The Cal-look Lounge

Forgive me if this is a repost, but ive searched and can't find the answer-

What are the origins of "Sorry 'Bout That" - We've all seen the re-pop stickers you can get, and photo's of cars with this on the rear fender, but whose car was this first seen on and why?? Was it an 'apology' for blowing away a V8 in a bug??

Yes. And I think it was painted for the first time on Inch Pincher 1. I'll let the "experts" ( ;D) correct me if I'm wrong and post some pictures.

From what I can see in this thread : http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,6058.0.html It seems it was painted on the rear-right fender when Inch Pincher got its flaming paint-job done?

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6058.0;attach=19043;image)

There's this photo from before the flamming paint-job, but I don't know if it's already painted on the fender  ???

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6058.0;attach=19015;image)

Looks like youre right there Nico-  Does anyone know if it was inspired by any particular 'kill' or was it just a general taunt to the V8 guys??

I think this photo tells the story best.

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6058.0;attach=19043;image)

Consider the history.

Gasser classes were dictated by displacement in cubic inches and weight. For example, the I/Gas class dictated that the car had to weigh 9 to 11.99 pounds per cubic inch of engine displacement. So say that car had a 2180. That's 130 cubic inches. The car would have to weigh at least 1,170 pounds but no more than 1558.

Now say you show up to the digs in a respectable car--say a 327-powered '55 Chevy that weighs 3,200 pounds (stock is about 3,300 so that would be a 'lightened' car). That would be a pretty fast car on the streets. They'd throw you in I/Gas.

You're at the Winternationals and all those people are in the stands. Then you realize that they've paired you with that shitty Volkswagen, a car that most people assume is slow.

Now imagine that the 'shitty' volkswagen hands you your ass in front of all those people. The humiliation would be intense enough but then you'd see that mocking mocking apology as the car went past. "Hey, sorry for embarrassing you in front of all those people."

I'm sure V-8 racers HATED being paired with Volkswagens. Everyone expected the VW to lose so there was really no humiliation if you lost in a Volkswagen. But the V-8 guys had EVERYTHING to lose by getting beaten. It's like the whole David vs. Goliath thing.

Like a lot of race car graphics and logos, the "Sorry'bout that" was a catch phrase, title, lyric or or somesuch taken from and/or  that originated in the Movie/TV/pop music arena... Think, Goofy Grape, Here Come da Bug, Color Me Gone, High and Mighty etc etc..This particular saying was made popular by Nancy Sinatra on one of her mid sixties albums.. I remember the cover because she had a super short pullover sweater and boots on...Some covers are just more memorable than others.. like Whipped Cream by herb Alpert...Anyway, If i recall the lyric, the "singer" was being facetious, in that she was not really sorry at all..So when somebody did amisdeed they were really not sorry for .."Sorry 'bout that entered the American slang, catch phrase area...  Also.. That  327 Chevy, if raced in Gas coupe and sedan class, would have probably been in a much higher class than I/Gas.. Most likely B or C gas .. A  local Gas car of the lower ranks would have most likely had it ass handed to it by the bug..I gas was one of the lower gas classes ostensibly created for the little guy with the lnline six, Buick straight eight or flatheads and the like with pre 60 heads IIRC.. G and H Gas were the two classes  at the beginning.. at, I believe 9 and 11 pounds per cube respectably.. H  Gas gas is where I saw the Pincher demolish the H gas field with an of the trailer 14.31 pass back in 1965 At the Division 7 meet at Bonneville Raceway In Salt lake City. It had some saying painted on the tail like bye bye flatheads and blue flamers.. referring to valve in head ford " Flatheads, and the Chevy "stovebolt"  in line "Blue Flame" Detroit loved to name engines and transmissions... Fireball, fire dome, Fireflite, Turbo fire, turboglide, power glide, red ram, and one of the best advertising wet dreams. turbo thrift six... LOL... Don't know exactly when the saying fi5rst appeared.. Sorry 'bout that...

 

For sure it was ironic--nobody in a Volkswagen ever felt bad about smoking a Detroit pig. If I recall Sinatra was rubbing it in her ex boyfriend's face for taking her for granted.


Actually I screwed up there; I forgot that starting in '68 or so that H through K classes were for non-conventional natural-aspirated engines (inliners, Flatheads, fours, and so on). A 3,200-pound 327-powered car would've landed in D/gas but only because it was a V-8 and not because it had an 'alternative' engine. I/Gas was basically the same as part of C/Gas, all of D/Gas, and part of E/Gas, just for 'alternative' engines.



Yeah, that was K/Gas. According to the rule book K was for “Non-supercharged flathead V-8s, in-line fours or sixes and straight-eight engines of American manufacture with stock production type heads installed in American production bodies.” And as far as I know there was no weight/displacement calculation--it was just one class. At least it was that way for a little bit. I think K/Gas became J/Gas or something.

 

it was painted on the car with that paint scheme nico
but painted in black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_jvdPqZaqY

Thanks for the picture Fabs  ;D

I had something similar on my car...

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/637403.jpg)

 ;)

Some great info here, cheers guys!!

This place is a goldmine of information  8)