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My new April of 1955 oval
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 10:59 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

Riff Raff wrote:
What a gem!
Amazing it could survive that long in so close to stock condition knowing what indignities were sometimes inflicted on these cars over the past few decades.
Your hideous shifter is an amputation of a 356B shifter.
Good on you for wanting to return it to stock condition.


I still have a hard time believing how it stayed in such good shape as well. I’m waiting for the 3rd owner to get me the number of the 2nd owner so I can try to track down more information, but I know it’s lived in California at least since the 60’s. So the shifter is a 356b upper, and original lower half? Is it even worth anything? I have an original straight shifter on its way, I’m going to only restore and replace what actually needs to be restored or replaced, I just don’t have the heart to take away all of its originality. Restored cars just don’t have the same feel as one that’s been preserved.
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Riff Raff
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 11:10 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

I like your philosophy regarding originality vs restoration.

The top half is amputated from a 356B. The shifter itself is likely worthless, but those original knobs were often tossed in favour of a Porsche logo'd knob.
It won't be worth much, but it is an original 356 knob, so should go back on a 356 - and someone who is missing one would want it.

The lower half of the shifter is likely the original.
A replacement straight shifter will be just as un original as a repaired straight shifter I think - but....
Consider bolting in the shifter you have on the way, and then see if you can find a worn straight shifter to use as a donor section for the part of your original that has been amputated.
You can weld on the missing length, and then decide which shifter is best suited for the car.
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 11:21 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

Riff Raff wrote:
I like your philosophy regarding originality vs restoration.

The top half is amputated from a 356B. The shifter itself is likely worthless, but those original knobs were often tossed in favour of a Porsche logo'd knob.
It won't be worth much, but it is an original 356 knob, so should go back on a 356 - and someone who is missing one would want it.

The lower half of the shifter is likely the original.
A replacement straight shifter will be just as un original as a repaired straight shifter I think - but....
Consider bolting in the shifter you have on the way, and then see if you can find a worn straight shifter to use as a donor section for the part of your original that has been amputated.
You can weld on the missing length, and then decide which shifter is best suited for the car.


I’m definitely going to use the original base and spring from my original shifter, but I don’t think I’ll mess with trying to repair what’s left of the original shaft. I’m crazy about keeping originality to a car, but some things just aren’t worth dealing with really.
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motofly196
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 12:26 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

This car has so much potential! ! I tried paint stripping my Ultramaroon 55' a few years ago. There wasn't any metallic left in the paint, and after reading through some paint threads, it seems that probably happened in its first few years, as vw experienced problems with its metallic colors. Your car also seems "flat" in the areas you've stripped.
Do you have the egg tail light shells yet? I remember seeing some Strato silver ones listed before on here. Maybe a wtb ad could get them to resurface?
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 12:36 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

motofly196 wrote:
This car has so much potential! ! I tried paint stripping my Ultramaroon 55' a few years ago. There wasn't any metallic left in the paint, and after reading through some paint threads, it seems that probably happened in its first few years, as vw experienced problems with its metallic colors. Your car also seems "flat" in the areas you've stripped.
Do you have the egg tail light shells yet? I remember seeing some Strato silver ones listed before on here. Maybe a wtb ad could get them to resurface?


I’m working on the paint now, I’ll post pictures of the progress as I go. There are some strato silver taillights for sale right now, but they have the wrong brackets and probably need lenses. I emailed him already, but no response. I’d definitely rather have original ones, but I just don’t think it’s worth it to spend $6-700 on original taillights that have incorrect brackets, cracked lenses, rusty or pitted housings, and bezels that need to be rechromed. I’ll probably end up with repops, unless I find a really good deal on an original set of just housings & brackets since everything else would probably have to be replaced.
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:40 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

This is such a time consuming process, but bringing the shine back to this old paint will totally be worth it. The first two pictures are just the light wet sanding pictures, the last one is after buffing out the A pillar.

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jays58s
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:10 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

I did some more polishing today, and took a picture of the drivers only AAA seat belt and "fasten seat belt" decal.


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motofly196
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:42 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

That's paint porn right there! I'm really liking the fasten seat belt sticker, haven't seen one that ornate!
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:55 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

motofly196 wrote:
That's paint porn right there! I'm really liking the fasten seat belt sticker, haven't seen one that ornate!


I’m so happy with how it’s polishing out. I like that sticker too, I almost removed it, but then I came to my senses and realized that would be dumb lol.
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:19 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

Popcorn Awesome.

Too bad it lost its smoothies along the way, but at least the spare is there for evidence of the paint scheme.

Hopefully if you search long enough, you will find some correctly dated wheels.
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:16 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

Busstom wrote:
Popcorn Awesome.

Too bad it lost its smoothies along the way, but at least the spare is there for evidence of the paint scheme.

Hopefully if you search long enough, you will find some correctly dated wheels.


I was super bummed about the wheels, and finding date matched ones will be next to impossible.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:53 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

The paint is slowly coming back to life...
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René R.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:56 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

WOW! Shocked
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:00 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

That is looking really nice! It's hard to tell in the pics, but is there any metallic flake left in the paint?
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:46 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

motofly196 wrote:
That is looking really nice! It's hard to tell in the pics, but is there any metallic flake left in the paint?


There actually is, I was surprised lol.
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 9:55 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

It looks sparkly to me...at least on this phone's screen. That's what was so great about those VW metallics, they had such fine particles, almost pearly.
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 12:09 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

Busstom wrote:
It looks sparkly to me...at least on this phone's screen. That's what was so great about those VW metallics, they had such fine particles, almost pearly.


Yup, it’s always harder to see finer details through pictures. I can’t wait to be able to stand back and see the fully completed results.
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lovethatconvertible
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:12 am    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

Yep, I Love that color. Keep em coming.
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ZENVWDRIVER
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:42 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

i'll bet your score was one of the last to have semaphores... does have a mix of later 1955 parts, like USA bumpers... much nicer without bullet fenders... there are a couple of strait shifters in the classifieds right now... pretty car. have fun
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jays58s
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:15 pm    Post subject: Re: My new April of 1955 oval Reply with quote

ZENVWDRIVER wrote:
i'll bet your score was one of the last to have semaphores... does have a mix of later 1955 parts, like USA bumpers... much nicer without bullet fenders... there are a couple of strait shifters in the classifieds right now... pretty car. have fun


It could be one of the last semaphore/egg cars. It was built the first week of April, so I’m not sure how many were built after mine. I found the shifter and semaphore switch already, I just need an ignition switch, taillights, and a headlight harness for it.
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