1990-1993 (FORMERLY 4 YEARS- NOW CONDENSED TO 3)

[Brian Rogers]

Thank You Jim. I'll be more patient for the next installment.

[Nico86]

Since Hot VWs mag is under new management... these are the stories I'd like to see published.

[Andrew]

You know, what a great idea, Nico!

+1 from me, keep it coming Jim.

[Jim Ratto]

Thank You Jim. I'll be more patient for the next installment.

You're welcome. I didn't mean to sound fiery. Been busy with everything under the sun. More to come. A lot more!
Thanks everybody for reading,

Jim

[Jim Ratto]

November 1990, Green is the Color, 88mm bore and 12 sec ET

Back to sunshine in AZ November 1990-

Frank and I stood there in the blaring morning sun, and watched this guy attend to the now famous green 1964 sedan. Like the car, the gentleman was unassuming and kept to himself. We were careful about approaching him, as he seemed busy. The closer we looked at the car, the more fascinated we both were. Like I've said over in over, in writing this, it's all about context and what was hot at the time. All around us were show cars with pounding 12" speakers and who knows how many watts of power. Tinsel and off-the-shelves chrome glitz, and ride-heights that were never intended for any kind of performance. It was a vastly different scene than what you think of these days. And here was Dave Rhoads and his car. All the elements that are now appreciated as "Cal Look Musts" were present.... the BRM's, the lack of brightwork, the one-piece door glass, the rake... and beyond that were numerous small details that just kept popping up. The VDO oil stick temp sender. The layout of the dash and the instruments. The tidiness of the engine's wiring. Obviously somebody's heart and soul went into making this car... it sure showed. And more than anything, in all its subtleness, it stood out and made a statement. At least to me. We began to talk to Dave and he was as friendly as the day is long, and seemed to not be bothered by us two rag tag kids staring gape mouthed and wide eyed at his pride and joy. He excused himself as he had to climb aboard and make a pass, after he finished removing the fan belt.

We watched him stage, and then let it fly... front wheels up and off he went. The engine sounded like it was in pure tune, screaming from a bellow to a high pitched wail in every gear. And it clicked off a 12.57 like it was nothing.

Frank and I immediately began to debate as to what the engine was. I said "Gotta be 94 x 86 with FK-eighty something and full drag heads, to run a time like that" (Like I knew anything). Frank just agreed and added "Let's ask him what it is."

Well, we all know now, Dave's car ran a very simple 88 x 82 motor with "only" 40 x 35.5 heads and "just" an Engle 130! We were b l o w n away!!! It didn't add up! But, again, in the context of the times, back when GEX motors made the big ad splashes in Hot VW's and murals painted on underside of pans were all the rage, here was how things were supposed to be.
And that's exactly how I felt, watching Dave undo his belt, make the pass, and get ready to do it all over again. This is how it was all supposed to be....

[Fiatdude]

I'm really enjoying your musings -- It is filling in the blanks I have in my VW life -- I had been active with VW's upon my return to civilian status in 77 and played with them until about '85 when the lure of blown jet and twin turbo v-drive boats down at the Colorado river drew me away (Oh and women in Bikinis)..... And I really didn't get back into them until I built the Fiat in 2005... So there's a big gap in there I need told about, and I'm enjoying your style   

[Jim Ratto]

November 1990, Seeing is Believing

I'm really enjoying your musings -- It is filling in the blanks I have in my VW life -- I had been active with VW's upon my return to civilian status in 77 and played with them until about '85 when the lure of blown jet and twin turbo v-drive boats down at the Colorado river drew me away (Oh and women in Bikinis)..... And I really didn't get back into them until I built the Fiat in 2005... So there's a big gap in there I need told about, and I'm enjoying your style  

Thanks man.

later that afternoon, we watched Mr. Dave Mason send his black '62 down the track too. What Rhoads' car lacked in "drama", this car made up for. Mason's car had (and still has, last time I heard it in 2015...) this explosive sound and immediate throttle response. As I posted about first seeing his car in Costa Mesa summer '90, he ran this "muffler" that probably didn't do much, as far as muffling went. If anything, it made the engine's note maybe more piercing and intimidating. It resided under the RH cylinder head, amounting to not much more than the size of a shoe-box, and terminated in a no-nonsense big diameter pipe in front of the passenger rear wheel. We watched him stage and wait for the tree to drop, and the it was this attack-lion scream from the car and it loaded hard on the rear wheels and was gone. I don't think he operated the nitrous that pass because the car went 13.00. No matter, it was all about the horror of that car and the sound it made. With the advent of the internet, and forums, and the resurgence and obsession with cars like Mason's in the last 15-20 years, guys talk about stuff like stance and presence, and all these qualities that make or break a California Look VW.... in 1990, no car I knew of had this down better than Mason's. Now seeing it terrorize in person, that afternoon- it was clear this car wasn't just hype. Far from it- it meant it.

Frank and I were truly ruined. I thought seeing the cars lined up nicely at Jamboree had got my gears turning. Seeing these two cars (run faster than some of the gutted drag cars were!) in action really set the course, for me anyway. Listening to Dave Rhoads tell us about his engine, and watching it fly.... in my head I was doing the math already.

Later that day, strolling the pits we came across no other than Dean Lowry himself working away at a chop-top Super Beetle, with what he described as a 3.0L injected engine. I wish I would have known to pay more attention, and had taken pictures (and I may have- so many of these treasured pictures were lost a few years ago!). But what an honor...

The sky began to change hues, and, foolishly, our intention was to drive clear back to the SF Bay Area that afternoon and evening. By sundown we were climbing back into my '67 and going up through the gears, onto I-10, westward. We were both pretty quiet. Every 20 minutes one of us would say something like "Man.... that green car, holy crap" or "Mason's car! dude...."
In an hour or so we pulled off the highway at a truckers stop for dinner. And more conversation about "Well if he's going that fast with a 130, then...."

[Jim Ratto]

Hey everybody- just note about the subject line changing. Nothing much of interest happened after about spring 1993, as I moved away and kind of got out of doing VW stuff for a year or two. The real heart of my growing up doing this stuff, at least in the early 1990's was from 1990 to 1992-ish. Then it all got interesting again late in 1994 when I moved back.
Anyway- that's the explanation for the change.

thanks

[andrewlandon67]

I love reading through this whole thing, partially because it's just awesome to read about, and partially because this was all happening concurrently with my dad learning to rebuild the little single-port in the '67 bug that is now mine, and how to take care of the car as a whole. It's a pretty stark difference between growing up around these cars vs being exposed to them as an adult after moving halfway across the country.

[Rick Meredith]

Always love reading your memories Jim. One of the things that makes The Lounge a great place to hang out!

[Zach Gomulka]

Later that day, strolling the pits we came across no other than Dean Lowry himself working away at a chop-top Super Beetle, with what he described as a 3.0L injected engine. I wish I would have known to pay more attention, and had taken pictures (and I may have- so many of these treasured pictures were lost a few years ago!). But what an honor...

I think the first year I went to the Phoenix BOR was probably '97. I would have been just turning 16. My dad drove us down from Prescott and we spent the day together. I distinctly remember sitting in the grandstands when the Super Beetle made a pass (I believe Dean Lowry had just passed away, and they honored him with a pass?) and hearing it go through the gears, 1st...... 2nd...... 3rd...... 4th....... 5th! My dad and I looked at each other and both exclaimed, "FIVE?!?!"  

[Sam K]

My first VW show outside of my hometown was also the 1997 Phoenix Bug 0 Rama and this thread brings back a lot of memories. A friend of mine wanted to take his bug down there and race it so he borrowed a crappy single axle trailer and we towed it down from Denver with four of us piled into his parents S-10 Blazer. That trip definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things. I was blown away by so many of the cars there both in the show and racing as well as the size of thew swap meet. I think the the car I was most impressed with was Rick Mortenson's turquoise '67. Good times.

[Brian Rogers]

Thank You Mr Ratto. I lived in SoCal in the infancy of Cal Look. My high school pal Bill Beaver built a nice clean '66. His sister had a '67 vert. I'd hung out and helped them in the builds. I moved to Utah to get away from a few bad influences and have a family. Never got to see a Bug In or Buggarama. For cheap transport we had bought a '67 that served for a few years but never got the justice it deserved. All of my kids were brought home from the hospital in it. And the noise and vibration from the stock engine was a lullaby to put babies to sleep in it. To this day if either of my older daughters aren't driving they fall asleep because of that '67.
And now with kids gone a second marriage and a '67 basket case 'vert, things are slowly moving to the point I hope to drive it to a few cruise nights this season before I blow it apart for body work.
Thanks again!

[kafercup]

I hope down the road, when you feel the inspiration and have the time, to see the tales of '94 and on documented in similar fashion to refresh my pitifully weak memory. 

[Jim Ratto]

Later that day, strolling the pits we came across no other than Dean Lowry himself working away at a chop-top Super Beetle, with what he described as a 3.0L injected engine. I wish I would have known to pay more attention, and had taken pictures (and I may have- so many of these treasured pictures were lost a few years ago!). But what an honor...

I think the first year I went to the Phoenix BOR was probably '97. I would have been just turning 16. My dad drove us down from Prescott and we spent the day together. I distinctly remember sitting in the grandstands when the Super Beetle made a pass (I believe Dean Lowry had just passed away, and they honored him with a pass?) and hearing it go through the gears, 1st...... 2nd...... 3rd...... 4th....... 5th! My dad and I looked at each other and both exclaimed, "FIVE?!?!"  

So before this trip to AZ happened, my friend Frank, discussed here- he was driving to Lake County CA from Pleasanton and was going through Napa. He told me he passed a used car dealer and outside on the lot was a metal-flake purple 58-64 sedan with some kind of aftermarket wheels and decklid standoffs. He stopped based on the wild color, to take a closer look. This was almost 30 years ago that this happened. All I remember now was when he got back to town, he told me this car had 48 IDA Webers and valve covers that looked like meatloaf pans that said "DYNOSOAR" on them. I wish I knew where this car went, or what it was about. Next time he drove by it was gone. I know he told me it was a full street car, with interior and all.

[Jim Ratto]

I hope down the road, when you feel the inspiration and have the time, to see the tales of '94 and on documented in similar fashion to refresh my pitifully weak memory. 

I have a million pictures from that era, newsletters, maps, flyers, all kinds of stuff. Wish I still had a yellow sheep template.

[Peter Shattock]

I'd like to join the JR fan club too please!

Great effort here Jim with both your memory and the obvious time taken to get it all down for the rest of us to enjoy.

Like many others have said I've really enjoyed reading your story and have found many similarities in what you have been describing with my youth too. Fun times to recall when life was much more straightforward!

I've followed your tails from the beginning but have not piped up before now because of where you were going (November 1990 Bugorama) as this is where our storylines really come together. Like you and Frank, Jon (my frank like VW pal) and I were flying across the Atlantic as you were flying down the interstates with the same things in our minds. Our journey was far less eventful than yours, but the levels of excitement were just the same!

You set me up perfectly with your lack of pictures from the event as I have a few which will probably mean more to you than most. Actually the ones of those now oh so famous green and black cars were in the car park at the hotel not actually at the event.

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Jon and I woke up on the morning of the show to find the hotel car park full of various VW's which got us off to a great start for what proved to be an amazing day. The day was not without drama for two very white excited English kids though, as the Arizona heat was off the scale to us and no amount of sun cream and shade was going to save us from various parts of our bodies turning some thing not dissimilar to guards red! Not that any of that was going to get in the way of us maxing out the day.

We saw more cars in one day than we would see in a whole year back home and it was a major sensory overload and a logistical challenge to grovel around all the cars we wanted to look at which was almost all the race cars and of course the Cal look cars.

Suffice to say like you and Frank two white and red striped English kids left the show that night with heads full of ideas!

Keep the stories coming!

Peter

[Peter Shattock]

The two others you mentioned too.

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Peter

[Bill Schwimmer]

Thank you for those photos Peter, hard to believe that was 27 yrs ago. The best of times.

[Rick Meredith]

I'd like to join the JR fan club too please!

Well there's the initiation... then the dues

[Bryan67]

Here`s a few crappy pictures of what's in my photo albums...

[Jim Ratto]

Thanks guys for sharing your old pictures!! Glad to know I wasn't the only guy leaving these events with my head spinning! Very cool Peter!!

[Bill Schwimmer]

Hey Bryan, do you remember where those were taken? Looks familar, just cannot seem to place it. Thanks for posting them.

[Brian Rogers]

That's a view of the Lowery chop I'd never seen. Wishing I had time, money, and space to build a tribute/replica. The car was destroyed here a few years back if I recall.m

[Bryan67]

Yes I do. The first one was at Famosa and the second at a park in Long Beach. I think Ed Economy put the shows on there. Famosa was the first time I saw your car in person. I was still driving my 2 tone 80's style oval ragtop. But I was over that look by then.

[AZOfftheWall]

Great story, here are some pics I have of my old drag car from Phoenix around that time.

[Jim Ratto]

Yes I do. The first one was at Famosa and the second at a park in Long Beach. I think Ed Economy put the shows on there. Famosa was the first time I saw your car in person. I was still driving my 2 tone 80's style oval ragtop. But I was over that look by then.

I was going to guess Bakersfield (Bill's car). That was the show Frank said "There's that car... that guy Bill Fishwagen owns, with those wheels."

[Peter Shattock]

Thank you for those photos Peter, hard to believe that was 27 yrs ago. The best of times.

No problem Bill, we really loved your car. Just sat there in front of the hotel reception under a clear blue sky just blew us away. It really did look perfect.

As you say its scary how long ago all this was happening, really don't know where the time has gone.

Great that you still have the car and I hope you still find time to enjoy it.

Peter

                 

[fish]

Hey Jim, please sign me up for the "Cal Look Adventures" book you should be writing.

I am sure you will also have plenty, willing storyline and photographic contributors.

[Bill Schwimmer]

Thanks Bryan, I remember now, the LB event was kinda funny, Dave & I showed up to a vintage meet. We felt like hockey players in a figure skating event. We were driving in & you had to drive through a stream, I said no way, but there was a little wooden footbridge. I jumped on it a few times, moved a couple of rocks & away we went over the bridge.
Thanks for the kind words Peter, I still hop in that old car & it feels like a worn shoe, just perfect.
 Bill Fishwagen, my new alter ego