The Cal-look Lounge

Besides taking pictures of VWs, I also shoot a variety of other car-related subjects.
Last Monday, I visited a large private collection of vintage cars and hot rods, a.k.a. Joe's Garage in Tustin. (They also rent the place for various functions). What an incredible place! All walls feature some sort of painting, always based around the automoble subject.

The highlight of the day was the discovery of a Midget with a killer engine... You guessed it: a VW-powered flat-four! It is based around a Type 4 case and uses a Hilborn fuel injection system. Midgets raced on oval tracks such as Ascot, which closed during the late '80s. I was lucky enough to see some of the races back in 1988. Crazy stuff.

some more pics of the place world be nice ?

Something very similar to that sold at auction in Seattle WA, a while ago. The rules for midget racing were changed, and the VW style engine was no longer usable or competative. I can't remember which. Anyway, the car was complete. It had a Scat 3 liter motor, with Hilborn injection. 3117cc IIRC. The midget sold at auction for US$3500. You could probably sell the wheels and tires off, and cover most of that.

It's looking awesome, with the engine just in front (under?) the driver's feets....

Frank and I knew a VW powered midget. His name was Doug Willard and he was mean. 

Jim thats not very nice >:(

I think Dave Greiner had or helped with a VW powered Midget.

BACK IN THE 70'S TO MID 80'S - VW POWER WAS THE WAY TO GO - RACED MIDGETS MY SELF IN THE 80'S - WORKED AT VW SHOP AND WE RAN A IRON DUKE MOTOR ( GM BASED ) - VW'S GOT TO BE TOO MUCH $$$$$ - THE ORIG. AUTO-CRAFT MOTORS WERE BAD TO THE BONE - THE NEVER OUTLAWED THEM BUT OTHER ENGINES WERE MORE COST EFECTIVE AND MORE POWER - WE WERE PUSHING OVER 300hp WITH A 165ci 4 CYL ENGINE - THE VW'S ON A SHORT TRACK WERE VERY GOOD - ASCOT WAS A VERY FUN TRACK TO RACE ON - WE WERE AT THE VERY LAST RACE THERE - SORRY TO SEE IT GO - LIKE MOST OF OUR RACE TRACKS IN CALIFORINA - VERY NICE MIDGET IN THE PICTURE - LIVED IN TUSTIN GROWING UP.

Here ya go!

One more...

can we get more info on this place - or more pictures - we need more !!!!!!!

:o :o dan gurney drove the red one  8) 8)

My idea of heaven  8)

I hear ya - my kind of garage all right - if some one maybe has a address - lets get it please.

It's in the Tustin Auto Center off the 5 fwy in between Jamboree and Tustin Ranch. I pulled up their web site but it looks like they're in the process of closing down.

Yes, they are closing down indeed... Owner died last year. Very sad!
Check out the latest issue of Vintage Motorsport Magazine. There's a feature on the place.
One more pic...

Really? I didn't know that Joe had passed. I went to school with his son Jeff. He had a brief career driving Indy cars in the 80s.

Whats going to happen to all those bad ass old race cars - it's a shame that we have to die at some point -