The Cal-look Lounge

Man, I had a shock this morning, I picked up the latest Hot VW's which is the California Look Edition [Feb 09], with the yellow car on the cover. The first thing I thought was man, that reminds me of Vaughn's Rollings old car, although it's a '67 and Vaughn's was something like a '72, but it was yellow and doing a smoky burnout and that is what i remember most about Vaughn's car. I then start thumbing through the mag and ironically there is a short article on VW volks we recently lost. Now I heard about Jack Engle and Dick Vale, but what floored me was I saw Vaughn's name. Damn, he was only '56. It's been years since we've talked but I have so many good memories of him and his shop when it was located across teh street form the Fullerton PD. He helped build my first motor in my '67. His shop was often a weekend hangout for a few members of DKK. I even went down with him a half dozen times to OCIR. I was towing him back to the pits behind my '67 in his drag car [Imagination] in one of it's best passes [10.3 I think?]. I've been meaning to look him up again but I don't get to Cali that often. He may not have remembered who I was, but he sure had an impact on me.

Here's to you Vaughn, an unsung hero.

-jeffrey

Sorry to hear this.  :'(    I believe he was the first customer to successfully install a Berg 5 in his car and one of the first to install Porsche alloys on a car. The IMAGINATION dragster was ahead of its time as well. A wizard when it came to mechanics. He deserved a lot more fame. RIP Vaughn!

He was two doors down from my shop, Drank alot of beer with him, He was just ahead of his time when it came to makeing stuff run. A funny story how I met him, I use to walk my dog around the building when I moved in next to him. Well  {yoda} my dog, Use to bark at everything and everybody so it became a habit to hear yoda, shut the fuck up from me, So one day I was walking yoda and stopped to say hey to vaughn and he asked me is your dog named yoda or shut the fuck up.

one of vaugns famoes rides. automatic digger. on one of those foggy morns at the county. his yellow street car i beleave was a 68/69. the last time i seen the street car was at angelos hambergers in the early eightys those were the deffent cool cruzin times in orange county. rip vaghn. UD.

Oh man, that certainly is sad news.  I can't ever remember being more terrified in a full bodied bug (Dyno's red buggy was worse...oh my).  Vaughn definately had the lead foot in that yellow late model.  He was also the first that I can remember that installed the Mex turn signals in the late model bumpers.  I told him I was going to deep Mexico and he talked me into going to a dealership down there for him, and I brought the lights back in my luggage.  Jeff, you are right, Vaughn did it the right way.  Everyway.
Back in the day, even tho we were friends, he rarely worked on my car.  I could'nt afford him!  ha.  (went to Uve)
Vaughn's legend should be cherished by all.  He was way out of the box and way ahead of most of us.  He was always willing to strecth the limits of the (here it comes) Imagination.  Look THAT ride up young men and you are in for a surprise.  He could have easily put a standard 4 grinder in and instead spent hours and hours trying to be different tinkering with that damn auto trans....
I thank you Jeff for letting us know of his unfortunate passing and I can only smile when I think of those GIANT side burns/mutton chop wiskers he had sticking practically out the window of that 12 second yellow late model.
He will be missed.
Look this guy up.  He was a great influential renegade.
RIP

Worm

If anyone has any other info regarding his passing, please let us know. I just got this out of Hot VW's. The pics above are great, they really bring back the memories. Vaughn was a character, please post more stories, this guy shouldn't be forgotten.

-jeffrey

I think I remember him beating gary berg's bergular after a car rally.. I think it was on orangethorpe not nabisco..? any one remember?  bill

I heard that story too. It pulled a lot harder than the Berglar. Maybe Roger Crawford will chime in on this one. They were good friends.

One more...

guys i 've just scan this report with vaughn
 ;)

 ;)

Sweet! Thanks for posting that. What mag was it in?  As I mentioned before, I was with Vaughn when he shaved a little more that half a second off that posted time. He ran something around 10.3. I'm not sure what his best time eventually became, but he was one happy camper on that day down at OCIR. Great article, specially about the aspect of doign something outside the box. His brother Norm had a tubbed '57 Chevy with a 409 in it. I think the VW was faster though. Believe it or not, I think the reason Vaughn stopped racing is that as he got older, he couldn't fit in the car anymore!

-jeffrey

my pleasure jeff i know that you will happy with this one  ;)
it's december 78 hot vws

rgd
fabs

 ;)

Yea, that's the card I have from Vaughn. I think he gave it to me when we first met. I was already in DKK at the time, otherwise, I probably would have checked out DZK. They had some pretty cool cars. Thanks again for posting all that.

-jeffrey

Very cool, Fabian... thanks for that article on Vaughn.

Here's a business card that he gave me, back when he had his shop.

(http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj128/Rennsurfer/RollingsAutomotiveCard.jpg)

Was sorry to here of his passing.  New him years ago. Helped me on a few projects. Mostly transmissions.  The roll bar that is in my green car is from his yellow car.  Dave Rhoads

Next time any of you are at roger crawford's Say hi to his son mark

Hello,
I am one Vaughns daughters Lisa. I just wanted to say how thankful me and my family are for all the nice comments and memories everyone on here wrote about my Dad. It has been almost a year now and we still can't believe it. We are all doing well though. I am so happy that my Dad is remembered by so many, it is truly awesome!

Sorry this is so late but we just found this post!

Danny, I will tell Mark hi for you :) and thanks again everyone!

one day I was @ Roger's and noticed the pic of the yellow sedan on the wall and asked Roger about it. He said it was used to go hunt Gary Berg down way back when. Where is this car today?

Jim R

This is sad news, I worked for Harold and Vaughn in 1976-77. Vaughn was fun to work with, and fun to work for. I'm going to miss him.

great guys and always helpful...remember their shop across from fullerton pd...vaughn helped me out one time when my car took a crap about 1984 as i was ditching class..got me running and back to school before i got caught ;D

sorry about your loss and gods speed to vaughn

Lisa,
I am so sorry for your loss.
Maybe you could post some of your own pictures of your dad or tell some stories about him ?
He will be sorely missed, but not forgotten.
 :'(

"Vaughn Rollings"   He is da man!
I was shocked to hear of his passing. He will be missed by many especially all the original ol school local cal lookers in Fullerton and DKK club members from the day. He was responsible for keeping me cruzin smooth always. One memory for me was when he built my trans in my 63 Rag but he wouldn't let me drive it untill I raised the rear back to stock settings after being lowered with negative camber.  :(  He said "No Way!! Lets put that back end where its supposed to be....I said sure Vaughn.  I always listened to him for sure! He was so right about everything mechanical. Boy he sure could build reduction boxes in my split window buses too . Vaughn..... I will miss you dearly, and I will always remember that first "Burn-Out" you did with that mean "Berg 5" speed pullin into the parking lot in front of Perry's Pizza on DKK meeting night. First we heard that sound......the sound of him winding up the best sounding 48 motor anywhere, then a huge plume of rubber smoke......he screamed by us in second gear, you could barly see him inside the car, then when he hit third gear he was right in front of the hardware store windows and threw on the brakes! Just in time, he never hit 4th gear..........I will always remember that Vaughn.

My heart goes out to all of his family and friends,  We will meet again Vaughn!!! 

We have such great memories with Vaughn. He was such a nice guy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. He will be missed.... Kevin and Linda

Here is a shot I clicked off at one of the OCIR Bug-Ins. I talked with Vaughn for awhile.  I was amazed at his ingenuity with the reduction style gears to use the VW automatic mid engine.  He was definitely very creative. Too bad to hear about him passing.  He was younger than me and that always makes you thankful to have another day.

Rick M

Vaughn was absolutely part of our old DKK scene, and don't forget he also had a fantastic sense of humor!       

.... a DKK Thursday night meeting, gathering up in the parking lot of Larry's Pizza, lining up our cars and visiting with each other prior to the meeting.    When all of a sudden you heard Vaughn begin his entrance with the recognizable winding of his engine.  8)  All of us DEEKs would find our spot to view his signature trickery.  You just knew it was going to be entertaining!!  But on a rare occasion he would prank us all.  He would imitate the brand new 16 year old driver, popping the clutch without any use of the gas pedal.   His poor car just jerked along into the parking lot, with all of us DEEKs rolling on the floor laughing  :D  He enjoyed a good laugh like the rest of us.

An extra prayer tonight for Vaughn and his family.  I know heaven is having some extra fun and laughs with him  ;)

It was truly sad news when I heard of Vaughn’s passing. I knew him as person devoted first to his family, and my deepest sympathy go’s out to all of them. I had not seen him since I left his employ in ’85 to go to work for a Volvo dealer, and now that I’ve gotten back into VW’s, it would so nice to just chat with him.
He was passionate about his work, cars, and a very skilled craftsman too; happiest when there was some “Imagineering” to do, and would always greet you with a smile. In the 6 years I worked with him, I learned many of the skills I still use today. For example, he showed me how to “hold your tongue just right” when starting a Heli-Coil in #3 spark plug on a ’74 Beetle with air conditioning!!
He was not only my boss, but we also became very good friends too, spending many memorable weekends off-roading in the old family Burro, drag racing and at rallys.
I had been putting off posting because I have several pictures of his car and dragster to show, but my scanner is broken and I felt I shouldn’t wait too much longer. I will try to post them up soon and share more thoughts.

Bruce

Bruce, didn't I swap you my '67 after my San Diego mishap for that Dutch Standard '67? I think you turned it into a Class 11 style off roader. What ever happened to that car?

-jeffrey

Yes, after your "mishap", Vaughn helped me salvage into a decent offroader. Keeping up with expensive 4X4's in the mud in a low budget Bug is so satisfing! I sold off all your Cal-look stuff to finance it, "3" Five Spokes (opps Jeff!) Weber's, Seats, interior etc.
He would take the old family Burro, Dave, another co-worker would take his '67 Baja, and I would take the '67 Class eleven "inspired" Bug to Azusa Canyon in the San Gabrial Mts on Sunday's. Mind you, he drove 40 miles from Fullerton to get there, 20 miles in mud, dirt and rocks, and then back home afterwards! I think I have an old picture of him there too, with a big muddy grin on his face of course!
You'll have to tell me about the fate of the '67 1200 sometime soon too.

r.i.p. will never forget you co-worker
mark