What is your definition of the Germanlook style?

[Chris Percival]

That purple 03 is my favourite German looker....

[Jeannot]

Just got my copy of the Summer issue of "Volksworld". A gorgeous looking "Euro Looker" is on the cover and warrants four pages. The car is an 1982. The owner lives in Holland. The articles author states that:
"Both German-Look and Euro-Look cars are externally very similar, but we use the term German Look to describe equally impressive underpinnings. If a car looks the part but doesn't have the big Type 4 motor or Porsche gearbox and brake conversions, we refer to it as a Euro-Looker. SImple, huh?"

Sueme, in his piece in the same issue refers to the GL as "... you know, big Porsche wheels, four wheel discs and a big Type 4 engine ..."

By the way the car has a little Remmele type roofspoiler courtesy of Franky's VW Services.

Jeannot

[Andy]

That was interesting reading...

I do not think that there is a written statement of what a German Look Beetle should look like, if there was all GL Beetles that matched the German Look would look more or less the same.

As far as I am aware, German Look was a term cooked up by Volks World after seeing this type of car at the shows on the continent. Correct me if I am wrong.

All beetles are individual, and I think all the cars that have been mentioned have that "German Look" slant. This is why we are all on this site! The individuality makes our cars interesting, and opens up discussion like this. The only German Look ones that I perhaps question are the pre 1967. But this is my opinion.

Im my opinion the best Geramn Look is a late model ('70s), perferably a '03 with modern big wheels (not 17inch BRMs) with wide lower profile tyres, and colour coded bumpers, tinted windows, high performance type 4 out the back and a BAS exhaust and a oil cooler under a vented front valance, roll cage, modern interior with lots of carbon, lack of chrome, and all trim colour coded, braced under the bonnect, lightened and drilled where appropriate, uprated supsension and roll bars, five speed box, limited slip diff, etc, etc...

I think the idea of the German look is the look of the Kafer-cup cars, and most of these modifications were done to make the cars more competetive.

I would descibe my car as a type of German Look, but I am going to have a large type 1 out the back, instead of the favoured type 4, and it will have a Turbo Muffler, which is more Cal look. This is more due to budget etc..

I have all the trim, some is left in Chrome, quarter lights etc. But I still think mine is GL, it is defo not Cal Look.

Let me know what you think

[Philippe]

Nicely put, Andy.

I think that germanlook is simply a non-traditional approach to aircooled VW performance. We're modernizing our cars to perform in all aspects of driving. It's not just the going fast, it's the stopping fast and the cornering fast. Callook cars can't really touch us when it comes to spanking that curvy stretch of mountain road.

And I strongly agree that the GL is best suited for late model VWs. Late models have the best performing suspensions, lend themselves better to the modern styling of the equipment we use on our cars, and they also have the best visability through the larger windows.


I would think it would suck to look up at my mirror and see mostly headliner and a little oval of road behind me. I'm not trying to bash early model GLs because they can pull it off like no one's business. Anyone else see that turbo-ed oval GL at the last sac. bug o rama?

check it out here

Anyway this is all opinion. I just think it's about performance, not the size of the rims and the name on the brakes. The only thing I would say you would HAVE to have to have a GL would be low profile tires.

All this from a guy who's planning a type 4 engine, single pot 944 brakes and big porsche alloys. Sounds traditional GL- except that I have a full interior, a nice stereo, and all of my trim intact.

[vwman1]

Can anybody tell me where I can find out more info on that BLACK '82 Mexican bug that was featured in the Jan '01 Super VW magazine as well as the the June '02 VWtrends? I like his Remelle rear spoiler the best. Clean and nest. I really like the black German-look bug. That bug got me started on this information search.

[kdanie]

Ok, I've been watching this thread for a while and decided to throw my two cents in....for what it's worth (probably less than 2 cents).
German Look/Euro look, the name means little to me. I like the no rules, go for the performance concept. I think Jak has that one down!
Here's my project that is a little more than half done:
'68 irs beetle, chrome strips removed, stock steel fenders, '73 tail lights (the flat ones, no not the clear ones!), front turn signals removed/filled, H4 headlights with driving lights and turn signals built in. Early euro blade bumpers because they are cleaner and less bulky.
902 Porsche 5 speed, I just screwed an old Hurst "T" handle on it (I miss my old muscle cars)!! That should mess up someones preconceived notions!
2.0L type 4 with 911 cooling, 10-1 compression, custom cam, many high tech coatings used in and on the engine, engine is built, I am currently building a header for it.
944 disk brakes, early, easy to mount, if I need more I will call Wilwood and go for the big stuff.
'82 911 SC seats
914 tach in the speedo hole
912 speedo in speaker panel
VDO ****pit gages to cover the other vitals
912 steel wheels/hubcaps with 195s in front and 205s rear
Looking at it you may think it is a Callook until you step closer and see what is really under the skin.
I'm about a year longer than I thought but still under the $6000 budget (until paint). I am fortunate to be able to do all the work myself (except engine machine work).
Things I'm thinking about-full roll cage, 1" sway bar to fit my 2" narrowed beam, racing buckets, OOPS there goes the budget!
To be quite blunt-if GL goes the way of Callook with rules, it will become the same boring cookie cutter type cars (I think that dead horse is starting to smell!).
Looks can be deceiving,
ken

[Andy]

Originally posted by kdanie

914 tach in the speedo hole
912 speedo in speaker panel
VDO ****pit gages to cover the other vitals

I like that idea! my dash is a padded 1303 dash, with the make believe wood, but I assume that the 944 tacho would go in ok. Is it a fairly easy mod?

But where the hell could I put the speedo? all other gauges are at present in a tunnel mounted console, would like to move them upto eye height, but where?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[kdanie]

Andy, I've never seen a 1303 dash in person so I can't be much help. Both my type 1s are '68 standards, one swing axle one IRS. I'm sure some of the forum members would be willing to post pictures of thier dash set ups.
ken

[Chris Percival]

Andy, you either have to mount it above or below the dash, or mod the dash to accept the tacho. The dash is made of metal (under the foam). Heres how to mod the dash to accept for dials:

- Remove the foam from the dash, best remove the whole dash to do this.
- Cut off the speedo housing, and surrounding area.
- Create a new dial pod out of aluminium sheet, hows about a nice curve following the curve of the steering wheel? Or a 911 style dash?
- Fix the new pod to the dash with rivets, or nuts and bolts.
- Fix in a plate to hold your new dials.
- Paint the whole dash in matt black or body color, or how's about carbon look stick on film? Or get it trimmed in leather!

Chris

[vujade]

as much as I like a center mounted tach, I really dont see it when I really need it the most....it would be far better on top of the dash, more at eye level.... just my 2 cents

[lightning bug]

My tach is also mounted in the center. However...... it has been proven that the eye reacts faster when moved side-to-side rather than up and down. This is why Toyota mounted the guages atop the dash in the Echo. It might be better for vision atop the dash. Also, FWIW, the eye also reacts faster to different color lights. This is why VW uses blue dash lights in the MK4's, so I've heard.

[Supa Ninja]

My Supa is on its way to being a German Looker, I just installed a set of Maxx struts , I have set of Suzuki Sprint GTI seats and I'm working on getting a couple of Type IV engines, Porsche tranny, 944 discs, and 17's. I am a little burnt out on the cal look . Philippe I did see the GL oval and it was a very nice piece. German look to me is taking my 30 year old Volkswagen changing and modifing it so that it "drives" better, in the process it may end up performing better than most of the cars on the road today. I won't call my Supa a eurolook cause thats what all those honda cars call themselves.

MACL

They should call the rice burners Asialook :silly:

[lightning bug]

What's Euro about 12 tier wings and illuminated windshield washer squirters? Don't forget the graphics--- always a power adder.:silly:

[NYBugman1972]

My dash has that setup! 914 tach in speedo hole. 914 speedo in speaker hole. 5 VDO's, 2 opposite from the speedo and 3 in the radio hole. Carbon Joe custom blue panels and glove box door overlay. It all went together pretty easily. And I retained my dashpad.

I do have a 1302, though. Pics are in my Yahoo album. http://photos.yahoo.com/mikes72sb