The Cal-look Lounge

Seems like this was a popular modification when I was growing up. And it seems it's rarely done any longer...
I remember lots of '67 and earlier cars running 4-lug wheels, especially 8-spokes. In 1988 I was offered an IRS pan in trade for my '67 pan, and I was going to change to cast-finish (grey) 8 spokes on my car.

There was a very clean beige oval that came to BH once in a while, dude named Mike Lafevere, ran 2.0 914 alloys, and 1835 with 125 Engle and 48DRLAs.... very cool car.

How about pics from the archive of early cars with 4 lug wheels?

It can work, but they almost always have to be 8 spokes, IMO.

this one was the winner of bug in 14
zwitter with 8 spoke
 ;)

 ;) pre64 convert with 8 spokes

scott bakken sepia brown 63  8 spokes  8)

there's one year i would like to convert the drums on the 61 to put my 8 spokes on it , because i said i was so late70'zs & early 80's style
and nobody do this change nowadays  ;D ;D
 she will be cool inthat way too  ::)

I did the four lug treatment to both Ghias, although perhaps not Cal-Look in the strictest sense of the definition. First on the blue car using 2.0 alloys (I built it that way from the beginning as it wasn't driveable when I first bought it) then on Cindy's convertible with the eight spokes. It was the first thing I did to her car. Neither one of us like any of the wide five wheels. Both cars a wearing five lug porsche wheels now. Here's one of Cindy's convertible with the eight spokes.
(http://home.comcast.net/~mlawless29/cindy6.jpg)

What about the green split?? That car looked great on Spyders.

Mike, that's a good looking car.... awesome color.

I think the 914 2.0 alloys work too, on the right car. Sure would be anti-resto cal... that's for sure.
Like a sea green oval, or mint green, dechromed, 1-piece windows, Cal rubber, and detailed 914 alloys...  would look bitchin

glenn 's convert  ;)

Thanks Jim
I like the color too, and the paint is not so good one would be afraid to drive it. And that's exactly what it gets used for. Cindy drives it every day, and we like to our coast runs with it.

We bought it with this paint job on it, but redid the interior and match painted the dash and doors to match. The seats and door panels are now black with grey tweed inserts

Unfortunately, on our last trip down to southern California in it, someone bonked the rear fender next to the tailight in a parking lot and left without leaving a note. dang it! Not real bad, but it gouged the paint there pretty good.

People suck!  >:(
Sounds like a fun car....  how about some more pictures? We should start a "daily driven car" thread.

one for zach : eddy de kuiper conda green split window  ;)

 People suck!  >:(
Sounds like a fun car....  how about some more pictures? We should start a "daily driven car" thread.
[/quote]

Here's one of Cindy facing off with Dee Berg at the Drag Day powder puff race last year
(http://home.comcast.net/~mlawless29/DDPP.jpg)

And here's a side shot from that same day. First and only time we ever raced it it. If Cindy ever wants to race in Powder Puff again, it'll be in the Blue Car!
(http://home.comcast.net/~mlawless29/cindy9.jpg)

fabs, how about a pic of DKK Rick Meredith's beige '67?

Not exactly what you were talking about, but the only early car I like with 4 lug wheels !
 ;D

see '67s don't really count seeing to the fact that the good ones ( ;)  ) came with 4 lug wheels anyhow  ;D  (in europe at least)

off topic, but Dieds, I think cookie cutter 911 rims, black or gunmetal centers, polished rim, would look really good on your green car.  8)

Yeah but they also came with those dorky early head lamps ;)

is there a center to cookie cutters? they look like a steep dune landscape to me.
and zach, yeah i know all about that's why i ditched those 18 months ago  ;D

AssHull's wheels will be back from Al Reed soon... I guarantee they will be the sweetest set of cookies to date!!! :)

The only four lug wheels I like on an early bug are 2 liters that are paint detailed. I 've had a '63 on a '73 pan with eight spokes for a couple years, but I've never reallly liked them on it. I plan on converting it to wide 5 and putting some centerlines on it when I build it.

The old 67 on Ansens.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/378970.jpg)

And Rons 66 on Centerlines.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/189454.jpg)

2.0 alloys have just never "done" it for me. Not shapely enough, I guess??

That 66 on 4 lug Center Lines looks awesome!

i remind having put 2 4x130 brakes drums iwith the 8spokes on the right side oh my 74 and on the left  2 5x205 brake drums with flat4 brms  ;D ;D ;D
you can saw 2 car in 1  ;D ;D ;D

paint Left side different from Right side too...  good for picture opportunities.  ::)

 ;D

I think on "right" cars they look great. I think on the wrong cars they couldn't look worse. To me cars with all the moldings and stuff wouldn't look right with them, no would cars with metallic paint. (I'd never put them on my car for instance).

Always liked eight spokes, the cast finish or black ones. they were on almost every Cal Look type of car when I was in HS. In fact my first girlfriend had a bright orange 1971 standard Bug with black eight spokes, cal rubber, blacked out vent wing frames, Vitaloni mirrors and a 88 x 69 dual port with stock 34PICT3 and S & S dual mufflers. It was a super clean and cool car. When we met, she was dating another guy with a very 80's monochromatic "fake" GTI Rabbit. It was all white, only had 1.7 motor and some muffler and was dropped. He didn't like the fact the she met somone that was "in" to Bugs, nor did he like the fact that I could (and would) work on it. Within a few months, he was out of the picture.  ::)

Thats Ed Craigs Old Car he sold the BRM's and put 8 spokes on it then Sold The Car In This Picture The Car Was In The California Kafers VW Club from Torrance Calif car was later sold again ta another member of the Califorina Kafers and painted a brick red color and changed back to BRM's

Hey Mark,

Your car looked sweet with those 2 Liter wheels!
They looked good polished and lets face it, back then full polish was the thing to do!

~DR.

Mark's car looked great in every incarnation.

well i really dig the 4 lug wheels now. i hated them before as mine was the first year the cars had 4 lugs and it would have been way cooler to have brms fitted. so i was weighing the option off changing it all during the rebuild, but why switch from discs to drums??? so i never got around that and now i am quite happy with the 4 lug ones. these are two rims i really like. the 8 spokes have grown on me and i will not get rid off them very soon. and i really like the ones in 14 inch diameter on Bakkens car, especially because the front tires look so 'big' and bulky as well.
the rims Mark likes are the ones from a formula vee edition beetle. they came in a few forms but the ones in the picture are the ones i like most, but i did try to polish up the lip. they are a type that fit in between the porsche riviera's with the raised square bit on the spokes (like the repops have) and the fatlips.
2.0 l rims look good on a 80's car. i think Tom is going that direction and it could be nice if done all in the same spirit. and one last thought. Ratto is right with the cookiecutter wheels on your car Died. i kinda like them too, but i would not paint the whole star, but only the flat center (little star in the middle) that looks good and is more subtle and 'mellows' the lines off the cookies.

sorry for rambling, but i don't get on the lounge that often these days to say it in a hundred posts...  ::)

I'm surprised Cosmic rims haven't been mentioned in this thread. Granted, they aren't as readily available as 2.0L, or 8 spokes. You either love them or hate them.... thats been my experience anyway.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/267475.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/450331.jpg)

scott bakken ran 13" empi's  :o

gotta love small wheels up front  ;) :D ;D

shhh.  ;)

This center cap is a steering wheel horn button ?

I've always liked oval windows with EMPI Spyder mags.

Is that a hint ???
~DR.

Yes! Remember the guy in Long Beach with the yellow oval and the Spyder mags?

Thats what it looks like. I pulled that picture off The Samba. Ususally you will see Porsche center caps. I personally like the ther Cosmic center caps, since its a Cosmic wheel and not a Porsche.... ::)

Here are my Cosmics after they were restored-
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/387603.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/387602.jpg)

Nice, I prefer the Cosmic center cap too.

picture i totally forgot about my 74's daily
that was when i decided to put the 8 spokes on the car , i started by the rear and sporting the brms at the front it look like  dave andrews 67 ::) ::).......... ;D ;D he had the 8 spoke at the front & brms at rear
the 66 pearlwhite was to a friend of mine and the car was sell nefore some years now  she was a really nice car i've pictures of this one with brms on it

I have always thought 4 lugs was a step backward from a performance stand point. And thats the only one that is important, right?

--louis