The Official Shalako/ Shala Thread

[tcs1988]

Wicked opportunity!

Best of luck, that will make one SWEEEEET ride.

How you gonna get it down

[Letterman7]

Those things seem to be everywhere. There's one in the classifieds still, and occasionally pop up on CL:
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/2023302636.html

[Yessong]

Hey Rick - that posting was of the Camaro replica Buggy - not the Shala-Vette

[Letterman7]

Yep, you're right Steve... didn't catch that!

[Gmiee5]

[quote="Gmiee5"]I came across this a while back is this a Shala-vet from Dick Dean

It sure looks like it

So what would be a good price to offer for this vette?

He is telling me that all of the parts are there including the window frame

but the hood is cracked and will need a lot of work

Oh and he has a fork lift to get it down.
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[Yessong]

I really think..before you make an offer you need to either get up there for a better look or have it taken down to get a better look...maybe snap some shots to post for the "Peanut Gallery" here...for comment

[BL3Manx]

Whoever mentions a figure first loses. Whatever figure you open with, the final price will never be lower. Get the seller to say what he wants, then you try to get it down. That is unless you just want to lowball him.

[Gmiee5]

I have no point of reference for price 500-2000 and I have no desire to screw this guy.
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[Thanatos]

At least you'll be saving it from being destroyed by the weather if you buy it, Gmiee.

If you buy it and you get all the parts catalogued with some good photos taken, I suggest the Samba Classifieds rather than Craigslist or eBay so that it goes to a good home. Normally I'd be interested in rare kit car projects like this, but I don't like Shalavettes. If this was a Shalako, I'd go up to Portland, try to find this and buy it off the owner.

[Gmiee5]

WOW that Vette needs a lot of love. more that I am willing to give.

I was talking to a guy when I was there he was telling me that since I was passing on the car he maybe fixing the fiberglass for the owner. only time or a good storm will tell

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[Q-Dog]

I don't care for the car, but I would love to have the wheels.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Letterman7]

Ouch. Overall the fiberglass isn't that bad except for the hood. And a good glass guy could probably salvage that... but it would take a lot of work!

[Yessong]

EEEK!...perfect view for Halloween -

[Gmiee5]

1969 VOLKSWAGEN SHALAKO for only 45,000

http://www.dezercollection.com/1969-volkswagen--shalako,-famous-dick-dean-dune-buggy-c-503.htm

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/volkswagen/unspecified/1097899.html
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[Letterman7]

That's the appraised value - note they don't mention a sale price. On the plus side, it does look to be an early version - no louvers on the rear deck and a supposed restoration by Dean's son. That would be easy to verify with a phone call. Interior looks rough, though... rust under the pedals, worn upholstery (some restoration ) and a roll bar dead center of the cockpit.

[Yessong]

The roll bar in the center is one of the signature elements of a Dean-Built Shalako.

Take a look at the doors - they are very shallow into the roof - also a hint that this was not one of the kits that the rest of us bought, as the standard kit had doors that almost met in the center of the roof with maybe a 2-inch wide bar between them runing from the windshield back to the rear hatch.

The doors, themselves, come down to the belt-line - unlike the basic Shala kits - lastly the dash board set-up is unlike the kits I have seen - so this may, very-well, be one of the original Shalako cars as built by Dick, himself, it certainly has the cues...minus the aluminum frame as this is, most definately, and beetle-based frame.

$45,000 - could be worth it but probably not...it certainly should fetch far more than any Shala kit, like mine.

[Yessong]

...and another one comes up....and it's the newly discovered long-body...

http://catskills.craigslist.org/cto/2060345813.html

[Dave the Pole-sitter]

Wrote Dean in early 70's.

at: ............ "House of Glass"
in: ............ La Habra, California

Used to have street info too...


Here's my story:

Wrote to him regarding...

The ... Shalako: Shala Sport GT *

The differences...between the Sport* and the GT*


The ... Shala "Sport"

~ had the snub nose, dune buggy style, front end.


The ... Shala Sport "GT"

~ had a longer nose, vettish looking KINDA, not a shala-vet
'headlights in the same place', however, at front of Vette styling
the nose wrapped around and under like a GT ?MaClarin?. had blinker/markers in curve.


Saw one picture in this site of it. Looks like a 70's picture.

The COST for the "full" GT kit was $1,600. (came with all windows)
The Shala Sport was around $1,200.

I saved...and saved...and saved....
When I finally came up with $900 and was starting to think I might be
finally getting to a point where I might seriously be able to afford it....

I wrote again to Dean at House of Glass in La Habra ... and alas NO
mail was being received there and no forwarding address either.

I wrote to the La Habra, California ... "Chamber of Commerce"
Hoping they would be able to help me possibly track down a new address
for the man or the company or to who might have gotten the molds that were being used.

Never got a reply... the must have thought I was nuts???trying to find molds for a car...

When I first got the folder from Dean, in the early 70's,
the folder that sold me on the GT car...
It also had in it:

The following SHALAKO'S:

Shala Sport,
Shala Sport GT,
SR2,
& the Shala-Vet


The SR2 was a little more pricey...and am not sure if
it was called the Meyers SR2 as I know it today.

When Meyers SR2's started showing up a few years ago...
I couldn't help but think that maybe they had gotten
the "GT" molds too.

As I stated earlier... It was the GT that got my attention !!!

?Does anyone think or know if any of these longer, front nosed,
GT's are out there or even exist anymore?

This car is still the dream of my life.
THAT car is still the one I love!

[Yessong]

Yeah - the photo from the 1970's shown on the Samba has, in the past, been referred to as the "Hungry Dog" Shalako...good to have this new info. As of yet - no one has surfaced with one of these versions though they definately are a cool look for a storied car

[richdean2]

Hey everyone, I just found this site. I am Dick Deans 3rd son, Richard. I see that my older brother, Keith, posted a reply here a while back.

As I'm sure most of you know, Dick passed about 2 years ago now. In sort of a combination of always being fascinated by my fathers work (though I didn't follow in his footsteps like Keith did), wanting to hold on to memories of my Dad, and generally being in a position in my own life now where I can have a toy/project, I am actively seeking a Shalako to call my own.

A quick Google search brought me to this site. There are some really great posts in this thread and I'm really honored to read the impressions that my Dad had on so many people. He was a great father to all of us and I really miss him. But his memory is still alive with so many people and that's wonderful to see. Thank you all. Will-g, if there's any way you can get me a copy of that picture you posted, that'd be great!

Searching Craigslist is no easy task, as you can only search one city at a time. So, I'm asking for help from the other users of this site. If anyone knows of or sees any ads for Shalako's for sale, please let me know! (Unless of course, you want to keep it for yourself. That I can understand!)

I hope I'm not letting any cats out of bags, but Keith is currently working on a slightly updated (i.e. "modernized") version of the Shala. It's going to be sweet! I hope he gets some magazine coverage with it.

Anyway, thanks again and I'll check back often!

Rich