The Cal-look Lounge

For the longest time, I have wondered where my old '67 went to. I know the rumors about its demise, and I have basically wrote the old blue '67 off and don't expect to ever see it again. But of course, I have wondered about doing a search using the old VIN to see if anything would come up at the DMV. But, I have lost every old renewal notice and registration paper I ever had for it years ago. I know the old black license plate number (USJ110), but when the new owners bought the car in '75, Mike Martin HAD to have the new blue plates, and they were (NYF777).

I have found the now famous traffic ticket that caused me to be arrested for no bumpers. And a handful of other fix-it tickets and one other noteable 75mph speeding ticket through downtown Fullerton with a Taco Bell bean burrito in my lap. All in file. But still, no VIN to use for a search.... until tonight.

While searching for something totally unrelated, I came across a file folder of old DMV papers, and history of my many old cars (other '67s, Austin, Anglia, Thames, etc). So, I came across a folded piece of notebook paper and there it was, my original bill of sale dated October 22, 1971. My VW Blue '67 was purchased for $800 from this guy and his daughter in Lakewood. And among my description, there it was, the original VIN..... 117438355....! Now, I do not know where this will lead, if anywhere, but I will at least give it a try. So, this mystery is solved, but a much bigger one remains....

Congrats Deano!! I thought all '67 guys had their VIN's memorized? 117117279 reporting for duty here... ;)
First Doug, now Frenchy, next could possibly be you. Good luck! :)

Didn't I see you on America's Most Wanted 1974 edition? I think the trend of finding our old VWs is gaining momentum. good luck.

Will 2009 be the year of "found" cars?

On an unrelated note. I once had the VIN of Jim Holmes' car, and years ago ran the numbers through the DMV. But I have lost that one as well..

Sorry Dean,...got the Holmes mixed up there.

I'm sure I used to see the old Holmes car in Lakewood... probably around 1982 or so. The driver was a female who worked at Hap's auto parts. The car no longer had BRM's, it was pretty beat, but I'm sure it was it... Rayburn-- back me up on this one! Remember??

~DR.

Yes, I remember you driving me over to see the car. We talked to her briefly, and she said something about driving the car into the ground.

That was Kristie for sure. I could have bought that car for $1200 at that time....

why don't you buy the car for sure  you will have this one today

cool, keep us posted Dean :)

$1200... I'm not suprised. The car had history at the time, but nothing like today.

There was another very distinct car that used to run around Lakewood in the mid 70's. It was a bright yellow traditional Cal-Look car with red BRM's... I think it was a '65... Does that car sound famaliar to anybody?
I was working a deal to buy the BRM's for $500 plus my EMPI 5 spokes but the deal fell through.

~DR.

                                                    We'd need a time machine, Fabian, Dave and I saw it together about 28 years ago.                                              Dave, do you remember the little Mexican lady with the BRM equipped GTV car that wouldn't turn loose of anything? She was always around Lakewood- Long Beach..

  if i've a time machine , the mid70's  to mid 80's will be my first choice and suppose never come back those days  ;D ;D ;D

Yes.

It was a red '67 GTV with all the trimmings. That car was somewhat beat (we'd call it "patina" today) but she would not part with it... she didn't even want to talk about the car.
The other GTV car I remember was that '70 or '71 you were always eyeballing in the Lakewood Sheriff's parking lot.

~DR.

Well, the end of the trail. The mighty VW Blue '67 is no longer in the system. Which doesn't mean it still could be a sand buggy out in Glamis somewhere... Thanks Dave.

Maybe it's outside the U.S.?

~DR.

...or Californ-ya.

It could also be in any other state in the U.S. and it would not show up on the calif DMV

That's too bad. I was scanning this thread, getting hopeful for you...
Funny, I use the VIN decode thing all day long @ work when a customer has no idea what he's working on and wants to order parts. I've often thought of punching my '67's VIN in just for fun. Anybody else ever send their VIN to VW GmbH?

Dean, I remember that semaphore story about you trying to beat the lights in fullerton. Good one, but I swear that you were at Del Taco not Taco Bell. ;D

Jim, I sent my VIN to Germany and got one of those Birth Certificates. They list all the original details about a car (color, m-codes, etc.), but they could not tell me where my car was delivered. They only knew it was exported to the US.

dave is this that  one ???

That car was Larry McKenzie's for a few years. he found it in Deep South of all places.

that one was in socal some year ago if i remember that was chris morley who had this one  
el dub is it correct ??

rgd
fabs

I think Larry had it in the mid to late 90's
had to have been... I met Lary in 1994, and it was shortly after that I went and saw this car @ his house in North Oakland. He still had his 356 project back then, and the red' 67 with Neal discs, the 1955cc and the Japanese BRMs (Larry's '67 was first car I saw in person with FF BRM's way back when).

Larry?

i know that larry own the car , but after it's chris morley no ??

and here's some advert from the car in hot vws

I FU%KIN LOVE EL DUBS GTV ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Yep, that's what Larry told me last year...

Me too

Yes I bought that car from the ad in Hot VWs. The seller flat towed it from Louisiana to Oakland. I really wanted to restore it but my wife hated that car and every time I tried to work on it, it all went wrong. I'm so glad it is being enjoyed and loved now.