TheSamba.com :: View topic - Here's 1 that's been hiding for 35 yrs in an airplane hanger

Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:09 am

As you can see by the big smile on Sofi's face, I was about to shell out $1,600 for this sparkly green one covered in dust. Seems the old timer who owned the airplane hanger moved away and paid the ground rent and never touched any of the gems he bought as a young man. He came back to collect on his idea of a retiement fund.

Anyway it's a 1964, stock engine. Hadn't run in over 30 years. Clogged fuel line, on we go.

But it has never seen much sunshine, so it's really in good shape.

Anyway, is it identifyable?

I know I like to see your's

So here is Sofi's and mine.

Lots of fun

Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:27 am

Cool find, congrats. :D Like the color too.

Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:50 am

Nice find...looks like a Safari Trail that has had the rear fenders trimmed a little bit, they are usually very square at the outer edges.

Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:52 am

What an awesome catch! That's the proverbial gem hiding in the ol' barn! Make sure you keep us posted as you clean it up and get it rolling again.

Mon Apr 24, 2006 5:50 am

coooool!!!

Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:18 am

Those kind of finds are the best! I had similar luck about 20 years ago. I used to tease a little Japanese colleague I worked with about his big ol' Buick. I had never seen the car, but he used to tell me about it. A couple years later he asks if I'm interested in buying it. "Come see, come see. You buy!" I didn't really feel like driving over to Garden Grove, but I figured what the heck.
When I get to his house, there in the driveway is the Buick alright: A '65 Skylark Gran Sport! I took it for a spin around the block and when that 401 kicked in, that was all it took. The real clincher? He only wanted $100 for the car. SOLD! I still have it and have since added a '65 Sportwagon to go with it.

What part of California are you in?

Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:07 pm

There wouldn't be an old Aerocoupe sitting in that same hanger at a bargin price too? Nice score!

Mon Apr 24, 2006 11:48 pm

Thanks for your help. Yep it's a Safari Trail with trimmed rear fenders. I check and it showed the trim and sanding, and we are in San Diego.

The story of the Old timer with the hanger was a dream for me, and a nightmare for others. I was one of the first to see see the treasure, and I was only interested in the dune buggy. He has many valuable antique cars and aircraft in 3 hangers.

Anyway, a relative of mine wanted to buy a second aircraft hanger, and he had been at this airport for decades, and knew the old timer owned a hanger, and that he was not using it. So he tracked him down thru airport administration; and it turned out the old timer owned 3 hangers. When the old guy was contacted, it sparked his interest in selling the loot. My relative had no idea he had all these items and hangers, but he did promptly buy a single hanger; and I just happened to hear this evolving story. So I headed right over to see, as my relative had been loaned keys to all hangers for potential showing purposes; and that's when I took the dusty picture of the buggy. The old timer had no love for the buggy, and I gave him the price he asked, when I retured with Sofi to pick up the buggy. He did love the other toys, and those that followed found increasing difficulty in negotiation, and the last I heard, he still had most of the items, re-locked up in the remaining two hangers.

As I said, Sofi loves the buggy, and we go to Pete's Camp in San Felipe Mexico on warm, early spring, weekends (250 miles from san Diego on the sea of Cortez). Sofi is anxious to get the buggy runnin. San Felipe likely has more old dune buggies per capita than anywhere in the world. Anyway, the pic below was taken last month at Pete's camp, with Sofi, the trusty coach and bike.... but no buggy yet.

Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:03 am

Congrats on being able to step thru the space-time continuum and retrieve the buggy before the whole thing collapsed again. It looks like a ton of fun!

Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:52 am

That's a hell of a find for sure - a freakin' time capsule even.

Green was the color of the first 'glass buggy I ever saw, way back when.....brings back a lot of memories. You'll have a lot of fun with it.

Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:08 am

i have the same buggy.. mine was originbally orange metal flake..
the guy i bought it from repainted it burgandy. yuck...

it's being painted lime green flake in a couple weeks.

Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:22 am

I dont post much, but "dang" great find. Id love to stumble onto a buggy like that. I thought finding buggys in hangars or barns were myths!!

Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:27 am

Here's a couple more pics of the experience. Wish I had taken more.

Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:42 am

I'm not a dune buggy person but that is one great find. Congratulations!

Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:04 pm

Great find!!! have fun with your new toy!!!

Fri May 12, 2006 12:18 am

oddly enough, mine came with wheel adaptors (wide 5 to chevy 5), and in the ads, i've seen them with chevy bolt patterns as well...

were the wheel adaptors were part of the kits?

ps, if you'd ever like to sell those wheels, please let me know!!!

Sun May 14, 2006 10:52 pm

yes, no, maybe?

Mon May 15, 2006 2:54 pm

I'll post pics of the chevy adaptors soon

We have gone to Ford adaptors, as we scored some real nice used True Blue, Old School, Centerlines, 5 bolt ford, 15x3.5 front, 15 x 7 rear

As for the old rims, they still have the tires and we are still using them as a buggy stand. But not for long

Mon May 15, 2006 3:14 pm

awesome.. well, if you decide you want to sell them, let me know!!

Mon May 15, 2006 4:02 pm

here's some pics of the centerlines.

Sweet deal, Sofi sniped them up on EBAY after looking at them locally, so no shipping; and were are gonna keep the front tires, as they are in great shape, and are 25" tall, all for $255.

And ya know, those bead locks in the rear are mandatory for the monster power of the 40 horse. Might just jump out of these wheels.

We did have to get the ford wheel adaptors for $50, and another $50 for the custom centerline lug nuts and 2 missing small hub caps; and then there are the new rear tires. Since it's a dune buggy, and we are in the southwest with lots of desert sand; we are going with the off road look. So we are likely going with 30" Yokohama Geolanders pictured below.