Totally agree with VUJADE's response.

In 1970 I put the motor, brakes and wheels from my recently "totaled" '65 Porsche (356), into my wife's otherwise stock "66 Bug. Was that an early German Look car????

If you want to see something different check out my SLICED BUMPERS. http://home.att.net/~nextgen/intro.html . My car is now under a new restore, wider CCC fenders, early head lights and now my SLICED BUMPERS will be Chrome.

I call them sliced because I take stock later then 70 bumpers and cut out the middle black 1" area. I do it on a band saw and make to full length cuts. What you then have is two "L" shapes that you overlap the top over the bottom then bolt is together. What you get is a bumper 1/3 the thickness,yet the same design. It is a clean look, yet strong and shows off your body work while still protecting your car. Quite a Unique look.
Joe Cali - Next Generation-USA.com

I think of it as what is the car set up to do. If it is set up to handle curves and mountain roads, and still be at home on the long open straits I give it a German O.K. If it is set up optimally for the 1/4 mile with low gearing and skinny front tires and a 1/4 mi. suspension then its not a German looker.

Ron

Vujade, Alex,
I agree with most of your opinions on the description of the German Look style and how to deal with styles.
For many years I have seen germans cars come to our bug shows here in the Netherlands (thats next to Germany). The thing that struck us was that they all seem to have a certain quality about them. Their cars looked better in some way. You could by just looking at cars and not looking at the licence plates see where they came from (germany or the Netherlands). It was thought by us that germans were more 'car minded' and spended more money on them and it showed big time. More and more if one of our cars looked like it was tuned in a quality like way, we called it the germans look.
I missed therefore two very important words in these posts: Understatement and Quality.
IMHO the best start for a understatemant bug would be to start with the most technically advanced bug they made: the model 1975 1303, mostly since it has the Golf style struts (as of 1974) and the latest steering system (1975 only; of course all converts have it as well from 1975 onwards) (don't know the english term for that steering type now).
It's just my personal best car, although the Germanlook applies to all other models as well, I agree.

I hope to have contributed somewhat on this topic,

Keep up the good atmosphere here! I enjoy it.

Take care,
Walter

In addition to my former post and as a reply to Pillow on the German Look: The abundance of Porsche parts is not neccesary for the German Look qualification, but evolved so because most Porsche parts are excellent quality and fit outright in most cases (944 rear suspension has even VW stamped parts in it!... really, and the brake system bolts right on as we know). The porsche parts are most of all a must to keep the power in one piece and the car on the road.
We must not give the idea that we are wannebee Porsche owners by srewing as many P parts on our car as possible! Hell, for the money we (I) spend on the car, I could buy a very decent 911!, but that's not the thrill for me. Anybody with some money can buy a Porsche and drive fast. To get the degree of understatement from a bug that we make and embarres other modern sport cars is much more difficult. And more fun to boot!

About 15 years ago, we held a meeting for original minded bug owners and 'other' together. There was a very beautifull oval, totally stock but for the 5,5 inch wheels. The original guys loved it. Then he drove to the sprint lane and the original guys looked up a little: what was he doing there? When he floored it (one of the first 2,4 l type's on the road here) there eyes popped almost out and I couldn't stop grinning for about a week or so... Pure understatment. Maybe not exactly German Look but it was a start.
Thanks Rens Ruts, for that experience!

Take care all,
Walter

so with the german look does it start with a superbeetle or can any year beetle be considered germanlook. the only reason i ask this is because almost everybody has a super. i am a newbie and am trying to learn as much as possible. i would like to build one for myself and then my daughters. thanks chris

Chris, unless I missed something here, the whole thrust of this discussion is Germanlook/Eurolook is whatever you want it to be. You don't HAVE to start with a '75 super beetle, or a '53 oval, it doesn't matter. There's even German/Euro bay window busses out there.

It's more a state of mind: you (the owner/builder/driver) strives to improve the breed, by adding on components that will enhance the performance and driveability of your VW.

As it happens, a lot of these components can be borrowed from modern cars (and not just Porsches!). The 'looks' end of things will probably follow on naturally, like if you put on a set of light alloy wheels to improve the cars handling, they generally look better than the steel wheels they replace. Also when you lower your car, it generally looks better.

As with a lot of things "Form Follows Function" kind of by accident!

Don't be rail-roaded into thinking you've got to find a '72 standard model beetle or something to start your project on, or that you've got to have these wheels or those brakes to make your car "Germanlook". Keep it loose, and keep the idea of improving what VW gave you in mind...

I spent Thanksgiving with one of good Cal Look friends in SoCal. Anyways he's a old school cal look guy from the 70's and I was very curious what he thought German Look was so I asked him and he simply said "It's the way Porsche would build a Bug".

My understanding is that the later model beetles were upgraded with beefier engines and suspension parts so as not to get run over on the Autobahn. Cosmetics are a personal evolution that morphed into the "look". But it remains the fact that it's based on performance. Ask a German.

Regis101,
That's exactly how my project got started..... I almost got run over by a tour bus at 72mph on Hy 101 here in NorCal.
My trash bug (daily driver) can run 75mph but it's working pretty hard, 80mph is downright scarry! Why did VW put the nose on '68s so high in the air anyway? It just catches air under the nose and give you one wild ride!
Anyway, I started looking at type 4 power, then a 5 speed came into the picture. If you can go fast you better be able to stop fast too so the 944 brakes got installed and you might as well be comfortable at those speeds so 911 seats are in order and with the $$$ in the engine a 914 tack with 912 speedo to match with VDO ****pit gages to monitor vitals. Poof! I've got a GL! (well 2/3ds anyway, this spring I hope!) Damn, this mission creep is killing me!!
ken

German look originally started from Germany from people who put as much as possible Porsche parts to their VWs.If a car does not have at least Porsche brakes & wheels and a huge type IV engine with 911 cooling kit it is not real German look for me.

Modern alloys and CB brakes are modern/euro look not real German Look.



:tisktisk:

Hi,

I am fairly new to all of this. Nevertheless, I have done a lot of reading because the 1303 (most likely) I will buy and modify will be my first owned air-cooled VW.

From what I have read, the German Look came from people who wanted to emulate the cars driven in the Kafer Cup races. Interestingly, very few of those cars have Porsche wheels from the photos I have seen. (I don't know about the brakes since I can't read German.)

I surely hope the GL -- or as some would have it, the "real," "true," "genuine," <whatever> GL -- doesn't evolve into a pigeon-holed standard like the American Kennel Club does for breeds of canines, or the Cal Look scene for that matter.

The sameness of the Cal Look is boring. (Yes, this is my opinion only. Then again, this is my post.) The only thing that sets most apart from each other is the extent and cleanliness of each owner's car. It is no wonder so many of the winners at shows and featured cars in the US mags are trailered in/trailered out.

Zzzzzzzzzz.

I personally don't want another auto manufacturer's emblem on my future project. That's my preference. That's not to say I don't appreciate a GLer with Porsche wheels. Indeed, I do.

More importantly, I want a product that will improve the car's performance on the highways and byways. That seems to me to be more the essence of the GL than a brand name.

Perhaps, it is the semantics of this whole thing: German Look.

Does "German" mean everything has to be German? Does "Look" mean everything has to be made to a specific standard?

I hope not.

Because I will still make my car the way I want. And I will avoid the high-and-mighties with their clipboard full of preconceptions like a rash.

MOO,
René

exactly Oasis..:)

I think that the GermanLook evolved the way it did because of the desire to make the cars more modern.

The only reason Porsche stuff is so prevelent is because of the ease of adaptation to a VW (They are very close cousins :) )

I dont think anyone is trying to be a Porsche for that matter.
It would just be eaiser to buy a Porsche, then try to make one.

I think most of us, & especially myself included are not trying to transform my BUG into a Porsche, but are just trying to make the best handling, fastest accelerating VW to come off the assembly line.

Which is more fun too you?
Beating someone while driving a Porsche?
Or whooping up on someone while driving a fast VW?

just a though to ponder:

Leather Driving Gloves $49
180 HP Type 4 Motor $6000
Seeing the look on their face when you beat them in your VW... PRICELESS! :)

German look?
 

To me the car doesn't have to look different from a Cal-look car but it has to have a different purpose.

Cal-look came about because of the Drag racing scene.
German-look came about because of track racing. A completely different idea.
If it's meant to handle, stop and accelerate like a track car... it's a German Look car to me.

It's all in the performance. Anything goes so far as I'm concerned in looks

Mike Ghia

Re: German look?
 

Here's my 10 pence/cents worth:


I own a 72 GT Beetle

porsche 944 interior
carbon fibre dash panels, running boards (new ones from Joe v soon to replace my CSP ones). fire wall, more on the way...
VDO dials
New Beetle (concept 6 spoke alloys)
Memo import lights front, rear, and bumper indicators
type 1 engine (being rebuilt to 1776 twin dells currently)
Modern mirrors with home installed m3 side repeaters

What style is it? MY style! :D


I thank you
:silly:

Vyper