white lettering on tires or not?

[Turtle001]

what do you think guys?

[Luftkraft]

depends on the tire, but only on the rear tires. the letters shouldn't be too large, though.

[Jon]

I have so wierd taste so I say YES!

[SilverPig]

I second that...

[Trond Dahl]

I also say It depends on the tire.... cool with some, but stupid looking on others...
I would'nt bring out the white marker on a set of Nankang or TOYO tires
firestone wide oval on the other hand!

[BABOON]

When there is a Firestone or a Goodyear logo, it should be in white lettering.

[Fastbrit]

If it's tue Cal Look, read my lips: NO WHITE LETTERS!

[BABOON]

If it's tue Cal Look, read my lips: NO WHITE LETTERS!

So, Keith. You might have forgotten about your own book, but i have not. I still look at the pictures in this book almost every week. There is one white car that made the cover of Hot VWs February 1975. In one of the pictures the rear tires are Goodyear Blue streaks WITH WHITE LETTERS . I guess all of you know this car..the first description of a cal-looker..

And one of my favourites, Fleming`s black oval, with Blue Streaks and Hurst slicks with white letters. But this car is more a pre cal

[SOB/RFH]

I am with Keith on this one. My own observation, what ever they are worth, shows that the Blue strekas were only used on the white Aronson car before the cover photo was done (pre cal-look for all of you looking to name everything )..........California Look as a name was born with that feb 75 issue but there were no one cetain that the name California-look would hook up to the general public. Happiness is a Hot VW!!

[Jon]

A true cal looker should also have inted side windows and measly 165 rear tires, custom dash and interior... and flush mounted license plates with accessory light.       thank god we can mix and blend... 

Name one car that sits harder than the Aronson car on Bluestreaks...   cal-looker or pre cal-look!

[BeetleBug]

Name one car that sits harder than the Aronson car on Bluestreaks...   cal-looker or pre cal-look!

Easy - my favourite;

Best rgs
BeetleBug

[SOB/RFH]

Timeless!! And no white raised letters

[ALIEN]

wooopsss

[Luftkraft]

uuhh those gravel guards are a big NO NO on this otherwise awesome car. and removing the chrome trim wouldn't hurt either.

Timeless!! And no white raised letters

[wolfswest]

I'm thinking of coloring my letters on the back tires white...  I saw this topic but can someone post some pictures of white lettering tires...  So I can make up my mind. 
I got Good Year's in the back...  A yes or a no?

[Carlos De Alba]

depends on the tire........

Look at Tiger's car........it looks bitchin!! 

[maX cal-look]

or not ... 

[wolfswest]

I think it always looks great with slicks, but I havn't made up my mind with streettires... 

[dirk zeyen]

depends on the tire and the car

dirk zeyen

[JS]

If I get tired of these i can always change them for my 6" Firestones with GOLD lettering... 

[Cornpanzer]

Sorry, white letter tires are as Cal-Look as Jackman wheels. 
I am sure you can find a Cal-Look car with a pop-top sunroof, widened fenders, Vega taillights and any number of other atrocities.  Just because you can find an old car as an precedent, doesnt mean it is good.

That being said, white letters are ok on slicks.   

Oh, and Carlos, its "bitchin", not "bitching"   

[Rocket-Racing]

My car has white letters all over cause i like em.

I would say that as a rule (hate rules) a looker should have all black tires, as clean as possible. But that doesn't mean you can't do what you like just like they did back in the day!
Why follow the crowd? If you think whiteletters suits your car, go ahead. Don't care what other people think.
The cars that catch my attention are the ones that stands out from the rest. I think to many cars are built with "all the right parts" and looking the same. In the 70's you could tell all the cars apart, none looked the same. Today only the color and level of detailing is different..

When I wanted to give my 57 an early "musclecar look" I didn't want to make a copy but inspired by the early cars I made it the way I would have done it myself with available parts in 1970. Ok, whiteletters weren't the norm, but you could buy them if you wanted. My steering wheel (VDM) isn't cal-look, but it was available. I think there were less "rules" back then than we imagine today.

[Carlos De Alba]

Sorry, white letter tires are as Cal-Look as Jackman wheels. 
I am sure you can find a Cal-Look car with a pop-top sunroof, widened fenders, Vega taillights and any number of other atrocities.  Just because you can find an old car as an precedent, doesnt mean it is good.

That being said, white letters are ok on slicks.   

Oh, and Carlos, its "bitchin", not "bitching"   

hahahaha thanks teacher  ........you are right........................it's bitchin              

[Cornpanzer]

Rocket, your car does look cool.  One reason is because the tires and stance you chose are from a period when white lettering was way cool, much like redline tires.  Its like that pre-Cal thing.      A true lowered Cal-Look would have never run those tires because by the mid 70s, they were antiquated and radials were the hot ticket.

One thing to keep in mind is that here in the states certain looks may have a stigma that those of you overseas may not be aware of.  Once the musclecar era was over, white letter tires became for lack of a better term, kinda Hillbilly.  No serious performance car would be seen with white letters out.  Thats why you never saw Cal-look cars with white letters

So, even today, a late 60s car like a 69 Camaro with period correct tires Goodyear or Firestone rubber is cool with white letters, but that same car with modern tires will look silly if the white letters show. 

Hope this makes sense.
 

[Rocket-Racing]

It makes sense to me Cornpanzer. My car usually has bumpers and is higher up front and is, as you say, set earlier than what we know as cal-look. Good explanation about the tires, I am well aware of it as I am into old american cars too.
In the late 60's the Goodyear Polyglas was one of the hottest high performance tires, in 1975 it was not.. Even I would run blackwall radials on a clean "true looker" without trim and so on. Guess I strayed a bit from the tire issue when it came to making your car stand out from the crowd. But there are other things..

Goes with the story that I'm kinda hillbilly 

[gibber!]

I don't mind the white lettering on my tyres....



.... but kind of fits in with the look I was after-

[speedwell]

It makes sense to me Cornpanzer. My car usually has bumpers and is higher up front and is, as you say, set earlier than what we know as cal-look. Good explanation about the tires, I am well aware of it as I am into old american cars too.
In the late 60's the Goodyear Polyglas was one of the hottest high performance tires, in 1975 it was not.. Even I would run blackwall radials on a clean "true looker" without trim and so on. Guess I strayed a bit from the tire issue when it came to making your car stand out from the crowd. But there are other things..

Goes with the story that I'm kinda hillbilly 

[Rocket-Racing]

Cool pic Speedwell. That's the first year I drove the 57. It had been in storage for more than 25 years, just pulled it out and spent a week to get it roadworthy.
A lot of things have been done since that, but the only thing painted is the left front fender that was incorrect.
Before and after pic: http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,3592.60.html

[Jon]

We like our BLING in Norway! 

[Rocket-Racing]

We like our BLING in Norway!