How to Destroy a Perferctly Good Cal-Look Car in a Few Easy Steps

[John P]

After building the car 14 years ago, I'm bored...

Step 1

- Remove rare, light-weight, original FAT Performance T-bars (purchased in the '70s).
- Blow dust off of the original, heavy bumpers (that have have hanging in my rafters for years) and reinstall

Click directly on images to see larger versions inside of this post

[John P]

Step 2

- Remove Michelin XZX series tires, sized 175 R 15 and 135 R 15
- Replace with Vredestein Sprint Classic tires, sized 165 R 15 and 155 R 15 in order to reduce the "nose down raked look". Tires are mounted on original Porsche 356 rims.

Step 3

- Install gravel guards   that the car was originally delivered with

Just wait, it gets uglier...

 

[John P]

Step 4

- Install yellow fog lamps, using correct, '67-only rear fog light brackets
- Use an NOS Hella (thanks Dave!) fog light switch with matching NOS Hella fog light switch bracket

More hideous changes to follow...

[John P]

Step 5

- Some "racer mods" begin...



What a poser  The horror continues...

[Glenn]

Looks nice. Would of loved to see it in person again at Litchfield yesterday.

Poser.

[65bug]

LMAO................Do you want me to store those T-Bars for you? In case you get a uncontrollable urge to re-install them?

[elmo]

Maybe check your alignment after changing the tire sizes. Do you have any problems with ants or termites or moisture with all those vines on your garage?

[John P]

Thanks guys. Gees, I expected more hate mail after the changes.

Looks nice. Would of loved to see it in person again at Litchfield yesterday.

Poser.

Would love to have been there.

LMAO................Do you want me to store those T-Bars for you? In case you get a uncontrollable urge to re-install them?

Uh, not quite yet   The nice thing about these changes is that I can switch it back in an afternoon. The driving lights are mounted to the bumper brackets, and I used quick connectors for the wiring for the lights.

- Bumpers (including lights) off, T-Bars on
- Gravel guards off
- 356 rims off, DDS wheels on

Viola!

Maybe check your alignment after changing the tire sizes. Do you have any problems with ants or termites or moisture with all those vines on your garage?

Yep, I'll check the alignment, and thanks. No issues with ants or rot, and it has been like that for 10 years. The wood is cedar, which is rot resistant, and the house faces south the sun (and coastal winds) help to keep things dry.

I've got a thing for vines. You should see it in the spring when it flowers (see pic) - the fragrance is amazing, and almost masks the musty smell of a 44 year-old VW's interior  

 

[John P]

Step 6

Install Motor Meter tach holder for NOS 6 volt tach.

OK, nothing really "non-Cal-Look" here, but a change nonetheless.

[John P]

And the piece de resistance - the proverbial bamboo shoot under the fingernail of the purest - are a set of door gumballs.

And you thought that the racer's tape amounted to poser status, Glenn.  My shy, retiring wife, who is always reluctant to share her opinion  , came into the house after getting some tools in the garage, and asked, "Why are there two fu#@ing polka dots on Flockie?!?!?!?!?"

Gotta love her.

[Glenn]

Now all you gotta do is drive it.

I expect to see you at Terryville... no soccer excuses this time.

[John P]

Threat received 

And I drove it this morning...

[Chuck Fryer]

I don't know about you ')

[IN RANGE inc.]

Balderdash!!!

[Dave Conklin (Cornpanzers)]

Hmmph, I thought my Sawzall and turbo approach was bad.  So how is work coming on your new site: "Herbie Goes Bananas.com"?

Nice fog-lamp and stone-guards.  The German Folks will be proud.  Have you started searching EBAY for a Herrod Helper yet?

[John P]

 

Sorry, I can't hear you over the giant sucking sound of that massive hair dryer in the back of your '67.

[David Ward]

Sometimes its nice to change things up every now and then.  That way you like the car more when you switch it back.   

[Fritter]

John, looks great!  You do need to lower it to "broken axle" specs to complete the German Folks transformation, though. 

[schell 59]

yeah and sand the hell out of the paint and let it sit outside in the crap weather and call it patina!!!

[John P]

John, looks great!  You do need to lower it to "broken axle" specs to complete the German Folks transformation, though. 

Mmmn, chrome fuchs and a roof rack... 

yeah and sand the hell out of the paint and let it sit outside in the crap weather and call it patina!!!

Nope, I just spent the last few weeks buffing the original paint with a random orbital, and I have to admit, it looks pretty good for (mostly) 44 year-old paint.

[John P]

My inspiration for the change was, in part, looking at period photos of competition cars that my Dad took in the '60s at rallies.

Some others:

Photos posted on http://www.thevintageracer.com/, reposted on http://52zwitter.blogspot.com/:

[John P]

And of course the famous EMPI Inch Pincher, seen here at Bonneville.

Photo courtesy of Glenn Miller



I have to admit that I've been having some "salt fantasies" with my '67 in recent months... 

[John P]

More inspiration...



Notice the tie down strap used on the front hood handle. Most racing series required that you have an auxiliary hold down system in case your hood got crunched, causing it to fly up. It was a safety issue. That's why you see so many 356s with leather straps or 911s with rubber tied downs.



But VW owners, being more frugal and practical, usually just ran a strap through the hood handle and either connect it to the bumper mounts, or, if not running bumpers (as the VW above isn't), to their beam.

[QuickKafer]

Who is this mad man? And what has he done with our friend John Plow? 

Scott Faivre

[amchair67]

If you have salt fantasies, JP, you should fulfill them. Be interesting to see what it'll do. If you do sand the paint and add rusty patina, it will surely end up as the cover car for Ultra VW!

[John P]

If you have salt fantasies, JP, you should fulfill them. Be interesting to see what it'll do. If you do sand the paint and add rusty patina, it will surely end up as the cover car for Ultra VW!

I promise you that no sandpaper or faux rust will touch my car.

But salt fantasies,...

[John P]

Step 7

Porsche 356 Carrera rear wheel spacers. (Thanks Scoop!)

Commonly thought to primarily be about getting more cooling air in and around the rear drums, the real reason was because the new Carrera front brakes were 20 mm wider, and these were added to increase the rear track to match.

Wide track, baby! Yes, it would have more sense to simply fit a wider tire than a 165 with wheel spacers, but what fun would that be? 

The horror will continue...

[John P]

The intended application

[Dave Conklin (Cornpanzers)]

Those spacers would be much cooler if you had some 356 B drums on the back of that car. Easily reversible modification and very cool.  Just sayin....

[John P]

Those spacers would be much cooler if you had some 356 B drums on the back of that car. Easily reversible modification and very cool.  Just sayin....

Yeah, I agree, but $$$$$$$$$$$$. I'm told that it's a bit of work to get a set installed on a ball joint front end. And they add a bunch of weight.

But still very cool, and they may be a mid-to-longer-term plan

[John P]

UPDATE: My longer studs and open lug nuts should arrive next week, with photos to follow.

In the meantime, some more period photos to draw inspiration from.

Or not.

From the following blog: http://oldspeedvw.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-12-19T08%3A58%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7



Silverdale, 1962

Check out the location of the oil cooler!   DO NOT TAILGATE!



Bathhurst 1963

Check out the inside left front wheel. Definitely running a front sway bar.



Catalina Park, 1963

Look, Dave - he even has gravel guards.  

And it looks like he removed the precariously mounted oil cooler.



According to the blog, the owner said the following:

"...Jack 'worked over' my 40hp engine. He fitted bigger valves, ported & polished the heads, bored barrels out to 80mm (1300cc), ground cam, fitted bigger oil pump, etc.

I fabricated inlet & exhaust systems, and fitted a pair of 1 3/4" SU carbs. It showed 72 hp on the dyno! It clocked 102 MPH at Bathurst!

That little Beetle gave me excellent service, a few race wins and records, and great pleasure for almost 40,000 miles - it was not only my race car, but my only car!"

More details at the link above.

[Glenn]

"it was not only my race car, but my only car!"

Damn

[John P]

Yeah, when men were men, and a trailer was something used to promote movies.

Or something like that.

Respect.

[Donny B.]

Trailers are for boats...!

[Dave Conklin (Cornpanzers)]

So are spotlights, but that clearly doesnt stop John... ;-)