Flashback: West Coast Aircoolers in 1995 Bug Run

While I was home recovering from flu I browsed my magazine stash looking for Cabriolet features, I found the January 1996 issue of VW Trends covering the 1995 Bug Run. The photo above has Matti's Zwitter and Kai's Oval.


This must be the '50 Split Jussi Jyr�nk� imported to Finland from the event.

Flashback: 1995 VW Expo

Two drag race participants from 1995 VW Expo.

Flashback: Cal Look Survivor

80's Looker photographed in 1995 VW Expo. It appears to be very stylish representative of it's era.



Same car 12 years later in 2007 VW Open. Lot of work and dedication both from the current owner and the original builder.

Very cool that the car survived and got rebuilt instead of being abandoned after it wasn't so fashionable any more. Have met some people (this reminds me of especially couple ex-colleaques at work) who have got hooked on Volkswagens and Cal Look after the Tekniikan Maailma article and started projects that were never finished or if finished have gotten scrapped after the couple of summers of (ab)use.

Finding 80's Looker like in the picture above would be pretty cool, for guy like me who would never de-trim/de-chrome a ride it would give an option to built that Cal Looker in spirit of Feb 1975 issue of Hot VWs that I would no way in hell do otherwise :-) Different stance, T-bars and Fuchs would have worked nicely too on that ride, with or without colour change..

Flashback: Alhoracing's Old School Cal Look Sedan

The first Finnish Old School Cal Look car built by Kari "Alhoracing" Alhonen in early to mid 90's. Kari visited VW Jamboree in California 1993 and that changed his Volkswagen orientation, off went his Sonderbus (Samba) project and 1302 Cabriolet. He acquired this newly painted '61 from Make Railo. The '61 became '62 look-a-like with red brick coloured interior, it is pretty obvious which DKP car had made the impression.

The first iteration round had Sprint Stars and lasted for few seasons, until in 1997 Kari bought set of MWS fake Berms from Kuplapaja (I got mine from same batch back then) and in 2001 car was updated with Gas Burners.

The '61 served all year daily driver.
1995, and times were changing, 12-second stroker engined Old School Cal Look car is challenging the 80's Looker.

Flashback: Kirkkis' Standard

West Coast Aircoolers was the most innovative Finnish Volkswagen club in it's heyday in early 90's. Kirkkis, one of the main men behind the club, built this very stylish '63 Standard during early 90's. After Kirkkis moved into Porsches he quickly sold the Standard Beetle, it changed hands couple of times among WCA members. Vesku owned it at least two different times and Jaska built a 13-second Old School Cal Looker out of it. Kirkkis' Looker is photographed here in 1996 VW Open at it's best (IMHO).

Flashback: Make's Looker

Long-time West Coast Aircoolers president Make Railo built this late model Cal Looker during his last years in automotive painter/bodyshop school in late 80's. For a late 80's Finnish Looker Make's car is extra stylish and did not follow those Tekniikan Maailma project's ideas which became popular.

Probably due to young guy's enthusiasm it is well built since it shows still no wear and it is still in Make's ownership. In photo above Make's Looker is photographed in 1995 VW Expo in Turku. Next to it is action-cars-Pete's '74 in two-tone purple and silver it wore at that time.



Make's car in 1999 VW Open.

Recent photo from WCA reunion in 2005.