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Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:18 pm

Hey everyone, I'm posting info on my fathers car we just pulled from my grandmothers garage over the weekend. I'd like to apologize to all the purists out there, my Dad cut the '57 when he about 23 years old and when ovals were common. It isn't a numbers matching '57, he put it on a '62 pan from a burned out one he bought. He painted it himself 30+ years ago and still looks awesome. The passenger side heater channel needs replacing along with the batter tray and both jack supports.

Engine: Type 3 VW pancake motor swap. fitted with oil filter, dual Solex carbs, baja dual exhaust, oil pressure gauge, cam (not sure of the specifics)

Exterior: Baja cut body, chevy chromies, painted by my father close to 30 years ago

Interior: GT Grant 3 spoke chrome wheel, tach, short shifter, rear seats removed :-(

Suspension: rear air shocks, rear camber compensator, vw to chevy lug converter

Other: mouse nests in the engine, and typical rusted through battery tray

...and a spare motor.

Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:32 pm

Hey, don't apologize. Enjoy it and have some fun. The paint still looks great. Watch that steering wheel though. I had one on a Bug when I was much younger. When you crank it in a hurry it can get HAIRY! What are your plans?

Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:06 pm

Bruce MacDonald wrote: Hey, don't apologize. Enjoy it and have some fun. The paint still looks great. Watch that steering wheel though. I had one on a Bug when I was much younger. When you crank it in a hurry it can get HAIRY! What are your plans?

Yea it's all about having fun and from what I've heard, it's plenty of fun :D

As for plans, when my father and i get around to it, we're gonna have to drop the motor and go through it b/c it sat so long, and I'd just want to fix the floors and then enjoy it! I've got a '67 of my own that I'm currently restoring so that takes up most of my time, not to mention I'm a full time student :?

It's basically gonna stay the way it is, and driven as much as possible

Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:13 pm

Thats cool you're getting it up and running again! Sell me those chrome reverse wheels. :D

Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:00 pm

Check that spare engine #. If that is the og engine it may be worth bringing it back to stock.
Either way, enjoy! 8)

Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:13 pm

Fun car, too bad another good w-deck lid got hackked. car looks solid none the less.

Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:31 am

She looks nice! This is one cool job your dad did.
What are those things down on the seats? Seats recliners?

Ju

Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:37 pm

I feel sorry for this oval. Cut it up and sell the metal for other ovals that need to be saved that haven't been violated like this one.

Sun Nov 09, 2008 8:27 pm

Get it up and running, have fun with it in the snow or great car for fire roads to get to fishing or hunting spots. drive the car as built for its intended purpose by the po.

Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:38 pm

" I like it" said purist Don. "Always wanted to do one just like it"

Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:10 am

Make sure the exhaust is facing a wall when you start her up!

That mouse won't see it coming!............................. LOL

Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:59 am

I'd clean it up and drive it as-is. That type 3 engine looks cool, looks like some sort of turbo fan jet engine.

Make sure you make a youtube video of you evicting the mouse out the exhaust.

Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:02 pm

While it’s unfortunate that the oval body got cut, the fact is that you still have a piece of your family’s automotive history. Not many people can say that. Whether it gets restored to factory original or put back on the road “as-is” really isn’t the issue. The important thing is that you keep it and have fun with it. If you don’t, you’ll always have to tell the car’s story in past tense, i.e. “the one that got away”.

I still have my first car – a daily driven ’62 Chevy Bel-Air that my dad and I rebuilt in 1986 – and I can tell you from experience that it’s much more fun to tell people the story of that car while I’m actually sitting in it. Furthermore, my nine year old daughter has already claimed it as hers and fully intends to help me rebuild it again before she’s 16. Imagine how interesting the story will be when she has her own kids and they rebuild it – again! Any amount of money I could get from selling it couldn’t possibly buy memories like that. (By the way, my other daughter has claimed my wife's '56 Beetle.)

Your dad's '57 is a cool ride, man. Whatever you guys do with it, just enjoy it!

Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:47 pm

ScreaminJimmy wrote: While it’s unfortunate that the oval body got cut, the fact is that you still have a piece of your family’s automotive history. Not many people can say that. Whether it gets restored to factory original or put back on the road “as-is” really isn’t the issue. The important thing is that you keep it and have fun with it. If you don’t, you’ll always have to tell the car’s story in past tense, i.e. “the one that got away”.

I still have my first car – a daily driven ’62 Chevy Bel-Air that my dad and I rebuilt in 1986 – and I can tell you from experience that it’s much more fun to tell people the story of that car while I’m actually sitting in it. Furthermore, my nine year old daughter has already claimed it as hers and fully intends to help me rebuild it again before she’s 16. Imagine how interesting the story will be when she has her own kids and they rebuild it – again! Any amount of money I could get from selling it couldn’t possibly buy memories like that. (By the way, my other daughter has claimed my wife's '56 Beetle.)

Your dad's '57 is a cool ride, man. Whatever you guys do with it, just enjoy it!

Very well said Jimmy. Very well said.

Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:53 pm

That's one sick old-school ride. Keep it as-is.

Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:14 pm

jooles wrote: She looks nice! This is one cool job your dad did.
What are those things down on the seats? Seats recliners?

Ju

I honestly couldn't tell you. If you know anything about '62 seats that's where they're from.

Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:16 pm

[email protected] wrote: I'd clean it up and drive it as-is. That type 3 engine looks cool, looks like some sort of turbo fan jet engine.

Make sure you make a youtube video of you evicting the mouse out the exhaust.

Yea the type 3 motor looks sick... I told my Dad I want to flip the license plate mount upside down, so the license plate is above the fan. This way you can see it spinning when you're behind it. Wayy more badass in my opinion 8)

Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:02 pm

Something I'd like to add is that my dad made the car from a picture of Gary Emory's baja bug from a long time ago. He found a picture in a magazine and built it from that. (not this picture, but that's the car.) When he cut the fenders and decklid he did it with a hacksaw and managed to keep the lines perfectly straight.

A couple weeks ago I found a gentleman who was selling a rear seat from an oval so I jumped on it. I got a mint OG '56 rear seat. It was covered in red vinyl, so it saved the original material and almost looks brand new. :D

Mouse nests seem to be a reoccurring theme with this car, and the same goes with the seat I got. kinda nasty, but whatever lol

Nice right? The piping around the edges aren't even cracked. :)

This was tucked under a spring. From a factory in Germany. I thought it was cool it lasted this long.

Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:48 pm

That is a beautiful car and very well preserved. One of the nicer early street bajas I've ever seen, especially in the way the fenders and hoods were trimmed, the headlight placement, the use of black paint and the steelie wheels, which were VERY popular back then.

It's amazing that it is still intact and in such great shape. I would leave it just as is without thinking twice about what others would think...

Tue Mar 03, 2009 3:59 pm

eth727 wrote: I feel sorry for this oval. Cut it up and sell the metal for other ovals that need to be saved that haven't been violated like this one.

What do you think of the fashion to take out the suspension and drive around scrapping on the ground? At least this is a practicle vehicle on and off road.