A 76' daily driver Cal Look

[V.Meslet]

Hi All,

As promised, here's the topic on my new project, 25 years after the previous one.
A kind of "back to the good old day's".

So obviously, "rats, old speed" and all new abbreviations are unknown to me. The only option for this project is to do a pure cal look, daily driver, nothing complicated by the way.

The basis, a 76' 1200 in quite good shape that I bought after at least 6 months of observation of the market. Just to get the good price.







So what do I got  :

a 1300 tired motor, stock exhaust pipe
drums brakes
snow tires on stock rusted wheels
well done two colors paint job - but not to my taste
clean stock interior but poorly fixed golf seats and no glove box cover
awful rear fender and big tail light
T-bars
Nice front fenders with turn light already incorporated on the headlights.

So what it needs to be complete
dropped disc brakes in front, reinforced rear drums brakes
new seats, shifter ... and a glove box cover
Empi (initially I was thinking about centerlines but changed my mind)
new tires
new rear stock fenders pre 68' with smaller taillights
68' bumpers 1200  (same color as the body) or keep the T-bars...
one piece windows kit
a pair of baby tornado mirrors
cal look seals
removal of the remaining chromes
and new blue paint job
design of linear paint job

And a motor as the 1300 is really tired and will not stay alive long... but daily driver minded. probably a 1641 or 1776.

Here's some ideas on the paint job



this one is largely inspired from an existing cal look featured in a Rod & Custom mag back in the 80's...




Still have to work other ideas, and specially decide the range of colors to be used and, why not, task my brother for something new.

I'm of course eager to get your feedback and ideas...

Cheers

Vincent


 



   

[nicolas]

hey,

first off i want to say good luck with the project and it seems that you know what you want and have it all planned out. and i a way i can appreciate it.

But i can't get the feeling out of my head that it is somewhat not callook. agian no offense to what you do. it is just what was done in the 80's and somehow along the way got called callook. there have been some posts over the last few months where cars with more 'custom' features and paintshemes have popped up on this site, but it just isn't callook IMHO. some cars are nice, nothing wrong with it, but so is a standard 49 split with a stock engine is nice as well...

[V.Meslet]

Thanks for your answer Nicolas,
As I said, I've been out of the VW scene since long, my only regular contacts were while browsing across the SuperVW mag from time to time to see the drawings of my bro.
Also, not really disconnected, when I decided that it was time to get back and finally have my Vdub, I discover so many new tendencies that I "lost my latin". Resto cal, old school, patina, rats... name it.

So back in the 80's, a cal look was for me what I described and what I want. Nice rake, empi, no chrome, one piece windows, a paint, not necessarily bright, but overall and sometimes enhanced with lateral lines. What does it miss to be a cal look by the real standards ?

Just want to emphasize that whatever is the name, I'll do it as describe above and I'm still eager to get feedbacks or advises on the project.

Cheers

V.

 

 

[speedwell]

vince for more idea go here it's an old tread with 80's cal look

rgd
fabs

[Nico86]

Nice project !

[nicolas]

OK, i think a callook has one color and not much extra ribbons, colours and graphics (yes there are exceptions like Kanase's car, it has pinstripes), but in general you want a single colour, no-nonsense approach to it all. except the engine, that's where it all happens, that is purposeful and powerfull.  

but i can see where you come from and i think it is still a large part of the scene that sees a callook as a car you describe... so no problem, it really is a odd twist down the line of callook origins, but just not the original intent ( i really won't use the word 'pure' as it is as meaningless as only two cars look like the Aronson car, but many more are in fact true callookers.)

i think Fabs pointed out some links to see what is what and like i said, feel free to make it your own, that is what really matters. Some things from the eighties should just STAY in the eighties! and i just wanted to help you out to not make the same mistakes as you did 25 years ago    

[V.Meslet]

in general you want a single colour, no-nonsense approach to it all. except the engine, that's where it all happens, that is purposeful and powerfull.  

Ok, thanks for the clarification, but I think that I'll make the same mistake as before and go for graphics 
The design might change but the basis will be this drawing that I made 25 years ago for the Wild VW club 


Cheers,

V.

[Glauco]

you just got to love them graphics :-D
will turn out great!

[LuftsickTero]

Good luck with the project Vince and don't listen to the "kids" who are like "trying to teach their father how to hump" 

[Wünderwolff]

Indeed, don't listen to Nicolas, what does he know about Cal Look, he drives a metallic paint fastie 

So go ahead, graphics are tricky, but when done right they can definitely be Cal Look (to me!)

[qubek]

It's quite an interesting discussion, as Meslet comes straight from the 80ties and his taste is like "frozen". Nicolas, on the other hand, supports 00's Cal-look.
It's a fact that cal-look in the 70ties, in the 80ties, in the 90ties and nowadays was not the same. You can't argue with facts (ok, a lot of people do, but really, how can you deny that?).
What I don't understand is how can you say that the current trend is "the right one", that it "follows the original intent" and trends from the past are "deviations". I'm pretty sure that statements like that will look funny in 10 years, when fashion will be different again. I'm more into current trends myself too, but I will not say that they are any better then the previous ones. Those are just fads and fashions.

I will not go into graphics myself, but I'm glad that someone is doing it. Those kind of cal-looks are dying species, and - judging from old Super VWs copies I have - they ware really popular in France.

As for the ideas, I like the first one more. And I'm sure it must be much easier if you can have a good drawing of the ideas that come to your mind.



PS - yes, they ware things in the 80ties that I wouldn't like to see back. But we're not any better, we have tricycle look, hoodrides etc.

[V.Meslet]

Here it is...
Back from the shop with new features : Disc brakes in the front, Empi 8  / tires combination, new exhaust pipes that I feel find its place with this particular Mexican rear "bulbed plate" (what's the good english name ?) 1303 seats are a nice addition as well.
I'm happy but the bad news is the engine needs to be changed one day or the other and earlier  than anticipated. Time to think about at good combination between fun and daily use.







What ya think ??

[V.Meslet]

Baby Tornado mirrors are fitted now as wel as a new steering wheel.


And played a bit with toshop for the "graphic" that i've in mind.



Cheers

Vincent

[qubek]

Definitely, it looks better than with those two colors.
Baby Tornados are something that went out of fashion loooong time ago. I wouldn't use them myself, but maybe you are a trendsetter?
Other than that, in order for this car to look .... homogeneous? (I don't know if this is a right word) you'll have to continue to work according to your plan.
If it is to look like a cal-look from the late 80ties, it needs to be lower, rear lights and those big T-bars need to go etc. At least in my opinion.
Of course, this requires work. And time.

[Nico86]

Will be cool. I like the baby tornados on this car.

[fredy66]

cool Way 80s 

[V.Meslet]

thanks for the feeback guys.

Baby Tornados are something that went out of fashion loooong time ago.

Agreed, I had difficulties to find them... But definitively what I wanted to be in the '80s mood.
I'm also in line with you on the rear fenders and lights, they are on my wish list. For the T-bars, they were also part of the 80's look, let's think about it.

I'm struggling to decide on priorities at the moment, the motor might be the first issue to address and I'm not yet sure on the configuration.
Either a simple but effective 1500 / 1600, or a more powerful and more expensive engine like a 1835, bearing in mind that the idea is to have a daily driver.

Also, the electrical wiring is a pure mess with red cables everywhere. Difficult to figure out which one is doing what. But at least, it works. Method and time will be required to clear this before adding radio and loudspeakers.

Cheers

Vincent
   

 
 

[Neil Davies]

I really like your first graphic design. It has a bit of the "80's race car"  look to me, a little like the Kris Klingaman and Luppino and Perkins cars, and I think works better with the shape than the one you've photoshopped on later. I'd leave the Mexican bulged rear valance (the English for the "bulbed plate" you mentioned earlier), but I'd cut out the area under the bulge. Rear wings and lights I'd change for '68-'72 style. If your quarter lights are painted silver like the earlier 1200's, then just paint them body colour rather than going for one piece windows!

Nice project!

[V.Meslet]

Well, I must admit that the one piece windows kit was in question. But a 80 cal look should have it no ? 

On the graphic side, not yet decided, I'll ask my Bro' to design it for me. 

Cheers

Vincent

[speedwell]

, I'll ask my Bro' to design it for me. 
 

good idea vince

[V.Meslet]

Dear all,

I'm at the moment thinking about swapping the motor, a really tired 1300, with a 1600.
I have two options, either go for a rufurbished one, simple carb, stock, or for an addtional  couple of thousands Euro a brand new one, with some perf elements but taylored for my needs, a reliable daily driver.

What's the quality and reliability of the refurbished ones ? Did the money to be spent on the brand new one has really a added value for such use ?

looking forward to your advises.

Vincent

[V.Meslet]

Some work done on the interior...

A radio set plus speakers on Empi support on the front and two smaller speakers on the rear, good enough to cruise with ZZ Top playing.


Then, waiting for my new motor, a 1600 with dual 34 weber, balanced and small preparation, I've done some work on the instrument panel.


Cheers

Vincent

[Jon]

Hi Vincent,

Cool to see someone else on here with a perversion towards the eighties look 
Keep updating us!

Jon

[V.Meslet]

Hoho... long time no see.

Here's few pics of the progresses made on the past few months.

Main thing is that no there's a good engine made by Pascal from DreamM****** near Paris. He did a really good job and the car is fun to drive. it's a 1600 mild tuned, balanced, with two Weber 34 with a CSP Python exhaust. Quite enough to get nice torque and not too borderline with the law.


To keep an eye on the parameters, here's the instrument dash panel. Happy with that one as well.


I changer the "poor" Empi shifter which was not well finished by a CSP one, again, high quality is there.


The overall view of my "toy" which still need some work. The valance, the two tone colors to be changed and the removal of the chromes.


The most important mod of the 2012 first months is the nice addition of NOS stickers of the Wild VW Club, 25 years ago... c'mon !


Comments and feedback will be more than welcome

Cheers

V.

 
 

[Richyrich]

Nice one, not my year, still sweet, and for all of us that where around in the 80`s, everything your are doing rings true.. Just keep your vision