Jan/Feb '56 Oval Restoration.

[allsidius]

[0nebadbug]

Congrats on the score... and I'm not trying to bash your score at all... but... I'm hoping you have mountains of patience that coincide with copious knowledge of metal self-fabrication skills & the fiscal means to hold its hand all the while waiting for a life back on the road...

[Major Woody]

I made most of those repairs on my 56 which is still sitting as a shell in the garage waiting its turn in the queue. I'm in Portland. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like me to look at it, though it seems you've got a realistic idea of what it will take to get that turd back on the road again.
First stop is the media blaster, and you'll want to borrow a rotisserie or do it backwoods style and simply roll it over onto a pile of old tires.
Basket cases can be expensive to restore, but if you want a really nice car, a lot of the parts you'd have on a complete car would need replacement anyway.

Way to save one!

[Bob Loblaw]

[aaronr25]

Great score !

I would have bought that car is a second. Most of the car looks solid and the rest can be cut out and replaced.

Keep us posted with your progress.
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65 Bug
66 Landcruiser FJ40

Life's too short to drive a stock VW

[Nirvana09]

Thanks Arron! Around here it's hard to find solid late models and supers. To find a '56 this solid was a no brainer. I bought it for $300, and I still have boxes of parts I'm promised and will be going to pick up here shortly. I thought it was a good deal. Certainly a good deal for a '56 in 2011.
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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[igtoth]

Lucky guy..

Why I this aint happen w/ me?!?!?!?!

[Schwing]

Congrats! Looking forward to the build.
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Shadetree Westy
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657279&highlight=

Single Cab - BBXXVII Long Distance Winner
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[Nirvana09]

Hello! I'd like to stop by for a quick update! No pictures this time around, unfortunately, but I thought it would be a good idea to let everybody know what the game plan is.

So right not much has changed from the pictures. It's a late Jan/early feb Polar silver oval. Interior looks to have been the dark green leatherette. I like the combo but cant find hardly anything with a similar set up. Red or beige seem to be the most popular. Heater channels are pretty solid, I'll just be replacing the bottoms and a little of the rear where it meets the body.

It looks to have been hit in the front which probably knocked it off the road many years ago. It has bent the beam but I have a replacement ready to go for it. I plan to straighten the front as best as I can, I'm trying for no metal replacement besides the front apron. I have a four tab hood for a 58-59 Beetle, but think I have a source for a correct pressing '56 hood. Fenders are a pain in the ass to find and I think I'll throw those on the backburner for now.

So for now... What is the best way to separate this body from the chassis while keeping the bolts from breaking? I've been soaking them in PB for weeks now with little success. How much heat can be applied before I have an opportunity to harm the surrounding metal?
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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[Nirvana09]

Another update.

While of the large expensive things are being waited on, I've been assembling and painting a lot of the small bits and pieces and getting the engine together. I have most of the little things getting ready for paint while I get the last few things. The last things I need to find are a four tab hood that's correct, both front fenders, and one rear. Bumpers too. I have engine case that is a 137****, which is around 3000 numbers off what it would have had. I also acquired a complete July Beetle engine which is sacrificing all of the correct engine pieces (Tin, carb, generator ect) for the March stamped case I have. I have some of the interior together as well, but need one seat and the rear seat as well.

I'm still collecting pieces to complete it, but have a lot of the hard stuff out of the way. Everything I've gotten for it is near correct for it down to the month. I'm hoping to have the rest of the metal I need in the coming months and metal work to be done before the year is over.

One fun thing I've recently done is found a box of old Time magazines from the late 50's and early 60's. They're the large 11x14 magazines so I carefully removed the old Vw ads and am trying to get them all framed and protected.

Better pictures of the oval will be updated soon I'm sure.
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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[DadsOld74]

I remember collecting ads like that wherever I could find them when I was in High School. I raided everybody's old magazines looking for them.

It looks like your pictures from 2011 don't show up anymore - except for the very first ones.

I'd love to see how your oval is coming together!

Thanks for bringing it back to life. It's a noble cause!
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--Brian ('74 standard bug)

"If one does not fail at times, then one has not challenged himself." - Ferdinand Porsche

[henry roberts]

awesome to see an update on this one. glad to hear things are coming on well.

but, we need pics!

[Nirvana09]

I'll be getting pictures soon, but the car is north of me at my garage, I have the parts with me getting prepped.


Two quick questions:


Does anybody have the Steel Grey paint code that would have been the outer color of the rim color? I did a quick search and nothing immediately came up.

Does anybody have a good method of getting the green plastic sun visors apart? The metal post on both has had the chrome flaking off and the visors themselves will not move. I would like to remove them to fix the post, but would also like to replicate the look of the method they used to attach them. It looks like a rivet of some sort but both sides are rounded. Does anybody know a good way to replicate that look?

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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[henry roberts]

someone who works on aircraft sheetmetal should be able to sort you out.

you can get rivets here:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/solidalumrivets2.php

but a pound of rivets might be a bit excessive.

[Nirvana09]

Both sides of the visor have identical looking ends. They both have rounded heads to them. I'm only familial with run-of-the-mill rivets and handheld rivet punchers, is there a more sophisticated tool to give both sides that rounded look?

I guess I'll talk to some aircraft buddies I have to see if they can point me in the right direction.

Any word on the Steel Grey code?
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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[Bruce Berman]

[Nirvana09]

L328, Perfect! After a bit of searching I found an article that says this is the same L328 that was used on standards in the 60's, I'd say it looks very similar to the color that is seen on your rims. I never saw the code on Wolfsburg because my car is from Jan/Feb and like a dummy never thought to check the code on the post-april Polar Silver.

I'd say close, no?

The new paint looks metallic but I'm sure that can be changed when I have this mixed. Thanks for pointing me on the right track!
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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[Bruce Berman]

[Nirvana09]

I've read on this forum people reference the 60's steel grey as L328 as well. After a bit more research and a few more, better, paint references I do agree with you, it does look off.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=563289

Now, this color was also used on early Ghia's as well. In that thread it does say it is L328 but it's metallic. Does anybody know the difference between the metallic L328 and the L328 used on Bruce's car? There's obviously a difference but with nearly no documentation on either color.


Another thing, does anybody have a pre-april Polar silver beetle that can offer insight on the outer rim color? After hours of looking into this, all I can find is the post-april information. Does anybody know if there was any difference in the early polar silver cars?
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A few '56s, a '64, and some late model stuff.

[Bruce Berman]

Hi Nirvana09,

I just posted a photo of the road wheel outer rim color for the 1956-1957 Polar Silver color (L324) cars under the Oval Window forum topic, "My 1957 VW with 13,000 Miles".

Hopefully, this will give you a good idea as to the color VW used there.

Do you think I should start a new thread on this subject? It might make it easier for others to retrieve this information in the future.

I have also posted (in the same topic) a photo of the running board rubber mat covering from my car, as others have requested an image of that as well.

I hope these photos help in the correct restoration of their cars.

Bruce
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Factory original 1957 Type 1 Deluxe Sedan, with 13,000 miles. I purchased her from the estate of the original owner in 1978. Color: L324 Polar Silver, with light beige leatherette interior, dealer-installed Dehne fuel gauge and Motorola Volumatic radio.