KS' chapter on Dean Kirsten's blue '67.... must read

[Jim Ratto]

Dean's blue car has always been one of my favorites, way back to before I knew it was blue (only pics I had seen were in 2/75 Hot VWs). Landmark car that has yet to be equaled, as far as getting "the look' right.
Keith, kudos on selecting Dean's car as a focus point in the new book, and Dean, thanks for sharing the old pictures. I especially liked the stories of how the car was built in "stages" from the Holley motor and stock, gold-painted VW wheels, to the full on 1679 IDA, FAT heads, T bars, DDS wheels,

that car must have been so fun as a driver.

[Diederick/DVK]

Amen, I love reading about the stages in which it was build!!
Guess I feel the same way about building my car, if only I'd once reach a similar quality car 

[IP359]

Better with pics...........
Enjoy !

[Jim Ratto]

nice pics, thanks for posting

[Fritter]

So shiny....

[javabug]

I always thought it was real interesting that the front AND rear wheels were 4.5".  I would have thought the rears would have gone to at least 5.5", as most aftermarket stuff one would have sprung for was 5"+. 

[Sam K]

I have always admired Dean's car as well, especially because my '67 was originally L633 VW blue. I think I remember reading somwhere that after Dean sold the car, it was stolen and stripped and he ended up buying the wheels from it at a swap meet some years later.

[deano]

I have always admired Dean's car as well, especially because my '67 was originally L633 VW blue. I think I remember reading somwhere that after Dean sold the car, it was stolen and stripped and he ended up buying the wheels from it at a swap meet some years later.

Close.... I ran a classified ad in Hot VWs, that I was looking for some DDS wheels. I guy in Palmdale, CA, north east of L.A., called and said he had three good ones, and one badly damaged. I drove out there to see them, and they all had my secret mark near the valve stem. That was back in the mid-90s. I sold it in 1975! Two of those same 4.5 wheels are on my new '67 project.

[Rennsurfer]

That was such a cool car.

[Fastbrit]

I have always admired Dean's car as well, especially because my '67 was originally L633 VW blue. I think I remember reading somwhere that after Dean sold the car, it was stolen and stripped and he ended up buying the wheels from it at a swap meet some years later.

Close.... I ran a classified ad in Hot VWs, that I was looking for some DDS wheels. I guy in Palmdale, CA, north east of L.A., called and said he had three good ones, and one badly damaged. I drove out there to see them, and they all had my secret mark near the valve stem. That was back in the mid-90s. I sold it in 1975! Two of those same 4.5 wheels are on my new '67 project.

But you forgot to mention that they ended up in the UK as part of a "Deano's getting out of VWs" deal, and then ended up back in the US where they belonged, having been hand-delivered to a motel room in Illinois! The world's most widely-traveled DDs rims!

[nicolas]

cool stories, but the one about what happened IN the hotelroom in Illinois, stays in the hotelroom in Illinois please 

[jimi323]

fantastic car....(without bumpers) perfect proportions... has anyone a pics of the dash and interiors?
thank u

[speedwell]

 

[jimi323]

fantastic spedwell! i think you got a server to keep all your pics!
anybody knows what kind of steering wheels they used on callook?
le carra? moutney? or moto lita?

i'm thinkin' about a new steering wheel for my car....

[speedwell]

it's look like a formulig france steering wheels

they used formuling france , motolita  , nardi , race mark , britania ,

[Rennsurfer]

Also LeCarra, Grant, and Superior. The last two brands especially on earlier built Cal Lookers.

[deano]

My steering wheel was a flat 14" Moto Lita. But in order to install it, I had to tweak the turn signal lever a bit, to clear.

KS is right about the DDS wheel's traveling history. I think I puchased the same set of wheels a total of three times over the years.

In the two interior photos, the top one is without all the Ernie Haneline stainless panels, while later on, I had the full set, including the glove box cover. Thanks to KS once again, I got my old, Haneline license plate frame back as well!

[Jim Ratto]

Dean, what prompted your choice to run DDS wheels at the time?

[deano]

Well, BRMs were SO common back then, I wanted something different. And since most of the gassers were going away from BRMs and going to lighter DDS wheels, I decided that I needed to go that direction as well. Most all street guys were afraid of DDS wheels on the street, and even Lowry had his doubts about curbing one, or getting a flat on the freeway. But, being young and stupid, I went ahead and used them. I could have paid $50 each for used BRMs, but DDS were about $55 each new. They quickly became, and are, my trademark (sorta).

[Jim Ratto]

Well, BRMs were SO common back then, I wanted something different. And since most of the gassers were going away from BRMs and going to lighter DDS wheels, I decided that I needed to go that direction as well. Most all street guys were afraid of DDS wheels on the street, and even Lowry had his doubts about curbing one, or getting a flat on the freeway. But, being young and stupid, I went ahead and used them. I could have paid $50 each for used BRMs, but DDS were about $55 each new. They quickly became, and are, my trademark (sorta).

while BRM's would have looked cool (very) on your blue '67, I think you made the right choice. So few cars of this ilk (street) have run the DDS wheels, I think the wheels are what made and make your car a standout. Even the recent wave of ERCO-equipped cars don't have the same aura.

[Fritter]

Both Deano and I know that a "very close" replica of an original DDS set of wheels can be made by a certain AL wheel company in Socal, if one is inclined to make a phone call.  I may still go this route with my '64.  The ERCO wheels are cool (I used to have a set), but they're not exactly historically accurate.

I talked to the owner of this wheel company and tried to track down the original DDS molds/dies, but nothing panned out (no pun intended).   I wonder if they DO still exist somehwhere in a dusty corner.

[johnl]

My steering wheel was a flat 14" Moto Lita. But in order to install it, I had to tweak the turn signal lever a bit, to clear.

KS is right about the DDS wheel's traveling history. I think I puchased the same set of wheels a total of three times over the years.

In the two interior photos, the top one is without all the Ernie Haneline stainless panels, while later on, I had the full set, including the glove box cover. Thanks to KS once again, I got my old, Haneline license plate frame back as well!

Ernie Haneline

There is a name from the dark past.  Ernie use to come into Auto Haus and sell his wares.  I had the kick guards, sill plates and headlight housing pieces in the Butternut car. 

Beyond that what I remember most of Ernie were his wild tales of his girl friends.  He told us that he had one and her daughter in the "rack" with him at the same time !!    Weather it was true or not I don't know, but he was a wild dude..........

[deano]

Yes, Ernie had a lot of tales.... I went over to his house a couple of times, once with Jim Holmes. He even gave us lunch! Anyway, his pride and joy was a mint, low mileage 912 Porsche, which he bought new. But, he worried that some time down the line, he would need to have the engine rebuilt. So, he purchased a complete 912 engine in the crate! He never put enough miles on it to ever need that engine. He made all that stainless panels in his garage/shop over in Newport Beach. He even made me some custom panels for my matching sandrail I built in 1976.