TheSamba.com :: View topic - Better Than a Barn Find.....My 1957 Horizon Blue Euro/Export

Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:59 pm

Introducing "Blauchen" my June 1957 Horizon Blue European/Export Oval Window. :)

I bought this car off the Samba back in late October 2011 and just had it shipped to me last week, the car is a very unique Oval Window, special ordered by a US Navy Scientist in May 1957 through MAHAG, Munich, West Germany and brought back to the USA in 1958.

The car is a European spec car, with German Cloth upholstery and semaphore turn signals (SWF D code) but, since the car was scheduled to be shipped back to the USA, the car also received, overrider bumpers (RAM protection) sealed beam headlights, bullet turn signals, MPH speedometer and American snow flake taillights.

All these parts I suspect were added prior to the car being shipped to the States, (at MAHAG Munich) while the bullet turn signals and the semaphores worked TOGETHER with/on the same turn signal switch!

The man drove the car for 2,000 or so miles and then gave it to his Mother, (in ca. 1959) who drove it the rest of the time, till about 1980, since then the car had been standing in a dry garage, preserved and waiting to be found.........

The car is a 100% original garage find, only the tires, brake pads, lines, wheel and master cylinders, spark plugs, an intake manifold, battery and a muffler have been changed/renewed since June 1957.

The chassis and pans are 100% factory solid, rot and cancer free, only slight surface rust, a NEVER welded "virgin" Oval Window.

The interior is 100% original and almost perfect condition, just some stains on the door panel fabric and the top right corner of the drivers seat is worn through, the rest of the seats are like new, just dusty/dirty from sitting around 30+ years without cleaning.

The headliner is also like new, just slightly aged looking and dusty, all firm and no sags, looks amazing!

The paint is 98% - 2% faded/surface rust and the chrome has "patina", small dents and scratches, what you would call "character!" :)

The motor is the all original matching numbers one, hardly broken in with only 27,400 Original Miles, documented and an all Original 6 volt system!

The motor cranks right over and purrrrs like a kitten, running like a fine Swiss watch! :D

I posted some photos from the garage it was found/stored in and also the car coming to Florida via tractor trailer taken by the PO, I'll have more photos of the car posted shortly......... ;)

Enjoy!

Tom

Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:15 pm

Congratulations, wonderful score! Enjoy and do it your way.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:21 pm

That is sweat =D> . What's your plans with it :?: Restore, Leave it ? I thinks it would look bitchen like this. Maybe not lowered on Escras. Can't wait to see some more pics.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 6:30 pm

My plan now is to get it all the mechanical stuff sorted out and the car road ready. :)

The car will be an overall "preservation restoration" just replacing seals, rubber and the tires, no modifications to the original parts, other than making them work, or work better! :D

I'm staying with the stock original two tone wheels with some radials on them or maybe silver painted 1963 Lemmerz Porsche 356B wheels and finned aluminum brake drums which I have in storage, I haven't decided yet which wheels I want to use?

Later down the road maybe a CIP 1/ Mr Wob - Abarth 4-tip Muffler for a nice sound and at last add my original 1957 USFIG (US FORCES IN GERMANY) license plate on the front bumper and that's it for the outside of the car.......

As for inside, I'm not the big accessory nut, I like practial things to use........I just want some pre 1964 *Pop Out* quarter windows, add my Rare American AM/FM/Marine Band Blaupunkt "Frankfurt" and a dual base mount antenna, an accessory "4-Speed Pattern" shift knob and a Ra Bambus tray/ under dash shelf, that's it! :)

The original paint I will buff out and leave the patina and surface rust etc. I've already done the *Simple Green" treatment and also used 0000 steel wool and Carnauba wax on parts of the cars paint in the patina areas, it still has a long way to go till it has the "factory shine" back it it, but I have lot's of time to take it easy on it, I'm sure I'll get alot of good advice here too, I will talk more about my cleaning up the car in the next few days......

Tom

Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:42 am

Nice find, your are lucky man 8)

Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:26 am

Nice looking car! I'm hoping you LT the hell out of that thing. I'm from the lowering crowd but that one needs to be preserved! Good luck with it.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:41 am

Sweet car!

Wonder where I was when this one popped up in the classifieds... :P

Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:15 am

ViLL wrote: Sweet car!

Wonder where I was when this one popped up in the classifieds... :P

Here was the original ad:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1210766

It was only up for about 5 days or maybe a little less?

I interviewed the PO and as soon as I found out it had a German cloth interior and semaphores, I bought it sight un-seen!

And I negotiated on the price and I paid less than what was posted there........

I'm very very happy about this car, I've looked for one like this since I moved back to the states from Germany in 1996.
(I was in the US Army in Germany for 9 years and 3 years working there as a civilian and I was very spoiled I always owned/drove European/Semaphore cars) :p

I really hadn't expected to ever find a clean unmolested European Oval Window again, well at least not here already in the states. :)

I'm taking my time with the paint and preservation, once it's on the road it will be driven, it's pretty much begging to be driven, the car has been panpered all it's life, it deserves some fun long road trips.

Tom

Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:52 am

unique find! Semaphores and bullets...totally rad! Hope to see more follow up pics... :D

Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:31 pm

Im anxious to see what that original paint can look like. What is on the front fenders? Odd discoloration.

Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:29 pm

vw57drvr wrote: Im anxious to see what that original paint can look like. What is on the front fenders? Odd discoloration.

Yes, that's surface rust, seems the front fenders may have been sprayed at MAHAG before the car left Germany, they don't quite match colorwise, but the rust has cleaned up for the most part, I think the OG paint will polish up nicely. :)

I'll be showing new photos shortly......

Tom

Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:48 pm

Here's some photos as the car came home to Florida......

Here's some shots from the first night home, I was quite worried watching the car teetering on that trailer, but the driver treated the car well and they got it here all in one piece :)

ATTENTION! ~ If you need a great shipper on for your classic VW please use Auto Shipper's Express at 1-800-454-1315 ~ www.shipauto.com ~ and ask for Mike.

They were very professional and I got an amazing rate for "First On Last Off" service! :D

I was really blown away by the overall condition of the car, as I've said before I bought this car sight un-seen after seeing some simple snap shots, but as soon as the truck driver fired up the car on the trailer and I "heard" for the first time what kinda sound was coming out of that 36hp, I *knew* I had bought a good, healthy, original car!

As these photos were taken the car was not washed yet and I just briefly went over looking at the car, pans are like new, just slight surface rust (what do I treat the pans with on the outside to stop further rust?)
I'm sure there's people here who can give me some good suggesstions???

The paint under the trunk lid is all like new, the dash cardboard is in amazing condition and under the deck lid paint is also very clean and the motor is still running on all it's original parts, only the fan belt, spark plugs and muffler have been changed since 1957.......

Next photos will be from the start of the clean up, I'll post them soon! :)

Enjoy!

Tom

Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:41 am

I agree. The condition looks amazing, Tom. Can't wait to see it.

Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:47 am

Blue Baron wrote: I agree. The condition looks amazing, Tom. Can't wait to see it.

Hey There, How have you been?

Haven't talked to you in a while, hope you and your wife are well :)

Yeah, been polishin, and cleaning...... and cleaning and polishing since last Thursday on it, taking a break today now, just after rubbing some polishing compound over parts of the paint, I want to post some photos, I think I'm going at it the right way, I have to find out more about preservation and preparing the patina'd parts (rust on the paint) etc.

TTYS

Tom

Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:50 am

Here's some photos of the car the next day, after the Simple Green Treatment (wiped on, wait a few seconds and wipe clean with a dry towel) and then the entire car washed with a mild liquid soap, rinsed and dry toweled down.

Grit, dirt and dust all gone, outside of the car after the Simple Green is very clean and now paint's ready for polishing compound and wax, more photos coming soon. :)

Tom

Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:45 am

Tom, Sweet! Nice to see the pictures here on Samba. A little Easyoff oven cleaner on those touch up spots to remove them, a good buff and Hit The Road Baby!

Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:36 pm

What a sweet find! How 'bout some interior pics especially the cloth and door cards? The pics you have make it look surreal- and that's cool!

Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:53 pm

Blauchen L331 wrote:

..almost looks like a picture taken in an odd focal length of an old monogram VW model.

looking very cool..!

Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:58 pm

boxkiteflyer wrote: What a sweet find! How 'bout some interior pics especially the cloth and door cards? The pics you have make it look surreal- and that's cool!

I'll post some interior shots soon........I'm working on the outside for now, need to get the car looking just right, I've had some problems finding a insurance company, the underwriters from State Farm were assh*les! :(

Tom

Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:13 pm

Blauchen L331 wrote: boxkiteflyer wrote: What a sweet find! How 'bout some interior pics especially the cloth and door cards? The pics you have make it look surreal- and that's cool!

I'll post some interior shots soon........I'm working on the outside for now, need to get the car looking just right, I've had some problems finding a insurance company, the underwriters from State Farm were assh*les! :(

Tom try Haggerty!