The Cal-look Lounge

Just a quick post to let you know that we have got some truly superb VWs for you to see if you're making the journey to the VolksWorld Show this coming weekend - there are probably more new show cars than we've ever had before!
We've also got some very special things in store - after all this is the 15th Anniversary Show.

If all goes to plan, we'll also be having a world premier at the show of something which is reallygo to impress anyone into California Look. I am sure it's going to be the biggest news of the year! And having seen this item all I can say is it'll have you reaching for your credit card! ;)

Anyway, if you're coming to the show you'll see the launch on the VolksWorld Stand, if not you're sure to hear about it on the internet about 10 minutes later!

So, for all those travelling to the show have a safe trip and enjoy the weekend!

should be ivan.hey excelerator man are we partying saturday night? ;)

36 hours 13 minutes left.... ::)

great news..... credit card looked out !  ;)

Ah yes the famous secret of russell   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

No, it's not that...

It will be a really nice surprise!

Ivan-Ivano :o

Hi .

So  coool .

" Le singe est dans l'arbre "  !!      ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1sQkEfAdfY

Cal-Look trim hole cover tape available in original VW colours?  :D

You might have just spolit the surprise...

What colour did you need for your '63? it's so long since I sold it to you I can't remember, wasn't it Pearl White?

My choice could be swayed on this launch, I am looking foward to the final unveiling! ;)

ivan you forget me but not me  :-\ >:(

But white Brazilias aren't Cal Look!  ;D

brm hubcaps, cover those ugly wheels up!!!

I'll be there for the weekend (still have to work some hours and then I'm off) and you made us warm for the surprise, Ivan...

See you there,

Philip
Flatline Lowriders
Belgium

I wont be going again, missed it for the last 4 years. Always the highlight of the show season, Ivan and the team always put on a top show! Gutted. I will have to pull my finger out and start a new cal look project, been itching do another since i sold the 64.  :(

well i now no of 3 surprises but have no idea which one Ivan is going on about, anyway we should all wait until Saturday and find out what all the talk is about, see you all there.

BTW: Ivan thanks, really appreaciate you helping me out with that little thing................ see you soon.

See you There Russel ;)

Mags

I am glad you received the secret Ivan, I will tell the sender about it

oh and CSP will launch some new products at the show ...
one for sure fits the California Look theme oh so well

see you tomorrow

I think it's gonne be calm on the "lounge" this weekend,because all the euro-loungers are @ VoWo-show.
(exept me   :-[   :-\  ).
Anyway,I'm suprised to see the first pic's.

One more day,and then.......  :o   (what csp car Gunter?)

Tell me about I have half of them staying at mine  ::) ;) :-*  its already gone a bit quiet on here  :o

Unless its the Greg Aronson car or Inch Pincher Too I will be disappointed  ;D
Have fun guys!  :-X

I am at home too

think I now know the big news :o

i'll be at home too :(:(

i'll be there. I'm already expecting some kind of abuse from Ivan  :o

Do you plan to make us an English breakfast?  ;D ;D

"Us"  ??? does that mean you are coming then dude  ??? I hope so  ;D as for the English breakfast I'm affraid not I've already got the croisants in for you Euro guys  ;)

Yes Dude, I finally decide to come.  ;)
In last minutes as always  ::)

Start @ 5am then pick up the crazy licker and Nicolas.

COOOOOOOOOOOOOL The SCC crew are back together  ;) :) I will see you saturday afternoon - remember some Cash for your new fan housing  ;) Lookin forward to seeing you guys  ;D

Everything is ready  ;)

I'll be there too...
See you tomorrow!!!

yep

all waxed, lotioned and silky smooth and i even combed my hair, hope you guys do the same  ;D

P.S. don't forget the bier's  ;D

 everything is ready too  ,cu tomorrow morning at my house at 6.00 am

DKP should bring it back!


Edit:
This shoulda been on the Top Ten Board post... don't know how it landed here! :P

Some shots from today (http://www.terovirta.com/volks/Frame.php?page=2009_Volksworld_01.html).

Thanks for the pics, Tero.... looks like plenty of cool stuff to see. 8) 8) 8) 8)

Yes cool pics,a lot of nice cars.  ;)

Would you mind explaining now that the show is over? Especially the credit card? ???

Ivan got the chance from Nao to present the new Flat4 BRM wheel
the wheel matches the original very close
and that was also one of the big secrets of the show
Nao presented the wheel on his new black car in Japan (Jamboree show)
and Ivan in the UK
Kobus and CSP were also involved in the deal
if interested in, just let me know (gh@csp-shop.de)
we are shipping out of Japan in April, first sets for some cars debuting at EBI3 ...
I will try to list pics later

Gunter

yes those are very close to the real one  i like them   :o

it's possible to swap a old flat4 set (1992) to a new one  ::) ::) ::)

rgd
fabs

Sorry I haven't logged on since the weekend - I had a day off to recover.
Yes, it's 100% true - Flat 4 has re-invented the wheel, well, the Flat 4 BRM wheel.
VolksWorld was first to announce the original Flat 4 BRM wheel way back in 1991, and so Flat 4 was happy for us to announce the new wheel to the world at the VolksWorld Show.
It created a huge amount of interest!

The wheel arrived on Friday afternoon - so it really was a last minute deal. I had to go and pick it up from Customs and then couldn't resist opening the box and taking a good detailed look at it.

This is as close as you'll get to the original - the offset is perfect - so it's instantly better than the old Flat 4 wheel, but then you've got the valve seat, the spokes, the casting marks - and loads of other little details.

These wheels will be in demand - the first batch is sure to sell out quickly.

*EDIT* Was looking at the wrong bit  ::)

I can't believe how close it looks to the original!!

Ivan do you know whether the whole Flat4 range has been remoulded? The SSP site (Pre order) seems to insinuating that!

http://www.vwheritage.com/ssp/SSP-Wheels/



PS. Great show :D

What is the backspacing on this wheel and the depth of the polished lip compared to the early FLAT FOURS?  Does anyone have the dimensions (if they are different)? Also, was there any discussion about going to the original inserts that slipped into the wheels and the lug nuts actually shouldered on?  I've seen some owners of the first FLAT FOURS machine the lug nut area flat, use washers and a shouldered type of aftermarket lug nut (like the WELD WHEELS use) that slides inside the wheel and the nut tightens down on the stud. Just curious.

Rick M

A very reputable source has told me that the reason inserts like the original has not been used is that it would then be considered a two-piece wheel, and then it's a different ballgame with approval of the authorities etc.

Hi Rick, the wheels are the same dimensions as a Speedwell BRM. The 'early' Flat 4 wheels were not.

You could machine the wheels to accept BRM inserts if you wanted to.

no offence taken, i was kinda aiming for some controversy, especially since i have as much hair as Martin  ;)

boom boom   ??? ??? someone is talking about boom boom   ::) ::) ::) ::)........................ ;D.. ;D.. ;D. ;D.. ;D. ;D. ;D..

Looks like the wheels are shiny black.. Is this only for the demo model, maybe the pics make it look that way? Or will it be like that on the final ones?

Sorry i don't want to sound like an ass but the original BRM don't look shiny black to me..

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/pix/2281609.jpg)

I don't think aluminum will ever dull down to look quite the same as 30 odd year old magnesium  :-\

The paint was glossy, Roland.
They´ll make a very nice wheel if you sandblast them, polish them and paint them flat black IHMO.
Making some inserts and having the wheel machined for them looks like a fairly easy job, any opinions guys?

ive never taken to brm,s so thats sealed the deal for me ;D

lets tell flat 4 to cast em in magnesium :)

So the new wheels have more or less offset than the old FF wheels? By how much?

Throw a New BRM in a tub of water....  add sulfuric acid... drink a 12 pack... This will speed up the aging process ;)

Yeah I don't get why they say it's the closest to an original BRM and then paint it gloss black?? I guess it's the bling factor...

they have them in chrome as well...  ;D

No mather what you do to them, they are still a copy....

I think the new flat4 BRM is great, yes it not the real thing but that doesnt really matter, flat 4 have put a lot of effort in to our area of the scene and there products are normally great quality, would rather have a flat 4 product that has a proper VW guy in charge than a trade company that only want to make money, didnt see any other wheel manufactures at the stands at ebi nor did they bring there race car half way round the world to break it........

A real BRM while very cool is actually quite dangerous now, due to there age and the quality of the manufacturing in day one, original brms are all slightly different as the QC and controls probaly werent that great as it was only a lightweight $49 wheel !!!!! Asa i have the 4 NOS wheels i can assure you all that up close they are not all exactly the same, so i would'nt expect flat 4 to make every one different not with the quality involved.......

Well, actually I cannot remember seeing any innovation/own products from Flat4, like CSP disc brakes or CB drop spindles as an example. What they do is just repro old bling-bling parts where some American/European guys did the development 40 years ago and which is probably easier money than for example trying to reproduce 100% correct sheet metal parts (which Volkswagen scene would really need) or do some engineering with own products. And the vintage drag racing cars in nostalgia events? Isn't that promotion?

That's the damn truth.

Without question we should recognise and take inspiration from the great cars, pioneers and achievements of the past.
But restricting yourself to living in and duplicating some idealised version of that past leads to stagnation and lack of progress.

It's a safe option for those with lack of imagination because the rules have already been handed down in tablets of stone (so they say).
Their only future is the past.

The backward looking retro movement's version of 'R&D' is Rip-Off and Duplicate.

Personally I found it just a little bit depressing that the two highlights of the Volksworld Show were put forward by many on here as...
(i) the official launch of an aluminium wheel (claimed to be a more faithful copy of the original than previous faithful copies of the original)
(ii) a retro style gasser car

Not meaning to cause any offence here... the car in question is high quality. It will no doubt create even more interest when travelling the 1/4 as opposed to being parked in an exhibition hall.... but you get my drift?? Pretty disappointing when what you were led to believe was 'new' and 'exciting' turns out to be a cover version of the original.

On a more positive note, there were plenty of examples of new thinking on display. I should be more tolerant and welcome a few fundamentalists - as long as they don't take over!  ;)

To be fair, in most respects the very nature of our hobby is retro by design (old fashioned aircooled VWs FFS!) but that doesn't mean progress is Verbotten!!!




( .. steps aside and ducks for cover.....)  ;)  ;D

I guess the nature of this forum means that people are going to pick up on the retro side of things which is to be expected and fundamentally pretty cool but I know what people are saying. The way I see it the Dyno Pincher is a cool twist on a theme brilliantly executed and things like the Flat4 wheel mean that people without the money for the original can get a good looking period rim to suit the car.

I think there was evidence of fresh thinking elsewhere though, Rudy's New Beetle is something else in the best possible sense whilst Adele and Steve's car combines a load of current race car thinking with classic looks whilst cars like the Type3D / TrailerQueen Brasilia offer up a slightly different approach to stuff in other areas of the scene. In terms of products I think there was also a bunch of interesting stuff fresh out. Having previously bought a total piece of shite from the VW performance equivalent of Ratners something that appealed to me was the new CSP exhausts, the amount of R&D they have put into tuning their systems is great news for their customers and like their brake kits for what you get it's a cheap piece of kit. It'd be bad if things were standing still but I think things are still moving forward so the fundamentalists haven't yet taken over!

One thing is for sure though, we need a lot more good sheet metal and trim parts, it's getting really hard to put a car together nicely if you're missing certain parts and that's crap.

 :)