California look in the 70's VS cops

[wolfswest]

Hi,
In another topic a certain aspect were I wasn’t aware of triggered me to open a new topic.  I didn’t know that in CA during the 70’s and 80’s Cal look was a big red flag for the police? 
Okay, I was aware of the tickets for lowering but I can’t imagine that the California look movement was a movement the cops didn’t like that much.  Even worse, that it almost became a hunt to shut it down if possible?  Did they understand Cal look?  Certainly some mods triggered them to hunt down enthusiasts?  Was it a personal hunt?  Just some guys in uniform that didn’t like cars and young guys in particular?  Or was it a global force guideline from the top?  Something like the battle on the crack cocaine epidemic of graffiti explosion for example?

References to the punk scene for example are already made, but I wasn’t aware how huge it was and the struggle that came hand in hand with it.

Please enlighten me, I’m hoping for some good stories from the guys that lived and breathed Cal look back in the day.

Thx,

Dem

[Zach Gomulka]

I wasn't yet born, but as you know California has always been a Mecca for all things car related. I've heard that since the 1950's or so the cops were after other types of modified cars as well, hot rods, etc. The "punk" association with VW's probably didn't happen until the early 80's I'm guessing??

[Rick Meredith]

Yeah we were frequently targeted. Mostly for fix it tickets. The most frequently tags (at least for me) was headlight height, no front license and modified exhaust.
Headlight height was supposed to be in-between  24" to 48" to the center of the light. I usually was measured around 17"

I think they didn't like the crowd that was associated with Hot VWs. Most of us were young thugs, ne'er-do-wells and punks that indulged many activities that were either frowned upon (cruisin') or downright illegal (street racing).

Some cops definitely had it in for Cal-Looks I knew a couple by name... and they knew me.
I got ticketed by the same Tustin cop twice in one day for being too low. The first ticket had already been signed off by the time he issued the 2nd one.

Some Cities had more of a reputation than others. Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Orange were troublesome for me.

[Jim Ratto]

My career as a criminal behind the wheel of a lowered VW took place in the mid 1980's to early 1990's, at which point either the police gave up on me, or I began complying. Don't remember how it all ended.
I've probably posted some stories of horror and glory of me vs the Pleasanton PD elsewhere on the Lounge, a few times. The relationship all actually started with a YZ 80 I got running for a friend, in 8th grade, in my driveway, one day after school. A mixture of carb clean and ether made it cough and come to life and so we revved the life out of it to get it to clean up, which made my neighbor really happy, so happy he called the cops on me. They rolled up, I had no idea I was doing anything wrong, we were just working on an old tired bike and making it run. Adults should've been proud, as most of the time, we were up to far worse.
In any case, I became "that kid" and once I got my license, and yeah behind the wheel of the same '67 I have now, it was a weekly issue. Mostly exhaust tickets. I never liked quiet packs when I was younger, but I ran everything else, including the stinger with and without baffle. Also those S & S dual aluminum cannons that hung under the motor. I pulled the packing out of those too. Sounded like an Indy car, right? One cop in particular was a real hard nose, and if he stopped me, he scrutinized everything front to back, top to bottom. I became "Mr. Rattooooo......" when I'd roll the window down. He caught me street racing a few times (once doing 92mph in a 35 racing a late 80's M6 down Bernal). That one cost me some cash. Next time he caught me I lost my license for 30 days.
Mufflers, too low, lights out, license plate not in original spot, dual carbs, wrong distributor, radio too loud, muffler... I dealt with all of it. The cop eventually became a buddy, later on, and he'd stop me just to catch up and see how I was, how was my girlfriend, etc.

I look back and hope to hell my kids don't follow in my footsteps.

Jim

[bugnut68]

It's been going on for decades, and still goes on today with the modern sport compact/import tuner guys.  Guys that drive around aimlessly, illegally race on public roadways, etc., are simply asking for running into troubles with Johnny Law.  Hardly unique to the '70s/80s Cal Look VW guys.

[wolfswest]

Mufflers, too low, lights out, license plate not in original spot, dual carbs, wrong distributor, radio too loud, muffler... I dealt with all of it. The cop eventually became a buddy, later on, and he'd stop me just to catch up and see how I was, how was my girlfriend, etc.

I look back and hope to hell my kids don't follow in my footsteps.

Jim

Tickets for wrong distributor??  dual carbs?  Was it necessary to remove them?    Please explain Jim.

thx for the input guys.

[Jim Ratto]

Mufflers, too low, lights out, license plate not in original spot, dual carbs, wrong distributor, radio too loud, muffler... I dealt with all of it. The cop eventually became a buddy, later on, and he'd stop me just to catch up and see how I was, how was my girlfriend, etc.

I look back and hope to hell my kids don't follow in my footsteps.

Jim

In the late eighties I ran a shaved '67 decklid, with plate relocated to rear blade bumper. I forget what happened, but at one point (this is when the car was orig VW color) I took the decklid off due to damage to it. A lot of guys in North Calif used to run with no decklid, so you could show off your carbs, etc. I had spent a lot of time painting all my shrouding this really cool metallic blue lacquer too. Anyway, yeah, since the motor was on full display, the cops that had a clue would stop me usually for something else, but then start the nit picking.
My friend had an uncle that was a cop in the next town over. He'd usually sign things off for me. I never took the DRLA's off nor changed out the 009. I worked at a pizza place and in that lot the cops would cruise or sit and talk. I learned to back my car in, with engine side up against the wall of the building. By 1989 I just put the decklid back on, once I had the car painted 356 Adriatic Blue.

In 1992 I had a 2276 with Super Flow heads in the car, and worked at a VW shop about 25 miles from home. I was late for work and got onto freeway headed west, and gave it all it was worth, at least through 3rd, and sure enough CHP spotted me. Pulled me over and instead of the usual "Do you know why I am pulling you over sir?" it was "what in the hell have you done to this car?" Turns out the cop was a VW guy and was restoring a '70 convertible. Funny, he asked to see the motor, so we stood on side of freeway shooting the breeze. He then asks me where he could get parts. "Funny you ask, I work at a shop, I'm on my way there now. Here's my card, you come in, ask for me, I'll take care of you" He became a good customer and a good guy to know.



Tickets for wrong distributor??  dual carbs?  Was it necessary to remove them?    Please explain Jim.

thx for the input guys.

[modnrod]

Tickets for wrong distributor??  dual carbs?  Was it necessary to remove them?    

Similar thing here, the list was endless and most of it was just to give you the shits coz they could.

ANY Weber or Holley on anything would get a sticker, VW, Mini, V8, 6-cylinder, anything (let alone TWO of them!).
If you had a completely stock car but had no preheat tube to the stock air filter assembly, that's a sticker.
Chrome rocker covers on a V8.
ANY extractor/header pipes on anything.
I have had a sticker before for tyres that were even listed on the tyre placard inside the door, coz I was told they "look too big".

Here and now it's just as bad, you get 2 weeks to remove the sticker, but there's a 3 month waiting list to get an appointment with the Tech Inspectors...........

And people wonder why I'm building a beige car with a Solex 34 and stock-looking oil bath (yes, WITH preheat tube!   ). Hopefully should run mid-14s with very-hard-to-see nozzles!  

[Rick Meredith]

Mufflers, too low, lights out, license plate not in original spot, dual carbs, wrong distributor, radio too loud, muffler... I dealt with all of it. The cop eventually became a buddy, later on, and he'd stop me just to catch up and see how I was, how was my girlfriend, etc.

I look back and hope to hell my kids don't follow in my footsteps.

Jim

Tickets for wrong distributor??  dual carbs?  Was it necessary to remove them?    Please explain Jim.

thx for the input guys.

You couldn't legally change carbs or distributors in California because of smog regulations although that's one I never got popped for.

As far as the plate in the non stock location... that's one I never heard of. I thought you were ok as long as the plate was properly displayed with a light on it when the headlights on. I have been pulled over for not having a license plate light but was let off with a warning.

[speedwell]

Some Cities had more of a reputation than others. Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Orange were troublesome for me.

DKK Der Kleiner Kriminal .....

[Rick Meredith]

Some Cities had more of a reputation than others. Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Orange were troublesome for me.

DKK Der Kleiner Kriminal .....

 

Who? Us?

[Bryan67]

Yes, at one time only 1965 and earlier car were smog exempt in California. I remember saying that I would never own anything newer then 65 for that reason. But it finally changed to 75 and up.

[Joel Mohr]

That's one reason I got out of the industry at the time(1980). I worked at R&N VW, a shop near Disneyland, and we would do motor swaps just so people could get their cars smogged....I figured the VW performance industry was gonna die ...I opened my shop when they changed to a "30 year floating" in 1997, and it still seams to be pretty strong....