The Cal-look Lounge

Has there been a shortage of subtle, hot rodded, "Cal Look" Ghias over the last few years? Seems like it. Where are they?

(http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b1ce37b3127cce9f524f18c5ab00000046108QYs2zhyyZ-)

Still got mine, but just sits in the garage :(
Not the best picture, from Bug Jam a few years ago.

Hey Joe. Is that pic from 2001?  :)

I forgot you had that, why not bring it up to spec and use it as a spare race car, all you'd need then is a bigger trailer to all your kit to the track. This one's £60K complete, you should be able to get some off that too, the one's that remain unsold from last year start getting cheaper now as race teams look for funds for the new season:

(http://www.racecarsdirect.com/photos/rockingham_063.jpg)

Hello Matt. Sounds like you've been looking into that quite a bit!!  :D

Morning! I did look into it briefly a while back for a joint venture, I'd want a silver one though.

:D

Back on topic I don't remeber any hot Ghia's appearing recently? Then again I might have missed something? Strange really since there have been some good cars available for fair money, I look every now and then on The Samba as I like the idea of an early one with a turbo but it's a big project and other VW's and limited funds means it falls firmly under the category of 'not a good idea'.

:)

Jon's got a nice lowlight he's been doing for years. I just keep on at him to put a cage in it!! He's got the 2276, IDAs, built box, slicks sorted already :)
Body is all in primer ready for paint and the pan needs doing, it's just time and money holding it back :(

Mat, I can't have another race car!!!! The engine is out of the Ghia at the moment so it might get a freshen up for the street this year ;)

I didn't get on driving the 7.5 tonner when we moved house so have ruled out anything bigger than a van and trailer :)

Sounds like there's a good car in waiting there, be interesting to see it when it's finished complete with cage.

:)

Darren Carter of my old club, New Waves, has this one....with a 2110 and IDAs...

(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/mr_fonzerelli2/Euro%20Cal/IMGP0885b.jpg)

And there's also Georg and Christoph of the DFL with nice cal-look Ghias.

Like the sound of Jon's. No doubt it will be good.

How about the Black Mamba from France... lovely looking car.

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/383424.jpg)

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/389103.jpg)

(pics from thesamba via Chalie's blog ;) )

and a small one from EBI1...

(http://i32.tinypic.com/24grpew.jpg)

If Jamie Lake from O/FF gets his Ghia painted then I think that'll fall into Cal Look territory, but almost by accident as I don't think he's into it as a particular style. I prefer '60s Ghias to lowlights but if Jon is building one you know it'll be right! ;)

The only reason I got rid of mine was as a swap for my '51. It was in Practical Performance Car magazine a couple of months ago in a rat lookfeature...  :-[ :'(

They're all parked outside the hairdressers. :) :-*






Note to self: Run and hide, run and hide...

My observation seems to be that Ghias don't age as well as Bugs do... that the years take a bigger toll on them than Beetles. Maybe it's just because there's a lot less of them.

It's my friend is nicolas ( south of france Marseille ) this engine is 2276 with 48 injection CB perfo grearbox rancho/DMT and Nitrous for +/-  12.20 at bitburg DDD#5

  8)  who is the new owner??

Not Cal Look but..

Carlita, a samba gallery photo says it's going to france. Who ?

 :D :D ;D

 one bitching ghia .......  8)

yes who???

Anyone got a pic of that REALLY COOL Ghia at Bug In  ??? The Red dechromed one on gold empi 8's with 914 guages  :)

I only have this one. 914 guages? Sounds like he has good taste  ;D :D ;)

sure lee here we go  ;D

where do we go? ;D
i see nothing...

wait guys i resize several pictures
 ;D ;D.................... >:(.. ;)


here we go again dieds  ;)

it"s ok dieds now  ::) ::)

 8) vegar kg rocks

 ;D details

holy crap, that was worth the wait fabs!
such an awesome KG! i'm hoping to build one someday and this one serves as quite an inspiration  ;)

Give me a FUCKING Break.

 :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o, :o :o :o ;) :)

I forgot just how COOL that Ghia really is - it is tottally Period Correct in every way possible - it is a true inspiration  ;) :)

 ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???

I guess you might know this, but this is a survivor, not a "replica" 8)

Now I know why it looks Soooooooo right ;) :)

That is the first Ghia that I have REALLY liked  :)

What gives away this as a REAL car (survivor) is to me, the welded up nostrils, no one in their right mind would do that today. And even more so the WAY to modern looking antenna. Who would mount such a thing?!?
Without fail, all the old REAL cars have ONE thing that no one would do today. There in lies the spirit of the car!

If that car is a real survivor then I will put money on the fact that those nostrils are NOTwelded but filled with filler - Proper 70's  ;) :)

But you are right dude ALL  old cars always have those tiny details that not many people can spot - it take a certain eye for these things  ;) :)

Rocket Ron is having one built at the moment. Alex Taylor @ Defon3 and 'Black Bitch' is weaving his magic on it. I'd say it's going to be a proper cal look as that's all he knows  ;D

Unless Ron put's a boat anchor type 4 motor in it  :o

Hmmmmmm sounds very interesting  ;) :)

(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p82/rocketron_photos/turbo.jpg)
this is going cheap :D :D :D

Is it ok if i don't like that ghia?  :-[ sorry guys... ;D

After owning bugs for over 25 years I decided to do something different and bought this Ghia.  Bugs are everywhere.  Ghia's are rarer and in my neck of the woods people aren't sure what they are.  Some day I'll have the bumpers re-done and toss them back on the car. 8)

Whats with the Breather Box Mounted on it Side?? either there is no Blow by or it leaks from the top  ??? ???

 ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???, ??? ??? ???

if you mean the red one, i can relate. just doesn't do it for me either... :-[
but if you mean the black one => shame on you  >:(

but i think we are talking about the red one huh? i think it really needs bumpers.

Yeah, the red one.

Need bumper, chromes, nostrils... To me a ghia only needs a set of alloys (fooks or else), some minor lowering of the front and it's perfect...

i agree with roland,only wheels and lowering required externally on ghias

i still like it though,but wouldn't fill nostrils/debumper my own

The old cars shows us that the taste has shifted...
But some like cal-look as it was to, and luckily for us and the car, the owner, Vegard BABOON knows better than to make it contemporary.

Gotta take the bumper guards and overriders off too! 

well i am glad i don't like it, it is a good thing that it is not my personal taste. otherwise i wanted it too... and i want allready too much.

In my mind, hopefully to be realized in the near future. The Fuchs are in the garage!


Not even, Rick!
(http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg203/Lems05/ghiaengine008.jpg?t=1202443720)

Kevan

LOL... never argue with the Master  ;)

I ran my Ghia with just blades and with full towel rails and overriders - I prefered it with just the blades. I would have liked to have welded the pieces together and had them rechromed, but didn't have the cash! Dechromed sides only looks right on certain cars in certain colours, and as for no nostrils - no way! :P

there's another cal look ghia in the works... my girlfriend just bought her first "real" car and is currently working on her '64 ghia (looks like a before picture of WardVWRacer's ghia :)). in the beginning it's going to be lowered in the front and a set of chromed 356 style wheels with nipple hubcaps should help with the looks. bumpers are going to stay where they are. an engine update is planned for the future (when there's more money there's more horsepower). I'm so proud of her (of my girl).  ;D

WOW! THE RED TWO TONED LOOKS A LOT LIKE MY OLD 59...AND THAT WAS GOING TO JAPAN...SURE MISS IT!

Hey Joanie!! How are ya!!

Indeed!  Here's the way my 64 looked when I got it home:

and you should be, lucky bastard you are  ;D  ;)

One more cal-look ghia going back together.........slowly

I am not sure if I am stubborn or just live to far away from my buddies, but i managed to get the body and pan back together solo.

I hope to drive it sometime this summer

Looks great Chuck!  Can't wait to see it in person. ;D 8)

Who's that ugly guy sniffing the engine in the back of the red Ghia? ???

Not a cal-looker but so, so verry cool... Can't wait till it's done Hurry seen it yesterday it really kicked as, sorry for droolin on your basement floor... ;)

It's under construcion... currently at the paint shop.
More info's will follow. Stay tuned.