TheSamba.com :: View topic - Holzbrenner - Tell me about these and what it might be worth

Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:13 pm

NOTAHONDA wrote: Cant your parents email pics to you?

They are at THEIR home right now. Which is not in the same state. Its a couple hour drive to get to this house and frankly they have jobs and these pictures aren't that important. I only found out the new info because I emailed pics to my dad of an Oval and a Split and my dad confirmed its definitely an oval. I don't know if he even realized split windows exist.

Quote: Then dad needs to check the house to see how the wall opens to get it out. If the house was built arount it, it was probably stolen and hiden away so someone wouldn't go to jail. But if it really does exsist, I would suspect that the attic opens up somehow to get it out.

AGAIN, it used to have one of those big doors to the attic like you see on barns to load hay or whatever. We're guessing since the house is on the side of a hill and the door is on the uphill side, someone could have had a big ramp or something (I'm not really sure - I've never seen the house).

Also it turns out they're flipping the house, so while 40-50k would be good, they've done quite a bit better apparently in the past. They also have some rental properties. I'm not really sure why they're doing all this (I guess so they can retire ASAP) I wish I could share some of the profits :( I'm still poor and working my way through college (and building character, I supposed :roll: :lol: )

Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:19 pm

Chronogoof89 wrote: But anyway, here's an update - its obviously not original because its an oval window. Yes I had already asked my dad but I guess he misunderstood. So, sorry to disappoint you. It is definitely some type of wood-burning setup though, but upon further serious questioning of my dad (plus its an oval) its obviously some kind of kit.

If it's an old kit that could still be very cool. There were several different makers. If Dad notices a brand name . . .

Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:41 pm

I am in southern Illinois and I have ZERO interest in purchasing the car.

If I can be of assistance documenting it, please P.M. me and I will be happy to help in any way.

Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:40 pm

Did you ask him to check the dash? If he just checked the rear, mighta been a Split cut to an Oval. Not an odd thing to do way back when.

You said the house is getting flipped, but if he gets out there maybe ask him to check the dash? Dual gloveboxes and all that...

Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:49 pm

If the house is getting flipped don't they need to remove it? Not many buyers want a old vw in the attic over their kids bedroom. If they do remove it I bet it will be day laborours with sawzaws? :roll:

Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:06 pm

A few guys with the right tools could partially disassemble the car in place and get it out the way it came in, or, if that is no longer possible, partially disassemble it, remove 3 or 4 rafters and get the shell out that way and then replace them, new sheathing and reroof that side of the structure.

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:38 pm

Great story there. Having all kinds of wierd stuff in the attic is believable. A distant relative of mine had the attic of his house full of old motor bikes and heavy work benches and all kinds of other stuff. The house was so top-heavy that it had started to lean to one side over the years and a large wardrobe was jammed between the ceiling and floor bacause of all the weight. So you never know, people do the strangest things.
I just hope this story doesn't go the same way as the one a while back where the guy thought he found a 1940 beetle.

Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:30 am

I live in south central Illinois, small village : Elsah IL near Saint Louis , MO

I would be glad to look at it for you. But don't worry about my pushing to buy it my wife would shoot me divorce me and sell all my car stuff. I'm working on a 47 and that will take up all my $ for a while.

But I do like to look at old ones and a wartime Holzgaz is interesting to see. There were quite a few versions made for many different cars, including the big Mercedes, My cousin in Salzburg Austria had a Nurburg limo like that once.

On the side of info on removing the car I am a contractor and do design build and restoration, and if it gets to that point I'ld be glad to look at the situation and give you an estimate for a guide. You said that the "ramp area had been bricked up. If so the problem is much easier. You pull the bricks and the attick interior out just where the ramp entry was and remove the vehicle that way and then relay the brick and the interior wall. The OG framing around the ramp opening should still there. This place sounds like a German style Haus/Barn, ie residence on lower floor and barn storage above. There are a couple like that in my area, near Jersevill, IL. The germans came to the Saint Louis area in the 1840s in large numbers and that included later ones in Illinois accross the river.

As I said I restore old houses and look at them all the time.

you can email me if you want me to look see

Eric Mack

Thu Jun 21, 2007 9:01 am

erioco wrote: This place sounds like a German style Haus/Barn, ie residence on lower floor and barn storage above. There are a couple like that in my area, near Jersevill, IL. The germans came to the Saint Louis area in the 1840s in large numbers and that included later ones in Illinois accross the river.

As I said I restore old houses and look at them all the time.

you can email me if you want me to look see

Eric Mack If thats the case, it sounds as if this car may just exist, perhaps some german transplant shipped it over in his houshold goods, you never know. But seeing how the OP is quickly backpeddling, it's more than likely a 72 fat chick muhulland look with a 40's hood, if its even up there or if this house even exist. Hey prove us wrong, just show us some pics before your folks flip the house, I'm sure HGTV would love to do a special on this one. How about a Flip This House/Cash In The Attic Dual episode, make sure you have your TIVO set to record. :wink:

Thu Jun 21, 2007 9:47 am

I feel like people aren't reading the thread, at all. As I said a few times now, its confirmed to be an oval window - so its obviously some kind of kit and is not a wartime Holzgas, so if anything somebody just messed up what might be an OK split. Sorry to let you guys down, but i'm getting my information filtered through a guy who doesn't know anything about cars - especially VWs. If I could have actually looked at it I would have known that not having a split means its nothing more than an odd kit in an odd place. Unfortunately my father doesn't know anything about cars and described it as and "early vw" and then said yes when I asked if it had a split rear window. Later he told me "no, not like that" when I showed him a split. Its not later Beetle though, my dad owned ones of those and knows the rear window isn't like that. I guess he thought the oval was the original.

So people can really stop speculating about this rare wartime Holzbrenner because it isn't one, so chill. I'm having my dad take pictures when he's there next time.

Quote: This place sounds like a German style Haus/Barn, ie residence on lower floor and barn storage above. There are a couple like that in my area, near Jersevill, IL. The germans came to the Saint Louis area in the 1840s in large numbers and that included later ones in Illinois accross the river.

Thats likely what it is. I'm not positive when it was built. I know prior to the 50's, which is why I thought it had to be a pretty old Beetle to be "built" into the house. But now that I know it had a barndoor until some point after the house was built it obviously could have been put up there in the 60s or 70s (although the car is older than that, it would make more sense to put a 20 year old, unused car in your "barn" than a brand-new one, IMO)

Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:12 am

Chronogoof89 wrote: So people can really stop speculating about this rare wartime Holzbrenner because it isn't one, so chill. You started the speculation, so there should be no surprises when an urban legend about a hozbrenner in an Illinios attic starts to get traction. Add this to the long lists of I think there's a KdF Wagen in my grandmother's basement threads. :lol:

Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:24 pm

Charlie Hamil has a bus in his attic (anyone ever seen it? I have pics somewhere) .... so anything is possible......

Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:38 pm

Blue Baron wrote: Chronogoof89 wrote: So people can really stop speculating about this rare wartime Holzbrenner because it isn't one, so chill. You started the speculation, so there should be no surprises when an urban legend about a hozbrenner in an Illinios attic starts to get traction. Add this to the long lists of I think there's a KdF Wagen in my grandmother's basement threads. :lol:

Yeah I started the speculation, but then I cleared up the confusion and people continued to basically contradict what I was saying.

Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:11 pm

Chronogoof89 wrote: Blue Baron wrote: Chronogoof89 wrote: So people can really stop speculating about this rare wartime Holzbrenner because it isn't one, so chill. You started the speculation, so there should be no surprises when an urban legend about a hozbrenner in an Illinios attic starts to get traction. Add this to the long lists of I think there's a KdF Wagen in my grandmother's basement threads. :lol:

Yeah I started the speculation, but then I cleared up the confusion and people continued to basically contradict what I was saying.

Get used to it, some people here just latch on to some idea and become blind to any subsequent info that is posted.

I understand your limited access to the residence/vehicle and, like most, are looking forward to more details as they are available. Worst case maybe you have a really cool barbecue smoker or something...........

Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:54 pm

Lots of splits got the "split" cut out to make a oval.......Just adding fuel here.

Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:15 pm

Regardless of posts people who failed basic reading comprehension make, don't let any comments dissuade you from posting any new info you get.

I assure you there are serious people on here who are interested in finding out more, regardless of what it turns out to be. Me included.

Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:11 am

Why would someone put a Volkswagen in an attic and put a tarp over it? Did they watch the Woody Allen movie and wanting to store a VW away for a couple of hundred years and not having a convenient cave decided to use the attic?

Some things about this story makes no sense.

Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:14 am

Well, if you read even a little carefully you'd see that it was likely put it what was once a storage "barn" above the house. Maybe the engine seized up. Maybe somebody got a new car and just wanted to keep it. Maybe somebody put it in there every winter but then one winter they decided not to get it down, or died, or sold the home. Later, the massive "door" to the barn-attic was bricked-up, meaning to 99% of people who could have owned this house is was just an old VW that wasn't worth anything to them even if it WASN'T in an attic. Seriously if my parents didn't know I was in to VWs they probably wouldn't have even mentioned it, or they may have said "ha, there's a car in the attic -WTF?" So while its a little weird its in there, I wouldn't say it "doesn't make sense". Remember that most people think old VWs are worthless pieces of shit. People see a fat chick convertible sell for 8-9k and laugh for days because they think its so insane. Most people probably don't believe the prices a nice split window will go for.

Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:46 am

Chronogoof89 wrote: Well, if you read even a little carefully you'd see that it was likely put it what was once a storage "barn" above the house.

I did read it carefully and stand by my comment. I have not seen many barns above people's homes unless they are converting condos out of haylofts.

Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:36 am

Asunder wrote: Chronogoof89 wrote: Well, if you read even a little carefully you'd see that it was likely put it what was once a storage "barn" above the house.

I did read it carefully and stand by my comment. I have not seen many barns above people's homes unless they are converting condos out of haylofts.

You must not have read this part:
erioco wrote: This place sounds like a German style Haus/Barn, ie residence on lower floor and barn storage above. There are a couple like that in my area, near Jersevill, IL. The germans came to the Saint Louis area in the 1840s in large numbers and that included later ones in Illinois accross the river.