In Episode 83 of DubLife Diaries, we sit down with Robert "VW Kidd" Velis for a deep dive into the history, people, and culture behind the LA Cal Style Volkswagen scene.

Growing up in East Los Angeles in the 1970s, Robert was surrounded by some of the most influential lowrider clubs and custom car builders in Southern California. From the Dukes and Brown Breed to the Majestics and Imperials, car culture was part of everyday life. Those early influences would eventually collide with his love of Volkswagen and help shape a style that would spread far beyond Los Angeles.

Robert takes us back to the early days of the Bugs Buddies and the Volkswagen builds that helped establish what would eventually become known as Cal Style. We talk about slammed Beetles and Karmann Ghias, polished alloy wheels, European-spec parts, extreme stances, performance engines, and the influence that traditional lowrider culture had on these early Volkswagen builds.

But this episode goes much deeper than the cars.

Robert shares stories about visiting Vintage Volkswagen Parts Inc., learning from people like Rene Redlos of the Dukes, discovering the Volkswagen scene as a teenager, and watching the culture evolve from something happening in neighborhoods around LA into a worldwide movement.

We also get into the history behind the name "Cal Style," how the term became widely used around 1985, the later "Resto Cal" label, and why Robert believes much of the original history and the people behind it have been misunderstood or forgotten.

Robert's story also takes us through his decades in the automotive industry, his career with Mercedes-Benz, his involvement with the Vintage Volkswagen Club of America, his work preserving Volkswagen history, and his commitment to giving back to the car community.

This conversation was so packed with history that we actually had to hit pause when technical issues cut our recording short. Then 2 weeks later we picked back up and continued the conversation.

Every VW has a story. These are the people behind them.

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