Larry Shaw's Black/Gold Bug?

[speedwell]

 

[Diederick/DVK]

to whom did the beige DZK car belong?

[speedwell]

 

[team97]

I'm glad that the Black Magic car cannot talk. I was very close to Mike Martinez back when he and Kawells built that car. It started life as a little light green sleeper but Dave and Judy made Mike put a cage and all the safety stuff in it. Me, Schwimmer, Mason and Brinton had a great time on the streets of Santa Ana and Orange in the turboed beast. We even saw an OC Sherriff once...................ONCE!

[speedwell]

 

[team97]

yes young justis/my words.....and all very true.  when larry unveiled the "brass bug" heads were turning/some slower than others and visa versa. that day of the photo shoot was tragic indeed but larry recovered rather quickly as they say and had "one day"body and paint respray the passeneger side and I reworked the side and detailed it for its first show win.  YUK..!! was my first impression/not into suicide custon stuff or lots of brass/chrome or whatever/alloy adaptors..etc....but will have to say a nice piece regardless. Kimballs friend and neighbor,(Andy), bought the car and had me detail it like the old days and I negotiated a very fair deal to Akira Ueno from Bee Haus where the car sits along with all the other 'dirty' relics of history.

Dyno, were did my old / Jim Moore notchback go?

[Diederick/DVK]

i'd be curious too, that notch is my of my all time favourite lookers!!

[Rick Meredith]

I'm glad that the Black Magic car cannot talk. I was very close to Mike Martinez back when he and Kawells built that car. It started life as a little light green sleeper but Dave and Judy made Mike put a cage and all the safety stuff in it. Me, Schwimmer, Mason and Brinton had a great time on the streets of Santa Ana and Orange in the turboed beast. We even saw an OC Sherriff once...................ONCE!

Wasn't that over by my Mom's house on Browning Ave? 

[team97]

I'm glad that the Black Magic car cannot talk. I was very close to Mike Martinez back when he and Kawells built that car. It started life as a little light green sleeper but Dave and Judy made Mike put a cage and all the safety stuff in it. Me, Schwimmer, Mason and Brinton had a great time on the streets of Santa Ana and Orange in the turboed beast. We even saw an OC Sherriff once...................ONCE!

Wasn't that over by my Mom's house on Browning Ave? 

Yep, it is amazing how fast you can get a bug to corner through those hills with slicks and front runners when you have to. He made a u-turn and he never saw us again. He didn't stand a chance, we were doing well over 100 when we passed him anyway.

[GASBNR]

Hey fab's was there a volksworld with the same feature in English......I think I may of seen that before

[dyno don]

thanks all for the cool pics /well...just a little disappointed but not surprised at seeing all the cool machines just oozing to have them ALL detailed again....man..those were the days. Akira and I became friends years ago in the 70's when I awarded him the longest distance award at Bug in.  The rest IS HISTORY as they say. As I recall I sold scores of cars to him over the many years/after trying to find new homes here in the states with no ripple whatsoever..economics were strong during those years in japan hence a good working long distance friendship and business relationship/most the cars depicted in the above pics were in fact sold by me to Akira. Each one was detailed to perfection prior to shipping but have since collected some obvious dirt revenue. Im in the process of negotiating a sweet deal for the return of Mike Smith's car back to the states for Mike to return to his VW racing roots..!! This has been quite a challenge and regardless how it turns out I will always be happy to see vintage machines at least have a safe haven to reside in. When I was back in Japan a few years ago I couldnt even walk let alone sleep anywhere due to all the many collectible bits and pieces EVERYWHERE..!! Kudos to Akira for having the desire to keep the legends alive... even with the airborne particulate fallout on them.    Love,Dyno                 gasket/sorry...dont know about that one although that notch was very sweet..

[speedwell]

Hey fab's was there a volksworld with the same feature in English......I think I may of seen that before

yes there's a similar report on volksworld ,but pictures are different , i will see if i found the mag and scan
 

fabs

[GASBNR]

Hey fab's was there a volksworld with the same feature in English......I think I may of seen that before

yes there's a similar report on volksworld ,but pictures are different , i will see if i found the mag and scan
 

fabs

Cheers Fabs, let me know what mag it is I think I have it............Ivan???

[Dominick Luppino]

I'm glad that the Black Magic car cannot talk. I was very close to Mike Martinez back when he and Kawells built that car. It started life as a little light green sleeper but Dave and Judy made Mike put a cage and all the safety stuff in it. Me, Schwimmer, Mason and Brinton had a great time on the streets of Santa Ana and Orange in the turboed beast. We even saw an OC Sherriff once...................ONCE!

I also spent many hours working on Mike's car when I was helping Dave & Judy on the weekends, also I raced the car for mike in Phoenix.

I wondered what happened to it. Mike also had a red 67 that was wery quick.

[streetvw]

looks like a job for mister Richie to get them in the gasser garage collection, some real history not getting the use as they should, it seems so wrong that they are  just sitting in a shed in japan gathering dust 

[Eric Justus]

looks like a job for mister Richie to get them in the gasser garage collection, some real history not getting the use as they should, it seems so wrong that they are  just sitting in a shed in japan gathering dust 

I would rather see the Klingaman car back here in So. CA. Hey, someone re-open Small Car Specialties while you are at it, too. 

[dyno don]

sorry guys but the cars are there to stay for a long while/akira is a collector and an enthusiast and loves the dirt and loves grease even MORE.....      I know I have a picture of young ERIC somewhere from small car/or other event...some 25+ years ago I do believe ..!!    the DZK car/im not sure if i put the decals in the windows to enhance the look as i was going to rebuild that car as it was such a sweet deal but just cant remember to be quite honest. I detailed the hell out of it as it was crusty and then got into buying type 2 busses so I guess it was time to move on that particular piece. Black Magic also a sweet deal/was sitting for the longest time after Mike martinez's demise (not the same m.m. with the black dkp chop top)that car was a  much earlier deal for me and another story for anyone interested? magic mike was a hell of a guy and into many things that made BIG MONEY...needless to say he died from a gunshot wound from an inlaw dispute...fyi.  going bananas was in fact my late friend dan mcgraths car that was later sold to my friend lonnie reed of the head shop fame(where i worked for sometime) and later purchased by myself to restore back to its glory days then sold to akira. I could go on and on so i would be more than happy to try and fill you all in with bits and pieces if i can still remember it all.   those days wee so coooool/dyno

[Gary Justus]

"I know I have a picture of young ERIC somewhere from small car/or other event...some 25+ years ago I do believe ..!! " 

Just like Cheech and Chong : "If you don't,,,,,I do"

[Neil Davies]

sorry guys but the cars are there to stay for a long while/akira is a collector and an enthusiast and loves the dirt and loves grease even MORE.....      I know I have a picture of young ERIC somewhere from small car/or other event...some 25+ years ago I do believe ..!!    the DZK car/im not sure if i put the decals in the windows to enhance the look as i was going to rebuild that car as it was such a sweet deal but just cant remember to be quite honest. I detailed the hell out of it as it was crusty and then got into buying type 2 busses so I guess it was time to move on that particular piece. Black Magic also a sweet deal/was sitting for the longest time after Mike martinez's demise (not the same m.m. with the black dkp chop top)that car was a  much earlier deal for me and another story for anyone interested? magic mike was a hell of a guy and into many things that made BIG MONEY...needless to say he died from a gunshot wound from an inlaw dispute...fyi.  going bananas was in fact my late friend dan mcgraths car that was later sold to my friend lonnie reed of the head shop fame(where i worked for sometime) and later purchased by myself to restore back to its glory days then sold to akira. I could go on and on so i would be more than happy to try and fill you all in with bits and pieces if i can still remember it all.   those days wee so coooool/dyno

Dyno, any stories are good by us!

[Dominick Luppino]

One thing I can say about Russell is he brings cars back to life and brings them out to show them and race them, what I see in these pictures just makes me sick! Akira WTF, I raced against most of those cars and also helped build the Black Magic car,it looks like you are just rotting away HISTORY!!

Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but seeing these pictures just pisses me off!!!

[dyno don]

DOM...how the hell do you think the rest of us feel..any different??...im 100% with you on this one but like i said its HIS personal preference.....seeing gary avis's puma and the small car puma rot to hell doesnt make me feel any better either/those were unique and still are by far....gave me the "HEEBE GEEBE'S last time there....one of the nicest people in the world however and very knowledgeable about nostalgia....most all the cars i sold were in fact bitchin but seeing the rotted interiors etc..made me feel weak at the knees. at least they are what they are and very safe.  I would like a ride in your 'banana vega' just like the old days..!!  Akira is a very happy collector...  with love,Dyno

[Dominick Luppino]

DOM...how the hell do you think the rest of us feel..any different??...im 100% with you on this one but like i said its HIS personal preference.....seeing gary avis's puma and the small car puma rot to hell doesnt make me feel any better either/those were unique and still are by far....gave me the "HEEBE GEEBE'S last time there....one of the nicest people in the world however and very knowledgeable about nostalgia....most all the cars i sold were in fact bitchin but seeing the rotted interiors etc..made me feel weak at the knees. at least they are what they are and very safe.  I would like a ride in your 'banana vega' just like the old days..!!  Akira is a very happy collector...  with love,Dyno

Next time you see me just ask for a ride, it's much faster then the one I had in the late 70s!

I know he's a collector and I do know him, but dang! I would have loved to have bought Mike's Black Magic car.

[dyno don]

Dom>if you are serious>your wish may be my command..??/ and as most know speed doesnt scare me either as you last recall when we took plum crazy on its wild street ride all i could do was laugh out loud hysterically as a young child with a new toy>>as i ALWAYS do..!!  I FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED..!!  diapers could be in order for this one.....?

[dyno don]

while trying to stay on track with the orig post here I remember larry's brass bug running his detuned engine from his drag car which propelled that brass bug quite effectively. ... and looked quite good for a relatively inexpensive(cheap)  paint job after countless hours of rubbing and buffing to an awesome reflective finish. and as one can imagine... a TON of money into the brass plating as well.....in the first cover story/that was when the passenger side wasnt shown as R.K.smith used good judgement in positioning the car almost perfect right after the passenger side suicide door flung open under a full throttle attempted burnout. a very sad moment for all there.

[plasticblack]

Like they say.......

  Speed Costs eh........ 

    It would be great so see some of those great cars re born so to speak.

      I accept that collectors can be very different in their approaches to how they keep their vehicles, but I assume these cars were not cheap when he acquired them??

          So I'm finding it hard to understand just how hard it could be to buy some decent dust covers for the cars.......

              Each to his own as the saying goes.

             
         

[dyno don]

Akira has hobby visitors from all over the world and feels they should be shown the way they are including the dirt....was in the process of building a HUGE facility until economy and family health issues arose and put all on hold. interesting when i visited him in japan he refused to let me clean the cars/ a good maid cleaning service could make a FORTUNE ..!!   ...but only if he says yes...       he is a very proud man with lots of wealth both in spirit and bank.  we all should be proud of him for at least having a good home for lost ones. I will always be very grateful to him for our friendship through the many years and for his relentless dedication to this industry..!!