The Cal-look Lounge

Hello,

I was wondering if there was any US classic cars owners around here ? Who will dare to confess at least  ;D
I know there is a sort of childish rivalry between the two, but I think it's better to learn from both worlds than being sectarian....
My first love was US cars, but in Europe the easiest way to go concerning parts and acces was the beetle, but in 1999 I bought my first US car from California, a 72 Buick Skylark...
Both worlds are fun to enjoy with lot of different bodies and a big parts market...
I like to enjoy looking a the diversity of cars and all the things you can do to them...Hot-Rod/Kustom/Leadsled/Gasser/Off -Road/Pro-Touring/Racing/Street machine/Van,and so on.....

(http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/539678photo.jpg)

So this is one of my US car, a 72 Buick Skylark V8 350ci, auto trans, power steering and brakes....
I improved some parts to enjoy the pleasure of going fast ...also in corners...., there is 4 BAER disc brakes 13" and 11", Eibach springs, Koni shocks, Hotchkiss and Hellwig sway bars, Eaton posi differential, tubular front and rear suspension arms, Aeromotive fuel pump and regulator, Ceramic headers, Flowmaster exhaust, TA Performance intake, QFT blow through carb, intercooler , ATI Procharger P1SC, ...the wheels are 17"American racing Salt Flat.
It's very fun to drive, I 'm still tuning the carb (the car is still in "da werks" and only runs for some months with the supercharger).

I know that people who loves cars as much as I do and who aren't narrow minded can appreciate US cars, too bad for the others....

David

(http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/5461/lpnz.jpg)

I rode in a similar Skylark with suspension upgrades.
It was a nice surprise how flat and fast it handled on the freeway off and on ramps.

At least in San Diego its feels kinda patriotic to cruise around in an American muscle car.
70.5 Z28 33k mile all stock.

Another used V8 car that makes a great touring GT are the C5 or C6 Vettes.
The black 2002 C5Z has just 10k miles on it, all it needs is a radar detector and a gasoline credit card.
Vettes are so common in the states that no one really notices them.

Its not childish rivalry, its fact, for as long as VWs have raced the V8 guys and manufactures have changed the rules in order to keep VW's from kicking there ass, whilst there are some nice cars, this would be the wrong place to air you dirty washing, long live the flat 4

Haha..... Lovely answer Russell, not exactly disproving David's gentle comment about the nature of the rivalry!!

I have a wide range of interest with cars too.....

I have 1941 Lincoln Zephyr  an early 50's style custom project that will have either v8 or v12 power,
My  traditional late 50's style 1929 Model A Ford project has a 1951 Cadillac 331ci V8 engine
And I have a 1966 Mustang too, only a straight 6, but fuel is expensive!!

I'll get some photos up tomorrow

Cheers.......Jick

yep the rules saved all the V8s... I'll have whatever Gasser is drinking.  :-*
what a relief I dont have a flat 4 VW kicking my ass...Audi quatro now that's a real threat.  ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_JORWw_o8g

Sorry guys forgot about this thread.....

G
Like the replies

And I drink pump gas with my 48 Ida's or grey goose vodka lol

no doubt you have optimized that ratio too.  8) 
I think VWs mostly ran on beer/soda in the day.  ;)

Hmm any V8s??

[attachment=1]

Nope... haven't seen any.  ;D

slick truck dude.
Beacher has a pick up he will never sell.

my father in laws truck new, now with rotted wood bed.
700r4 it cruises at 75mph, feels over powered...
think its sold.  :-\

"Childish rivalry" holds a certain ring of truth to it, but it certainly isn't exclusive to just the V8 crowd, or VW for that matter.  It's something I've observed with car guys, in general.  The V8 guys I've known actually hold a fair amount of respect toward the performance potential of the air-cooled VW platform.  There's a fair number of jerks out there that talk smack, too, it's true, but it's across the board... the sport compact guys talk trash about the V8 dinosaurs (the most common insult hurled), the V8 guys spit on the tuner guys, the VW guys generally talk smack about the tuner guys, as well, at least more often so than other groups, and so on and so on. 
It's all pretty petty stuff, but, when done in a good-natured competitive spirit, just part of the car scene.
When the insults fly out of a sincere belief by one group or another that their automotive platform of choice is truly superior to others, then it truly becomes a stupid, childish engagement in which no one wins; because, in truth, there's no such thing as one superior platform.  People build what they love, period.

[attachment=2][attachment=1][attachment=3]
Back in the days, before VWs I had some shoebox Chevys.
Townsman 210 and a 2d 150 Utility Sedan.
The 2d was with a  ´68 Corvette 327 topped with a TPI.
Nice cars, love them still :)

And if you wonder about the color, it was 1995 :)

Yep. I admit it too. 66 Nova Wagon with a 383 stroker.
(http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv353/roscoesvw/bth_wagon1640x480.jpg)
(http://i699.photobucket.com/albums/vv353/roscoesvw/bth_wagon3640x480.jpg)

Apart from my vdubs, i have a 40 ford deluxe tudor sedan
(http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt115/neilswheels/Photo0054.jpg) (http://s603.photobucket.com/user/neilswheels/media/Photo0054.jpg.html)

long burn out...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=W-dfVIjslGQ&feature=fvwp

Geez -- Now I'm feeling lacking --- For the first time in my life I've looked out onto my driveway and I don't have a V8 setting there --

1 V6 and 3 4 bangers -- -- What's the world coming too?????? LOL




I am looking at a 4-door Bronco that has a 460 V8 -- that should take car of that craving -- -- and gas budget LOL

It's rusty, had been painted with a bazooka, some corners bondoed with a shovel and it only got a 170ci slant6 but it's a fun groceries getter. I overhauled the brakes, direction components, suspension, tires, wheels bearings etc to get it running safely and reliably.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bWl5Qii9HFk/UjDHLLS8t0I/AAAAAAAAB7E/OQnsY026A7A/w800-h600-no/dod.jpg)

My first love and passion are air cooled VW's but......The first car I ever worked on hot rodded was a '70 olds cutlass S with a rocket 350 in it. The car was given to me after it was wrecked. Learned so much from fooling with that car! Learned about bodywork! Learned about how crappy it is to drive an overcammed street car with an automatic transmission that needed a stall converter to cope with the raised engine powerband and high idle!! In short I didn't know what the hell I was doing! Over time I learned and did get it running great after I changed the cam and had some more head work done.  I made tons of memories and had so many good times in that car!! All my friends still tell stories about that car! Isn't that what it's all about?   Even beat a 396 chevelle with it!

I had a 90 5.0L LX mustang as well.  It was fun but too expensive and difficult to hot rod (at the time). Sold it with very low miles. I always wanted a Hot VW!

I have to say to me all the s&%t talking between enthusiasts of different flavors of hot rodding is kind of silly. If it's in fun that's cool but if it's beiing disrespectful that's crap.  Given enough time, money,effort, and know how, any car can be made to be fast.  I respect any effort that an enthusiast makes to hot rod something. I may wonder why someone would hot rod a certain make / car but many times that's the very reason someone chose to hot rod it (AMC pacer or gremlin?? for example).  I know people wonder why I spent so much money  / time on my VW but it's just what I love and choose to do.  Kind of like tastes in music or food.....to each his own that's all. There's room for all of us.  It's all good.....Jusy my $.02

No V8 but a Chevy S10 fourbanger as daily driver  ;)

My V8's.     :)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vW-XmHgNFs4/UqsH6wMJq1I/AAAAAAAAAzs/8zeQ_DWRics/s640/2013_12_13_13_12.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-sED-NbOUcX0/UqsH9Ajkp9I/AAAAAAAAAz0/mdwmGSO_zfc/s640/2013_12_13_13_13.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aZ5hfD9yCjc/UqsIA18mWkI/AAAAAAAAAz8/Yc7OAgogSBY/s640/2013_12_13_13_13.jpg)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bkn3rPsb2H4/UqsIbvd4M6I/AAAAAAAAA0E/usjuZFBh_w4/s640/2013_12_13_13_13.jpg)

Luke its on the way!
Post some photos after you lower it.  8)
Thank you.

Not a V-8 but still a 235 straight six...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/hubba617/car%20stuff/2011-05-21_18-34-11_272.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/hubba617/media/car%20stuff/2011-05-21_18-34-11_272.jpg.html)

It does need a healthy V-8 for the rumble though... ;D

With the 18" OZ wheels

(http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/554799buiccc.jpg)

(http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/650978buiccc2.jpg)

(http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/734965buiccc1.jpg)


The salt Flat are now back on.

I went on the dyno with the engine in stock (bottom) configuration

My combo:
72 350ci engine, stock block, TA performance intake, QFT SS-650-BAN carb, Superiorvelocity carb hat, headers + 2.5 Flowmaster exhaust, MSD 6AL ignition.

Result : 350HP DIN(at the crank) at 4500 RPM with 630Nm=464 lb ft at 2200 rpm

Can't wait to build my second engine with the appropriate cam and components...

For sure ...I like street driven fast cars....oh wait there is no street driven VW at the Drag week ??
Can't get faster than 6.16 with a street legal V-dubs....tooo bad !  :D ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osYXDVZR2is

(I recognise, his S10 is less beautifull than his previous Nova...)

So who's gonna take the challenge ??

This was in this year's Drag Week, and getting a lot of love from Freiburger

(http://stblogs.hotrod.com/files/2014/09/2014-Drag-Week-Registration-Day-115.jpg)

It ran regular low 20s in the Daily Driver class. Ironically its fastest time slip was when it stalled on the line and was given a 'default' 20.00 sec timeslip. :D

 :D :D :D