The Cal-look Lounge

Last week, my son's scout master emailed me, saying that he had heard through the grapevine that I knew something about VW's.  His son just got his permit and wanted to buy a VW for his first car.  Dad wanted him to be able to take a ride in one and wondered if I knew where they could drive one for an hour or so.  He also said when he was growing up, in Yorba Linda (in Orange County), he had a bug with dual carbs that was "a Cal Bug", but he wasn't a car guy. I asked if he was trying to encourage or discourage his son's interest, and he replied neither one.

So, I set it up for them to drive Russ' split yesterday.

The only thing I told them about was that it had a bigger engine and would be louder than a stock VW. Oh, and how to start it and use the signals, as a split has a push button starter in it and the semaphores.  Off they went.  

About an hour later, they returned and I was curious to hear their opinions.  Dad said, "I really needed to give it some gas off the line to get it going, and the clutch pedal was pretty firm!"  He then turned to his son and asked him if he was still interested in getting one............................."Oh yeah!" was the reply.

That brought back more than a few memories of first cars, learning and advance curves, cars on jack stands at my parents house and a timing light for Christmas.

 He'll learn, I hope.[attachment=1]

You realize you are now the official recruiter for our future Cal Look Kids? Now you need to go scout out all those 10-12 yr old kids popping wheelies on their BMX bikes and do a WOT pass in Russ car past them. You'll hook most of them. The ones that matter anyway.
Cool story Dave  8)

well a bit unrelated or maybe not...
i went to a big carshow here in Belgium a few weeks ago, but it was more water-cooled young guys. they do like old aircooled cars and they where present, but they almost all suffered from the 'saggy rear' syndrome. a guy here on the lounge and me where the exception... But they dig it. they like the cars, but have no starting point to get involved, seems to me this callook or even aircooled thing comes in phases/ waves. hope there is a new one coming up. for now they like big, really big shiney rims with skinny nankangs on their air ride equipped golfs (or insert any type or brand for that matter)
but a young guy who helped organizing this event really would like a ghia. i'll just have to twist his arm a bit more i guess...  ;D

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Dave,
Given them the keys to drive Russ' '52, you've shown both the Vintage as well as the Cal Look side to this new prospect. Don't you now worry that he'll grow up like some of your friends and have to have try and involve himself in both sides of the VW hobby?

A Gen 2 or 3 Golf to these guys is like an Oval or a Split to us..........
 ;)

Most young kids have no idea what an air cooled VW, let alone a Cal-Look Vw is.  My son is 12 and he knows but he's the exception. When his friends come over and they go in the garage they say "what is is thing?!? I let them sit in it look at it, listen to the engine etc. and then I take them for a ride.....At this point they either like it, could care less, or don't like it....So far 4 out of six like it.. I'm trying to recruit 'em but many kids have no interest in the mechanical aspect of modifying cars themselves.  They all read Motor Trend and just look for the fastest exotic car...Now thet they're older I'll start bringing them to shows (in the bug) and hopefully some races. We'll see what happens.

I like the water cooled cars, but the older ones...I had an 83 GTI and it was a great car...different animal. The eurotuner stuff is cool just not my thing. To each his / her own.