TheSamba.com :: View topic - Not really a barn find but close...SCCA Rally veteran in NH

Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:49 pm

Not really a barn find but a next to a barn find?

:)

I know some here remember the early days of RAMVA (rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled) newsgroup, back in the early days of the internet. I was a member there along with people like John C of AirCooled.NET, Scott H, John Henry, SpeedyJim, etc. I joined up when I first wanted to find a project VW after many years away from the hobby. I posted something along the lines of 'looking for project VW to work on with son' and got an interesting reply. A man a few towns away from me had a 73 Super that used to be a rally car and wanted it out of his yard. We communicated back and forth a few times and I made the trip to see it. The car didn't belong to him, he used to be a crew member on the team and was storing it in his yard for the owner who had retired to NJ and now he was looking to get it out of his yard. Sitting under a tree was this orange and black Super with OLD OLD OLD SCCA and Uniroyal logos on it (and this strange crazed duck sticker too). Closer inspection showed this wasn't just an any old VW but was actually a competition car. It had rally gauges, full cage, competition seats and harness, etc. The man, Bill, and his wife Stef were wonderful and I really enjoyed talking to them. They told me some history about this car, how it was campaigned in the early 70s in the USA and worldwide in professional rally racing with a crew and driver of VW and Porsche staff and was even photographed and discussed in an article in Popular Mechanics. Since they didn't actually own the car, they couldn't sell it to me directly but they thought the owner would do so inexpensively so they put me in touch with him. He was a wonderful character and spent several hours on the phone with me detailing the history plus the cache of parts he had stored. He wanted it to all go as a package for about $2500, more than I had or was willing to spend at the time so I had to pass on the deal. IIRC, the cache of parts included 8 complete sets of rims/tires of many configurations, several engines, transaxles, front beams (disk), body parts, etc. I do remember him saying it was a storage container full. I THINK he said something about disks for the rear as well but I really can't remember now. I documented the whole experience on RAMVA in a thread called 'One Special Super.' I really fell for that car and thought about it often over the past 11 years, wondered if any of the members of RAMVA that I tried to put in touch with the owner ever got it.

Yesterday I'm on Freecycle looking to get rid of some stuff when I come across a post for free firewood with an email address that looked familiar. I took a chance and shot an email to them asking if they were possibly the same people from 11 years ago, and if they were, whatever happened to the car. Well, if you couldn't guess by this point, they are the same people. The car is still there. The owner passed about 6 months ago and just this past weekend they were talking to his widow and she just wanted them to get rid of it.

I'm picking it up in the next week. Free. I told my wife and she was like 'Oh. Great. <sigh> Ok.' My neighbors are going to HATE me. Oh well. Just thought I'd share this with everyone, especially the members that remember the thread.

So, I got to go up and see it tonight. Spent some time talking to Bill and Stef, got a little more info on the car. Not a complete history because so much time had passed and Bill was the navigator, Al the owner (since passed) wrenched on the car more...but had a great talk with them anyway. Bill told a few stories about running in the Alcan with this car and a rally in South Africa. The car was photographed for an article on the Alcan in Road & Track, I believe some time in 1992. If anyone has a copy they could scan for me, I'd be very grateful! Bill hoped I wouldn't be disappointed because the stock engine isn't in the car, it is still down in NJ with the rest of the parts, or that car would take some work to return to stock:). He seemed pleased I didn't want to return it to stock and instead wanted to restore it to its competition days. The motor in the car current was 'really warmed over' but the details not known. I guess I'll find out when I get it home and dive into it! Bill did mention the brakes were upgraded, I looked and could see disks on the front with Porsche on the calipers. Under the hood (getting crumbly along the bottom edge, after releasing the rubber clamps, is a custom strut bar and connections for the calibrated odometer. The car has a nice heavy front skid plate and mounts for a tow bar plus hard points for driving lights. Inside are two old-school (but pretty nice) racing buckets, several custom gauges (couldn't see what they were in the fading light, roll cage,no back seat, racing harnesses, and surprisingly solid floors. Other parts of the body, not so pretty, the running boards are shot, the rockers look soft, the fenders need love, etc, but overall, for a car that has sat outside under spruce trees for over 10 years, not that bad of shape. Bill and both think because the tires are not flat due to having racing tubes in them, the car didn't come into as close ground contact as most cars that would have sat like this, helping keep some of the rust at bay. I hope to bring it home in the next few weeks.

The offer for the parts in NJ appears to be valid. I hope to get more information next week. Also, the owner's widow has a 912 Porsche of unknown year but in very good shape that is taking up a bay in her garage. I will be working with Bill and Stef to help her find a new home for the car. If anyone might be interested, let me know and I'll do what I can to find out more information on it.

Pulling up the drive:

I really need to find out the deal with the duck decal!

Uniroyal.

Tires still have air!

Umm, I think these flares are not going to work any more...

Kinda dark, sorry

Looking back

Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:03 pm

that's just badass man...what a great save.

i don't know anything about that car, but i know someone who might.

william rutan still holds a record or two i think, for the mt washington hill climbs, not to mention his brother charlie. william is 84 now i think and still races his porsche powered vw up that hill, though i think he prefers his scirocco these days.

i don't have phone numbers to him direct as it's been years since i lived up that way. but if you look for him in essex ct. you'll stand a fair chance of finding him to see if he knows anything about that car. you might find his son bill by accident, but he'll point you in the right direction.

good luck and congrats again on a great find...

Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:19 pm

WOW, that's cool. Know anything about the drivetrain?

Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:34 pm

To quote the country group "Confederate Railroad"

"She aint no prom date,thats a cocktail waitress with a Dolly Parton wig"

if it looks like a duck,quacks like a duck,and has a fucking duck decal,then it must be a duck......

Bet those fuses on the door will still light,just gotta dry them out...

Better yet,pour some water on your reel,your spooling out line so fast you'll burn a bearing for sure...must be a whopper...

Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:58 pm

your topic says "NH" but you mention NJ quite a bit. if its in new hampshire where abouts?

Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:11 pm

Cool deal!

Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:32 pm

Freak182:

what a wonderful story !

I hope you get to find out about this car and close its circle !

Enjoy it !!

Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:59 am

Yeah, and whatever you do, don't paint it, or remove any deals.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:32 am

wow, great story. I can't wait to get home and check the pics out!

Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:45 am

Nice!

what were the chances of it coming back around.... great story!

http://www.1302super.com/page12.html

13th pic down shows an orange rallye car behind the #1 car... could it be??? from Lydden Hill, UK, rally-cross race in 1974.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:47 am

NCdad wrote: Nice!

what were the chances of it coming back around.... great story!

http://www.1302super.com/page12.html

13th pic down shows an orange rallye car behind the #1 car... could it be??? from Lydden Hill, UK, rally-cross race in 1974.

thats not it... IMO if you look really close you can assume the car in the picture has a mono-wiper, the one this guy has found indeed has two

Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:53 am

Oh well, thought I would mention it as I was reading on that site this morning and then this thread came up...

hope you find the article in the Road & Track.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:06 am

a.graham52 wrote: NCdad wrote: Nice!

what were the chances of it coming back around.... great story!

http://www.1302super.com/page12.html

13th pic down shows an orange rallye car behind the #1 car... could it be??? from Lydden Hill, UK, rally-cross race in 1974.

thats not it... IMO if you look really close you can assume the car in the picture has a mono-wiper, the one this guy has found indeed has two

Maybe it was changed back at some point?

Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:18 am

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I would of never of recognized the email adress.

To fall in love with a car and have to pass up a killer score. Then sit on that for 11 years next thing you know you score it for free. Amazing story. Its like winning the lottery.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:36 am

What a wonderful story...a little too wonderful IMO....I bet he would sell that car for the right price...a whole lot more than the piece of shit is worth because of the "SCCA heritage"he's just fishing for the right guy who would die to have an old racer....I might be wrong,Hell I hope I am,but this one has a funny smell...

Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:41 am

First, to those who gave me such nice comments, 'thanks!!' I won't know the details about the motor until I actually get it home and start taking it apart. The only person who knew of the details has passed away. I do know that the stock engine plus 2 spares are in NJ (which is where the owner was from), the car currently is in NH and soon will be at my house in southern NH. I have made a deal for the cache of parts, 10x24 garage of them, full? I don't know. I do know there are at least 3 motors, 3 trans and 3 beams plus 8 complete sets of mounted tires and rims (obviously tires will be junk after all this time) and 'a bunch of fenders and stuff.' In return for the parts, I am acting as the broker to sell the 912 that is in the other bay (I don't want it and couldn't afford it if I did).

Once I get it home I can start to plan out what it needs and how to restore it. I hope to keep it as original as possible but honestly, I don't know how much of that can happen until I get it home and cleaned up.

johnnypan wrote: What a wonderful story...a little too wonderful IMO....I bet he would sell that car for the right price...a whole lot more than the piece of shit is worth because of the "SCCA heritage"he's just fishing for the right guy who would die to have an old racer....I might be wrong,Hell I hope I am,but this one has a funny smell...

I don't blame you for the skepticism, it is a pretty 'feel good' story. I can tell you right now, this car is not for sale and I have no plans on selling it. Period. I've wanted this car for 11+ years. I grew up on stories and articles of the POR and Alcan, names like Buffum and Scott Harvey and Randy Graves. 11 years ago when I found out about this car, I tried every way I could to get it but couldn't. I did try to find a good home for it then but no one did. Finding out last night, the late owner didn't want to sell it, he wanted to eventually do something with it himself but never got around to it. If you get the chance, go to Google groups and search under rec.autos.maker.vw.aircooled for this string 'One Special Super'. You will find a lot of the original discussion about this car and me trying to find a good home for it. My screenname on RAMVA was Sneaks and the postings are under D M Swenson. This is kind of like getting to date the girl you pined away for in high school 11 years later. She's becoming a part of the family.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:08 pm

Stand up story...so many scammers out there its refreshing to hear the real deal...Good luck on your restoration keep us posted...kinda wonder whats stored in jersey...always a rush opening boxes of parts...

Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:36 pm

Well good news for you, is that even if the fenders and stuff are shot on the car (look kinda rough) chances are there is at least a few usable ones in the parts stash :wink: Can't wait to see more pics of the car once you get it home and cleaned up!

Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:46 pm

73 Sports Bug steering wheel and seats.

Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:14 pm

GatorJZ wrote: 73 Sports Bug steering wheel and seats. Thanks for checking out my thread and the input...

..but nope:

73 Sport Bug Steering wheel-

The one in this car is by Formuling, recognizable by the 9 bolts holding it to the adapter collar (I have a similar one in my Emory-tribute baja)

and nope, though the pics are pretty dark so you couldn't tell that the seats are Scheel-Manns like used in the 914-6GT and 911. I lightened the pic so you can see them better.