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Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:02 pm

On the split bus forum, they have a lot of super cool vintage factory photos of buses being built. I wanted to drag some of the barndoor ones over here for people to see. I'm sure most of us go from forum to forum but just in case.

Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:08 pm

Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:08 pm

Cool photos!
I think I see Gerson in one of them... :lol:

Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:35 pm

bubba wrote:
Holy macaroni!!!! 8)

Thu Sep 10, 2009 12:53 pm

very nice. I wonder why the skylight pressings on those roof clips looks bent in? Was there a secondary pressing after the holes were cut to give the roof it's final shape? I'd LOVE to see the press pop one of those out. I know there is video of a beetle side panel getting done and it's pretty imPRESSive. :roll:

Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:24 pm

god,those are great pics! i thought the pressings on the skylights was funny too,but i think its an illusion,i think the light is on it funny

Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:26 pm

hugheseum wrote: god,those are great pics! i thought the pressings on the skylights was funny too,but i think its an illusion,i think the light is on it funny I think your punch drunk looking at them. :lol:

Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:30 pm

Here's the tread i was looking for!!

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332719

Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:01 pm

well the pictures from a book and thats definately a shadow on the rear part,the logical answer is often the correct one

Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:10 pm

hugheseum wrote: god,those are great pics! i thought the pressings on the skylights was funny too,but i think its an illusion,i think the light is on it funny

I think that's just because they haven't smeared on the buckets of Bondo yet.

Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:16 pm

:lol:
But nevertheless I often wonder how they managed to get those multi-spotwelded LARGE panels as straight as they were from factory . Some original paint buses I've seen show the quality and it is superb. 55years ago they buildt smoother panels and by far smoother paint than todays hitech orange peel junk. I would'nt pay 1 € for a factory fresh car of today ....

Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:36 pm

BTW the pic of the DLX roofs is taken from the 1953 Peter Keetmann photography book 'a week at the factory' . Most of you will know it anyways.
Among mostly oval bug production pics It also contains this one:
( look at the paint quality and the mirror image of the parked ovals and buses in the opposite row) This book is ART !

Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:27 pm

djfordmanjack wrote: BTW the pic of the DLX roofs is taken from the 1953 Peter Keetmann photography book 'a week at the factory' . Most of you will know it anyways.
Among mostly oval bug production pics It also contains this one:
( look at the paint quality and the mirror image of the parked ovals and buses in the opposite row) This book is ART !

Correction, those BARNDOORS are art.

Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:33 am

Can anyone date those shiny barndoors?

Large silver lenses, downward pointing mirror arms, late quarter lights and ribbed semaphores - must be quite a small time frame in 53?

Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:36 am

Scotty wrote: Can anyone date those shiny barndoors?

Large silver lenses, downward pointing mirror arms, late quarter lights and ribbed semaphores - must be quite a small time frame in 53?
Good eye, Sound about right.

Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:21 am

Well ,er, I'd say April 1953.

Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:35 am

my standard is Dec. 53 and i have a beat to hell grooved semaphore that came out of it. i cant claim its original but it sure seemed like it was. also a melted lense in the other B pillar when i cut into it,missing semaphore.

Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:41 am

BeaterBarndoor wrote: my standard is Dec. 53 and i have a beat to hell grooved semaphore that came out of it. i cant claim its original but it sure seemed like it was. also a melted lense in the other B pillar when i cut into it,missing semaphore. Dee's singlecab is a dec. 53 and it has groovers in it!

Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:47 am

Thank Lind for the photo.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=504178

Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:57 am

BeaterBarndoor wrote: my standard is Dec. 53 and i have a beat to hell grooved semaphore that came out of it. i cant claim its original but it sure seemed like it was. also a melted lense in the other B pillar when i cut into it,missing semaphore.

My late December 1953 Panel had smooth semaphores on it when I got it in about 2000. It had been parked and untouched since 1975.