What is your definition of the Germanlook style?

[Axl R]

justdubbin , I like the way you think . I had worked for a body shop for a short period of time ( a mistake I don't plan to make again!) and we were restoring a 1965 Ford Mustang . This car was about the 1003 or 4 Mustang ever built! The owner of the car started to go to a club dedicated to mustangs , and found out that to be a member , your mustang must have all matching numbers , all original paint color and options , etc . They would not even look at you if you were slightly off on any of these things . I don't know about you , but I just would not want to be a part of something that doesn't allow for some creative differences from what someone else has . I hope , just like you , that the VW groups don't do that . Axl . :takethat:

[COXBOW]

I agree with you, that’s why I’m now more on the GL/Custom side of the tuning, ‘cause u they can say what u want, Old-Speed Cal-Look etc.. it’s still tuning your Bug !
The problem with those Old-Speed and Resto-Cal guy is that they have indeed rules, and I hate rules !

If you put this or that accessory you’re more of this or that tendency and so you’re not “allowed “ to put this or that other accessory you like ‘cause you would mangle the styles ! Who cares !! That’s why I’m more on the German-Look side, but without the rule which are less strict but still…

What a also like in “my” mangled style is that I don’t have to do anything in particular just what crosses my mind, and certainly not buy this or that brand or supermarket same-as-the-neighbour stuff to “personalise” my car, how can you personalise something with the same stuff as everybody and by following rules ??!!

So put the liberating Custom label on my car even if it has indeed a GL tendency…

Who agrees or disagree ?

[RLW6000]

I like the mangled idea. I forgot to mention before that I also want to figure out some way to use some 62' or there about interior window cranks and door handle as well as the door handles for the outside from the same year bug. I like the way they look and besides, who has seen a Super with that style door handles? I like my style to be very individual but also functional. I also like a lot of power. Thats why I am going with the Raby type IV and tranny to go with it.
Randy

[njv]

hi
first post to this but i thought id leave it a while before i did!!!

moderninity in summery and a lot to do with tuv germans have the autobahn and you can drive as fast as you like on the ever decreasing unlimited streaches of it .

so they want to fit big engines to do this there must be improvements by law elsewhere ie your brakes. everything done to a german car must have paperwork cerifiing its safty and up to which level ie these brakes allow you to run upto 150bhp and so on.

money! germans are odd things in how they like to look affluant to the rest of society and when do other people see you most when your out and about in your motor so spending absolutely rediculous amounts of money on it makes you apear to the outside that you are well off and beleive me this is important for some ! bragging rights if it cost more it must be better!!! doh.

i will take pictures at this years mai kaefer treffen in hannover it is a good meeting last year there was a lot of gl cars there allready and i saw the trend within germany moveing away from porsche wheels to more modern alloys and less porsche seats and a move towards light racing buckets and so on.

i myself very nearly got a set of 5x100 wheels instead of the c2,s ive got for the spring i may still run a set of pedrinis anyway as im concerned about the wheels weight even though ive got 4x 6 by 16 c2,s the smallest width there is i think there still 11/2kg heavier than the pedrinis i will probably end up running both sets throughout the summer changing when i feel like it.

the essence of it is a moveable feast modern performance parts put to use for saftys sake another is the clear lamps modern and as far as safty is concerend one of the best things you can do for driving at night is fit brighter clearer lights same go,s for the rear of the vehical as if you have to stop fast you want to let them behind you know you are.

gl unlike the cal look will continue to evolve and will not sit static and stagnate due to the germans impulse to do something creatively original with a new part.

i had some young lads ask me the other day why they hadnt seen this new model vw at the local dealership i had to explain that there dads probably did and they where a little surprised

dont let yourselves down guys by ever saying it cannot be a gl car as it doesnt have such and such dont bag and tag yourselves or be hard on others if they dont have what you consider to be the look its a damn none stagnating proliferating moveable feast of modern part application s.

yea baby.

[justdubbin]

Originally Posted by njv

hi
first post to this but i thought id leave it a while before i did!!!

moderninity in summery and a lot to do with tuv germans have the autobahn and you can drive as fast as you like on the ever decreasing unlimited streaches of it .

so they want to fit big engines to do this there must be improvements by law elsewhere ie your brakes. everything done to a german car must have paperwork cerifiing its safty and up to which level ie these brakes allow you to run upto 150bhp and so on.

money! germans are odd things in how they like to look affluant to the rest of society and when do other people see you most when your out and about in your motor so spending absolutely rediculous amounts of money on it makes you apear to the outside that you are well off and beleive me this is important for some ! bragging rights if it cost more it must be better!!! doh.

i will take pictures at this years mai kaefer treffen in hannover it is a good meeting last year there was a lot of gl cars there allready and i saw the trend within germany moveing away from porsche wheels to more modern alloys and less porsche seats and a move towards light racing buckets and so on.

i myself very nearly got a set of 5x100 wheels instead of the c2,s ive got for the spring i may still run a set of pedrinis anyway as im concerned about the wheels weight even though ive got 4x 6 by 16 c2,s the smallest width there is i think there still 11/2kg heavier than the pedrinis i will probably end up running both sets throughout the summer changing when i feel like it.

the essence of it is a moveable feast modern performance parts put to use for saftys sake another is the clear lamps modern and as far as safty is concerend one of the best things you can do for driving at night is fit brighter clearer lights same go,s for the rear of the vehical as if you have to stop fast you want to let them behind you know you are.

gl unlike the cal look will continue to evolve and will not sit static and stagnate due to the germans impulse to do something creatively original with a new part.

i had some young lads ask me the other day why they hadnt seen this new model vw at the local dealership i had to explain that there dads probably did and they where a little surprised

dont let yourselves down guys by ever saying it cannot be a gl car as it doesnt have such and such dont bag and tag yourselves or be hard on others if they dont have what you consider to be the look its a damn none stagnating proliferating moveable feast of modern part application s.

yea baby.

I think this sums up EVERYTHING there is to say..................


Rob.

[Eurolook71]

TRULY!!!

Thanks njv, that was simply beautiful.

[jps]

to me, all the different "looks" are based on some type of racing. the Cal-look is based on drag racing, hence the narrow tires up front, big engine, not much for handling and brakes. the Baja look is based on desert racing. To me the German look is based on road racing. good handling, big brakes, high tech thru out.

[63Rag]

GL ers,
Very simply put a performance. One thing that places GLrs apart is the ability to accelarate decelarate and handle at a higher performanc envelope.
Light weight rims and performance tires. A more muscular motor, high performing disc brakes. Our European counterparts place a strong emphises on the whole car being "designed" for the purpose of pushing what VW engineers thought the VW was capable of.
Cal lookers are going to go by the wayside (220 hp, no disks factory bench seats? have you ever slid off your seats on a sharp turn?) I feel we should have water cooled performance GLrs (VW, Audi, Porsche) vehcles recognized.
I wouldnt be surprised if someone place a supercharged h2o motor in a performance 1302 or 1303 and races SCAA.
I feel that as enthusiests we all should take the next step in the design of our
Beetles / VWs.
Mine will be a beast.
the Wolf

[COXBOW]

In Europe we have a “Fun Cup” it’s based on a beetle chassis, it looks like a beetle but it’s all fibreglass, steering wheel in the middle of the car !!
And a Golf engine, a water-cooled engine that is, and I really don’t like it at al, what does it have of a bug ? The look ! That’s not enough for me
So a water-cooled engine in a bug just to have what? Easy cheap modern hp and performance?
No f… way !

[MattKab]

We have a similar series (if not the very same) in the uk, Uniroyal or something. Droids, Clones or Frankensteins... Totaly lifeless no?

Racelook yes, performance T1 no. In my opinion of course.

A thoroughbred Volkswagen needs 'some' history.

But, an ex-Uniroyal type car with an SVA for road use, using stock lights, trim. etc. would impress me for sure.

Matt

[Axl R]

Hey , All!!

First things first - njv (I hope I got it right) - I think you nailed it with your post . I especially agree with the safety aspect that you mentioned . I have recently just purchased a very good Dodge Grand Caravan ( yeah , I know its not a Dub , but I got a family to haul around, plus I got a smoki' deal on it!) and one the first changes I made was to remove the wimpy stock 55/80 watt headlamps and replace them with some off-road 80/100 watt ones . Next job is to redo the brakes as this van has sat for 6 months . The brakes work ok , but I will make sure they are in top notch condition . As a licensed GM Goodwrench mechanic , I am able to safely accomplish any of the work that needs to be done . Some of our Provinces here in Canada do not allow you to work on any safety-related items , such as brakes , unless you are qualified to do so (another very good idea - not only does it discourage total amateurs from messing up while working on their vehicle , but it makes them bring it to me , giving me more work ) . And I figure that there is enough to worry about with the way people drive without having to worry about if they are going to be able to stop in time!

Second - I am very intrigued and interested in seeing what new developments in the areas of the T1 are coming along , as when I eventually do get to build another Bug (time , money and my wife are preventing me from doing so presently ) , I will have already seen what is out there and maybe will incorporate some of the ideas into my own car . Of course , most people want to have that car that is totally unlike anything else out there , but that doesn't mean that you can't use something that has already been used on some of it .

Anyways , I guess through all of my rambling on , what I am trying to say is have fun with you Dub , but just be safe about it . I just may be the person that your unsafe vehicle hits!!! Axl .

[vwpride73]

I'm relitively new hereand thougtht I would give you my insight. I have read this post and agree that all modifications should be ones that modernize the car and improve performance. I dont think that people should have to run only porsche wheels, big Type-4, or full on racing suspension. Anything that improves the overall driving characteriscs should be welcome. I myself am very far away from being a true german-look car. Engine, suspension, interior, wheels, etc. should be an improvement over stock regardless of the modification. I know most of this babling has already been stated before, but I just needed to get what it means to me out there.

[jonnyspatter]

Flat grey 1303 Bug, dechromed with body coloured euro bumpers.
17" Porsche Cups.
Porsche 5 spd 'box.
Porsche 944 suspension and brakes.
2ltr type 4 motor with Porsche fan.
Stripped out interior with ally or carbon fibre panelling.
2 ally bucket seats (no rears)
roll cage.

This was my firm opinion until yesterday, when I discovered germanlook.com!
Its exactly how I was planning to do my '03, but I've discovered there is so much more to 'the look' than I first thought, and I'll gladly admit that my opinion was very narrow minded. Having seen some of the cars on here, I think the only definition of 'german look' is the one thing that all these cars have in common: A theme of technical advancement of the bug from its original form, adapted primarily for all round high performance (as opposed to the cal look, where their only goal is straight line acceleration).

As this is my first post (I just put 'german look' into google, to research into the look I was going for), you'll have to forgive my blinkered views on the subject. But I think from now I'm going to find this website a real education!

[super vw]

A theme of technical advancement of the bug from its original form, adapted primarily for all round high performance (as opposed to the cal look, where their only goal is straight line acceleration).

This IS what the "germanlook" is all about, you hit the nail dead center!
That is a good way of puting it to.

BTW, Welcome to the club!

Jonathan

[BWE]

Quote: "A theme of technical advancement of the bug from its original form, adapted primarily for all round high performance"

For your first post I think you've hit the nail on the head. I don't have a personal definition of what 'Germanlook' is but I'll tell you what I enjoy about the 'scene' the most: customization, the challenge to 'make better' the cars (and buses!) that we have, the open minded sharing of ideas and possibilities. On this board, at club get togethers, at shows, etc. there is an exceptance of, and appreciation for, different "paths to perfection". So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here for listening to my (sometimes) bizarre questions/ideas and posting their own. :agree:
I hope that everyone has a good, and safe year, in 2005 and we continue to be an inclusive scene!
Cheers,
Dave