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Joshua B Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2004 Posts: 273 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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So I would like to update this thread. I purchased this car in 12/2016. I have been doing some steady work to it ever since.
First off I purchased the car with only seeing the pictures online. After receiving it, it was pretty clear the car was pretty low mileage and didn't see much time on the east coast winter roads. It did have some rust and dents but less than expected. Everything looks to me as it may have been a Hoffman car, but I haven't sent off for the BC.
I separated the body from the pan and disassembled the drive train. The pan was in great shape, with only two patches that I needed to weld. My biggest issue was the seized choke cable. After a long time of dealing with it, I finally got it out and sorted. I discussed this in the choke cable thread in the oval section. I then blasted all the small parts associated with the pan and sent it to KCW to get blasted and painted. I had them install some new king and link pins in the spindles and fix a broken torsion spring in the front end as well.
Before during, and after the pan was getting dealt with I was working on the body. This car was extremely clean. I was planning on a full restore. but while I was checking out the body it was pretty clear how nice it is. So I got some citra strip and started at it. I removed the top red primer coat and a layer of white paint. Below was all the original paint in pretty great shape. So, with how nice the original paint is I felt I should preserve it.
The rust in the rear cross members got replaced with new sections. I also welded a few areas behind the rear body mounts. I re welded the rear apron inner brace and quarters where they were cracked and braced. The passenger door was a little rusty down low and received a patch, I also patched the passenger side hood corner on the exterior, and replaced the lower hood below the hood handle. The access hole in the rear parcel tray got welded up as well along with a few other holes.
The driver front fender is original to the car, so I left it and just patched the turn signal hole that was added up top. I found a nice oval era passenger fender for the right side here on the samba. I straightened up the bent passenger side inner front quarter. The left rear is a heart fender that needed a bit of work and welding, while the right rear was an NOS fender I had at the house. For painting I didn't go all out on the color match, I just used that rattle can etching primer and come clear over it. The original paint is pretty dull with no shine left.
After this I rewired everything, and added all of the original Zwitter parts that were missing. The interior is pretty ragged out and just keeps getting worse every time I sit in it. Horse hair everywhere. I just ordered a new interior and hope to have time to install it early this summer.
I have the original brakes and engine setting aside. I installed a stoker 36hp that I built a while back. It is a 1558cc. I also put on a set of 356a brakes I restored a while back. Still getting it all dialed in to make it a nice reliable driver. I have 4 of the original wheels. Unfortunately there was some issues with the rivets clearancing the brakes. I slightly clearanced the rivet dome tops, this helped, but 2 of the rims turned out to be extremely bent. So I installed and painted 4 later welded wheels. I will keep these riveted wheels to be straightened and restored for later use.
So I had a bunch of accessories that I accumulated for the restoration. I have been itching to install them, so recently I started adding the trinkets.
Last edited by Joshua B on Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Joshua B Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2004 Posts: 273 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Joshua B Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2004 Posts: 273 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:12 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Joshua B Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2004 Posts: 273 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Basketcase Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2011 Posts: 636 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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great job....looks great! _________________ '72 Karmann Ghia Coupe (the Boss's) |
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56samba Samba Member
Joined: June 25, 2015 Posts: 262 Location: Germany
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:05 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Must be one of my favorite Zwitters on this planet. It was a great decision to keep the original paint!
WOW and this engine is also not bad |
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kafer53 Samba Member
Joined: July 24, 2004 Posts: 903 Location: Ontario, Canada
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:54 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Awesome looking car! Wicked job !
Paul _________________ 1953 Zwitter 11C (L73) |
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empiracer Samba Member
Joined: December 17, 2002 Posts: 1098 Location: Issaquah / Seattle, Wa.
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:31 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Well done Joshua! |
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Joshua B Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2004 Posts: 273 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Thanks for the comments! I just ordered me an interior this week. Can't wait to install it. This original interior is so fragile it falls apart when you touch it, and there is horse hair EVERYWHERE! I am also considering color matching the two fenders a bit closer and possibly color matching the NOS one. |
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obus Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2001 Posts: 11044 Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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Jacks Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2006 Posts: 2344 Location: San Clemente, Ca.
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2018 10:03 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Sometimes, the hardest thing is to know when to stop. _________________ Jack Staggs
Actual name |
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lo-lo55 Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2004 Posts: 61 Location: christchurch New Zealand
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:55 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Damn that came out cool, perfect! |
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klubbs Samba Member
Joined: September 20, 2009 Posts: 34
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 7:25 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Good job!
Cool car and engine |
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Two Glove Boxes Samba Member
Joined: March 03, 2005 Posts: 838 Location: Texas
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 8:08 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Sick! That engine looks tough! Good job. |
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Joshua B Samba Member
Joined: January 03, 2004 Posts: 273 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:15 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Finally got my new interior installed and finished up. The car is so much more quite now. |
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Basketcase Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2011 Posts: 636 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:33 am Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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beautiful job! _________________ '72 Karmann Ghia Coupe (the Boss's) |
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advCo Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2017 Posts: 373 Location: Houston, TX
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 1:34 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Gorgeous!
I really like the fabric on the seats. _________________ "He pulled the mirrors off his Cadillac ‘cause he doesn’t like it looking like he looks back"
'68/'70 Ghia Coupe Project
'70 Westy Project - Champagne I Wannabe
A bunch of vintage Japanese motorcycles
"Much ingenuity with a little money is vastly more profitable and amusing than much money without ingenuity." -A. Bennett |
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obieoberstar Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 1126 Location: Tucson
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Is that a speaker in the rear luggage area?
That interior turned out fantastic. |
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pastellgreen Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2012 Posts: 1036 Location: Germany
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:58 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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What a wonderful car and a good job you did on it! Great decision on using L 16 for the wheels instead of fantasy two tone colour scheme. |
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kafer52 Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2012 Posts: 39 Location: Texas USA
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 7:01 pm Post subject: Re: My 1952 Zwitter |
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Hi Josh, I just saw that your engine serial number 1-0503653 is 1 greater than my original engine (652). Unfortunately, I don't have the original. I suppose your Zwitter was also built on Nov 22, 1952. Hey brother!
Mark _________________ November '52 Zwitter |
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