TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:03 pm

Hello all,

I've previously posted this on pre67, so apologies for anyoneone who's seen it before!

Originally an Aussie ckd it's been in the UK for 8 years or so. Rock solid and very original, there's not a scrap of rot in it. Doors, channels, gutters etc are all perfect. The only damage is to the front and rear valances. The front has had a very slight bump which should be relatively easy to sort out and the rear valance has had holes cut in for twin tailpipes. All the wings are the original ones and just need a little work to get them spot on.

The plan is to change the hideous plates, clean and check everything over, blast the bejaysus out of it with waxoyl/Dinitrol and the get the engine and box rebuilt just to be on the safeside. The wacky Hella indicators can stay until the wings go off to be fettled at some future date.

The heater channels are all original and rot free .. front and back. The muck in the corner on the rear shot is sand!

Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:05 pm

The seats and door cards are in pretty good shape - not torn or damaged in any way. I wasn't sure how original they were, but the trim is the same up the b-post as well and has obviously been like that since day 1. I've been told that Aussie Ovals came with vinyl interioirs rather than cloth. Anyone confirm this ?

Carpet has had it though and the headline is a bit ropey in parts!

Ribbed doors are grooved handles are perfect.

Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:09 pm

Old logo Bosch headlights:

Original engine

Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:13 pm

The chassis number puts it as being built in April 1954 - although this would've been in Germany I suppose (it has a 'Made In Germany' tag) There is another number stamped on the body below the vin plate. It reads MKA 1468, which I assume refers to Martin and King and that it was one of the first 1500 built in Oz ?

Anyway, now comes the request for help from you lot!

It has had a respray some time in the dim and distant past and it's down as 'grey' on the v5. It looks light beige, but I've read that Australian VWs had their own colours (although were these just renamed German colours ?)

Anyone got any ideas about what this colour may haven been ?

Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:14 pm

Nice car!

My Aussie '54 was originally ivory, which I have been told was an Australian only color. The interior was/is vinyl. I haven't seen an Australian car with cloth come to think of it.

Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:48 pm

WOW!! Very nice.

Wed Jun 18, 2008 6:31 pm

Caledfyn wrote:
It has had a respray some time in the dim and distant past and it's down as 'grey' on the v5. It looks light beige, but I've read that Australian VWs had their own colours (although were these just renamed German colours ?)

Anyone got any ideas about what this colour may haven been ?

We had 2 Greys in 1954/55. They were Glenburnie Grey and Gypsy Grey.

We only had vinyl seats in Australia. They were made in Germany and installed with the CKD kits.

Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:10 pm

so when are you sending this car back to us? :) loosing too many cars overseas :!: very nice oval...

Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:20 pm

That's what is great about the Aussie dollar improving, the cashed up guys on the other side of the pond can't afford our cars or parts any more - but we can now afford theirs!!

Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:41 am

olo wrote: so when are you sending this car back to us? :) ..

Don't hold your breath! :lol: :wink:

IN2VWS wrote: We had 2 Greys in 1954/55. They were Glenburnie Grey and Gypsy Grey.

We only had vinyl seats in Australia. They were made in Germany and installed with the CKD kits.

Anyone got any examples of what these colours looked like ?

I thought I'd read somewhere that the colours of Australian '54s where the same as German ones, but just renamed for the home market ? The Duco paint chip card on your site In2vws (geat site btw!) lists the following colours for Aussie '54s:

Glenburnie Grey
Gypsy Grey
Mandalay Ivory
Clayton Green
Belgrave Blue

Here, on Samba, it lists the following:

L 41 Black
L 213 iceland green
L 271 texas brown
L 275 light beige
L 276 ultramaroon
L 227 strato silver

I can believe my car was light beige, although I'm not sure which Aussie colour it relates to, but can anyone shed any light on the other colours? What about black, texas brown and ultramaroon?

Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:26 pm

I don't believe they were the same. I was totally perplexed by my car as it was an ivory, and I questioned whether it was a faded beige. Once you see a pic of the beige and an ivory there is no question...2 different colors.

Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:43 pm

Bax wrote: I don't believe they were the same. I was totally perplexed by my car as it was an ivory, and I questioned whether it was a faded beige. Once you see a pic of the beige and an ivory there is no question...2 different colors.

Got any pics of the ivory ?

I'm assuming then that mine is one of the greys !

Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:35 pm

At work right now so none on hand of my own car, but here is a '55 that is the exact same color, ivory with the brown vinyl interior.

Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:23 pm

Cool stuff!

I can see how that looks like ivory. Nice colour combo with the brown vinyl interior and the vw logo on the hubcaps picked out in red.

Which reminds me, the logo on mine (although feint now) is picked out in blue!

So that's one colour down, four to go!

Mandalay Ivory, brown vinyl interior, red logo on caps

Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:32 pm

Yep, I'll have to keep that pic handy so the next time I paint my car I can go back to the original color. Keep us posted if you find any other info.

Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:51 pm

Hi Caledfyn, I have an OG paint 57 Australian oval Painted L41 Black with red vinyl OG interior. I do believe this is the same black in all VW markets not Aussie specific. I would post pics on this forum If I could figure out how to do it. However, you can check my car out on the gallery under EA57RHD.

You have a nice 54 by the way.

EA57RHD

Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:58 am

Great looking car EA57RHD.

From my understanding of things, in the late 50s and the early 60s, some of the colours did coincide with Germany's and were just renamed whilst there were others that were particular to Australia such as Mandalay Ivory .

I hope IN2VWS doesn't mind me posting this link to a paint card on his site, but it sort of explains it much better than I could!

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa28/in2vws_com/in2vws/VW%20Paint/in2vws_AU_Paint_01.jpg

It would be great now to see if we can get examples of each of the Austrlian only colours.

Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:10 pm

Hey Caledfyn, thanks for posting the pic for me. I checked the paint card link you posted and I didn't see The color black on it? is this a complete list of Aussie colors?

EA57RHD

Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:31 pm

EA57RHD wrote: Hey Caledfyn, thanks for posting the pic for me. I checked the paint card link you posted and I didn't see The color black on it? is this a complete list of Aussie colors?

EA57RHD

That's what I assumed ??

'53s and very early '54s where shipped complete from Germany. They started to build ckds in April '54 I think, so those colours would apply I suppose? Maybe yours was a special order?

This is what I'm hoping someone could clear up.

Mine was built in Germany in April '54 and I suppose would have taken a few months to get over to Australia and built up. The MKA number would seem to suggest it's an earlyish one.

By the way EA57RHD, have you got the Rod Davies book ?

http://www.volkwerke.com.au/book.html

Excellent quality and the deluxe version comes with two early vw promotional films on dvd!

Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:14 pm

Caledfyn, no I do not have that book, but I heard it was a great book On CKD VW's in Australia. I received an email from a guy in Australia saying that he knows the author of the book and that he could get one for me. I'm waiting on his response.

By the way, my 57 has the 53 aluminium starter button and two position ignition switch just like on the 53's, somewhat of an oddity, but appears to be original to my car.

My CKD is low millage and original, I don't see how or why someone would have changed out the ignition and added a starter button.

Any thoughts on this anyone (IN2VWS)

Thanks
EA57RHD