The Cal-look Lounge

I noticed after looking threw all the Pictures of EBI there sure are a lot of Slammed Cars some are so Low I dont know how they can Drive them, the streets there are not that great over there I know some have air Bags But is there a reason? for wanting the car So Low?  here are two pictures  of Calif Convertible's the yellow one use to belong to me but it was never That Low and the other is a New Breed Convertible

(http://www.lowlifevw.com/forums/garage.php?mode=view_gallery_item&type=garage_mod&image_id=11)

WHY?  ITS THE ONLY WAY TO GO..... :o

I always figured it was the accessories that weighed it down! ;D

Keith, you're an evil , evil man.....other than that, how are you?

LOL all the EXTRA chrome trim and the load of wood on the roof?? ;D ;D

Cause it looks cool.   :D


(http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h5/chrisware/My%20Car/100_2611.jpg)

HI

You can see my low ride on my blog   www.thenastygray.blogspot.com

Best Regards
Thomas

Ditto

My sway bar is different i think, with it it´s not ridable (>4cm from sway bar to flour) or are you guys drive without sway bars?

Our streets in austria aren´t so bad, but not as good to drive like on pic !

YES IT DOES......

(http://www.oldbug.com/324%20013.jpg)

Hi John
tell Rich I would have loved to put this one in a container for him
he'll understand
regards Gunter from Belgium
will you guys sent out cars to Belgium for EBI2 next year ?
that might be an idea no ?

Gunter

THAT WOULD BE A COOL IDEA.....

Hey John, we should warn you, there's a weight limit on the ship. All those accessories could drag a ship to the bottom...  ;D ;D

Hey John, we should warn you, there's a weight limit on the ship. All those accessories could drag a ship to the bottom...  ;D ;D
[/quote]

 ::)  :o

As you all know ive now got Rich's R (german folks club) old brown 50 rag and its not as low as i expected, but i cant help wonder how it would handle with 2332 twin 48 IDA, raised a couple of slpines in the rear and a original set of BRMS on it............................ Just thinking, told you i had a boring weekend.

My oval is not low at all. Front is lowered just so the wheel matches the fender opening, rear is actually a little higher than original to get the big wheels out of the fenders. "Cause it looks so cool"..
My bus isn't lowered at all. That's mainly because it suits the "1970 look" it has, but also because all buses nowadays scrape the ground and have narrowed beams (not saying they aren't cool)  Oval:  http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?topic=2033.msg25147#msg25147

AIN'T WORRIED ABOUT THAT KEITH, MY WORRY IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DKP GUYS WHEN THEY TOOK THERE CARS OVER TO A VOLKSWORLD SHOW MANY YEARS BACK... :o...

IT WAS SLAMMED MORE IN THE FRONT RUSSELL, WE RAISED THE FRONT SO  EVERYTHING WOULD BE OK DURING SHIPPING,, JUST GET UNDER THERE AND LOWER IT BACK DOWN LIKE A REAL VW SHOULD BE.. :P

This could run and run... We just have to accept that some of us are right and some of you are wrong!  :D

I Hate Ground Scrapers they ride bad, handle crappy ,and look stupid but that look dose go  with all the roof rack,ice chest carring VW's with all the chrome trim, we should invent a New Name for those cars we can call them the J.C. Whittney Cal Looks or call them closet Cars if accessories can be hung on a VW they Will Be.   Just My 2 Cents    HERE is a Picture of what the Cal Look is About there is no other way to Build a Cal Look 

Not too low

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid184/p0d99297d81c8232d31529325ef7b4189/f27ed58f.jpg)

Could do with some 70 profile tyres instead of 65 out back though  ;)

I remember tons of cal look cars in the 70's - early 80's that you could hardly get your big toe under the apron... some of them were fast cars , too....

I like mine with the tyres fitting centrally in the wheel arches.... not too low.

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/1967vw/Picture039.jpg)

My cars are at the rear height my fulcum plates likes the best... slightly lower than stock.

I remember shattering a soda bottle lying on it's side with my sway bar... what's that 3-4 inches?

I like them low but they have to be on a rake. They don't look right level.

NO ONE BUILDS CAL-LOOK CARS THAT WAY ANYMORE... :o AT LEAST HERE IN THE STATES.. ::)

Yeah they do. Just not any of the German Folks crew.

All you need is a good rubber rake.

--louis

You just said it!! Read what you Said NO ONE BUILDS CAL-LOOK CARS THAT WAY ANYMORE  that's right the Stuff you drive is a Wanta Be a Cal Look anyone can Slam a Car to the Ground and add all the J.C.Whittney Crap on It then try to say its a Cal Look.

There once was a man named Lutz............

who's head was stuck up his butts ;D

Not sure about the States..,
(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p309534f3947ab97ea6e2ccf670b3a287/e8a37b43.jpg)

But Uncle Al from Defcon3 builds them like it in the UK  ;)

Drool

--louis

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pe5aac1e99da89ddb2fe07ad38f9e6898/e8c87af5.jpg)
Perhaps we should cal it UK Look instead of Cal Look  :o

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pfbe54867c06aabcd2942a6fe471830d2/e8c842b7.jpg)
Or Belgium Look  ;)

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pd30be5359075087cf6271e5332ff1ade/e8c6c1bf.jpg)
Or plain old European Look  :D

So if you guys could ship over the hot sunny weather, we'd love you forever  8)

WANNA BE CAL-LOOK? COME ON  BUDDY, TRUST ME THE GFK LOOK (AS ITS BEEN SAID) IS NO WAY A WANNA BE CAL-LOOK. NEVER WAS AND NEVER WILL BE.. I'M NOT BAGGIN ON CAL-LOOK I LOVE ALL TYPES OF LOOKS. EVEN HAVE PEOPLE I  CALL FRIENDS IN ONE OF THE OLDEST CAL-LOOK CLUB (DKP).. I'M JUST POINTING OUT THAT THE PICTURE FROM THE CAL-LOOK BIBLE AND SOME OF THE NEWEST AND BEST CAL-LOOK CARS FROM THE STATES; DOUG M., ARRON B.,RYAN R.,RANDY G.,AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DID NOT FOLLOW THAT SO CALLED "WHAT CAL-LOOK SHOULD BE"... ..... THEY ALL HAVE SIDE MOULDINGS, WINDOW RUBBER WITH TRIM, VENT WING DOORS, FULL BUMPERS... YES THEY ARE RAKED IN THE BACK WITH BIG MOTORS BUT THATS ABOUT IT...

P.S. THERE IS SOME SURVIVORS STILL OUT THERE AROUND, I'M NOT SAYING THERE IS NO MORE CAL-LOOK STYLE CARS ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS GARY J. 64,... STILL RUNNING STRONG I BELIEVE 25 YEARS NOW

What ever happened to old "Berg Jr." ?  He was intially a real Berg proponent, and then all of a sudden he went just the other way and started pissing off people.  Met him at Frenchy's party some years ago, and he went on a rant about Chinese missiles being funded by VW cranks being pointed towards his kids.  Full of all sorts of colorful language.

(http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pfbe54867c06aabcd2942a6fe471830d2/e8c842b7.jpg)

mmm, that car sits just right. Are there any other pics? Specs? Who owns it? Been in any mags yet?

Thanks,

--louis

If one reads the Cal-look drawing... one soon see that such cars havent been buillt for ages!
-When did you last see tinted ONLY rear side windows?
-When did you last see handmade Nerfbars? 
-And how about the flush mounted Licence plate WITH accessory light?

I dare you to build one Shubee!!  ;D

I think the owner's called Kurt, and he's from The Flatlanders VW Club. Volks World feature last year I think  ??? OG BRM's on a 67 Standard, awesome car. I might have some more pics somewhere on my home computer. I think the owner might be on here though  :)

Kurt van Perre, Flatline Lowriders.. (http://flatline-lowriders.skynetblogs.be/)

(http://www.kolumbus.fi/tero.j.virta/images/2006_BugShow_69.jpg)

It is in the Works I am Building my 58 Ragtop Just like the Picture but Will Have an NOS EMPI deck lid will be a SunRoof and Wheels will Be Americans the Nerf Bars will be swaped for Hex T Bars motor will be my 84x94 IDA Motor that put out 237 H.P. on the Dyno @6500  so In the Future if you see some Old Fart Driving an Old Cal Look it might be me

I am Really Shocked that The Cal Look Started Here In Orange County Calif back in the Early 70's Which I was A Part Of of the Old School VW Clubs and Cars But I have To Say the Europeans have the USA Beat Hands Down On Building A Correct Cal Look none of there cars are Over Dunn Trailer Queens there cars are built right and sit right tastefull set of wheels big motors and Driven that what a Cal Look Was Built For Back in the 70's  look at these cars now They Have The Look  not sure if we should call it the Cal Look Since They Are Better at it then We Are But In any Case  Your Cars Look Great And Support the Real Old School Cal Look..

(Barring the bracketed text) THE FEB '75 HOT VW'S CAL-LOOK DRAWING TEXT IS ALL IN CAPITALS!

I've always wondered how much the U.S cars are driven? You go to Das Drag Day and EBI, and you see cars driven from the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Finland  :o and so on. These are all big motored cars, and get driven hard without a second thought. Would you guys think of driving 600 miles + to go to  a show  ???

SOME OF THE NEWEST AND BEST CAL-LOOK CARS FROM THE STATES; DOUG M., ARRON B.,RYAN R.,RANDY G.,AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DID NOT FOLLOW THAT SO CALLED "WHAT CAL-LOOK SHOULD BE"... ..... THEY ALL HAVE SIDE MOULDINGS, WINDOW RUBBER WITH TRIM, VENT WING DOORS, FULL BUMPERS... YES THEY ARE RAKED IN THE BACK WITH BIG MOTORS BUT THATS ABOUT IT...  To Me Those Cars Are all RESTO CAL's  Redone Stock Car Built Motor and Trans, Flat 4's or Alloys Slamed and a Flat 4 Steering Wheel Hardly Can call that a Cal Look

IMHO trailers are for boats. It is one of the reasons why the '67 will have undercoating instead of a shiny powder coated pan. I plan to drive it, a lot. Folks used to do that on the Berg cruise and it looked like a lot of fun. People don't take me serious when I say I want to drive my '67 from Florida to California for the Classic in a few years. (A little over 2000 miles)



I have thought for a long time that the cars coming out of Europe were/are some of the best Cal-look cars being built. (The Japanese build some nice ones too though.) American built cars seem to be more of the German Folks or DRKC style cars. Full trim, full interiors, big motors, built mostly for show. One of the reasons I seem to spend more time on this forum lately than the CLF. (Well that and the attitudes.)

--louis

Louis its nice to know there are still a few of us alive that No What a True Cal Look Looks Like and they were Built to be Driven Back in The Day most of the motor Sizes were 69x88 (1700)  69x92 (1835) 74x88 (1900) most motors ran a 120 or 130 engle cam a set of Berg Heads or Fumio Heads 48 IDA's and most of these cars ran very low 13's in Full Cal LOOK Trim and were Driven Daily and By the Way Its more then 2000 mile's to the classic LOL  I am just south of Dallas Texas and its 1,580 mile's from here

This appears to be a rear height issue, drop my 67 a few inches in the rear, it's a completely different look. Is my car 'Cal Look' or 'Resto Cal'? I just built it to please the DKP boys. ;).next year its back to the plan...Mulholland Look.
As for trailering, well, most people who knock it don't own a tow vehicle or a trailer. Glorious A/C, auto,cruise,... Seriously, I have driven my 67 to The Classic, 2000 KM each way, no problem. The 8.2 CR 1776 was great, ran cool, pulled up the grapevine as fast as I wanted. Getting caught in the rain is my #1 reason I trailer any great distance.

ROAD TRIP  ;D

A man after my own heart  ;)

I've got a new Golf 2.0 TDi which would be a great tow car, a/c and all the bells, but my cars only been trailered once (well twice if you include the low loader home after blowing the box racing). And when it was trailered, it was due to the motor not being connected up as it wasn't ready for the Volks World show...

I've cleaned my pan up and had it painted up nice and pretty, then had it covered in thick stone chip  ;)

When I eventually get it back, I'll drive the nuts off it  ;D

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY??!!  ;D

You have a great car Lanny. I can only hope mine turns out half as nice.

I am mostly referring to people who only drive their car on and off the trailer. I could trailer my car if I wanted too. But I like cars to work on and drive. Not sit around some grass or asphalt lot polishing rims and shooing away people who might leave finger prints on the paint. Its a VW, not a D-type.

--louis

This appears to be a rear height issue, drop my 67 a few inches in the rear, it's a completely different look. Is my car 'Cal Look' or 'Resto Cal'? I just built it to please the DKP boys.


Hello Lanny you car is Very nice and well Done but it is more of a RESTO Cal And it is built just like the DKP Cars of today All the Trim and Bumpers left on, as far as trailing a Car like yours or anyother Cal Look  I might do it for the First few Shows But After That It Would Be Street Driven What Good or Fun is a Car You cant Enjoy to Me I would Ratther Drive It Then Worry about a Rain Drop on it you spend all the Money to Redo a Car Then it sits in the garage under a Car Cover I can Think of alot of other things I could do with the Money Spent On A Car thats sits and Collects Dust....

Just need to lose those bumpers.  :P

--louis

and the trim

Wow that car sits HARD on that picture!! Nice CAR Lanny!!  ;)

Lanny's car is awesome, except if he gives it the Mulholland look  :o

Then he'll have to send Tims T shirt back  ;)

He Can Send Me the T Shirt I am 100% Old School and a 100% Old Fart ;D ;D ;D

Thanks for the compliment, John....Meant to drive? Yes.....My cars was daily driven for almost 11 years. Even back and forth from Chino to Anaheim for about 6 of those. Now, I'm just trying to preserve it. It comes out when it needs to.

There's already one old fart (sorry Sarge  ;D) waiting for one

I'VE NO IDEA!!! :P

That is a sweet looking motor. Is that a hammertone finish?

--louis

Hey I am Older Then Sarge LOL he can Wait for his  he has longer time left to wear his LMAO ;D ;D ;D  Tell them Sarge OLD FARTS RULE!!!!

Yes, Louis...Silver Hammertone powdercoat. Thanks for the compliment.

Couple of photos you posted earlier.. How popular was it to run with stock trim, bumpers, indicators, vent windows in 70's? Were there more cars like these or cars according to the drawing in Hot VWs?

(http://www.fvwa.sitefactory.fi/data/6609.jpg)

(http://www.fvwa.sitefactory.fi/data/6608.jpg)

                                                                         "There is no other way to build a Cal Look" ....Shubee

My car has no...front Koni shocks, Talbot mirror, custom dash, tinted rear quarter glass, hard to find wheels, deck lid stand offs, flush mounted license plate or quit pack muffler.  I built my car to my taste; not from some blueprint, cookie-cutter drawing from the 70's.  So, maybe it's not "Cal Look"...who really cares?  The bottom line is simple...I like my car the way it is.  Here's a question for you...What do these guys all have in common (other then being DKP members); Art Gutierrez, Jim Kaforski, John Rayburn, Bill Schwimmer, Jim Kurlinski, Dave Mason, Stephan Szantai, Henry Oelkers Jim Ratto, and Carlos De Alba?  All of them have chrome trim.  Resto Cal??  I seriously doubt it.

This thread has gotten WAY off topic. There are tons of beautiful low cars. Opinions are fine. PONTIFICATING sucks. "Old School" Cal-Look has nothing to do with the topic. The evolution of custom VWs is a wonderful thing. Cal-Look, itself, has evolved.....I appreciate, and am humbled by many of the cars that are "low".......SO......let's get back on topic (for those of you who drive their low cars).

Actually it is one of the great things about this hobby that there are so many different perspectives and different tastes. It keeps the cars from getting boring. As long as your happy with your car and it's style then I wouldn't get too hung up on titles. If everyone's car looked alike then this forum would be hella dull. Besides, what the 'ell do I know about 70's cal-look cars. In 1975 I was three lol.  ;D But I think there is something we can all agree on, whale tails are not cal-look.  :P Lets just get back to enjoying some cool cars and people.

Oh and for me, the perfect stance for a car is so the lip of the finder is just outlines the wheel but doesn't cover it.

--louis

I AGREE....

This is getting old. Build it however you want, call it whatever you need to that makes you happy. The owner of a car is the only person that actually has to pay to look at it. Everybody else gets to see it for free. You are a cool guy in person Shubee & I have known you a long time ,But some of your comments are getting a bit abrasive.

Sorry you feel that way Bill Not Trying to cause Trouble but this an open Forum and eveybody is intilted to your own Opinion  But I think The Europeans are Doing a Much better Job on  Buliding a Real Cal Look  I am Also  Building A 70's Cal Look Just like it was then And I know That there will be  some that like it and some that dont But I was There Then And I am Hear Now And I will Build it like it was 1975 all over again. Us Old Guys All hung out together back in the day Roger Crawford,Mark Huntshacker,Dan Mc Grath,Steve Sims (from Berg)Mike Smith,Scott Schroter,Frenchy,Roger Graco,any many others. Were Talking DKP 1, DKP 2 ,DRF, DRA, KOB ,DSK, DVB,  Some Guys on here were not even Born Then Doug and Clyde did not even have a Drivers License Then and Gene And Dee Berg Went To All The Car Rallys....  My Point is Ask An Old Cal Look Guy Whats Right and Whats Wrong  Ask Roger Crawford about the Old Days He is always around Nicks....

I remember more cal look cars in 75 with trim than without it....

 Funny, most critics rarely finish their projects or have a car that is remotely presentable. ;)

Why is it that our forums always end up in an "Us against us" situation when, if there has to be an 'against', it should be "Us (VW) against them (V8/import)"? Remember the old saying "together we stand, divided we fall?"

I'm personally not into super-low cars but think the GFK Bugs are awesome. Cal Look guys could do worse than to study the detailing!

I'm not personally into stock indicators on front fenders, or full bumpers, on what are considered to be Cal Lookers, but that's just me. That doesn't make it wrong.

When I next do a car, it will be done to suit me – although I probably won't even like it myself because I'm my own worst critic!

well this is how "LOW" my ride is  :D :D :D

"When I next do a car, it will be done to suit me – although I probably won't even like it myself because I'm my own worst critic!" I couldn't agree more Keith I know that feeling for sure - as far as I am concerned there are still a few things about my Manx that I hate ::) :)

Have you ever noticed how easily tempers get high whenever someone writes in capital letters? Even if it wasn't meant to cause a stir, as in this example.

We have had this meaningless discussions many times by now.... And there is no end to this discussion.
The cal look has evolved since before it was "christened" in 75... taste and auto fashion change to, and everything is fine until someone gets nostalgic... for whatever reason, be it age or some book out of England ;). When the nostalgic game gets rolling there suddenly is a "right and a wrong"  on how to do it... and that takes the fun out of it. BEFORE I got on the lounge my only reference for my nostalgic build was Volksworld and the Bible by Seume.   Keith did a hell of a job in translating history in to a truly fascinating topic, but to do this he had to lay down certain rules as what was hot and what was not, and we all (Europeans) obeyed. And soon all the cars looked like the DKP III cars, and some went even further and built trim less cars. But they "all" looked the same.
If there is anything I feel is in important to me in my car building its the phrase "DARE TO BE DIFFERENT"
Combining this phrase with building a nostalgic Cal-look seemed next to impossible before the lounge, but after having read the opinions of the old boys and after pestering Rick and Shubee I have come to realise that the cars "back then" and, more importantly, the people were just as different back then as we are now!

SO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.... build the cal looker YOU like!!

BTW, that was sort of the whole point of the SCC poster this year, they may look different, but they are all cal-lookers!

(http://www.v-dubs.no/jhu/cal-look.no/SCC2007.jpg)
 

that poster says it all!!!!

make it nice and subtle

less is more dudes

less hight? maybe
less trim? maybe
less wheels? not an option




more fun? ALWAYS!!!    ;D ;

AND ALWAYS FUN TO DRIVE........

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/366888.jpg)

this is mine

(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2149/dsc03127uu1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)


(http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3261/bi070209rr6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)