The perfect Cal-look combo...

[SOB/RFH]

...No money limit, no part finding issues limiting, no hassle with police and no obstruction like family, work and resposibilties. How would your perfect Cal-looker look like? It's all open: 5 speed, EFI, slicks on the street. Early or late body.....you know it is only limitited by your imagination. Let's chare the Cal-look build up wish list!!

[Luftkraft]

here we go, the cal looker of my dreams would look like that:

body: oval ragtop / lowlight ghia coupe as optional choice
color: black (mirror finish, haha)
engine:  2276cc or 2332cc with 48 IDAs (gotta talk the details over with my engine guru, but reliability and torque over maximum hp), with around 180hp
box: bulletproof tranny with Berg 5th (1st - 4th close ratio)

chassis: 4 csp wide 5 disc brakes, dropped spindles, slightly narrowed beam, chassis powdercoated in black
wheels: Ercos or Centerlines

interior: speedwell woodrim steering wheel, speedwell instruments (oil press./oil temp/tach), lapbelts, otherwise bonestock

that's about it for the moment, any suggestions, help and money welcome 

[SOB/RFH]

I think a early 60's car...62-64 would be the best. Paint job: dark blue or maroon. Tinted windows and one piece windows. No trim or moulding in the window rubber. No rear view mirrors on the outside. I like the deck lid from the cabriolet but also the one with a scoop used on 70's lookers. Interior has to be black fabric against the outside color on the dash. Early 911 recliners and tacho from Autometer (the small one with a racepak computor in the glovebox) and a simple roll bar with stright bars connected to the framehorns. No back seat. Colour coded trim around the headlights and lenses from a Porsche 911. Stereo (MP3 player) as it has to be a street car! A rather stock chassie with lowered spindles. Stock drums in front and type 3 in the rear. Transaxle, type 1, with ZF LSD and 3.78/2.25/1.32/1.04  and a 3.88 R/P. 2332 cc engine. 40*35,5 heads masterfully ported and all lightweught for longevity. Engle 130 cam with 1,25:1 rockers. 1 5/8" exhaust and 48 IDA:s with 37 vents on tall manifolds. A cruiser for the next 10-20 years and still in the 12's with a set of M&H....That's it!!!......ohhh forgot wheels!! Gasburners....OG!! Happiness is a hot VW!!

[Roman]

Soooooo, when are you going to start the project SOB? 

[SOB/RFH]

Roman I am just dreaming!! Maybe EFI is better then IDA:s........I saw some very low once and as long as one can use the tall manifolds the engine can be worked on............................................

[Roman]

Dreams come true!
Jenvey?


Or Berg?


Nothing can stop you now, I have solved ALL your problems in building a new car! 

[Gunnar|Rennfahrer]

My bugpack 51mm Throttlebodies are around 50mm high.

[Jon]

The perfect looker is not one car... for me it's at least two. Both of them "late" models... 62 to 64 are the "early" I like and then you got the US 67... it ROCKS!

The early 62-64:

Clean shaven except for handles and lucas indicators. Chrome ventilator window, the rest of the mouldings pulled out. Still got the groves in the rubber though. No sunroof unless it's a 64. Dark colour in metalic, or white. Early sports seats of some kind, real seats not plastic. GT steering wheel, no wood. Some custom treatment to the dash with period correct VDO gauges. Custom door panels with same cloth inlays as the seats. Perfect shining real BRMs with monster Goodyear blustreaks in the rear, 135 Kleber tires in the front. Lowered to just about no positive camber in the rear. And a severe lowering in the frint to get a good rake. California licence plate "CFN 528" (black and yellow) 79 tags.
Custom "hole drilled" window cranks, early Berg shifter. "Small" capacity engine with strange cc... IDA's and alternator DDS carb linkage. Dual mufflers with chrome flared pipes. Stock fuel pump. Visible HP1 filter of early type. Perfect single blade bumpers/ T bars / buggy bar. Louvers in the upper part of the engine lid, not to many, as every car have to have something you don’t like ;-)

The US 67:
Stock car without trim, with one-piece windows. Stock interior with GT steering wheel. Fuchs wheels 5,5 front and early 6" at the rear... detailed. Or American Racing Torq thrusts with "sharp" spokes, Porsche 130x5 pattern. Firestone front and rear tyres, and a good rake.  Lucas indicators and stock interior with Empi dash pad on the dash. VDO gauges.  Any Porsche colour on the car, maybe except red. IDA engine with 2176 capacity, welded stock heads. Everything on the car period correct. Except engine internals.   

Super hard question SOB!

[Martin Greaves]

For me its has to be a white US 67 bug no trim with Lucas indicators, stork red interior, real BRM and a  IDA motor 2109cc. Right i have the car just need to fill the trim holes put the indicators in and then paint it again. Oh shit i also so need some real BRM now that where i need to find lots of money. I know i have put the photos of my car on here before sorry.

[bugkeeper]

My dream project would be based on a 69 Convertible Ghia, with a fire breathing, heart stopping, turbo charged monster engine. You've got to love these pictures.


 

Peace 

[SOB/RFH]

Any new input to this topic! 

[Roman]

A perfect Cal-looker is not perfect! Rubber in the rear wheel housing from the slicks, gas stains on the inside of the decklid coming from the IDA:s, drag marks on the muffler. A looker should look nice but not sterile! It is ment to be used, not a pure show car.

[67Screamer]

A perfect Cal-looker is not perfect! Rubber in the rear wheel housing from the slicks, gas stains on the inside of the decklid coming from the IDA:s, drag marks on the muffler. A looker should look nice but not sterile! It is ment to be used, not a pure show car.

 

[Lee.C]

A perfect Cal-looker is not perfect! Rubber in the rear wheel housing from the slicks, gas stains on the inside of the decklid coming from the IDA:s, drag marks on the muffler. A looker should look nice but not sterile! It is ment to be used, not a pure show car.

Now thats what I call a proper Looker or should I say street car 

[Roman]

If it is fast enough you don't just have skid marks under the muffler, you have them in your shorts too!

[Lee.C]

 

[Shubee2 (DSK)]

If it is fast enough you don't just have skid marks under the muffler, you have them in your shorts too!

LOL Roman I Guess I Have Had A Few Fast Cars Then!!!  Judging from that Coment  LMAO

[Lids]

My ultimate car, would be:

51 Deluxe (Crotch Coolers)

2387 cc with EFI

5 Speed close ratio box

Beard front seats

Candy red paint on gold metal flake base coat!!!!(NO chrome)

EMPI 5's on 145 and 185

Full set of Automete gauges

EMPI Riverside Steering Wheel

Berg Shifter

[Zach Gomulka]

I feel relieved to find out that Im not the only one who builds cal look VWs in their heads from t-bar to t-bar Do you also collect parts for cars you dont yet own? I do...

'65 sedan all steel, painted Guards Red, shaved trim and turn signals, buggy bumpers, flat headlight lenses, 1 pc glass, 4 1/2" and deep 6 Fuchs detailed and anodized in body color, 145 Firestones and 26x6 Firestone recapped slicks.
Interior has Hurst trigger shifter, VDO gauges in stock grilles, no rear seat, black door panels, headliner, and seat covers (stock seats) with fat biscuts. Salt and pepper square weave carpeting. I cant decide on a steering wheel...
Motor is a 2180cc using NOS 92mm NPR biral cylinders, tall Skat Trak intakes with IDAs and linkage that curves over the generator, 36hp shroud, Santana pulley, Berg sump, Engle 125, Fumio heads, magneto, 10:1, 4-Tuned merged header and dual QP's, black powdercoated tin, chrome backing plate with engine turned firewall, Berg traction bar.

This whole idea started because I found the Hurst shifter at a swap meet for cheap. Then I built the car around it in my head- what I consider to be a mid-late '70s cal looker. Its one of probably over 30 cars I have built in my head!!! Here are some parts I have aquired for it-

[alex d]

Do you also collect parts for cars you dont yet own? I do...

the other day my girlfriend asked why there are two Santana pulleys in the wardrobe

[Lee.C]

I feel relieved to find out that Im not the only one who builds cal look VWs in their heads from t-bar to t-bar Do you also collect parts for cars you dont yet own? I do...

'65 sedan all steel, painted Guards Red, shaved trim and turn signals, buggy bumpers, flat headlight lenses, 1 pc glass, 4 1/2" and deep 6 Fuchs detailed and anodized in body color, 145 Firestones and 26x6 Firestone recapped slicks.
Interior has Hurst trigger shifter, VDO gauges in stock grilles, no rear seat, black door panels, headliner, and seat covers (stock seats) with fat biscuts. Salt and pepper square weave carpeting. I cant decide on a steering wheel...
Motor is a 2180cc using NOS 92mm NPR biral cylinders, tall Skat Trak intakes with IDAs and linkage that curves over the generator, 36hp shroud, Santana pulley, Berg sump, Engle 125, Fumio heads, Bosch 010, 10:1, 4-Tuned merged header and dual QP's, black powdercoated tin, chrome backing plate with engine turned firewall, Berg traction bar.

This whole idea started because I found the Hurst shifter at a swap meet for cheap. Then I built the car around it in my head- what I consider to be a mid-late '70s cal looker. Its one of probably over 30 cars I have built in my head!!! Here are some parts I have aquired for it-

Its nice to know I'm not the only one too  So far i have collected an Oberg filter, Scat heads, IDA's, manifolds, Berg push rods, DDS Shifter, 1 5/8 stainless header and I don'r even have a car to put them all on yet   

[El Diablo Gris]

I think the perfect combo ........................................................


is sitting in my garage ! 

[Rick Meredith]

I think the perfect combo ........................................................


is sitting in my garage ! 

It's certainly pretty darn close! 

[streetvw]

for me it would be an off white 68 sunroof bug, with gold EMPI 8's 145 fronts 165 rears, no trim, lucas indicators, propped open deck lid, tee bars and quarter lights
 and popouts with blacked out chrome. the running gear would be a 1955cc motor (76x90.5) carrillo rods, FK10 cam straight cut gears, berg 1.4 ratio rockers on 40x37.5 P&P heads, 44 webers, berg linkage, 1 1/2" berg street header with dual QP's, bosch ignition, mated to a 5 speed IRS box, it's have discs and spax shocks all round. and I'd drive it every day   
it's nice to have a dream 

[javabug]

I'll chip in w/ my dream car.

US spec 1967 sunroof sedan, painted L639 Zenith Blue
All moldings from body and window seals removed, but smooth window seals.
No bumpers or T bars or holes in body for them. No hood handle. Stock headlight bezels (chrome) with Marchal H4 headlights. DKP badge where VW emblem goes on bonnet. Cabriolet '67 decklid, for cooling. (I think cooling ducts otherwise mar the smooth look), VOLKSWAGEN script removed (no need to tell anybody what a VOLKSWAGEN is anymore, I hope).
Real BRM wheels, polished to perfection. Center of spokes detail-painted in gull-grey (Like Jim Lowe's ragtop from early 90's). Michelin or Kleber 145 radials up front, and Michelin XWX 205/70 radials for the rear. For race use, switch out to real BRMs shod with 6" MH slicks.
Interior: Reutter 356 Speedster buckets in dark blue vinyl with gull-grey piping, stock configuration '67 door panels done in matching blue. No rear seat. Simple roll-hoop done in gloss white, stock white perforated headliner. Dash match painted Zenith Blue, but with period gauges from late '50's or early 60's Porsche race car (maybe cable drive tach?)...period Blaupunkt cassette deck, Empi GT wheel (wood), old Berg 5 shifter...for the 5 speed. Sabelt harnesses.
Chassis: top-quality 5 x 205mm drums all around, lowered front, stock height rear, Koni adjustable all 4 corners. Pan powder coated gloss black, beam and r torsion tube painted gull-grey to match BRM spokes. No narrowed anything. Short axle trans, 5 speed , 3.78, 2.21, 1.58, 1.21, .89, 4.12:1, ZF LS. Axle tubes detail painted grey, one piece boots.
Engine: 94 x 82, VW 'gold' German filled case, Berg 82mm forged T4 center main, Carrillo 5.352", 86C cam with old Scat 1.5's, hand-worked 040 casting VW heads, 42 x 37 by Jeff Denham. 9.0:1, aluminum flywheel, swiss-cheesed clutch cover, 48IDA on Skat Traks, stock VW thing shroud, tin, Berg linkage, Vertex, old 1-3/4" header with dual muffs...

Emphasize smooth look, in Zenith Blue.

and, of course, the thing would get driven regularly!!!!

Jim, I like your ideas, but do you think for a '67 the 356 pieces are a bit backwards for a later-model car?  They're almost a previous generation of performace.

Just some fodder for discussion...

[javabug]

Expensive, I'm sure.  How about same-era 911 stuff?  I love the older 911S seats—the rare ones with deep bolsters.  I think GTS Classics makes a similar copy of those.  I'd like to score those for my 67 someday.