Interesting topic.......

[Bernard Newbury]

Seems the Cal Look cars have a very limited performance window. You can bang gears around town and across every intersection. So to make it more interesting you take it to the drag strip and race your cal look buddies. Then since these 12 second street cars are highly stressed 180hp engines they do have occasional reliability problems. So the penny-wise owners then stop racing them and instead choose to display them in parking lots. At least that was my DKP experience. Parking lots and buses bore me to no end.

I think the Cal Look interest is being dulled by all the newer cars that match or many times exceed the performance limits of the Cal Look car.
In reality the performance car hobby has far eclipsed any performance advantages a 50 year old 12 second street bug once enjoyed.
Compared to cars of the 60s to 80s, today’s factory sports/performance cars can out muscle a bug in every department.

At the road race tracks young drivers are finding their limits cornering, braking and accelerating.
VW owners should aspire to an air cooled 911. An 80s 3.2 is 225 reliable hp, called a 275k mile motor because they can last that long.
But the 911 motor is only half of the attraction. The advantage a 911 has over other cars is it is lighter so it can brake later and carry more cornering speed.
If you like the thrill of your cal look banging gears and pulling a couple car lengths on the street imagine the same feeling when you pull a few car lengths on braking or cornering speed too.

There is chop top cal bug built nice for sale I see often.
 Decades ago I would have finished that car to look like the chops that were at OCIR back in the day.
But now building such a car that can’t turn or stop very well seems like too much of a compromise.

Like yourself Mike people move on, but you do keep popping back 

[mg]

Like yourself Mike people move on, but you do keep popping back 

I should go autocross the chop top. 
In fact that's the last place I saw you.
I'll meet you for a cold one anytime.

[richie]

Seems the Cal Look cars have a very limited performance window. You can bang gears around town and across every intersection. So to make it more interesting you take it to the drag strip and race your cal look buddies. Then since these 12 second street cars are highly stressed 180hp engines they do have occasional reliability problems. So the penny-wise owners then stop racing them and instead choose to display them in parking lots. At least that was my DKP experience. Parking lots and buses bore me to no end.

I think the Cal Look interest is being dulled by all the newer cars that match or many times exceed the performance limits of the Cal Look car.
In reality the performance car hobby has far eclipsed any performance advantages a 50 year old 12 second street bug once enjoyed.
Compared to cars of the 60s to 80s, today’s factory sports/performance cars can out muscle a bug in every department.

At the road race tracks young drivers are finding their limits cornering, braking and accelerating.
VW owners should aspire to an air cooled 911. An 80s 3.2 is 225 reliable hp, called a 275k mile motor because they can last that long.
But the 911 motor is only half of the attraction. The advantage a 911 has over other cars is it is lighter so it can brake later and carry more cornering speed.
If you like the thrill of your cal look banging gears and pulling a couple car lengths on the street imagine the same feeling when you pull a few car lengths on braking or cornering speed too.

There is chop top cal bug built nice for sale I see often.
 Decades ago I would have finished that car to look like the chops that were at OCIR back in the day.
But now building such a car that can’t turn or stop very well seems like too much of a compromise.

Hi Mike

To me that would be no fun, half the fun with a VW is it is perceived as slow, its the suprise element  the general public thinks porsches are fast anyway, if I wanted a quick circuit car[ which I dont as it doesnt interest me] I would still start with a aircooled VW  

Historically it seems alot of early DKP guys wandered away from VWs, some got porsches, some got big american cars but they slowly seem to getting back into quick VWs again which can only be a good thing

I got to agree with the parking lot and buses thing though, meeting up in a friends garage and talking shit while actually working on cars is way better

Got to remember this is the the Cal look lounge after all

cheers Richie

[Bernard Newbury]

I'll meet you for a cold one anytime.

I'll let you know when I am over next. Just looking at flights now.

[andrewlandon67]

Having only really gotten into the VW hobby last year, I can only say so much. The global scene, from my point of view, is shifting from the old school lookers and resto-Cal, to slammed/stanced and heavily patina'd rat-look. While I must admit that there are certain aspects of both of these styles that I enjoy, they both seem to already becoming self parodies. I personally am more of a resto-cal guy, but I can appreciate the real old-school stuff, and even see some of it showing up in my '67. I'd hate to see it go, but people on this forum need to realize that there have to be some more things going on in the Cal-look world, and that they should start organizing meets, races, and car shows. The shop I work at in Denver, CO has a race,bug with a relatively small stroker (2160ish), can run 14.2 quarters at 6,000 feet in elevation, and still surprises people at the track. There is still an immense amount of respect for a fast bug, it just has to be earned on the track.

Just for grins, here are a couple pictures of my little red bug, to show that the scene isn't entirely dead. http://imgur.com/8eME4oc
http://imgur.com/ck3jNKF
http://imgur.com/XsXkTPT

[Donny B.]

I didn't build my car to go down the drag strip although it has.  I would need a lot of seat time to get good at that.  I built my car to drive and I have.  I've driven across country and ran into Mike up in Colorado where he rode along for a while.  My car has about 570k miles on it since new and about 200K miles since It was finished in April of '95.  I drive it a lot less now, but I've taken it off the road to update some mechanicals.  The paint is tired and I can't afford to get it painted at the rates they charge these days.  In a month or so I'll have it back on the road and will drive it any where I choose to go long distance or not.  The Berg Cruises were the best for me.  Now I'm retired with a much smaller income so doing that again might be difficult, but I would surely love to do it again.

[Rick Meredith]

I, for one feel that I've done my "garage-looker" car to death on this forum... And I'm hesitant  to post any updates until it's on the road...Maybe some of you feel the same about your own cars? 

Yeah that would be me. My car makes little movements from time to time but I hesitate to post because the progress is slow. Our oldest daughter is getting married next month and that's been quite a drain on resources. Plus my daily driver project ('82 E21 BMW) and my sometimes driver truck ('71 C10) need money too. Right now the '67 gets the leftovers because it's so far from being drivable.

[DWL_Puavo]

My few euro-cents: I also visit Lounce daily excluding weekends because of garage and craft beer. I've always had an interest in tech, and that's why I liked VW Trends more than Volksworld. I'm more interested in a shape of head chamber or track beetles front splitter than the shape of the car itself. That been said, I also dislike rat look as I think that it's lazy. When I sandblasted my early bay (Love T2:s but my next project waiting is a -62 beetle) and welded it together, I really appreciate those who has the skill and patience to put a shine back to now mechanically solid but shitty looking car.

Some of the tech stuff here has been so thorough that you really can learn a lot from the discussion. That can't really be found on Facebook and if you ask and someone answers, it's quicky forgotten. Here you can use search (or google search only Lounge which is very handy compared to forums own search) and find about how TCS-10's lobe center works on naturally aspirated cars. But it's natural that these questions does have to be discussed only once, and then maybe some more a couple of years after as someone has tried the suggestions and tells back the experience: TCS-10 is wonderful on 2272 with 044's and IDA's!.

I've got one suggestion for the project stories - it should be as easy as possible to upload your cell phone photos to a project story, that includes automatic resizing, tagging and commenting a picture. That is usually just the point when you got something done in you garage and want to share it immediately, but you can't do it as easily as in Facebook and then your own project story is forgotten in favor of the quick fame and 50 likes you have in FB.

My -62 is visioned to be lowered, fuchs, powerful engine (but without phatboy muffla - those are really too loud for me). From shows I've also gathered few nice ideas like shortening the front of floorpan to align tires to fenders and prevent scrubbing - enabling the usage of something different than shitty lookin - in my eyes, your's may differ and nothing wrong with it - 175/50 tyres.

I've enjoyed the shows and forums for nearly 20 years now, and still enjoying them greatly! There's still originality to be found, weird parts being put together producing wonderful results, classic and cool cars that their owned likes the most, some incredible skills and knowledge, schwimmers driving around lakes, super fast drag cars and quite fast track days - all together I think that VW scene is still doing quite well and is way more varied and interesting than for example Porsche scene. Disclaimer - I also own very good -87 911 that had been suggested as an alternative in this thread. Race heritate of Porsches is second to none and it also shows in 80's 911:s even if it's maybe even too civilized for my taste. Still I drove my T2 doppelkabiner way more last summer as it's more fun!

Puavo

[jick]

I've got one suggestion for the project stories - it should be as easy as possible to upload your cell phone photos to a project story, that includes automatic resizing, tagging and commenting a picture. That is usually just the point when you got something done in you garage and want to share it immediately, but you can't do it as easily....

Good call Puavo,

This is something that's bothered me too...  I'd certainly post more stuff if I could upload straight from my phone...

[Bernard Newbury]

I've got one suggestion for the project stories - it should be as easy as possible to upload your cell phone photos to a project story, that includes automatic resizing, tagging and commenting a picture. That is usually just the point when you got something done in you garage and want to share it immediately, but you can't do it as easily....

That's the problem I have. I have to get my son to resize.

[Lee.C]

How about it Trond?? Make the file size that we can upload BIGGER

[Zach Gomulka]

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,23535.msg310459.html#msg310459

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,17762.0.html

It's been discussed among a few members, ignored by the admin
I hope there is a good reason why it hasn't been done... I agree it would make posts much easier and more interesting.

[flatfire]

I think the internet has provided me with an immense amount of VW overload. A bit like eating steak for breakfast Lunch and Dinner.
Legends of Cal Look seem like normal people now.

When I was 17, I was exposed to my first Cal-Looker driven by a Local Traffic Policeman. He even let me take it for a spin.
After that my beam was off I made home made sway away adjusters and the Cal look was planted.
My imagination was my inspiration. On occasion a couple of pages in Custom Car on some California show popped up.

My brain was being trickle fed. Volksworlds feature on the DKP was another taster. After seeing that I bought 5 fully restored gas burners from Karmann Konnecton for very much cheapness.
The California look book by Keith was immense. It never left my side for weeks.
All of the above were the steps that made me tick literally. It was an addiction, because it came in bite size pieces.

I became jaded only to be jump started by EBI 1. A very special show, again the novelty to be never repeated.
I have been building a real Cal Looker designed for my life. Next year will encompass countryside jaunts and occasional trips to the local strip which is ideal for a fastish street car.

The recession for me has a sway on what you do with your money. Think smarter and actually achieve more satisfying results.
I really enjoy In Da Werks but as already mentioned is nice to see a project hitting a show which has never been seen on a build thread.
Without this fascination for Bugs and meeting the owners, my life would not be so rich.

Long live the Cal Looker.

[leec]

Pete, is that your car? Looks lovely colour?
Lee

[Lee.C]

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,23535.msg310459.html#msg310459

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,17762.0.html

It's been discussed among a few members, ignored by the admin
I hope there is a good reason why it hasn't been done... I agree it would make posts much easier and more interesting.

 

 

[jick]

Pete, is that your car? Looks lovely colour?
Lee

Yes....The colour does look nice!

[Trond Dahl]

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,23535.msg310459.html#msg310459

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,17762.0.html

It's been discussed among a few members, ignored by the admin
I hope there is a good reason why it hasn't been done... I agree it would make posts much easier and more interesting.

 

 

It has never been ignord, just not done exactly how you ask for it as you make it sound like it´s just about making the decision about it. It takes a bit more than that or else it would have been fixed a long time ago :-)

The problem should not be solved by accepting normal cell phone sized pictures since they are often 2-4mbytes instead of what is actual needed for a full page picture which is more in the 250kb.
So therefore it should be solved by the software and automatically resized and store with a smaller resolution. As of right now, the forum software does not do that. Facebook has prtty much unlimited storage and a pretty large wallet to pay for it all. We are as you can imagine not there :-) Therefor accepting 3mb pictures as oppose to 250kb is just not an option.
In addition, allowing such sizes whould completely slow down the time needed to load a page in a project thread with lots of pictures.
As you understand it is not about the size, but rather having software that can receive large, but store small. I´ll do another look on what can be done on this topic as I, as everyone understand it would make things much easier than to have to resize first.

Zach: Uploading from iphone is no longer an issue, but they need resizing first to lower the size (an app called simpleResize makes this easy for those who want to try)

[JezWest]

I'm on here every day - if things look quiet, then I bimble around the reeeealllly old posts, can be very funny. I'm an engineer, so I love the build threads. I've had so much inspiration from reading them and understanding the thinking behind what people do. I just don't feel the same level of detail from facebook.

I guess I don't post much as my 20-yard car (I figure on adding another yard a year?) isn't that hardcore and you've probably all made the dumb mistakes i'm stiil making 

It does take some resolve to drive a bug these days, lowered or not. Speed bumps everywhere, the roads here are utterly awful, the heaters can't quite keep the mist off the inside of the windows and precisely what is it with the need for xenon headlights? Is the entire human race losing the ability to see?! And then I find a hill, squeeze the throttle open and it's all cool again.

[Zach Gomulka]

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,23535.msg310459.html#msg310459

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,17762.0.html

It's been discussed among a few members, ignored by the admin
I hope there is a good reason why it hasn't been done... I agree it would make posts much easier and more interesting.

 

 

It has never been ignord, just not done exactly how you ask for it as you make it sound like it´s just about making the decision about it. It takes a bit more than that or else it would have been fixed a long time ago :-)

The problem should not be solved by accepting normal cell phone sized pictures since they are often 2-4mbytes instead of what is actual needed for a full page picture which is more in the 250kb.
So therefore it should be solved by the software and automatically resized and store with a smaller resolution. As of right now, the forum software does not do that. Facebook has prtty much unlimited storage and a pretty large wallet to pay for it all. We are as you can imagine not there :-) Therefor accepting 3mb pictures as oppose to 250kb is just not an option.
In addition, allowing such sizes whould completely slow down the time needed to load a page in a project thread with lots of pictures.
As you understand it is not about the size, but rather having software that can receive large, but store small. I´ll do another look on what can be done on this topic as I, as everyone understand it would make things much easier than to have to resize first.

Zach: Uploading from iphone is no longer an issue, but they need resizing first to lower the size (an app called simpleResize makes this easy for those who want to try)

Thanks Trond, I assumed it wasn't easy, if it was it would have been done. There wasn't any communication from the admin's on the other threads though, felt like I was talking to a wall. Thanks for the explanation

[modnrod]

......... and precisely what is it with the need for xenon headlights? Is the entire human race losing the ability to see?!

I know I am! 

[Trond Dahl]

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,23535.msg310459.html#msg310459

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,17762.0.html

It's been discussed among a few members, ignored by the admin
I hope there is a good reason why it hasn't been done... I agree it would make posts much easier and more interesting.

 

 

It has never been ignord, just not done exactly how you ask for it as you make it sound like it´s just about making the decision about it. It takes a bit more than that or else it would have been fixed a long time ago :-)

The problem should not be solved by accepting normal cell phone sized pictures since they are often 2-4mbytes instead of what is actual needed for a full page picture which is more in the 250kb.
So therefore it should be solved by the software and automatically resized and store with a smaller resolution. As of right now, the forum software does not do that. Facebook has prtty much unlimited storage and a pretty large wallet to pay for it all. We are as you can imagine not there :-) Therefor accepting 3mb pictures as oppose to 250kb is just not an option.
In addition, allowing such sizes whould completely slow down the time needed to load a page in a project thread with lots of pictures.
As you understand it is not about the size, but rather having software that can receive large, but store small. I´ll do another look on what can be done on this topic as I, as everyone understand it would make things much easier than to have to resize first.

Zach: Uploading from iphone is no longer an issue, but they need resizing first to lower the size (an app called simpleResize makes this easy for those who want to try)

Thanks Trond, I assumed it wasn't easy, if it was it would have been done. There wasn't any communication from the admin's on the other threads though, felt like I was talking to a wall. Thanks for the explanation

I see that and I apologize. I think perhpas it was mentioned somewhere else and I didn´t answer in all places...
I have spent some time looking into this tonight and there might be a solution. I will see if I get time to look more at it during this weekend.

[dannyboy]

i cant wait to get my car back from the chassis shop and go racing again...who else is up for some racing at the track next season?? or you could just sit back and bench race 

[56BLITZ]

. . . the whole hobby seems to have went AWOL,
I would appreciate your views on what you think.
 Russell

I'm here because I love VWs . . . I have for forty years.
The reason? THE ONLY REASON? CAL-LOOK!!!!!

I was "out" for quite a few years, but I am back into them heaver than I have ever been (as far as the number of cars I have). The reason for that is because I discovered The Cal-Look Lounge!
I couldn't wait to start driving a Bug again, and since I have a ways to go on my projects, I bought a '70 and have been driving it almost every day! It's FUN!

PS . . . I would like to post progress photos of my project, but as mentioned by others, it takes me as long to do a nice post as it takes me to do the work on my Bug!!! These computers are complicated!!!!

[flatfire]

Thanks guys, its flint grey.

[Worm]

Thanks Rick Meredith for posting.  I am present on this site almost daily.  Although I rarely post.  But you may be interested to know that in Orange County the scene is as always still alive.  Cal Look is alive and well in So Cal.
DKK has recently added two new members and there are a few more prospects in works.
The issue for Deeks is so many of us have cars under construction currently.
My car has been down 10 months for upgrades. Two weeks ago I popped in a solid 2276 in my 65 Notch.  It's almost road worthy (electrical and waiting on a sidewinder.....soon).  Henry and Randy's car are in paint.  Gary Grauman has paint and is getting close to done, Jim Smith is expected to unveil his 65 Notch shortly and once Geoff Hart finishes his big motor for his og DKK oval, it too will be on the road.  (Jim's oval may be the only living car that has the original white "Tank" DKK stickers in it from 1977). Epic.  Both will debut next year.  Rick Anguiano is building a sweet black vert.  Rick Meredith 67 is in works as noted. There are more than 6 or 7 "new" DKK cars in works now that will see the light of day in 2015 to go with all the others.
There are numerous events nearly every weekend, people are building real Cal Look cars, the scene is alive.
Yes buses are the yuppie mid life crisis purchase here too.  So what.  Rusto Cal, so what.
There is a disconnect though with the younger generation.  Yeah, these are vintage cars.  They were 10-15 year old cars when I  started building em.  Makes sense that it's less likely to be a first choice for a 20 something.  Kudos to those that do though!  I wish every magazine was cal look issue but I recall a ton of Baja1000 articles way back, lots of stuff I could care less about.  But they appeal to all kinds.  I get it.
Keep building Cal Look cars!  
I must say I have been a tad disappointed at times when I open the lounge and see posts of wat kind of wires, or which archaic 40 year old exhaust is best, what kind of oil etc.....   Put those elsewhere.  Vintage pics, cars in scenery, post stuff people what to see.  Discussions are important I agree.  Keep those off the cal look main page.  Perhaps.  Or don't.
I promise to get more involved in the future. I was as some may feel the same, concerned that my posting was more ego trip than interesting to others.  There are a lot of guys and girls out there that may have hesitated to post as there is a sense that everything needs to be vintage to be cool.  Hey I threw 2 DDS shifters in the trash back in the day because they were plastic and just broke apart.  Bought one Hurst....over.   Now run Berg.  New is okay.  A new VDO gauge has to be better than a rusty Empi gauge that we probably wouldn't have run in the 70's.  There is a LOT of companies making excellent products now that we could have only wished for then had we even thought of it.  
Support them.  
Just post.  
Let's see photos.  I really miss Fabs posting old stuff.  Get on it dude!  Ha.  There are less and less Californians posting on the Cal Look Lounge.  Post things to get em enrolled again.
Thanks forlistening.  And Russell when are we playing golf?  Bastard.......

My .25 cents

[nicolas]

O ;)K so in short:

FB is crap and boring

the Lounge is the place to be


and we all start posting again as of today


 

still works for me.

[56BLITZ]

FB is crap and boring

What is FB? 

[Rick Meredith]

FB=Facebook Mark

[Russell]

FB is crap and boring

What is FB? 

Otherwise know as faceless.

[Russell]

Thanks forlistening.  And Russell when are we playing golf?  Bastard.......

Worm....... Didn't know you could write that much,  anyway the golf, let me know when your land and I will pick you up in my yuppie mobile, we can play Donald trumps new course

http://www.trumpgolfscotland.com

Russell