Better Than a Barn Find.....My 1957 Horizon Blue Euro/Export

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:38 pm Post subject:

Here's two updated "first polish pix" *Taken with a vintage 1950's NK/Nikon HC f2/50 camera lens set on my Leica M8*

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Basically the drivers side of the car has been polished up in these two photos, just wanted to post something new tonight before I sleep. Smile

Really like the way the Horizon Blue is cleaning up and I've got to say in all this buffing and polishing you really get to *bond* with your car! Wink

Goodnight and Enjoy!

Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

kdfwagon · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:37 pm Post subject:

kdfwagon · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:46 pm Post subject:

Fantastic find and car.
_________________
Brianna's Grandpa

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:47 pm Post subject:

bobnorman · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:01 pm Post subject:

Great find, you have a dream of a car there, great car to go to sleep to. Glad to hear you are preserving it. As for the “touched up” spots, I believe someone has already mentioned the “easy-off” method, it works well, but be careful though… you can read all about uncovering og paint here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7...;start=600

I love what she did with the paint on the Ghia on page 31, she ended up blending a few spots, but as you can see in the pic at the bottom…it just works. There’s just something special about original paint that just can’t be reproduced.

Good luck with it! I’m signed up to this thread, lookin’ forward to the updates!!

50 Kafer · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 6:20 am Post subject:

Exceptional find, I like your keep it stock plan so many get customized/modified and it takes away the original character and beauty of the car. Best of luck with it.
_________________
John
1950 Kafer Deluxe (10/50)
1955 Beetle Deluxe (6/55)
1968 Beetle (11/67)
1982 Westy
1986 Cabriolet (6/86)
WTB Air-Camping roof top mount http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1499947

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 3:02 pm Post subject:

Well, here's some shots of the interior as I'm sure many people have been waiting to see........

The headliner is like new, except it's dusty and dirty, HOW DO YOU CLEAN A HEADLINER?

Some folks have said just leave it alone it will *air out* it over time, I don't want to use anything harsh or smelling good, becuase I don't want the "old car" smell to go away.

I have to do something becuase it is dusty and it's a pain in the ass inhaling all that when I sit it the car. Sad

The door panels are in good condition, but have some light stains....

The seats are almost like new too, except for the drivers side top is worn out, I don't know what I can do about this now, just use a blanket over it I suppose?

I haven't been able to find any remmaints from some of Ingrid Oppermann's cloth, which I would "sun fade" for like 6 months and then install. Smile

Or if anyone has a healthy drivers seat with great fabric thats original and slightly faded, I'd be interested in buying it?

The drivers side visor is almost like new, I would like to find a passenger side one to add on the mirror, anyone have any leads or know where I can pick one up for a reasonable price (under $200) ?

Please if there's any good suggestions out there as to care for the cloth upholstery and clean a headliner let me know. Wink

Enjoy!

Tom

PS: The ONLY accessory this car had in it is a really rare Kamei rear shelf and trunk space divider, is there any certain way to CLEAN that up at all? Anyone else out there have one?
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

bobnorman · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:41 pm Post subject:

I think these guys make the closest thing you'll find, not cheap though...

http://www.himmelservice.de/english/home.html

Not an endorsment, I just found them mentioned in another thread. The upholstry fabric they have seems to be a match.

The headliner? I'd carefully vacuum with a brush attachment.

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 6:07 pm Post subject:

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject:

Here's some photos from the day after I did the Simple Green treatment on the car.

I was given some advice on cleaning off crud and also smoothing out the worn thin surface rusted areas through my paint, by using carnauba wax and 0000/ 4-0 steel wood using the wax as a lubricant, which seems to work ok, but now I have some areas on the car that are exposed down to bare metal.
What can I use to treat these bare metal areas, as I try to polish out the original paint still?
(The 0000 steel wool cleaned up my door jams very well and also the packing tape crud that's around the semaphore ports.)

I'm using a mild polishing compound with a damp rag and rubbing in one direction (not circles) and well it seems to clean the paint a little, the colors still not popping out, I also have Turtle Wax COLOR BACK which I've used and it seems to help a little, then over that with the carnauba wax, the paint looks good, but it's not like super glossy yet, it is still pretty thick at most places, but 50+ years of driving and sun damage seems to have light scratches over it and also the paint looks blotchy after polishing in some places.

The thin surface rust parts in the roof and deck lid after the wax and steel wool.

The drivers side front fender after the wax and steel wool treatment, almost all surface rust gone, just that baby blue Rustoleum brush paint left to take off later.......

The passenger side front fender before the wax and steel wool treatment.

Working on that fender.....

The wax and steel wool Smile

I understand I will have to buff and buff and buff (while I want to do this all by hand if possible?) if I'm going to bring back this original paint, the body, doors, deck lid and hood seem to have enough paint left to save, but I think I'm going to have to repaint the front fenders? (also fill in minor dents/nicks in them).

They also seem to be a differnet color than the body at least not the original VW factory paintjob, the rear fenders match, but I assume that these front fenders were put on the car at MAHAG and they would have been painted there.....

More photos coming up!
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 8:40 pm Post subject:

Here's that passenger side front fender after the wax and steel wool treatment......

The front of the car after the surface rust has been waxed and wooled away. Smile

More shots of the surface rust on the roof and deck lid areas......

Also notice the "European" spaced/positioned drill holes for plates, where the original US Forces plates or Zoll Plates were used.

That's about all for now, next I'm taking off that ugly Baby Blue brush paint from the front fenders this week as well, more about that next time.

I hope to hear from some people here who have restored their paint back to a very nice original condition, I might want to spray and blend the bad thin/surface rusted areas with fresh paint?
Or if I can make the car look really good and polish over the "patina" areas, maybe it stays that way? Still deciding............

I had a bad time with two insurance underwriters about my car already, said they wouldn't touch my car untill it was top restored and well I tried to explain that the car is ONLY ORIGINAL ONCE, but they were really a bunch of ass*oles, seems Florida really isn't a vintage car insurance friendly place, but my car WILL STAY ORIGINAL and I want to save as much paint as I can, so please if anyone can give me more advice and suggestions, I would be very happy.

I want the car to be very presentable, not a concours show car but a beautiful survivor, something that the stupid insurance companies will accept as well, *crosses fingers* :p

I have nothing but time to invest in the car now, so I can take it step by step and hopefully I have been doing things right and haven't messed anything up, just want to stay in the right direction, this is the FIRST vintage VW I have really prepared all by myself. Wink

Bye for now!

Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

FunkFlex61 · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:08 pm Post subject:

Car is looking great! I personally think the slight patina areas of the car are what gives it its character. In the end, I'm sure it will look good painted or left as is. Keep up the good work!
_________________
'60 Kombi Walk Through
'56 Euro. Ragtop
‘56 Standard Hardtop

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:18 pm Post subject:

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:12 pm Post subject:

Any suggestions on safely cleaning the European Cloth Seats and Panels,
*Stains/Dirt-Dust etc.* without taking that good old car smell away?

Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:25 am Post subject:

Here's some more photos, the surface rust is off the front fenders and that baby blue Rustoleum paint is gone from almost all places (cleaned off with "Goof Off") and lots and lots of rubbing with a terry cloth and 3M pad.

I like the overall results, the paint is back like 95% going to wash again and put another couple of coats of wax on it, I might consider respraying the (2) front fenders while the color they were painted before doesn't seem to match the body paint 100% anyway, with a paint match and some color sanding they should look real good again.

Still waiting on some advice of how to clean the interior fabric SAFELY without taking away the "original car smell"???

Any Suggestions???

Thanks,

Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:30 am Post subject:

Another wash after the "Goof Off" and 0000 steel wool and wax treatments.......and now ready to put a few more coats of wax on the car this week Wink

Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

Major Woody · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:31 am Post subject:

I think I would have a pro repaint the front fenders and leave the rest. They should be able to color match to the adjacent panels (apron looks pretty good in photos).
Nice effort

Blauchen L331 · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 12:37 pm Post subject:

The MAHAG badges may be old and slightly faded, but it's great to know your car has a history, mine came from a VW Dealer in Munich, West Germany a long time ago Smile

Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Navy In Germany/ Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 36,500 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR

Hefner · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:55 pm Post subject:

I'm liking it, looking great!
_________________
1956 RHD Oval.
www.chrisgentle.com
www.customstreeter.com


Hello! Log in or Register \| Help \| Donate \| Buy Shirts	See all banner ads \| Advertise on TheSamba.com

Better Than a Barn Find.....My 1957 Horizon Blue Euro/Export
Page: Previous 1, 2, 3, ... 20, 21, 22 Next Jump to:

Forum Index -> Beetle - Oval-Window - 1953-57		Share:
		Print View

	Forum Index -> Beetle - Oval-Window - 1953-57	All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time Page: Previous 1, 2, 3, ... 20, 21, 22 Next Jump to:
Page 2 of 22