The Cal-look Lounge

 I have been thinking about this post for a while, even wrote it out a couple of times. Main reason I have waited is I didn't want this to turn into some sort of flame fest. I am not looking to start another I am right, you are wrong conversation here. I am also not looking for conversations about chrome or the lack there of. Nothing that specific. I would just be interested in seeing what Cal-look means to different people. Just boil it all down and state what it means to you. Don't take it personal if someone else's definition is different from yours.

To me it is about clean understated VWs that are built for improved performance and specifically for improved straight line performance. The cars are primarily street driven and may see some track time. (As opposed to a race car that never sees the street but still looks like a street car.) By clean I mean with a moto of less is more, especially where accessories are concerned. The only accesories needed are those that improve the driving experience, not the count. Understated means that the cars don't scream out for attention with graphics or wild paint schemes. It is a sleeper to all but those in the know. Only given away by the rumble from under the hood when the loud pedal is mashed to the floor. Any modifications to the body or drive train are aimed at improving the performance of the car not just for show. If I were to describe one I would say the defining characteristics are, raked stance from lowering the front, engines modified for as much performance as the owner can afford, single color paint jobs in understated colors and performance oriented interiors. (Plus the stuff I already mentioned.)

Cal-look is also about the people who drive these types of cars and enjoy hanging out with other people who are like minded. Its about the clubs, the history, the friendships, the driving, the bench racing and the camaraderie of being with people who enjoy the Cal-look experience. The experience of hanging out with people who enjoy the sound of a well tuned performance VW engine. The experience of going out and proving that these little economy cars can indeed be fast and perform as well as anything out of Detroit or Tokyo. The people who can spend hours debating whether a 135r15 or a 145r15 looks better on the front to get that stance that is just right. Or the merits of IDAs vs IDFs vs DCNFs vs Dells for hours on end. People like me.

Last Cal-look is about attitude. I don't think I need to explain that one. If you got this far through the post, you understand.  It's a Cal-look thing ;)

So what does Cal-look mean to you.

--louis

to me it is about having a car that is kind of like the equivalent of Joe Pesci. Small, but very bad temper. It is fun doing stupid things in a car with a power to weight ratio like a big cc VW has. What could be more fun than having a car that "everybody knows is slow" that can scare the eyeballs out of you?
Really, just like any other hot-rod segment of the car world, it is about doing crap to your car, and then hanging out with people that enjoy the same thing (sort of) and then laughing about all the times parts fell off or flew off your car when you thought you were showing off.

more than anything though, it is about just wiping my car down.

Lowered front, shiny paint and a fast ish motor :D

There is not a single and true answer to this question. Ask the 1000 Lounge members that question, and they will likely give you 1000 different answers.

In 1987-88, I owned a ’65 Bug typical of the era: fully dechromed, one-piece window kit, peppermint green paintjob… (Fabian: feel free to dig through Super VW Nr. 5!). Back then, I had no doubt in my mind this was a California Look car, because it followed the Cal Look rules of the time. Today, the Cal Look police would probably laugh at the car. Too low, too pastel – it matched the clothes of the era including the pink and turquoise shorts I was wearing. And worse of all, it had a stock engine. Sure, I dreamed of horsepower; but only a few enthusiasts could afford 1835cc engines (remember these?). I guess I would be considered a Cal Look poseur today, eh?

What does Cal Look mean to me today? With the look having evolved over the last four decades, I see two common threads: horsepower and some sort of rake enhanced by big-and-little tires. Even this last point is subject to discussion. Think about the cars from Der Kleiner Kampfwagens back in the early ‘80s… Many had lowered rear suspension; but I would still consider them as Cal Look. See, there’s no easy answer.

In fact, I get really tired of people trying to convince us that ‘70s-styled Cal Lookers are the only "true Cal Lookers". Worse: these people tend to distort history, choosing what they like about the look of the era – starting with the dechromed body. On the other hand, these people will likely forget about some “questionable” attributes, such as the swooping nerf bars (not T-bars), as seen in the famous February 1975 Hot VWs illustration. Also, how many people tint their windows today?

Interestingly enough, that same illustration mentions “no metal flake” paint jobs. Correct for 1975; but today, I’m not sure anymore. Recently, I’ve written a piece about a Japanese Cal Look club, which welcomes several 12-13-second street cars painted with metal flakes. Cal Look? Heck yeah… at least in my opinion! After all, why would it be acceptable to use metal flakes on a ’70s gasser replica/tribute, but not on a Cal Look car?

Oh, one last thing… I’ve seen some clean/fast street cars with the nose down and plenty of ponies, but featuring an original patina (i.e. no shiny paint). Cal Look? Again, yes. Just my $.02 of course.

P.S.: love your new avatar, Ratto!

thanks Steph....

you're quite a smart feller.

Just for reference:

AMEN 2 THAT!!!    ;D

AND HAPPY B-DAY!!!

I think this statement from Jim just about sums it up for me  :)

"What could be more fun than having a car that "everybody knows is slow" that can scare the eyeballs out of you?"

Amen brother  ;) :)

i know!
i know, lee!

...a yellow metalflake buggy with a whobbling antenna doing 5,000rpm on piccadilly circus  :D :D :D
 ;)

 :D :D :D Amen dude  :D :D :D

stephan, you are so right, you should make a book...

I wonder what the story is behind that drawing. Who came up with it, etc. My guess is some intern whipped it up because they needed to fill an odd page.  :D

--louis

Your probably right dude  ::) ;) :)

Not quite  :)
Deano may want to correct me if I'm wrong... Drawing was done by Burly Burlile who, among other things, raced a Super Beetle at Bonneville in the '90s.

California Look is walking softly and carrying a big fucking stick.

   My version of a Cal Looker car and this is only my definition. Looking back in the 70's I think a good example would be Dean Kirsten 67 navy blue with a nice motor with 48 IDA de chromed body with BRM . Also if you look at the DKP cars from that period they had the Cal Look set. You can also use Empi 8 spokes / Porsche Alloys polished, factory low back seats or bucket seats or plaid interior my personal touch and T bars. Stephan is correct you can ask 1,000 VW enthusiast and everyone will have a different opinion. I think since the 70's we have seen many style of Cal Looker the best examples to me would be DKP club they have set the standard in my book as far as the Cal Looker all of their cars have the same standard and they do not deviate from their rules. I my self like all DKP cars very clean fast and very detailed engine compartment / interior. This could be a very tough subject how about a pre 67 bus / convertible bug / notchback / ghia etc... What would be the definition of these car for a Cal Looker. Great topic of discussion.

  Thanks
  Frenchy Dehoux ( Doc Detail )

My personal definition of Cal Look is :

1) Clean, subtle and detailed single color paint, nothing flashy.

2) Slightly lowered front end, not dumped and no narrowed beams

3) Lightweight wheels with big and little tires

4) Engine compartment detail to match the rest of the car. Doesn't really matter if it has IDAs or Kads as long as it is fast and clean. Performance must match the looks.

5) Utilitarian as possible, nothing added that does not add or enhance performance, no flashy trinket accessories, no roof racks, no mud flaps, no Banjo wheels or flower vases, no sticker whores, no unnecessary chrome trim. Kind of like the factory Super Stock cars of the 60s minus the stickers.

6) Real California plates.  ::) ;D

The background to the famous drawing that appeared in the Feb '75 HVWs is, Burly Burlile did the original drawing, but it was a little rough for then art director Lane Evans, who basically hopped it up a bit. The original concept was retained, but just the quality of the line drawing was cleaned up a bit. Exactly how and why Burly did the work for HVWs is unknown to me, as it was probably Tom Chambers who put the deal together. I believe it was during the time that Hot VWs was trying to figure out what to do with this new "look", how to grab hold of it, and define it for the readers. Burly obviously knew what was going on, and put the details together. Like coming up with the definition of the "California Look", it was an interesting time for the magazine and our industry. I go into this time frame, and how the name came about in the new Feb '08 issue of HVWs. You might be surprised to hear what I found out about the name....

As far as the title of this thread goes, I have always been a hard-core shave-the-trim kinda guy. I know things have changed, but for me, like the gassers of the '60s and '70s, no bumpers (yeah, within legal reason), no trim, custom dash panels and massive power using IDAs.

after thinking more about this post, I have more to add. My previous take on it stays the same, but there is more.... (as always from Jim Ratto, right?)

Actually I don't care for the Cal Look moniker, and I don't care for the "rules" that some think cars of this genre have to live by. The fad, phenomenon, look, whatever you want to call it is a product of the people and the car comes second. I wouldn't be driving a 13 sec VW around if it wasn't for the friends that come with being into the cars. The whole deal is more about, to me, things like the party I had at my place back in October, a small group of guys that share an interest, and will get a good laugh out of it.

As far as the cars go, to me they are better referred to as hot rod VW's and concentrate less so much on the "look" and more on the "go."
Of course, poor taste would exclude a car from the fad, in my opinion. But there are so many variables as to the appearance, it's impossible to label a car... "this car yes, it is shaved"....."this car, no....it has full bumpers".... can all that. Some cars look the part and some don't. To me it doesn't come down to little details, it is an overall presentation. And of course, part of that presentation includes the horsepower.
I guess as far as cars go, to me it is about how the cars evlove. Maybe the details on a guy's car change, but the overall message stays the same.

it is about how the cars evlove.

This is something I have been trying to wrap my head around for the past couple of days. Can you take all the right brand name parts, throw them at VW, and call it Cal-look. Or is does some concept of time, ownership and development of the car come into play. Not sure if that is coming off right. Here is an example. Guy builds a car with all the right parts. 48s, BRMs, Porsche guards red, custom interior, Berg, Empi, DDS etc. But it runs like crap, doesn't stop worth a damn, and only gets driven on and off a trailer at shows. And it is sold shortly after appearing in a magazine. Is that Cal-look. It fits the description. It seems lacking, maybe because the car falls short of it's potential. I guess what I am getting at is the whole more than the sum of the parts. Anyway, I am way out in the philosophical deep end here. Should probably swim back to shore and argue about chrome vs no chrome.  ;)

--louis

I think "the right parts" is a problem. More about that later.

Anyway you just described Mike Preston's '60 Bug. Except he totaled it instead of selling it.

Was that the mango green car? That is the one that actually got me to thinking about the subject. The other was that car on burners that poped up on the Samba after being in HVW.

--louis

yes that's it.

Before Mike got a job @ Buggy House, his car was your typical resto-cal type car, which isn't my taste, but I know it is popular, and while it does seem to be more of a function follows form type of car fad, whatever...I'm sure there are some roof-racked cars that run hard and go straight. Not Mike's though. For a long time the car was powered by a 1600 d/p, then a very tame 1904 with 36DRLA's and some bottom of the barrel innards. It also was slammed front and rear, and had every Flat 4 trinket a guy could buy, roof rack, wood door inserts, gravel guards, everything. Then he came to BH, and I guess got tired of that fad and wanted to join in with the "Cal Look" phenomenon that was becoming more and more popular again. So mike ditched all the roof rack, ski rack, had his torsions twisted in rear, and had his mom buy him new 48IDAs, and 82 crank, heads, case, rods...etc.
I like Mike, he's a nice guy, but his car never really evolved, it always seemed spooky to drive, brakes pulled, car darted everywhere, the 1904 was a dog (and cooked), it didn't have that seasoned quality that a long time hot rodded car (of any type) has, like everything has kind of lapped itself in, and worked the kinks out.
I don't know, maybe I am full of crap.

stephan here's the car  ;D
rgd
fabian

That is kind of the concept I think I am getting at. The constant effort to improve your ride no matter what your budget may be.

--louis

Thanks Fab! I even forgot about the Local Motion sticker...

just read an article in Ultra vw about a speedster porsche:

it is the reason why the porsche speedster were produced. this was teh idea of John van Neumann...

porsche should build a lightweight, no-frills sports car which could be raced on sunday and driven to work on Monday.


i think the same about callook cars. and i am sure they are born form the same idea more than 40 years ago. most of us now have second cars and try to 'save' the bug, ghia, type3,... from everday abuse. and that is fine by me, but i still like the idea of a car registered and being driven on  a regular basis. my car isn't perfect, but it was never really ment to be as i want to drive it and 'fix' things as i go along. i know it is the 'expensive' way as i will buy lots of stuff that never going to be used properly, but it is my hobby and it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside.  ;D


(btw keith, i have been quoting and naming your little mag a lot lately, is there a t-shirt waiting for me  ;D )

 :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X ;D

A California look VW is simple, clean, and fast. It should be street driven and taken to the track when the opportunity presents itself. I will not list what car should or should not have because I did not create this look.

The California look includes a lifestyle that is gained by meeting like-minded people. Gathering at my friends house to work on cars, bench racing, and heading to cruise nights are usual for me.

From reading these answers I get more confused than ever?

Cal look is about attitude?
Cal look is about cleanliness?
Cal look is about no frills?
Cal look is about pleasing all tastes?
Cal look is about here and now?
Cal look is about then?
Cal look is a stock VW but lowered?
Cal look is about show points?
Cal look is about being a member of a club?
Cal look is about driving?
Cal look is about living in California?
Cal look is about tuning the car for years?
Cal look is about anything but trailers?
Cal look is about talking trash about other opinions?
Cal look is about patting backs?
Cal look is about who is in the club and who is out?
Cal look is about respect?
Cal look is about the right parts owned by the right guy?
Cal look is about wearing helmet and taking names?  :)

Nah...

I'm sticking with the idea I got from KS Bible, Cal-look is a VW turned seventies sports car.

To answer the question, Cal-look means (to (only?) me) " A Lowered VW with sports car influences"

And luckily all these guys owning these cars, are usually cool people...  ;)

Cal-look means nothing to me.  I'm only here because I can't afford a hood ride yet.   :-[

Not so confusing. Just absolutely insane.

Lost of wisdom in your post Stephan. One thing about the DKK cars... even though we did lower the rear ends, the front was always substantially lower than the front. Cars that sit level or nose up were not done. As an example, my '67 was lowered 3" in the back and 6"-7" in the front. It's gotta have the rake! ;)

Most of the answers referred just to the cars and how they should look. In my opinion Cal Look is more, a kind of life style. Louis pretty much summed it up for me, but I would like to tell you two different storys about true Cal Look - at least for me.

Last spring we met at a members barn to put his old gearbox out and the new one in. While we were working on the car a friend of us came by. Michael is a young student, 20 or 21 yars old and driving a 66 as a daily (summer) driver. This car used to be the Looker of an Ex-DFL member. It went through some hands before Michael bought the car. The car is far from beeing perfect, is lowered in the front, has MWS-BRMs, 145s/165s and a single quiet plus stock 40 hp. He would like to have more hp, but can't afford it right now. He drives the car daily to university, he goes on vacation with it, it's his every day companion. And for me it's Cal Look. It may lacks the horsepower but it got the attitude. While our cars are in their garages waiting for the summer this car gets driven. It looked so cool outside the barn, at that rainy and cold day.

The other story is about the strong company in the Cal Look scene. A few years back one of our members had financial problems and he wanted to sell his car to safe his company. The company that feeds his wife and child.
It's a very clean, completely restored car and it's his baby. He said he is waiting till the car will be featured in VW SPEED magazine three month later to get a better price for the 67.
The rest of us had three month time to get the money together that the car would have achieved when beeing sold. This member had NO CLUE AT ALL what we were doing. Everybody in the club donated money and parts we sold on ebay. Other Cal Look fans heard of the problem, spending money and parts as well. The photografer who took the pics of the 67 said that we can try selling the feature to other magazines and then keeping the money - his way helping our member!
We even made a T-shirt with the statement printed on "Keeping the spirit alive!", a Cal Look beetle underneath and the logos of the four leading european Cal Look clubs at that time - DAS, DKT, GEZUVOR and of course DFL. The other clubs authorized us to use their logos. The money we got from selling it went straight to the special bank account we opened.
Three month later we had 3000 Euros together - a sum far from the amount of money the car was worth.
When we called that member telling him what we (and al lot of other Cal Look fans - some even didn't know him personaly) had done, he was speachless. He said that he is still struggeling with the company but it's getting better and he can keep the car and he can't accept the money. After talking to everyone who donated something we gave the money to the Red Cross Organization.

I think these storys show what Cal Look is all about - like minded friends, camaraderie and cars with a certain attidude.

if you talking about the cars callook means to me a hot rodded vw with 70´s style influences. there are no strictly rules to build your car, there are only loose guidelines that you use so the car fits your personal requierments. for what should i need a quarter mile engine when the car is mostly driven in town? or a thousands of dollar/euro show paintjob when you swear every time someone makes a scratch at your paint or a little dent when the car stands in a parking lot. you see for me is the street ability a basicly point i have(cause its my only driveable car) and want to use my ride as most possible.

also i could only agree that callook is not only about cars, its about lifestyle and nice people and bbq ;D

almoust forgotten to say that for me callook in 2008 is this place too, the lounge were we all meet. i´m not the activest member, mostly lurking around here, but everytime i´m here i enjoy the stories from back in the days, see pictures from nice cars or learn something new.

@georg/dfl: michael has dropped his rear end and joined the dark side of the force ;)

He will be back! Trust me, young padawan!  ;)

Great stories and great way to sum up the subject!

Aye, I agree.  :)

--louis

Agreed ;D

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,3489.0.html

So I was driving to work this morning, thinking about "what is Cal Look" and a thought crossed my mind. I guess it relates to Dean Kirsten's question about soul and so on, and I don't know where I read that post, so maybe it will fit here.
Things I notice about hot rod VW's that have soul: signs of use AND signs of care. Again all my opinion, which you are free to contend if you wish to, but things like gravel bumps up inside fenderwells, and a little grime behind crank pulley, the obligatory spitback fuel stain from 48's open stacks on inside of decklid, a slightly deformed and caved in driver's seat...that sorta thing, subtle signs of use. Missing wheel center caps, a ride height that lists to one side, a 3 cylinder-4 cylinder, non-operational lights, filthy engine, incomplete restoration that's been taken to the street before it's done....NOT soul.

And another little weird thought of mine, again, feel free to debate it......

Seeing a hot rodded VW with soul, to me, means seeing a car that has a certain amount of funk to it. A lot of guys might reel back in horror thanks to mirrors on Gary J's car, being that they are in some opinon's "outdated", but they're what that car 'grew up' with. Personally, I like them. A chrome-3-spoke 12" steering wheel in a late 60's DKP hot rod looks right at home, and if Mahaffey's split was showing up @ Nick's in 2008, that wheel would help define its soul. I remember way back in 1991, being at the Classic with Sheep, and we stood there as Dave Mason parked his black '62, shut it off, opened decklid, quickly wiped off the motor with a shop rag as another guy he knew walked up, and pointed out some old NOX emissions sticker that was on the Berg breather tower. Dave laughed and remarked "yeah remember those?"

That's the thing with real soulful hot rod's...they've got stuff on them that make us retreat to yesteryear. BUT, those parts weren't screwed on or stuck on last night. They grew up with the car. Some cars have it and some don't.

Back in the late 80's, when I first started seeing street cars sporting BRM mags, they were so weird to me. I was a 911 alloy guy until I saw BRM's. I'd seen pics of Inch Pincher and original Underdog and could make out some strange rims on them. Seeing street cars with them was so shocking. Even though "I wasn't around for the Inch Pincher, Underdog, etc" I did have books with really old pics of these cars (knew they were old by the clothing and hairstyles guys were sporting in the background of these pics), and the sight of BRM's made me think back to sideburns, bellbottoms, collar-length hair, etc.
VDO gauges, to me, take me back, and have a certain funk to them.

incomplete restoration that's been taken to the street before it's done....NOT soul.

So your saying my car has no soul? The nuns who used to own it may not agree with you.  :D

But seriously, I think your on the right track. I would add that cars which we tend to consider to have soul elicit an emotional reaction from people who see the car. (People who know what cal-look is anyway.) The car has that "it" which is so hard to define. The "it" that means the car is greater than the sum of its parts.

--louis

Yeah many would say that the billet dash in my car means it's not cal-look. BS, I've had the car since 1984 and was driving it then in it's tired stock form when I met my wife.  Somewhere around '86 I bought the dash insert and the gages and have had it in the car ever since.  The car was far from perfect and still is, but since I purchased the car from a friend and co-worker I have driven it almost 300k miles.  I agree with you Jim my car grew up with that stuff.  I am not real crazy for billet stuff, however I have some on the car and have no plans to change them out.  I have a billet steering column and an emergency brake handle.  I like them both.  I wasn't around in VWs back in the 70s.  I was racing motorcycles back then.  When I got into the scene I followed the trends of the time some were cool and some were not.  I had different mirrors on the car for a while and different taillights as well.  Heck I had '39 Ford taillights on the car for a number of years.  They are gone.  The car evolved into what it is today and it's the way I like it even if it needs to be redone.

Bravo!
yeah my dash isn't up to snuff as far as the current "stock dash with Monster tach hung in your face" trend goes, as I wanted VDO's back in late 80's so I could monitor temp and so on, during trips. They still do the trick for me.

Besides I don't care how my car is defined...soul-less, resto cal, cal look...whatever. I define it as a car.

Pulling up at the next stop light and looking over at that 'fast' car I just annihilated and then seeing the driver with his mouth agape.
The best bit, and in fact the most important bit, is to make sure you have that slightly vacant look on your face that just says to him...
'What could possibly be the matter?'

You can't put a price on the feeling you get, and I have found it to be very addictive.

it's ratto look  ;D ;D ;D

 :o ::) ;D!!!

OOOH Ivan, I m longing for that feeling for sooo long :)
cant wait

Don't you just love it when you run the same guy three lights in a row and he still thinks he can beat you.  I had some cowboy in a new Ford pickup do that to me many years ago.  My right arm got a big bruise from the wife hitting me every time I went off against him.  Funny thing was he had another guy and a girl he was trying to impress.  Oh well....

 ;D

Back in early 90's when I was running around with my Super Flow 2276, full tilt, million dollar motor, I was coming home from Sheep's place and was driving past Livermore Airport, which was on north outskirts of town. The roads around the area were long and straight and two lanes each way. Perfect for a good rough and tumble. This particular night I met a maroon Pantera at the intersection and of course, being 20 couldn't resist. Plus there was a chick in the passenger's seat. Perfect! We left intersection in a bellow of Ford 351 V8 and open 48-carbed screams, and there was only enough room to get up to 100mph out there, and the little VW left the dude. Not by much, but enough to get a funny look from the chick at the next stoplight. I'm sure Mr. Pantera had some explaining to do that night,

yeah, me too!

although i'm slightly reluctant to adopt Ivans slack jawed vacant look. ;) i might give the wrong impression  :D

is it THAT bad?   :o


 ;D

If you don't drool you should be okay.  ;D

--louis

He better be, I bought one of those shirts in good faith. If I'd have known he'd do that to the car I'd have kept the money!  ;D

(I concurr with you by the way, as we've discussed a few times!)  :)

Cal- Look inspires me, but every rule is made to be broken. On some events when i see 20 perrrrfect Cal-look Cars i just get bored about the perfection. Respect to everyone. But i just have a wild hair up my rear end to do my own thing. Cal- Look for me is mostly about attitude, and respecting each-others cars. I just don't like to be labeled.

Mat, Michael is the young fella who owens the Ex-DFL car of Christian Veit. He lowered the rear of his car, not the member we made the shirts for! He is and will forever be into Cal Look - don't worry!  8)

That's OK then! :D

 8)

What does Cal look mean to me...
  Well it means a few different things to me .


First off I enjoy the tradition and history around it.
  Much like the tradition of Hot Rodding in the Pasadena area From the 30's. OC is this to the VW's Anaheim, Fullerton, Orange ect.. this stuff has been happening around here since the 60's I like driving down the same streets that Sarge and his band of hooligans did many years ago. I also like pulling into a gas station ect.  And have somebody a bit grayer than me ask about DKP or Bug In's ect. & tell me that they remember VW's from way back when. it seemed to be part of the social fabric around here.

 Cal Look VW's are the car of my youth..
  Just like 32 Fords of the older generation and Honda's and mini trucks of today youth, picture Fast Times @ Ridgemont High, I lived that time. I graduated HS in 1980 and VW's were the cool car of the time. They were everywhere and chicks dug em'

 They are the annoying Underdog
  Nothing spells annoying Punk Rock rebellious youth like waxing the local loadie stoner dudes V8 Vega with your little VW. Fast VW's are scary and I like that.

 I like the people around them , some are a bit quirky and I think that is cool. Most VW people think a bit outside the box. Otherwise they would have a turned up collar and a Camaro.

  Enough rambling for now   Later  Bill

heres a picture of Ivan after a stop light race for those wishing to emulate the look
(http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/6060/Cletusface.gif)

"They are the annoying Underdog"

That is the best descripion EVER  ;D ;D ;D

Thats why I love them and I think Ivan described the best "Feeling" about them, well Cal Lookers anyway   ;) :)

"Pulling up at the next stop light and looking over at that 'fast' car I just annihilated and then seeing the driver with his mouth agape"

The least said about the "Look" the better  :D :D :D

He looks more like you (with my teeth) than me - far too much hair to be me, unless it was me back in the mid 90's.  ;D

I think Bill has hit the nail on the head. Cal Lookers are indeed the '32 hi-boys of our generation. The first cars, like Ron Fleming's Oval, were the Vic Edelebrock Sr '32s of their day, the hard-core '70s Lookers were the McMullen roadsters of their age, the 1980s saw the VW equivalent of the graphicked belly-button '32s from Boyd and the like, while the current scene sees modern reincarnations, in the style of the classic Doane Spencer hi-boy owned by Bruce Meyer (not Bruce Meyers!).
(http://images.streetrodderweb.com/events/0706sr_27_z+grand_national_roadster_show+.jpg)
(http://www.hotrodhotline.com/md/assets/images/Tom-32plugssmall.jpg)
(http://www.boydshop.com/Images/0506_Boydster_2/Boydster_2_frontbig.jpg)
(http://images.musclemustangfastfords.com/events/0312mm_04z+Doane_Spencer_1932_Ford+Front_View.jpg)

 I can see what you are saying cause he's a fine looking specimen  :-* perhaps this is more you? He’s got a lavender shirt an everything ;D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/streetvw/clip_image002.gif)

Nice to see it all being kept on topic...

I would probably say more like the resto rods of the 70s. Stock exteriors with warmed over motors and more modern underpinnings. But I pretty much agree with what you and Bill have said. So what will be the next evolution? Keeping with our parallelisms I think we will see a backlash of stripped down hot rod cars as more people grow bored with the current trend.

--louis

Perfecto!  ;D

Now, stop being silly and... keep things on topic   ;)

I will say this only once...

You do not want to upset Keith when he's got his sensible head on!

Sorry Keith :-[

To me Cal look means fast clean street cars that run hard, can be driven anywhere any time but more than anything they are fun.

















(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v493/streetvw/clip_image002-1.jpg)  ;)

ROFL!

--louis

To me Cal-look means a lot of expences............... ;D

To be serius I am on Bills way of seing things. Lot's of traces back to the Hot Rod days. I think Grey Baskerville put it down to the last line. It si not about having the right stuff or colour and it is not about being finished to the last nut. It is all in the stance and how the wheels sits.....Grey was a Hot Rod guy and described Hot Rods, but it applies to Cal-llokers for sure!!

Where did you get that Picture of Sarge? ;D ;D