Well, let's get his 'facts' straight. First off, it's a 1954, not a 1955. The chassis is a ’67, not a ’64 and the original licence plate was TLF 25, not TLF 125.. Apart from that, I guess it's true that I did own it once!
However,the car bears absolutely no similarity to how it was when I had it. The car had begun life as a Left-hand driver model, imported (if I remember correctly) from Switzerland. It was then converted to right-hand drive by a VW dealer in the UK in 1955! The conversion meant that there was no glovebox or ashtray in front of the passenger, just a smooth panel. Kinda cool, I always thought, that the car had been converted professionally 'in period'. Now, somebody since then decided that it would be 'cool' to convert it back to left-hand drive, with a new dash, therefore (to my thinking) spoiling a chunk of the car's history. Each to their own, of course.
The car also had four-lug wheels, with front disc brakes (it was a European 1967 'pan I used for the swap), but that seems to have changed, too, judging from the five-spokes. I have no idea if it has adaptors and four-lug discs still, or what?
The car has no interest for me these days, I'm afraid, as it's not really the same car any more. When it came up for sale about four years ago, it didn't sell, so the vendor decide to sell it minus its original licence plate. I bought the plate from him and the hallowed (to me, at least) TLF 25 number is now on my 1965 Looker, 'Bluey'.
When first built, it was among the very first Cal Look VWs in the UK, with dechromed bodywork, 1700 dual-Weber motor and lowered front end – back in 1976. Oh, and Strato Silver paint. Later, I got into customs and the car was repainted green metalflake (groan!). By then, I'd had my fun and it was sold sometime late in 1977. It was bought by a guy in London (Martin Duggan) who blew up the motor. My dear friend Tim Sneller bought it off him but his illness meant that he didn't do anything with it. He then sold it to Bob Chapman in Bath (a Porsche guy) but I don't think he did anything with it. It disappeared for some time, until I saw it again, this time in maroon with a white interior, at VW Action in 1984 or 85. It was owned then by Andy Pearce who used to work at Autocavan in Manchester. He sold it after a while, and from that point it went into serious decline. Some time around 1988, I was offered the car back, but the guy wanted too much money for it – it had been vandalised in a lock-up garage, windows broken etc, and had by then been painted blue. I have no idea of the history since then.
Happy memories? Oh yes, many. Street racing with a guy in a Lotus Cortina – his twin-cam motor couldn't match the big-cam VW! Racing my friend Tony Weston in his purple metallic Oval window with a DDS-equipped 1700... The cars were very evenly matched. Aimlessly cruising with Tim Sneller, looking for 'big game'. Chelsea Cruise... Happy times but all in the past.
The Cal-look Lounge
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