The Cal-look Lounge

Tyre kicking => Off Topic => Topic started by: Jim Ratto on April 08, 2008, 18:24:33 pm



Title: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jim Ratto on April 08, 2008, 18:24:33 pm
I got my first copy back in 1986, wore it out probably by 1988. Awesome artwork among all the humorous procedures.... used to have an awesome T shirt with the "junkyard scene" on the front.

Maybe a bit quirky and hippy-cult-ish, but it's a great read if nothing else, and like I said the artwork is one of a kind...



Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: louisb on April 08, 2008, 18:26:55 pm
Aye. Actually I still use my copy every now and then.

--louis


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: John Rayburn on April 08, 2008, 18:27:32 pm
That was my second book. My first was the Bill Fisher book.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jim Ratto on April 08, 2008, 18:32:38 pm
That was my second book. My first was the Bill Fisher book.

hahaha  that was my second.... I stole it from local library.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: rebel on April 08, 2008, 18:34:57 pm
Well, It was the first VW book I've bought in English.
It was one of the first books, that were available in English.
My absolutely first book was a nth edition of our local author's book originally relesed in the seventies. In the early days of the our 'scene' it was The Bible, simply because it was the only title availabe before internet and amazon.com era.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: John Rayburn on April 08, 2008, 18:37:27 pm
That was my second book. My first was the Bill Fisher book.

hahaha  that was my second.... I stole it from local library.
                                                   Bitchen!!!!!!!


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jim Ratto on April 08, 2008, 18:43:53 pm
if any of you guys don't have the Muir Book (how to keep your Volkswagen Alive) I'd highly suggest it. While it isn't aimed at hot rod crowd by any means, it definitely is a slice of time from the 1970's, and it will appeal to the greasy-handed, do-it-yourself-hippy in us all. Who knows, maybe after enough cal look guys read it there will be a renewal in communes living off the land in New Mexico someday....   "far out man"


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Rick Meredith on April 08, 2008, 18:56:56 pm
if any of you guys don't have the Muir Book (how to keep your Volkswagen Alive) I'd highly suggest it. While it isn't aimed at hot rod crowd by any means, it definitely is a slice of time from the 1970's, and it will appeal to the greasy-handed, do-it-yourself-hippy in us all. Who knows, maybe after enough cal look guys read it there will be a renewal in communes living off the land in New Mexico someday....   "far out man"

You springing for the Peyote and Mescaline?  ;D ;D ;D


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Rick Meredith on April 08, 2008, 19:02:44 pm
I have 2 copies... first one I wore out. I kept it for nostalgia. I bought it in 76. White cover. The second one I bought around 82 brown cover but still spiral bound. I can't believe they're no longer spiral bound... that was the smartest thing was being able to lay it out flat.

The Fisher book I picked up much earlier... I didn't understand what they were talking about but I liked all the cool pics. Only much later did the text become important.

Oh and I had one of those T-Shirts too Jim.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jim Ratto on April 08, 2008, 20:52:11 pm
I have 2 copies... first one I wore out. I kept it for nostalgia. I bought it in 76. White cover. The second one I bought around 82 brown cover but still spiral bound. I can't believe they're no longer spiral bound... that was the smartest thing was being able to lay it out flat.

The Fisher book I picked up much earlier... I didn't understand what they were talking about but I liked all the cool pics. Only much later did the text become important.

Oh and I had one of those T-Shirts too Jim.

Hi Rick, you know I had a brown cover version too, not coil-bound, that was my first copy from 1986. Years later after that copy was unreadable from spilling green Kendall on it and too many black paw prints, I bought a newer version, with a grey cover, and it was coil-bound.... guessing this was 1997 or so? Anyway, it has a high perfromance appendix in it, which is decent, but obviously super conservative and with a Berg flavor to it (low CR, must use DCNFs, etc.....). How cool would a "How to Keep your 12 Second Street Volkswagen Alive" version be, complete with the acid-artowrk?
I still think Rayburn should do a DKP version of the junkyard car or the "halved-car" for a T shirt. You know, AN-8 hoses, big Webers, 356 drums, traction bar, T-bars, Empi wheels....   hint hint hint....John are you there?  ;D


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Rick Meredith on April 08, 2008, 21:22:05 pm
Now that shirt would be cool!

I never saw the Hi-Po chapter.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: louisb on April 08, 2008, 21:35:32 pm
Now that shirt would be cool!

I never saw the Hi-Po chapter.

Not much to it ad Jim said. My favorite part of the book were the illustrations. I have always wanted to do the one with the VW in all its pieces in real life.  :D 

How to keep your 12 sec VW alive, now that is a book I would buy in a heart beat.

--louis


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Sam K on April 09, 2008, 01:15:52 am
When I was 12 and bought my first Bug (still have it :)) my Dad gave me his copy from back when he had Bugs in the early 70's. I remeber sitting in class reading it instead of paying attention. I love all the headings like "How works a Volkswagen". When my youngest brother got his '69 last year, my dad bought him a copy too.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: John Rayburn on April 09, 2008, 01:17:40 am
I have 2 copies... first one I wore out. I kept it for nostalgia. I bought it in 76. White cover. The second one I bought around 82 brown cover but still spiral bound. I can't believe they're no longer spiral bound... that was the smartest thing was being able to lay it out flat.

The Fisher book I picked up much earlier... I didn't understand what they were talking about but I liked all the cool pics. Only much later did the text become important.

Oh and I had one of those T-Shirts too Jim.

Hi Rick, you know I had a brown cover version too, not coil-bound, that was my first copy from 1986. Years later after that copy was unreadable from spilling green Kendall on it and too many black paw prints, I bought a newer version, with a grey cover, and it was coil-bound.... guessing this was 1997 or so? Anyway, it has a high perfromance appendix in it, which is decent, but obviously super conservative and with a Berg flavor to it (low CR, must use DCNFs, etc.....). How cool would a "How to Keep your 12 Second Street Volkswagen Alive" version be, complete with the acid-artowrk?
I still think Rayburn should do a DKP version of the junkyard car or the "halved-car" for a T shirt. You know, AN-8 hoses, big Webers, 356 drums, traction bar, T-bars, Empi wheels....   hint hint hint....John are you there?  ;D
                                                    My ears were burning so I came back on.....Duly noted!!!!!


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: stealth67vw on April 09, 2008, 04:28:30 am
I have a copy somewhere that says you only need to warm up your car as long as it takes you to roll a joint. I got it out of a ghia I bought in 1991. I don't remember the vintage. Probably early 80s.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Sam K on April 09, 2008, 05:55:39 am
I remeber that! He says it one word too. WARMITUP!


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: benssp on April 09, 2008, 13:17:48 pm
First thing I bought when I got my bug :)


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jim Ratto on April 09, 2008, 16:19:19 pm
I have a copy somewhere that says you only need to warm up your car as long as it takes you to roll a joint. I got it out of a ghia I bought in 1991. I don't remember the vintage. Probably early 80s.

that would empty my gas tank with my clumsy pig fingers


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: 67worshipper on April 09, 2008, 23:23:59 pm
my copy is well thumbed.its good to look up the odd thing or two when it all goes blank ;)


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: . on April 10, 2008, 00:09:49 am
Me too, started with the "spiral bound" version.
Loved the artwork !
 :)


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jason Foster on April 10, 2008, 07:01:09 am
grew up with that book in my dads garage. White copy.  Have two copies in the garage to this day. There was the son of the artist selling posters and shirts of the book art at Vegas last year. Keep an eye out for him at upcoming events. The artwork was printed on the front of the shirts though. Also had some posters of porsche cutaways and 1 of the VW factory. Good Stuff. I second the idea of a modern HP cutaway drawing as a shirt.    Jason


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: airstuff on April 10, 2008, 10:56:49 am
I also started with the Muir Book,what a great book it was to read when I was 16.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Jason Foster on April 15, 2008, 06:26:25 am
the artwork shirt guy was at Phoenix on Sunday.


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Rennsurfer on April 15, 2008, 14:36:05 pm
I never owned a copy of this.

(http://www.hrps.demon.nl/jwbus/images/Muir_Idiot.jpg)

The only ones that I've ever used are these.

I'm guessing that this book has been outta print for a long time, but it had this engine on the cover.

(http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj128/Rennsurfer/Bug%20In%2033%202008/BILittleButQuickEng.jpg)

And I still have my Bentley one.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RA6BZA2XL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)


Title: Re: Who else started with a copy of the John Muir book?
Post by: Harry/FDK on April 15, 2008, 14:43:33 pm
I found my copy under the rear seat of my re-imported Ghia from Holmes Tuttle. Far Out Man ! ;D