Any plans in the works to re-introduce any of their stuff? Does anyone have an old catalogue available?
don't know when they went out, but i (and a friend) had some plans on re-making the sbc valve covers. had the blueprints, a foam model and then found out everyone around here wants 30-50k to do a run of investment casting (not even diecasting)..........so that kinda put it on hold for now.
It doesn't seem like that long ago they still had those parts store rotating display racks with tools, maybe 10 years. But I don't know how that relates to valve covers.
I am always seeing CC stuff I had never seen before. Some of it quite cool. Sure seems like the right time for someone to bring some of the choice stuff back if possible. Wonder if any of the tooling survives? I know at the end their stuff wasn't so exciting. Wood grained door handles aren't to everyones taste. Remember when everything was woodgrained? Plastic televisions, aerosol spray cans, metal furniture, stereos, dash boards, lawnmowers, etc. Especially the etc.
Willowbilly, Are you thinking of Cal Tool? They are still in business I believe. Different companies.
I recently asked a guy at a swapmeet in Long Beach, that was selling alot of the less than desirable Cal Custom stuff, what happened to them. He said they made too many licence plate frames for the olympics in the 70's. According to this guy, they didn't sell enough of them and went under because of it. Strange but true.
Years ago when I worked at an auto parts store, Cal Custom had a bad rap for having crappy, low-end parts, and we hated selling the stuff. Now, everyone wants it.....go figure.
Cal Custom was the el cheapo way to dress up your ride back in the early 70's. Replaced now by companies like Mooneyes, Grant steering wheels and whoever makes all that cheap crome shit you find at autozone and pep boys. Back then if it was cheap chrome or polished aluminum it was probably made by Cal Custom. Everything from Chrome coil covers to surfer barefoot pedals, cheap metalflake steering wheels and plastic chrome door locks.
[ QUOTE ] Cal Custom was the el cheapo way to dress up your ride back in the early 70's. Replaced now by companies like Mooneyes, Grant steering wheels and whoever makes all that cheap crome shit you find at autozone and pep boys. Back then if it was cheap chrome or polished aluminum it was probably made by Cal Custom. Everything from Chrome coil covers to surfer barefoot pedals, cheap metalflake steering wheels and plastic chrome door locks. [/ QUOTE ] All the stuff we like today! Seriously, that stuff is all over the bay. I'm still astounded at the prices the better metalflake steering sheels are going for.
[ QUOTE ] Try this guy, he's remaking Cal Custom SBC valve covers http://www.vintagespeed.com/ [/ QUOTE ] Here's what it looks like. pigpen
Yea, and I bought a brand new Metalflake wheel in 1971 for my camaro for 19.95. But then you could get brand new in the box Holley 650 double pumpers on sale for 25 bucks. The Surfer pedals had bendable metal tabs you bent around your origional pedals. Big right foor for the gas, smaller left foot for the brake pedal and the baby foot for the dimmer switch. And don't forget the plastic chrome doorlocks so the midnight auto guys couldn't use a coathanger to pop the locks and get to your 29.95 Kracko 8-track...
The company was "California Custom Accessories". 1807 West 65th St. Los Angeles, Ca. Back in the fifties and 60's they made some good stuff including the open wheel spiders, beauty rings, cast aluminum valve covers, etc. When the company changed to "Cal Custom" (and so did the logo.), is when all the add on crap was available. Even the quality of the aluminum castings changed, and the chrome went to shit. I believe it was being imported in the '70s. from overseas. ---------------------------------------------------------
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Try this guy, he's remaking Cal Custom SBC valve covers http://www.vintagespeed.com/ [/ QUOTE ] Here's what it looks like. pigpen [/ QUOTE ] Actually those are not Cal Custom. These are Cal Custom. (Logo cast inside) C.C.s have six fins and all six fins run uninterupted from end to end. I believe the repro ones are actually early Moons that have seven fins where the outer fins stop and start at the hold down bolts. These are an original set and they don't have any identifying markings inside so it would be easy to misidentify. Here are a set of the later generation Cal Customs
[ QUOTE ] Willowbilly, Are you thinking of Cal Tool? They are still in business I believe. Different companies. [/ QUOTE ] Probably, I get confused quite easily since my prescroption to the 500mg. Thorazine ran out.
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