The Official Shalako/ Shala Thread

[xjmaxim]

Other than the back window frame from a corvette the rest of the fiberglass body is original to the Shala vette. (the headlights have also been modified) I was told mine is the tenth one discovered from the original twelve that were built.
I got a copy of December 1970 Rod and Custom magazine just to read the artical on Shala vettes (they say Shala Vet)and it shows a photo of one there calling a "prototype" it shows a hood scoop like mine and says during this stage design changes were made to the hood, side vents and fenders. So I am happy I got this article because of all the pics I could find (there isnt many) of Shala vettes I dont remember seeing one with scoops like mine, and it gives me some good referance points for paint ect.
The pic I found of one I am told is in a museum in California has the same windshield post as mine, but after 40 years I am sure a lot of things have been changed but its going to be fun fixing it up.

[Mike_CNYBuggy]

Why was my post deleted?

There are supposedly 12 of these cars ever made and I see one on Craigslist and post it in an a related thread to let those interested in the car know there is one out there for sale?

I don't get it. and if you're going to delete it, at least PM or email me and let me know why.

wtf,
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http://CNYBuggy.org - Central New York Dune Buggy Club

Kristen's Buggy (UltaViolet) Build Thread

VW Club of Central New York

[Letterman7]

Probably because it was a link to a sales ad, which isn't allowed in the forums. If you had pulled the photos from that ad, it would have been a different story. But I'm not the moderator...

[Mike_CNYBuggy]

Oh, I didn't know. Well hopefully one of the Shala guys saw it before it got deleted.
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http://CNYBuggy.org - Central New York Dune Buggy Club

Kristen's Buggy (UltaViolet) Build Thread

VW Club of Central New York

[richdean2]

[xjmaxim]

Hi Rich,
Here are the pics from the article about Shala Vettes (vet) I pulled my ebay listing because I decided to keep the car.
It did however stir up alot of interest and a whole lot of opinions as to if it is an actual Shala Vette. You can see by the pics from the article that there was a Shala Vette made with a hood very simillar to mine. Most people say mine has a corvette rear end grafted onto something else and I guess they think that because of the rear window frame is from a corvette. I know its not a corvette rear end because I am a retired repair shop owner/mechanic and I have built severial VW's and Dune Buggies and I have crawled all over the car the last couple days to see if I can find any other markings and the rear clip has not been patched or modified except where the top install is taking place and GM never did make a corvette rear clip to fit a VW pan....lol
I also found most of the California vehicle id plate rivited on the VW pan next to the VW serial number. Most of the plate is missing but I am finding little pieces of it laying in the pan so I hope to piece it together to learn more.
My neighbor says his uncle owned this car and he rode in it when his uncle brought it up from California and I thought he said his uncle was the one who started installing the corvette top. I plan on getting more information from him if he has it.
So I guess right now its a matter of opinion on what this is....lol I bought this without even considering that your dad may have had a hand in its concept because I thought it was a really cool buggy. If it turns out your dad had a hand in its design thats all the better..because he really did design some really cool stuff. If not thats fine too because its still really cool.
I have a really unique and rare dune cycle and when I asked questions about it on a forum simillar to this most people said my cycle was never made. Even the former owner of the company said it was never made but after a little research I discovered it was only made for a couple years after the former owner had sold the company so he had no idea it even exisisted. Now most people realize what it is and where it came from and there has been severial more that have popped up on the internet.
I seem to find all sorts of unique stuff...lol which is good because you always have something special but kinda sucks when it comes to finding parts. The good thing is That I am not planning on restoring this to just look at it, I am going fix it up, install a winch and roll bar and take this to the property I just bought in southern Utah and use it as an off road machine like dune buggies were originally designed.
Keep in touch.

[xjmaxim]

Rich
I forgot to ask but I found this in an old dune buggy buyers guide and it mentions two different wheel bases, Do you have any info about that? Did they make two versions?
Thanks, any info or pics you have would be greatly appreciated

[richdean2]

Wow, okay - some really interesting stuff!

First, your car. There are certainly similarities between the magazine car and yours. I do now recall the hood scoop version with the side vents. However, the way the fenders flare outwards on your car seems much "wider" (??) and the look of the center or "door" section seems much lower on your car. Also, you'll notice that the rear deck lid in the magazine pictures goes all the way to the back of the car, where it stops short on yours. Also, the headlight area is obviously different.

Was that a "proto-type" that my Dad built? Maybe.....I don't see any evidence that my Dad ever fashioned the headlight area like your car. Not saying it's not possible, I just can't find anything like that. Keith would know for sure, but I haven't been able to get in touch with him.

It's also possible someone modified/copied the molds and tried to make their own version of the car.

Very interesting, in any event.

One thing I noticed is that the center console of the Vette shown in the magazine is the same that my brother made for my Shala. I honestly just realized that - all this time I thought he just free-styled it! It's cool to know that another detail from my Dad's work is now in my car - thanks to my brother, of course. Keith never mentioned it when he built it. I think sometimes he forgets how young I was back then and that I don't recall all the history the way he does.

Anyway, the ad that you posted is also really cool. I don't know that a "long wheel base" Vette was ever built. Again, there were only 12 total ever made. It may have been in the plan, but.....

I like how the ad says basically, that the short-wheel base car is not intended for highway use! My Shala is kind of the same way - she gets a little squirrelly at about 50! Feels like I need to add weight to the front to get the wheels to grip.

Cool stuff - thanks!

[xjmaxim]

Thats my favorite part too ...lol
Who knows what has happend to this over the past 40+ years. I checked it out again and I did find some patch work where it could have been grafted together, its hard to tell because its been wrecked and half a$$ repaired. But looking between the body and the side panel threw the fender well, it looks like its all factory. The rear deck has beeen altered to fit the corvette top because they wanted the vents next to the back window.
I would not be a bit surprized if somebody reverse molded it, I would not be surprized if somebody grafted the rear end from a wrecked original.
Your guess is as good as mine as to exactally what the origins are.
The top is from a 1968-69 corvette and who ever started to do the install butchered the top of the fiberglass body. I dont know why someone would cut up a corvette in the first place then half a$$ install it. Since its there I plan on keeping it and using it to hide a roll bar. I have a set of retractable headlights I plan on installing to get rid of those ugly ones that are there and I am planning on building a set of nerf bars to look like side pipes to protect the body from rough terrain.
This should be a fun little project, I regret selling my last buggy and I am glad I changed my mind on selling this one.
Keep in touch

[Letterman7]

Just up on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1969-Shala-Vette-Ve...232f682cf4

[don't_bug_me]

First forum I've ever been on that someone had the same first-last name
Richard Dean

saw this, an old ad for a MPC model

these cars remind me of the Buick opel

[Manxdude]

First forum I've ever been on that someone had the same first-last name
Richard Dean Cool

What?? I don't get it

[don't_bug_me]

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70 Street Baja http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=566113

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

[Blackbeard505]

Hello everyone,

I purchased a Shalako a couple of years ago and will be restoring
her in the near future. She is complete and seems to have some
very rare items from what I see here. I will post some pictures as soon
as I get her out of the garage.

Anyone here know where there might be some form of
identification tag, VIN code, etc?

[HALS]

[Yessong]

There is no ID tag on mine either. As far as I know...no one ever splashed a body to make a mold/copy so if you have one....you have one

[SuicdRn]

[SuicdRn]

[jeffh355]

Came across this picture of me and the second car I ever owned when I was 16. Taken in 1976 in front of our house in West Covina, CA. I drove this as my daily driver back then for over a year.

[HALS]