TheSamba.com :: View topic - The Edmondson Testimony- Judson Blowers

Tue May 03, 2005 10:26 am

I've just been talking to a friend on email and he tells me the KG seen in the picture (1960 Judson advertising leaflet) above was up for sale on the Samba classifieds about 6 months ago.

He tells me:
"It was in North Carolina and still equipped with the Judson. The seller posted these two pictures along with current images of the car. I think it sold, hopefully in one piece, though the seller was offering to sell the Judson motor as a seperate unit."

If anyone can supply any info on this car and what happened to it, I'd be very appreciative.

Cheers,

Wed May 04, 2005 12:37 pm

He kept dropping the price because his wife told him he had to sell it. For a while he was willing to trade it for a big screen TV. Finally he threatend to part it out....Last I heard he sold some parts to Alan Willis and the rest of the car got crushed. :lol:

No idea really. I remember those pictures when they were in the classifieds though. Maybe the site admins can give you some better info about the ad...or who posted it.

Wed May 04, 2005 11:22 pm

If the car was destroyed, it is a shame. John is refering to this interesting testimonial circulated by Judson Research:

http://vwjudsonregister.tripod.com/the_edmondson_testimony.htm

Thu May 05, 2005 8:54 am

I think "70 140" was joking when he said it was scrapped Dan.

It an interesting car all the same...it's obviously got an interesting history.
One of "The Register" members says he remembers, in the early '60s someone out of Colorado racing a Ghia with twin Judsons :shock:

One of our members still races his '64 Judson Ghia regularly...and wins with it :)

Thu May 05, 2005 10:19 am

yes it was a joke.

Thu May 05, 2005 2:26 pm

Heh. I must have a terrible sense of humor. =)

I think that it is pretty remarkable that this car surfaced intact. If I had known about the Edmondson testimony ad campaign when I saw it listed I certainly would have made an effort to buy and restore it, despite the cost.

I am curious about whether the Judson was the only speed modification made on this car. The letter would seem to indicate that this is the case, and that the owner used it primarily as a driver and not a 'race car', but that is a pretty large heap of trophies. I've read what Elfrink, Ritch, and other contemporaries had to say about Judson performance, and while they were all favorably impressed, I didn't get the impression that it was so dramatic an upgrade.

I really like how the car looks totally stock with the exception of the decklid 'bubble'.

Fri May 06, 2005 1:02 am

dmercer wrote: I am curious about whether the Judson was the only speed modification made on this car. The letter would seem to indicate that this is the case, and that the owner used it primarily as a driver and not a 'race car', but that is a pretty large heap of trophies. I've read what Elfrink, Ritch, and other contemporaries had to say about Judson performance, and while they were all favorably impressed, I didn't get the impression that it was so dramatic an upgrade.

All the period reviews of the Judson assessed the out of the box configuration and it's important to stress that the Judson isn't likely, in its "straight out of the box" form to win you much on the drag strip today.

Edmondson tells us of all his "class wins" we can only guess what he was up against. He doesn't mention any other tuning tweeks and the only obvious one I would think was likely would be a larger crank pulley to increase the boost but I wouldn't recommend that on a 36hp daily driven KG.

Fri May 06, 2005 5:34 am

Am I the only one who is really digging the look of those two antennas on the back of that car?

Fri May 06, 2005 6:20 am

All I know is I sold a judson scoop of a ghia decklid I had once for WAY too cheap... LOL :oops: I was young and did not know any better though... isn't that the appropriate excuse. :lol:

I don't remember that car in the classfieds, I must not have been looking them over during the time it was posted. But it is a hella cool old ride and I hope it was sold intact to someone who will continue to preserve it's heritage.

Sun May 08, 2005 7:11 am

coad wrote: Am I the only one who is really digging the look of those two antennas on the back of that car?

Could be the secret of his success coad...must be a vintage speed tweek that's been long forgotten :wink:

Fri Jun 09, 2006 4:34 am

Seeing as I started this thread I thought I'd keep you up to date on the whereabouts of this Racing Judson KG.

Last week it resurfaced in the "Classifieds" http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=321876

It is without a doubt the original Edmondson Judson Karmann Ghia.

Having chased this KG for a number of years I was very excited to hear about it again from Dan Mercer (OK I don't get out much these days :wink: ...easily excited)

I contacted the advertiser, (agent for the owner) and got all the details, pictures etc ready to set up a deal.

Well to cut a long story short this unique Judson KG has had the guts ripped out of it. The PO sold the original 36hp engine and Judson and installed a nice 1600dp with twin Kadrons :roll:

I've dropped out of the dealings as the restoration is only half done, the asking price is $12000 and I can't justify paying top dollar for an historic KG that's minus most of its history. :cry:

Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:22 pm

It's back - and down to $9,450 now!

Looks pretty solid - not a bad price if it is indeed in as good shape as it appears to be.

I also dig those twin antenae - the PO must have been a CB radio fan.

Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:34 pm

Shame on us all.

Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:59 pm

KGCoupe wrote: I also dig those twin antenae - the PO must have been a CB radio fan.

Pre-CB have a look at this picture from 1960:

Wed Aug 09, 2006 5:45 am

John Moxon wrote: Well to cut a long story short this unique Judson KG has had the guts ripped out of it
just tuned in to this one. shocking. raped

Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:44 am

RockStock wrote: John Moxon wrote: Well to cut a long story short this unique Judson KG has had the guts ripped out of it
just tuned in to this one. shocking. raped

Actually RockStock it's still in the Classifieds, with the message that the current owner has $12500 invested in it. :?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=333400

He sold the engine and Judson to a friend to put in his '56 Oval :x That adds little to the Oval and robs the Ghia of everything. I still feel the hairs rising on the back of my neck when I write about it.

I know plenty of people besides myself who would have snapped up that car if it were complete. Now it sits sadly in the Classifieds and nobody wants it.

Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:59 am

IMO, the ghia owner and oval owner should do the right thing - reunite the components of that ghia....

then someone can buy it, give the vendor a decent price, and go about correcting the colour scheme etc
would then be the awesome lowlight it should be, & once was
john, maybe youre the guy to make this happen...

Wed Aug 09, 2006 9:59 am

RockStock wrote: IMO, the ghia owner and oval owner should do the right thing - reunite the components of that ghia....

then someone can buy it, give the vendor a decent price, and go about correcting the colour scheme etc
would then be the awesome lowlight it should be, & once was
john, maybe youre the guy to make this happen...

Well yes I was very keen when I first saw it. I phoned the guy who is selling it for the owner and got a lot of extra pictures.

At the time the asking price was $12000 but the guy who has the engine and Judson wanted at least $5000 for their return. The price goes up...$17000, then you have shipping $1000(?). Import duty 10% + 17.5% Vat for a car that has been 1/2 restored. The interior needed a lot of attention and a new wiring loom, return to 6v or at least a sympathetic 12v without the alternator so at the end of the day you're looking at $25-$30000.

Now I'm chasing a special KG here in the UK...a slow burner which I hope will materialise in the next 6 months so I want to keep my funds at the ready :wink:

Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:06 am

RockStock wrote: then someone can buy it, give the vendor a decent price, and go about correcting the colour scheme etc

What was the original colour, anyone know?

Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:38 am

coad wrote: RockStock wrote: then someone can buy it, give the vendor a decent price, and go about correcting the colour scheme etc

What was the original colour, anyone know?

:oops: I'm going to expose my KG ignorance here Coad. Is that not a stock '59 KG colour scheme? I've only the period B&W pictures so it hard to tell.