TheSamba.com :: View topic - Barn Find 54-57 ? Need Advice, Help!!

Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:56 pm

I'm driving home today with my 17 year old son when I hit the binders and pull over. Over where they recently took down a building is the unmistakable roof line of a beetle. As I pull into the lot I can see from a distance that it is an oval window. I looked at the classifieds and as best as I can tell it is about a 1955. With the full sunroof (ragtop?). Upon getting permission from the old woman at the house and leaving her my number. She said I would have to speak with her husband or son. We took a closer look. The car is badly rusted, floors are gone. but the only thing that appears to be missing are the horn grills in the front fenders. Mouldings, interior, lenses, glass, mirrors, handles, hood badge are all there, key is still in ignition. The motor is all there but I did not try to turn it by hand. It does look as what you would expect from a car that sat in a wet enviorment for 50 years. I never dealt with one this old ( I drive a 1971 Westy) and such questionable condition. I know somebody somewhere wants it but what is it worth? Is someone willing to come to Buffalo, NY to get it? How do I tell (when I go back tomorrow to take pictures) what year it is if they can't tell me? Talk to me, Please??

Sat Sep 29, 2007 6:13 pm

check for semaphores if it has them it should be a ?55? or below.

Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:34 pm

HelmutofBuffalo wrote: I'm driving home today with my 17 year old son when I hit the binders and pull over. Over where they recently took down a building is the unmistakable roof line of a beetle. As I pull into the lot I can see from a distance that it is an oval window. I looked at the classifieds and as best as I can tell it is about a 1955. With the full sunroof (ragtop?). Upon getting permission from the old woman at the house and leaving her my number. She said I would have to speak with her husband or son. We took a closer look. The car is badly rusted, floors are gone. but the only thing that appears to be missing are the horn grills in the front fenders. Mouldings, interior, lenses, glass, mirrors, handles, hood badge are all there, key is still in ignition. The motor is all there but I did not try to turn it by hand. It does look as what you would expect from a car that sat in a wet enviorment for 50 years. I never dealt with one this old ( I drive a 1971 Westy) and such questionable condition. I know somebody somewhere wants it but what is it worth? Is someone willing to come to Buffalo, NY to get it? How do I tell (when I go back tomorrow to take pictures) what year it is if they can't tell me? Talk to me, Please??

You got mail.

Sat Sep 29, 2007 7:43 pm

Buy it if you can afford it and work on it with your son?

Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:57 am

Mail sent as well...

Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:15 am

draginwagen wrote: check for semaphores if it has them it should be a ?55? or below.
I have a big window beetle with semaphores,is it a '55?Were big rear windows an option in '55?

Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:37 am

[quote="Alan Willis"] draginwagen wrote: Were big rear windows an option in '55?

Are you serious?

Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:56 am

Alan Willis wrote: I have a big window beetle with semaphores,is it a '55?Were big rear windows an option in '55? no.

Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:49 pm

look to see if the inner side of the doors have a rounded edge around the inner door skin (ribbed doors)

Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:55 pm

value ?? tough to say, sounds like a rough restoration but almost any old oval is due a $500 fee if only for usable parts.

Interested and willing to come get it ???

YES!! let me know more info as you get it

Dave

1957 oval in restoration process now[/quote]

Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:33 am

draginwagen wrote: Alan Willis wrote: I have a big window beetle with semaphores,is it a '55?Were big rear windows an option in '55? no.
From what you said,if it has semi's its a '55 or older.Semi's were on beetles all the way to '60. A better way to tell what year it is would be the taillights(hearts'53-'54,eggs'55,or snowflakes,mid'55-'57)the heater outlet(next to the firewall with a mesh screen'53-'55,next to the firewall with louvers'56-early'57, or next to the "A"pillar'57)or the doors(ribbed'53-'55 or smooth '56-'57)

Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:23 am

WE NEED PICTURES!!!

Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:38 am

Alan Willis wrote: draginwagen wrote: check for semaphores if it has them it should be a ?55? or below.
I have a big window beetle with semaphores,is it a '55?Were big rear windows an option in '55?

No but sems were used in Europe well into the the 60s....

Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:40 am

Hard to tell, but I don't see the semaphore slots: