70's Ca Look Dashes - whats your favourite ???

[Sarge]

One of my biggest problems with a lot of these custom dashes is they lose some of the character of driving an old car. I want the dash of my car to look like an old car dash. Not some modern sports car dash. It loses that high neatness value the simple stock dash brings.

--louis

I agree with Louis... less is more.  As for stereos. who needs 'em when you've got IDA's to listen to.

[Diederick/DVK]

then you won't need that trip odometer either serge... wanna sell it? 

[Sarge]

then you won't need that trip odometer either serge... wanna sell it? 

Sheeeesh

[roland]

less is more.  As for stereos. who needs 'em when you've got IDA's to listen to.

Word! or you need earplugs for long trips...

[Lee.C]

do i need to keep checking my phone? 

No cos I am keeping this idea SECRET

[Critter1]

Here is my favorite. Although i'm a little biased, since this is my 67 dash (mocked up of course). Still needs paint.

[1957lowlight]

I'm a VDO pervert and I guess you notice that when you look at my dash.  All the gauges are old, but work fine...  the GTV was a wedding present from my wife.  I love her a lot, you see...

[1957lowlight]

Now with detail picture...

[beetletom]

what about using 356 gauges...?

is the speedo the same size as a stock vw speedo...?

[bullitt]

in my opinion a california look car has to be different from a street volkswagen. very different.

in particular i firmly DON'T BELIEVE IN:

chrome trims    (dechroming is one of the musts of cal look at its birth)
standard colurs  (cal looking is customizing, not trying to hide among stock cars)
standard seat    (a true cal.look is a serious performer. hi performance car have to be racing seats)
standard gauges or gauges mounted in original grilles ( it must feel like something different...plexi, padded)
cabriolet hoods: looks too standard. it needs something more aggressive.

i don't believe in new parts too.  new tyres, msd, turbo mufflers.

it has to wear michelin x and something like bluestreak on the rear. but something old
it needs 010
it has to be a vintage muffler. ansa, t-bird, self made. doesn't matter but not a turbo muffler.

sorry if i offended anyone. was't in my intention. if you consider me sort of prehistoric, you are completely right. in fact, not at all i believe in "california look today" even if most important clubs evolved to this style...that i call "original bugs with big rear tyres"

some things are perfect at their birth, cal look in my opinion is one of these things.

it was born in the seventies...and in the seventied was dead. that's all.

its evolutions during nineties and 2000s is simply another story, another style, another thing.
not necessarly a bad thing...i like these perfect cars...shiny and fast...
but i prefer old ones. they had more personality. tht's all

[Lee.C]

in my opinion a california look car has to be different from a street volkswagen. very different.

in particular i firmly DON'T BELIEVE IN:

chrome trims    (dechroming is one of the musts of cal look at its birth)
standard colurs  (cal looking is customizing, not trying to hide among stock cars)
standard seat    (a true cal.look is a serious performer. hi performance car have to be racing seats)
standard gauges or gauges mounted in original grilles ( it must feel like something different...plexi, padded)
cabriolet hoods: looks too standard. it needs something more aggressive.

i don't believe in new parts too.  new tyres, msd, turbo mufflers.

it has to wear michelin x and something like bluestreak on the rear. but something old
it needs 010
it has to be a vintage muffler. ansa, t-bird, self made. doesn't matter but not a turbo muffler.

sorry if i offended anyone. was't in my intention. if you consider me sort of prehistoric, you are completely right. in fact, not at all i believe in "california look today" even if most important clubs evolved to this style...that i call "original bugs with big rear tyres"

some things are perfect at their birth, cal look in my opinion is one of these things.

it was born in the seventies...and in the seventied was dead. that's all.

its evolutions during nineties and 2000s is simply another story, another style, another thing.
not necessarly a bad thing...i like these perfect cars...shiny and fast...
but i prefer old ones. they had more personality. tht's all

Amen Brother 

[Rennsurfer]

Sarge, that speedometer w/trip odometer is COOL! Never knew that you had that in there. Can't believe that didn't notice it, in person.

1957Lowlight, your dash looks awesome. I really dig the chrome bezel VDO gauges and solid dash panels painted to match the body. Nicely done. What are the gauges from? They look like they're out of a vintage Porsche.


Bullitt, the best thing about building a Cal Look VW (like many things in life) is the fact that everyone can do their own thing. Much like surfing, art, etc. it's a form of self expression. I was born in the '60s and when I was a teen in the late '70s, I felt the same way you do about Cal Look cars. So I built one to my liking. Which is why my current car is so much different in many ways... the ol' less is more theory. I appreciate all of the different approaches regarding Cal Look cars. To each their own.

[Dave Rosique]

I'm a VDO pervert and I guess you notice that when you look at my dash.  All the gauges are old, but work fine...  the GTV was a wedding present from my wife.  I love her a lot, you see...

Your vintage VDO gauges are awesome!! I've seen a few over the years, mostly in Porsche 356's... 
I think you've helped make up my mind what I want in my Oval.
Oh yeah, nice wife you have there

~DR.

[John Rayburn]

The numbers on the tach don't go high enough. And how did you score a wife that new what a GTV was? LUCKY!

[Dave Rosique]

Calling John Rayburn!

How about a shot of your dash with that EMPI stuff we all drool over...

~DR.

[John Rayburn]

Calling John Rayburn!

How about a shot of your dash with that EMPI stuff we all drool over...

~DR.

                                                          Here ya go.

[John Rayburn]

And.

[Lee.C]

what do you want with that old tat 

[Dave Rosique]

what do you want with that old tat 

Nice EMPI stuff guys!!
Rayburn knows I've had my fair share of EMPI accessories... wish I would have kept enough to do just one car... but no, I had to sell the stuff (picture me kicking myself )

~DR.

[stealth67vw]

Here's my dash. VDO Series 1s, 150mph speedo, VDO tach, OG Empi Rosewood wheel and 42 year old original paint. I've recently added a beer can pull to the glovebox button.

[Sarge]

Sarge, that speedometer w/trip odometer is COOL! Never knew that you had that in there. Can't believe that didn't notice it, in person.

I actually bought that speedo new while selling parts for Cotton Goff VW in 1984.

    http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=647176   

[Diederick/DVK]

who wants them anyway when cal-look is about less is more, right? 

[Sarge]

who wants them anyway when cal-look is about less is more, right? 

Yeah, why bother?

[Lee.C]

Nope I'm afraid you're all wrong - in the case of gauges - The MORE the BETTER

I can't wait to see what some of you think of my dash 

[Diederick/DVK]

told you i'll be checking my phone every hour 

[Lee.C]

I might let you be one of the privlidged few - better keep checkin

[ian c]

Sarge, that speedometer w/trip odometer is COOL! Never knew that you had that in there. Can't believe that didn't notice it, in person.

I actually bought that speedo new while selling parts for Cotton Goff VW in 1984.

    http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=647176   

that sold for $450
now wheres that thread where i was whining about prices .......

[Muroc]

in my opinion a california look car has to be different from a street volkswagen. very different.

in particular i firmly DON'T BELIEVE IN:

chrome trims    (dechroming is one of the musts of cal look at its birth)
standard colurs  (cal looking is customizing, not trying to hide among stock cars)
standard seat    (a true cal.look is a serious performer. hi performance car have to be racing seats)
standard gauges or gauges mounted in original grilles ( it must feel like something different...plexi, padded)
cabriolet hoods: looks too standard. it needs something more aggressive.

i don't believe in new parts too.  new tyres, msd, turbo mufflers.

it has to wear michelin x and something like bluestreak on the rear. but something old
it needs 010
it has to be a vintage muffler. ansa, t-bird, self made. doesn't matter but not a turbo muffler.

sorry if i offended anyone. was't in my intention. if you consider me sort of prehistoric, you are completely right. in fact, not at all i believe in "california look today" even if most important clubs evolved to this style...that i call "original bugs with big rear tyres"

some things are perfect at their birth, cal look in my opinion is one of these things.

it was born in the seventies...and in the seventied was dead. that's all.

its evolutions during nineties and 2000s is simply another story, another style, another thing.
not necessarly a bad thing...i like these perfect cars...shiny and fast...
but i prefer old ones. they had more personality. tht's all

You're right....

but at the end everybody follows his own tatse and feeling...
here's mine

[.]

Not exactly "Cal-Look" but this is the dash of my original 1966 Empi GTV MKIV.
All Empi gauges including the cylinder head temp gauge and Shorrock boost gauge.
Empi radio and genuine Empi 8-track player.
It might not be to your taste, but that's how it was back then !
 

[Dave Rosique]

Nice, Richard... very nice...

~Dave