanted to sell it but delighted to be offered it.

Dave Rhoads is one of the guys that make this scene what it is today, and whatever he does with his stuff is his choice as is for anyone else........

 ;) :)

Amen to that - Dave is deffinetly one of my Hero's  ;D

Well.....I am proud to tell people that my old car is know owned by Russell and being well taken care of in Scotland. When I was driving it on the streets of Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas I got the same thumbs up I did in Whittier, LaHabra and down Beach Blvd on the way to Huntington beach. Location is just that, a Location, I have lived all over the US since leaving So Cal but you couldn't tell from my garage and game room in my basement, they are full of VW/Cali stuff. My car now resides next to my Dad and brothers cars, Sum Fun and Radical Rod. I think it is so cool they are all back together in the same garage. I owned the car for 28 years and will always have fond memories of spanking the muscle cars around So Cal but life goes on, I am just glad someone else is creating more memories with it and appreciates it as much as I did.
P.S. remember Russell load the trans and bring it up to around 7400-7600 and let her rip...Life begins at 7000 rpm.......

Larry Schultz

Aberdeen - North EAST Scotland = one of, if not the, dryest part of the UK.......

Deeply, deeply, deeply jealous of Mr Ritchie over this and all his purchases of historical cars (and obviously the financial clout to do so! :P) but at least it's going to as good a home as possible. I can totally understand the Californians being disappointed at its emigration but nice to know it's now just up the road from me! ;D

Having grown up in Riverside in the 70s - Its bittersweet - hate to see the cars go, but I'm glad for our European brothers, they now get a chance to experience the CalLook lifestyle.

....and Damn, you Cats do embrace the lifestyle 8)

Welcome to thje lounge ceejay , enjoy

One one hand it´s a bummer to see one of the few original cal-look legends part with his car.

On the other, if I was to be selling my car at some point, I would gladly give a discount to a buyer from a different country. As opposed to see it ruined at a local cruise night the year after...

Thankyou very much Black Sheep, I signed up a while back, I just haven't had anything worthwhile to post yet  ;D (and still haven't! :-[) but have enjoyed the forum for a while.

Very nice!  I can't wait to see this car in real!  To me this is a pure example of the traditional callook cars, pure seventies.

Hope to see it at EBI4 this year.

Philip Steenackers
Flatline-Lowriders
Belgium

It arrived today, yee ha..... out the container and down for a MOT......and a pass first time registered tomorrow and then hitting the streets of So Cold Aberdeen.

I think I see those BRMs shivering....

Congrats Russell,  I hated to see it go but happy it is STILL in good hands and with great company.

COOL in more ways than one ;D

Wow!! Congrats Russel!

I would love to see it in real but unfortunally i wont be able to make it to any of the European events. And you will probably not be on any of the Swedish events this year, do you?  ;D

Regards Patrik

Lovely car, enjoy it and drive hard :)

Love that car!

Russell, is there any way that you can get the Uk registration numbers of some of the US cars you buy to match the US numbers, like Luke Theochari did with his Herbie? It would be very cool if DVLA has OWN991 available! ;D