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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:45 pm Post subject: 1951 Karmann Restoration - L71/L72 Chassis # 1-300420 |
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I thought it was time I started a thread to document the restoration and enjoyment of my November 1951 Karmann Convertible. I purchased this car a little over 3 years ago from an east coast collector, if he wishes to make himself known I’m sure he’ll chime in on this thread. It was very rough to start with, but overall was a nearly complete super-early convertible with pretty much every “impossible to find” part.
The Good:
-Long documented history of ownership. Clear title, now in my name
-Body and pan match, perfect VIN plate and body number.
-Original front end and transaxle
-All window regulators, windows, seats, top frame, original interior including bolster pillows
-Incredibly solid pan for a New England car
-NOS heater channel bottom plates & vert support rails included in the deal
-Cool history: it has a commuter sticker in the driver window for the Mystic River Bridge in Massachusetts, came with a bunch of handwritten letters from 30 years ago, including some from the legendary Steve Wood, and some other major collectors who are active on this forum today.
-As far as I can tell this car was stripped and in pieces for at least the past 30 years.
-Car was originally delivered to Hahn GMBH in Stuttgart. I was on the Barndoor forum and found a local enthusiast who has a 52 standard delivered to the same dealership. Possible the 2 cars were there at the same time? Either way, it looks like the dealership is still in business http://www.hahn-gruppe.de/
TheBad:
-Missing the original engine, but I sourced out a complete 1951 from the same month of production
-Some Rust, but way better than the 1952 11G I restored previously.
-Came with an oval lid modified to look like a split. A HUGE thanks to another local enthusiast who hooked me up with an original lid.
-Collision damage. The car had been hit front & rear, and it looks like more than once. The rear apron was replaced (probably very early on) with a pre-55 crank style apron. That replacement apron was garbage by the time I got the car. The front clip had serious, serious issues. More on this later.
Here are a few starting pictures. This is how the car looked before sending out for the heavy welding. These pics are probably from springtime, 2012. A lot has happened since these pictures were taken. More soon.
Will
Original paint on pan bottoms. Factory overspray
Last edited by oldsplitvw on Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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More Pics. Lots of good, lots of bad.
Will
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Rich's 50 Samba Member
Joined: February 18, 2004 Posts: 10781 Location: San Diego, CA
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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Congrats Will, Looking forward to the story and pictures |
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56TIMOTEO Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2006 Posts: 440
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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Looks like the good aspects outweigh the bad stuff! Exciting project!!! |
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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More cool stuff: The car came with a "time capsule" folder, cool insight into enthusiasts buying and selling pre-internet. The first letter is from Steve Wood, responding to the owner of the 1951 Karmann.
The second letter is from a major collector and hobby figurehead in Germany. I tried to focus on some of the items he has for sale. I'd be happy to flash back to late 70s, early 80s prices. Grooved semaphore set for $90? Awesome.
Will
I think I need some stationary with a split window logo also.
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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I found a few more pics I snapped before everything was taken apart. A few of the interior.
Will
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[email protected] Samba Member
Joined: September 22, 2002 Posts: 1243
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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oops i think you forgot to hide the past owners name in one of steve Woods letters, I saw this car in the VT I think back in the 90's when a freind bought his other split vert a 52. I havent seen the past owner in years,dont think he goes to shows anymore. |
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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The name in the letter is a previous-previous owner. He had a LOT of cool old stuff, including some other cars on this forum. It's no huge secret where this car came from, I just didn't want to start throwing out names without their owner's permission. Most people in the split vert world know the family tree of the 51.
Will |
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DDub Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2005 Posts: 307 Location: central pa.
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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I have a few letters from Steve that I cherish. He was a good ambasssador for the hobby. AND you have a fine project, have fun. |
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eurodub Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2007 Posts: 1321
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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please tell me you're going to just restore that interior. it looks amazing just like that, but with modern cleaning solutions it could be even better.
good luck with the vert, i wanted one so bad but could only find a vert decklid. i don't know where the rest ended up ... most likely to scrapyard. _________________ 1960 1200 model 117 deluxe ragtop
1974 T2 Westfalia Campmobile
1976 MK1 Golf |
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D. Haviland Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2009 Posts: 536 Location: Burlington, Vermont
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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Will,
I think I still have the seatback material if you want it. |
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aa390392 Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2007 Posts: 3602 Location: So.Cal
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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envious..keep it real _________________ .
getting grumpy & less tolerant!
55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet |
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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So, the body had been acid dipped years ago. By the time I picked it up it has a layer of dust-rust over most of it. It sanded right off, leaving (mostly) clean smooth metal. I thought, incorrectly, that most of the "hidden rust" would have been eliminated by this process. Especially all the tight areas that sandblasting doesn't reach. Next couple of pics really shows some of the challenges of split windows. The rear body mounts are a terrible place for trapping moisture and rusting from the inside out.
Before sandblasting, looks great!
After sandblasting, still looks not so bad. Why'd you cut it off anyway?!?!?!?!
oh...
New outer section
New inner section
Welding begins
Done.
I need to give credit to the man behind all the welding, bodywork, and (soon to be) paint. Bryan Nunes has been the driving force behind the restoration of this car, and I have no doubt that this car would not have come along this quickly, or this cleanly without his patience and expertise. If you need work done on your VW, whether small project or large, I absolutely cannot speak highly enough of his work.
PM me if you want contact info.
Will |
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peter schepens Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2003 Posts: 1014 Location: belgium Caesars camp
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:38 am Post subject: |
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I must say I folow this resto and others over his site on FB. It is a true work of art what this man is doing. I am sure this karmann will be one of the best in his kind.
Looking forward to the finished product.
Best regards from Belgium. _________________ Zelensis, glassfibre body made in Belgium , disigned and built on a VW platform About 25 body's built.
Hebmuller info wanted for http://www.hebmueller-registry.com/home.html |
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52brezelfenster Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2005 Posts: 761 Location: OR
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:10 am Post subject: |
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Glad to hear another early Kab is being saved, and the letters from Steve are awesome. Please keep us up to date on progress Will.
Dustin |
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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I know a lot of you have seen hundreds of these pictures already, and a fair number have also seen the car in person. I wanted to use this thread to give a highlight of the best and worst of the car, and to really show the work that was done to bring it back.
I didn't imagine the front clip was this bad when I bought the car. It certainly needed the standard "gas tank forward" job, but there had been several different accidents, and without a complete reconstruction the car never would have been straight again, and everything lining up like the doors, top frame, windows, etc, would have never happened. Basically the car was taken down to individual panels, then brought back piece by piece. The front quarters were from a donor 54. The only "funky green" metal on the entire car is the heater channel tops. The bottom plates & support rails are NOS.
Will
The acid dipping didn't quite strip everything. Some of the factory red primer is still present
The car was hit so hard in the front quarter that it cracked the vert-support on the driver side. See the ugly gas weld repair in the pic
Same piece after sandblasting
Fixed.
Sorry for the tiny picture, it is from my phone and the only one I had. This is the driver side A pillar, No joke. Without a complete reconstruction the doors would have fit like crap no matter what.
Rebuilding begins...
Just welded
Split-era cars had a different radius in the quarter panels. Another local enthusiast performed this surgery for his split vert, and Bryan did the same for my car.
Re-spot welded in the factory spots.
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oldsplitvw Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005 Posts: 285
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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And thank you everyone for the kind words and motivation. It is really great to have a group like this to share a common interest with
Thank you all
Will |
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Grant Reiling Samba Slow-Change Artist
Joined: November 28, 2003 Posts: 491 Location: behind the wheel
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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oldsplitvw wrote: |
And thank you everyone for the kind words and motivation. It is really great to have a group like this to share a common interest with
Thank you all
Will |
Congratulations Will, Your 'œuvre d'art' is progressing nicely! It is very nice that you're sharing the details (warts, flaws and all)
Do the girls follow developments like a sport?...(possibly eyeing the drivers seat)?
Keep up the fine work; I'm eagerly awaiting its debut!
Grant _________________ 1952 Azure Blue 12G (LHD Deluxe 3-fold sunroof Sedan).
"What you really know is possible in your heart is possible.
We make it possible by our will.
What we imagine in our minds becomes our world. That’s just one of many things I have learned from water."
Misaru Emoto
The Hidden Messages in Water |
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vwhelmot Samba Member
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 617 Location: united kingdom
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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Beautiful work mate. Fantastic. :D |
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1774 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:56 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for posting this stuff, these are my favourite kinds of threads on thesamba. Very Inspirational!
Don |
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