San Francisco/Bay Area VW history, clubs, people, cars....etc.

[Tony M]

Jim, how can you forget the infamous "Foothill Cal VWs", led by legends such as "Thumpin Ed" and "Slammin Lou".  I will try to drum up some old pics of my car with the window painted.

If I remember right, wasn't West Coast run by that tall ass chick with the gi-normous rack?

JayP

I forgot about them - Thumpin Ed & Slamin Lou - More of the BH fan club - And the real little Frank with his 67 and prelude seats. Nice picts MR RHD 

[Jim Ratto]

Wow Kyle you are like a walking history reference book. I remember Tri City.... I went to one of their events @ San Leandro Marina way back in '87 and I was kind of snubbed for having stock height and chrome moldings and stuff like that, but that was ok. There was a small group of us guys @ Amador High School that fiddled around with VW's after school, you probably remember some of the same guys...  Lars had a few Notchbacks (the primered car I remember best, with high CR 1835 and DCNFs), Billy Alexander had the slammed baby blue '68 Squareback, Jason that had the metallic root beer brown Lowered Baja (!) with thumping 1835 dual 44IDF, and of course, I know you knew Ty. Everybody knew Ty. Eric Boring was another guy that we sometimes hung out with, he was older than all of us, but worked at Beetle Power (with Billy Alexander), a shop that RACE HEAD (Tony Mace) now owns. And that shop is about 500' away from Original Sam's Pizza, which I am sure you recall very well from the old club meetings where we drained the kegs dry......  and smaller world.... Billy, Sheep and myself all worked there at Sam's at one time, together.... where I did the big burnout without my decklid and lost the fan belt when it flew off and landed on their roof.
Working my tenure @ BH kind of was like a Black Hole....  all of you guys got pulled in my direction. A good thing? hahahaha

[my65rhd]

and No Sheep I managed to park my car correctly thank you very much.  Jim I remember those guys too. My brother bought the blue Notch off Lars then I bought it later on    ...Kyle

[crofty]

Frank, Didn't you have that pink '68 on Rivieras when you where in Fault Line?

[Rennsurfer]

Jason that had the metallic root beer brown Lowered Baja (!) with thumping 1835 dual 44IDF

That's HOT. Forget Cal Look... it's all about lowering every Baja Bug, now.

Sorry. Carry on.

[John Rayburn]

Thank God for you, Mark!

[Jim Ratto]

Jason that had the metallic root beer brown Lowered Baja (!) with thumping 1835 dual 44IDF

That's HOT. Forget Cal Look... it's all about lowering every Baja Bug, now.

Sorry. Carry on.

damn right Mark!

The car was nothing, if not unique.
Imagine a cool root beer brown, metallic typical 80's Cal Look car, shaved, lowered, brown velour semi-custom interior.... gauges, FF steering wheel, 1835 chromed out, 44IDFs with rinky-dink push-pull linkage, mega-power stereo.
Now put a narrow-eye Baja kit on it, and change merge race header for Tri Mil. There you go.
I don't remember ever seeing another one like it.

[sheep]

Frank, Didn't you have that pink '68 on Rivieras when you where in Fault Line?

Oh yeah and I had a mullet too

[Tony M]

Kyle - Big Marks fenders on THUMP were Creative Car Craft - Befor they moved to FL. Do you guys remember the other Rootbeer Brown lowered baja - Rod G. from CV - Owned Cobblers Shoe store on Foothill Blvd. Might have been the same car - cant remember if he sold it or not around that time.

[Jim Ratto]

..... and that night the three of us, Sheep, myself and Sean Dorman, sat in Sheep's dad's place, on a hot Friday night in Aug 1994 and wathced a copy of the DKP 1 reunion tape, from 1990. First time we had seen many of the DKP's stuff from back  then and we were gape-mouthed and pretty buzzed off cheap beer. For me it was pics of Aronson's white '63 and a red '67 with BRM's and a brown split with BRM's that got me going. years later,  plus all the energy these guys displayed, rallies, racing, partying, etc... stuff the three of us wanted to do. Frank and myself were already very interested in traditional Cal Look stuff, and now even more so....and already were running the big cc IDA motors in our '67's.... so a club was pretty much inevitable. There were other guys we knew from college and BH that were running around and seemed to fit what we wanted to do... kafercup Derek, Bates, a few others... SODA...etc. So one night we all met up @ alehouse and it was a go.... 

Hey!! That's the good old Raymond road 1/4 mile where many a muscle car puttered away with its tail between its legs after being eviscerated by a little 4 cylinder bug motor

Who remembers the night the cops ambushed us out there, just after the Mustang vs. my '67? Kyle, got headlights?
Ed V. did quite the job of making a get a way.... but then what cop would suspect a plain Jane looking 4 door Rabbit racing (and beating) a wild flashy go-fast 5.0 Mustang?

how about the night we all got kicked out of the go kart track? How do a couple of guys manage to stack 3 go karts up on top of each other?

[Tony M]

Drunk 

[Jim Ratto]

Kyle were there any big cc cars in Tri City? All I remember was that a chick was in charge. I think our club was one of the only performance minded clubs around that area, aside from DKL with your brother and Big Mark

Berkeley was kind of a hot spot for VW/porsche hot rod stuff too. Same with some guys on the Peninsula, especially when it came to USAC stuff. We cannot forget about Mike Collins. What good friend and genius to boot. I think anybody that had hp stuff and hung around BH knew Mike.

Clement Ave in Alameda. How many 100mph+ passes were made down that street? Tony, Bryan, Anton, myself. I remember after i got Danny Wyche's 2164 up and running and Tony took it on a jetting run... the car was just going in loops in front of the shop, suffocating in tire smoke. Seems that summer every day the sun was blotted out by burnout smoke. 

[my65rhd]

Kyle - Big Marks fenders on THUMP were Creative Car Craft - Befor they moved to FL. Do you guys remember the other Rootbeer Brown lowered baja - Rod G. from CV - Owned Cobblers Shoe store on Foothill Blvd. Might have been the same car - cant remember if he sold it or not around that time.

Thanks Tony...I wonder if they still make em that wide..Dude Rod's baja sounds SO familiar. Didnt he live on Crow Canyon Road..I do remember his ride..I knew I had seen it    Kyle

[my65rhd]

I messed up with the Quote button. Sorry but I am having an old persons brain fart..

So to answer your question Sir Ratto...God of all Gods

Tri-City started with Terry Harker as President in the early 80's. I remember him hitting a cow and totalling one of his cars. I think he started off Cow-Look...Steve Cox and Jim Ledgewood (RIP) were big parts of that club. Many others too but cant remember their names off hand. I really cant remember who had what as far as big engines..Later on my friend Ron started it back up again..Always a Fremont based club

Jim the girl you are thinking of is Robin who was the President of the West Coast V-Dubs out of San Leandro

Mike Collins was an awesome guy. He built my tranny that was in my rhd bug. It never gave me any problems. I remember him also retapping some new rotors for my old Notch. He said he loved jobs like that because it wasn't greasy. I also took my moms squareback to him when the spark plug shot out. Always a cool guy to chat with. Good times

[my65rhd]

I am trying to find an old friend. He grew up in Fremont but last I heard he was living in Oregon. His name is Steve Cox. I have known him since about 1982 or 1983. If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated..Thanks  Kyle


His old Notchbacks

[sheep]

I am trying to find an old friend. He grew up in Fremont but last I heard he was living in Oregon. His name is Steve Cox. I have known him since about 1982 or 1983. If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated..Thanks  Kyle


His old Notchbacks

Isnt that Joey Ramone

[Jim Ratto]

I think it's Johnny.

I remember that guy, Kyle. Sheep and I always used to see him @ Bug A Rama, we called him the Johnny Ramone guy.

We had 'nicknames' for just about everybody. Bill Schwimmer was known, by Sheep, as "Bill Fishwagen"

[sheep]

I think it's Johnny.

I remember that guy, Kyle. Sheep and I always used to see him @ Bug A Rama, we called him the Johnny Ramone guy.

We had 'nicknames' for just about everybody. Bill Schwimmer was known, by Sheep, as "Bill Fishwagen"

What   hahahahaha thats a good one Jim
Shouldnt you be cruising the junior high looking for a date

[Jim Ratto]

I think it's Johnny.

I remember that guy, Kyle. Sheep and I always used to see him @ Bug A Rama, we called him the Johnny Ramone guy.

We had 'nicknames' for just about everybody. Bill Schwimmer was known, by Sheep, as "Bill Fishwagen"

What   hahahahaha thats a good one Jim
Shouldnt you be cruising the junior high looking for a date

no I should really finish reading this book "Building VW Bug Engines for Dummies"
I'm not sure where this big gear goes inside the case     

[sheep]

I think it's Johnny.

I remember that guy, Kyle. Sheep and I always used to see him @ Bug A Rama, we called him the Johnny Ramone guy.

We had 'nicknames' for just about everybody. Bill Schwimmer was known, by Sheep, as "Bill Fishwagen"

What   hahahahaha thats a good one Jim
Shouldnt you be cruising the junior high looking for a date

no I should really finish reading this book "Building VW Bug Engines for Dummies"
I'm not sure where this big gear goes inside the case     

I just sprayed coffee all over my keyboard

[Jim M]

I am trying to find an old friend. He grew up in Fremont but last I heard he was living in Oregon. His name is Steve Cox. I have known him since about 1982 or 1983. If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated..Thanks  Kyle
[
His old Notchbacks

Steve Cox haven't seen him in years. Thats him to the right of the notch, Mr Ramone It looks like that turbo blue oval next to it with a vintage club plaque on the rear of the car.Steve is a very cool guy tho. He built some great cars in the east bay.I remember a beater 58 or 59 with a under the decklid turbo, a sleeper with stock 58 brakes.Always top notch,notches he built.I also remember Big Mark with "thumper" and some crazy caravans down to the last Bug Inn's with those guys. Anyone remember the MEDFLY NATIONALS at Sears Point Raceway.

[Jim Ratto]

That blue Oval was one mean mother in its day....  10.86 @ Baylands?

I heard about some of the trips to OCIR from Big Mark.... Mark Miller in the fields on the side of I-5 manking his own freeway

[stealth67vw]

That is Rob Case's Turbo 56. It is the fastest car I have ever ridden in. Me and Jerry Dicker went to his house in San Jose about 1994 and he took me for a ride down West San Carlos. Holy Fuck! My heart was pounding for hours after I left.

[my65rhd]

Few other things I found from the past...Club stuff and more Bay Area cars...  Kyle mr rhd sucka
I haven't found the flag yet




My brother Jeff, Kevin and Mark P. at the Bug Bash in Merced way back in the 80's


My brothers 64 sunroof I think he bought off the real Lil Frank...



Me and my 1965 Notch in highschool about 1983 or 84


Raymond Rd anyone?


Part of the Bay Area VW Association


Was this your Notch Mr Mayo ?? or was yours red ?


Centerline John from Castro Valley


I remember following "The Gangster" on Harder Rd in Hayward


Think his name was Tim out of Hayward maybe ?


Hayward based I think


Hayward based too. I think the owner was Carlos ??


Evan's 61 rag from SF  Bay Area VW Association


My brother walking to Bearfoot at BOR in early 80's


My first club...they actually voted me in. If they only knew

[j-f]

It's fun that somebody is call "Cox" because it's the exact translation of Bug in French! 

[Tony M]

Mr RHD does it again - Kyle you have a awsom collection of picts - Rob Case and his Turbo bug - When i was at BH , sold him more parts for his car. On one saturday he spent almost 10k with me. Of course i gave him a big discount on parts because he was buying soo much, Rich D.  had a shit fit untill i showed him the tags from the day. And yes that car was way fast. Still see him to this day, lives in San Jose, married with children, 2 boys both race 1/4 midgets. And as far as i know he still has his car. I rember a lot of those cars in the photos, and between Big Mark and myself we sold a lot of parts. Kyle you still look the same as you did in that one picture  Seeing your brother, Kevin, Mark, brings back very good and fond times. Thanks you for posting those. I will try and scan some picts that i found of BH in the early days. Keep em comming.

[Tony M]

And as for The Gangster of Love - Herb Martinez - How about a nother name - Jeff Bogart - BRE - Rob's partner - I know a lot of you guys in the area dislike Jeff B. - I know Rob does - Burned him at the old shop - Just packed up and left town. But the guy did build some bad a-- engines.

[stealth67vw]

Jeff Bogart didn't do so hot on Kyle's motor. 

I made a trip or 2 out to his house in Sunnyvale in 1994 also. He was wayyyy spun out on dope. He had sold almost everything in his house for dope although he did have stacks of JC, Street Eliminator and Super Flow heads in his garage along with the Wild Side Pro Turbo car the Eserini's ended up with. He had an engine on the stand at the time that had the sides of the case decked and big steel plates bolted to it, along with big thick steel plates bolted to the roof of the case He said he took the Wild Side car down the 85 freeway before it was opened and opened it up to about 150mph .

[my65rhd]

Oh boy..Don't get me started on Jeff Bogart..B.R.E. Broken Racing Engines " If you want an engine built right, Go somewhere else." I think that was his motto or the sign in his office haha..WOW he sure messed up my 2016cc longblock. A big loss of money.It took a shit at 1,300 miles and when Jim and I took it apart boy there were lots wrong with it. I went through 3 starters trying to just turn it over. I don't think he checked any clearances. There was no side to side clearance at all on the rods. The crankshaft was missing the main dowel pin for the bearing. It was so close to ruining the brand new case..Cam gear was hella crappy. Just lots of cheap parts. ..Jim can definately chime in on this subject haha   huh Jim  After Jim was done I put over 150,000 on the beast.....Kyle
PS: I have many more pictures to scan Tony

[my65rhd]

A few more pics before I run some errands
Rob's wicked Oval. I never got the chance to ride in the beast


Tri City V-Dubs member Dan out of Fremont. Sears Point Show