Club Rivalries

[louisb]

Lets hear about some of the club rivalries and any interesting "incidences" that occurred between the different clubs. Who were the main rivals for the big clubs? Was it mostly at the shows or did it play out on the street and strip as well? Did different clubs favor different shops and have their own "turf"? It seems a lot of people changed clubs as they came and went? How was this handled? Any good interclub competitions or organized events? What about getting ready for the shows?

--louis

[Rennsurfer]

I suppose that my ignorance is bliss... because I don't remember any negative incidents happening with the VW clubs, back then. What I remember is going to or hosting a lot of car rallies, car shows, parties, etc. That, and wherever there was fun... Dyno Don was there, lurking. Making sure everyone was having a good time, such as it were. Perhaps he's that one guy that tends to the light at the end of the tunnel... or so it seems.

Someone from that era prove me wrong. The only thing I remember, was embarrassing a few V8 muscle car jocks. And many lowered skateboards... I mean, mini trucks (God, I loathed those feckless things.) and a lotta Japanese cars that swore I was cheating by using nitrous oxide. HAHA!! Another thing I detest on cars. But all of that was in good fun and usually took place while cruising Whittier Blvd. and afterwards at our impromptu races.

I wish that I had the money and sense to video Whittier cruising and the few times that I was lucky enough to watch Mike Martinez race his black chop-top Bug at Nabisco. Great memories. In Long Beach, we also had some good grudge racing late at night over by the river in the commercial district. Santa Fe or Suzanna Ave. Somewhere over there. Met a lotta good friends because of those races. It was all in fun and I never saw any fighting or club rival activity.

Hate to sound like an old fart (Because I AM.), but compared to today... people seemed more respectful to each other. That, or I had a killer set of rose colored glasses to view life from. HAHA!! I'm sure there were negative things that went down. Guess I was at the right place at the right time.

Next?

[louisb]

Not really looking for negative things. Just any interesting stories between club members.

--louis

[Rennsurfer]

Oh... okay. There was this one time when Rayburn said...

Just kidding. Again, nothing but great memories. Let's hear some stories!

[yvre]

There's certainly no rivalry between clubs today... on the contrary I would say.
Was it really different before?

[Prowagen]

I thought it would have been like in that film The Warriors!

[Jim Ratto]

probably off topic,
the club Kyle, Bates, Sheep, SODA, Crofty and others were in, 1990's... no rivalries really outside the club. But-

some pretty hot topics going on within the club itself at times.

Typically revolved around one guy, and his 1776. Seemed he wanted a piece of everybody, so there was some humorous tenison admist the club focused on him. There were friendly pranks, but some unkind events too. I recall dismissing the guy from my garage one night, in front of everyone, after some pretty lame comments were made to my g/f at the time. But overall, the inner-rivalry made for good competition at our local street racing venue, and even better stories for the future. Bates based a whole motor just on getting even with this guy.  

[Rennsurfer]

But overall, the inner-rivalry made for good competition at our local street racing venue, and even better stories for the future. Bates based a whole motor just on getting even with this guy. 

NOW we're talkin'... building an engine to get even with? Bring it on. Sounds like good stuff.

[Jim Ratto]

But overall, the inner-rivalry made for good competition at our local street racing venue, and even better stories for the future. Bates based a whole motor just on getting even with this guy. 

NOW we're talkin'... building an engine to get even with? Bring it on. Sounds like good stuff.

I think it's been posted before, but I'm sure John John won't mind winding the clock back and telling us about his Project X motor aimed at our said clubmate.

I'll share some more stories later too.

[John Rayburn]

I suppose that my ignorance is bliss... because I don't remember any negative incidents happening with the VW clubs, back then. What I remember is going to or hosting a lot of car rallies, car shows, parties, etc. That, and wherever there was fun... Dyno Don was there, lurking. Making sure everyone was having a good time, such as it were. Perhaps he's that one guy that tends to the light at the end of the tunnel... or so it seems.

Someone from that era prove me wrong. The only thing I remember, was embarrassing a few V8 muscle car jocks. And many lowered skateboards... I mean, mini trucks (God, I loathed those feckless things.) and a lotta Japanese cars that swore I was cheating by using nitrous oxide. HAHA!! Another thing I detest on cars. But all of that was in good fun and usually took place while cruising Whittier Blvd. and afterwards at our impromptu races.

I wish that I had the money and sense to video Whittier cruising and the few times that I was lucky enough to watch Mike Martinez race his black chop-top Bug at Nabisco. Great memories. In Long Beach, we also had some good grudge racing late at night over by the river in the commercial district. Santa Fe or Suzanna Ave. Somewhere over there. Met a lotta good friends because of those races. It was all in fun and I never saw any fighting or club rival activity.

Hate to sound like an old fart (Because I AM.), but compared to today... people seemed more respectful to each other. That, or I had a killer set of rose colored glasses to view life from. HAHA!! I'm sure there were negative things that went down. Guess I was at the right place at the right time.

Next?

                                                         Santa Fe and Del Amo. And I mostly remember all VW folk sort of ganging up on V8 or mini truck. or JT people, regardless of club affiliation. The only rivalry I can recall was for , Most Represented Club at Bug In's.

[John Rayburn]

Oh... okay. There was this one time when Rayburn said...

Just kidding. Again, nothing but great memories. Let's hear some stories!

                                                    Hey, you promised never to repeat that!

[Jim Ratto]

But overall, the inner-rivalry made for good competition at our local street racing venue, and even better stories for the future. Bates based a whole motor just on getting even with this guy. 

NOW we're talkin'... building an engine to get even with? Bring it on. Sounds like good stuff.

This one guy with the hard on for everybody was a good friend of mine, actually, and a roommate too, at the time. Everybody in the club pretty much knew how to get his hackles up.... it was classic. All one had to do was "one up" the guy, or at least threaten to, when it came to VW's. He ran an Engle 125, so if you wanted to make him squirm, you'd just say you had an Engle 126. Oh man, I can remember everybody coming up with their own version of shaking him up. Working at Buggy House gave me special privileges when it came to VW-related pranks. This guy would come home much later than I did @ night. So I'd bring home real exotic race stuff from work, not mine, I'd just borrow it for a night, you know like a library... stuff like Autocraft 1.4 rockers, Vertex mag, IDA manifolds.... etc. I'd write the name of another of the club members on the side of the magneto or on the manifolds, or make a fake invoice with their name on it, and lay the whole bit on the kitchen table, which he had to walk by when he got home....  I'd go hide in my room and hear the front door open... a few footsteps, then silence. Then you'd hear the parts get set back on the table. Then a knock at my door.... "so when did ____________ buy the magneto and the FK89?"

[Bewitched666]

Thats a funny one Jim

[Rennsurfer]

Hey, you promised never to repeat that!

So... are we having a club ravioli or whatever they're called?

[crofty]

LOL, I remember that junction in time.

[John Rayburn]

Hey, you promised never to repeat that!

So... are we having a club ravioli or whatever they're called?

                                                        Yes, but no meat sauce. You know how I am.

[Neil Davies]

Lets hear about some of the club rivalries and any interesting "incidences" that occurred between the different clubs. Who were the main rivals for the big clubs? Was it mostly at the shows or did it play out on the street and strip as well? Did different clubs favor different shops and have their own "turf"? It seems a lot of people changed clubs as they came and went? How was this handled? Any good interclub competitions or organized events? What about getting ready for the shows?

--louis

My first VW club, Half A Brain, used to have a running battle with any of the other clubs local to us - we always though that we were more "into" VWs, had better (read "Cal Look", not stockers or resto cal!) cars and tried to go to more shows than anyone else. However, our big battle ground was the dodgems at Bug Jam, where we would have 10 HAB members against 10 of another clubs members! No winners or losers, but a chance to let off some aggression!