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 Luftsick-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.

Flashback: Kari's Pre-A

West Coast Aircoolers member Kari Kuusharju spent number of years in Belgium in 90's and early part of this decade. He started his own shop Kari's Garage in there. This 356 pre-A photographed in our Bug Run & Bad Camberg trip in 1999 was his personal ride at that time. He participated to the classic Liege - Rome - Liege road race with it.

Flashback: Luftsick Takis' Ride

Luftsick-Takis built this '70 Resto Cal in early 90's. It was among the first "proper cars" in the country. Photographed above in 1996 VW Open and below in 1999 Bug Run along with the photo of man himself.

Star of Volksworld '07

See rest of the photos in here.

Off to London..

..and Volksworld Show. UK is confusing, last time I noticed this sign about great tits being common on bird feeders but didn't see any bird feeders with great tits :-)

Flashback: Alastaro 1993

Photo from VW Championships events in Alastaro 1993 organized by West Coast Aircoolers. Familiar cars like Kai's Oval, Pasi's Split, Kirkkis' '63 Standard and also some skeletons from photographer's, Heeba's, closet.

Flashback: Make's Rusto Looker

Make Leivo's Oval photographed above in 1996 VW Open and below in same event further modified couple of years later. Make, like many other VW guys, moved forward to American cars and is nowadays racing with late 60's Camaro.

Flashback: Piink Oval

California Look got bit corrupted when it got popular in Finland late 80's. Kai Aulankoski's Oval was the first Finnish Volkswagen I have seen that was built by the standards presented in magazines. Stock body, lowered as much it was possible without narrowed beam and lots of accessories. All this and none of that with widened fenders, Mengele wheels, fenders molded into body etc that was typical at that time. Being a hot rodder Kai included some Kustom touches to his Resto Custom, like the tuck&roll type of interior. These photos are from parking lot of Hot Rod Rock Show in 1992, I was heavily into American cars still at that time but must have spent more time around this car than any of the others in the show :-)

Shots from our garage

Tomi's super nice '52 Split with 17" rims.

Good old Luftsick Renn-Käfer. It was strored elsewhere and brought to the garage during winter,rear brakes removed and floor lubricated and left there, top work guys :-)

Jyrki's Oval with storage wheels/tyres..

Pasi returned back from Sweden with full agenda. There is a automatic pan donor car for his next project, an early 50's Hudson lurking in the back underneath that cover and his trusted daily sun roofed '65 that needs a little maintenance.

There is Luftsick-Takis' project car behind and under the crap somewhere..
All good in Kotten's pit, new engine for '07 is under construction.

Vilho is on the move.

My Oval again

Now that I've been off the garage most of the Winter and weather seems to be suitable for old Volkswagens it is time to start working on the Oval :-) It'll receive gearing that would be suitable for next summer's trip, hopefully I get the gearbox back within 2-3 weeks. My Beetle driving season typically starts in late March / early April so talk about leaving things for the last minute..

I just love how the car looks from this angle :-)

Flashback: Kaitsu's old Kastenwagen

Kai Aulankoski's old Kastenwagen (Rat Looker before the term got popular) on way to Netherlands. 50th birthday of VW Type II was celebrated in Venlo in 1997.

Flashback: Matti's KG

Matti Äyräväinen's Ghia is the best ever Volkswagen built in Finland. Matti won numerous trophies with the car in shows like American Car Show, Forssa Pick-Nick, Bug Run and Hot Rod Rock Show. Feature article above is from Hot VWs magazine.



Photo by Heebah from 1999 Matti winning in Bug Run.

Flashback: Couple of Late 80's Lookers

Fake Splits and Ovals were once popular among Finnish Custom and Cal Look enthusiasts. From today's point the cars received astonishing amount of labour, at least if it is compared with today's patina crap where any sorry ass can take just any piece of shit, dump the suspension and add wheels if budget allows. Those days it meant typically body off the pan projects, new paint, lot of welding and crafting the Split/Oval rear window (or more from the donor car). The large window ones certainly look today ridicilous with incorrect 50's rear window. It makes at least me think that if same amount of energy had been put towards the Split/Oval which donated the parts, maybe the end result would be worth more these days. Anyway, everything seemed more relaxed back in those days, like someone said "this used to be lot more fun, before someone invented the rules" :-)



"Acquarium" with Split rear-window. With fake Moon discs it scores all the style-points from late 80's or early 90's era.



I remember this one being featured in Street/Race-magazine. Being chopped and with frenched tail lights it combined also some Hot Rodding touches. Both photos by Pete from Luftsick.

Flashback: 1979 Pori Drag Race Aftermath

While reading V8 Magazine back-issues for an odd VW article I came across this clipping that had actually been printed in one of the local magazines in Pori. Cannot anymore remember which one and nothing to do with Volkswagens but it is sure hilarious shit from 70's small town.

Flashback: Hannu's old Oval

WCA member Hannu Hellman's turbocharged Oval was the fastest air-cooled Volkswagen in Finland mid 90's, fastest ET being 10.877. After 1997 season Hannu moved forward and acquired matching numbers big block Corvette that became one of the fastest street racing cars in Nordic.

Flashback: Hannu's old Oval continued..

After Hannu quit Volkswagens Jussi Jyränkö from Kuplapaja bought the Oval. Jussi transformed it into circuit racing car and raced Historic Races for couple of seasons and sold it forward. Having one of the few businesses in the country specializing in old Volkswagens Jussi bought the car back and sold again a couple of times.


In 2004 once the Oval returned to Kuplapaja again, Jussi decided to have one more serious go at drag races. Jussi has bit unorthodox approach sometimes and he went street drag racing with Type IV engine among the Cal Look guys. His fastest time 11.311@119.75 km/h netted him 3rd position in CalLook.com ranking.


Following season long-time VW drag racing enthusiast Jyri Erämaa bought the car, had it painted in black and mounted in a former Super Stock Type I engine. Fastest ET for Jyri was 12.3 in Alastaro after couple of attempts.