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overrestored
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2005
Posts: 730
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 Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 3:29 pm Post subject: Re: Where is this Rometsch? |
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A bit of sad, albeit old news... but new to me. I was digging for more info on Ivans car... about the garage that Gary Longworth sold it to in 1978 or so. I discovered that Gary Longworth had passed away in the summer of 2014. Gary owned KDF enterprises in Glendale CA back in the day.
Bob Scott had Vintage parts... he's gone too... I think they were partners for a while... can't remember the issue... but then there were two shops.
It is always weird when someone who knows so much about the hobby is just gone... someone was there for decades as a deep resource to many people. I wanted some info... and knew Gary would have it... but it is now lost forever.
RIP GARY
He was 65.
_________________
some cars
some bicycles
some old skateboards
One cool crazy cat
a yard full of fruit trees
26 chairs for some reason
a crapload of old shoes
a lot of books on history of the Mexican Ranchos
200+ kamax bolts... stacked in rows |
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overrestored
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2005
Posts: 730
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| Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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| overrestored wrote: |
| kingsburgphil wrote: |
Snapped this pic at a Bug-In just to show that some cars came with dual
front trims pieces. Never saw the car again.
edit: After looking at the reflection in the hubcap, it wasn't taken at a Bug-
In.
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Phil... my car had holes in the aluminum for twin front trim buried beneath the paint etc... but only one trim was on the car when I got it. |
Notice how the twin front eyebrows on this photo Phil took... are similar to the size difference in the white car from my post above... so maybe this size difference is normal... I don't know. My car had holes for the two eyebrows... but I only had one eyebrow with the car when I bought it. The car in Phil's shot has the side chrome... which the white car was obviously missing as it has been restored with some skinnier trim... so the car in Phil's shot is not the white car...
all these details... it's a giant puzzle.
_________________
some cars
some bicycles
some old skateboards
One cool crazy cat
a yard full of fruit trees
26 chairs for some reason
a crapload of old shoes
a lot of books on history of the Mexican Ranchos
200+ kamax bolts... stacked in rows |
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overrestored
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2005
Posts: 730
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| Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 12:57 pm Post subject: Re: lost beeskow |
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| mozart wrote: |
| overrestored wrote: |
I think the mystery is solved.
I spoke to Gary Longsworth today... He says he owned the car for about a year... and drove it as his daily driver back then. It was no big deal then he explained... just an old oddball vw. He ended up selling it to an armenian or iranian fellow... and heard later that the car had been involved in an accident... and was completely wrecked. He confirmed it was a 1957... but didn't have the body or chassis number info.
Gary also mentioned that there was a Beeskow hardtop... in burgundy... rolling around the Pasadena/altadena area... and he saw it once or twice... and then saw it once up on the lake tahoe area!
I wonder where that car is now!
I told Gary of this thread... he was curious to see the car as he hadn't saved any photos of it. So hopefully he shows up here and says hello!
He hadn't spoken to "mozart" in many years... so Mozart... pm me and I'll get you his number if you like.
Eric |
Thanks Eric for pursuing the search of this "odd ball" car and to hook up with Gary our oldtimer Split window enthusiast. You know, come to think of it , the Rometsch was just another "odd ball" VW to me also!
Really sorry to hear the car was in an "complete wreck" accident, hopefully parts of cars were saved instead of being crushed or the aluminun being melted down!
I've sent you a message in your "PM" box. I really apprecaite your interest in this search.
In the meantime, let's keep searching ! |
OK... the saga continues... I was contacted by a family in the NW US today. They bought a beeskow in Temple City CA... a brownish beat up cabrio. They think it was late sixties or early 1970's. Ivan says he sold it in 77... and Gary says he sold his to some armenians a year later and that it was wrecked... well... here are pictures of the car these folks own... ... I am asking them for the body numbers. The Chassis is from June of 56...
These folks bought this car without a title... and it needed a lot of work. I am asking them for photos back in the day... we'll see.
They spent a long time restoring this car back then. The headlights have obviously been changed... the taillights they "fixed" which may mean they turned them around... the front now has the two eyebrows... etc. I can't really see the dash very well in the photos I have to compare to Ivan's car... but it could be the same car Ivan owned except that the dates appear a bit off... so I don't know for certain.
the beetle overrider bumpers, taillights, and the "brown" all point to it being the same car... but only time and research will clarify.
Currently it is restored with the wrong body chrome, taillights, headlights front turn signals, bumpers and many other bits... but it looks nice and the body appears to be in good shape.
an interesting detail is that there is a significant difference between the lower and upper nose eyebrows... which leads me to believe that one of the eyebrows may have been with the car... perhaps in a box or the trunk... while the other was fabricated to match... but not perfectly.
Really nice people... who love the car.
UPDATE>>> Jan 31, 2016 (the next day) Turns out that there were two brownish scrappy Rometsch Beeskows running around El Monte/Temple City area in the 1960's/1970's! This one which is now white below... and Ivan's. The white one was in the late 1960's... and Ivan's was in the 70's. A weird coincidence! Also weird that they both had beetle rear bumpers and Porsche 356 taillights... but we are certain that they are different cars now after discussion between Split Personality and myself (the Rometsch Registry)
_________________
some cars
some bicycles
some old skateboards
One cool crazy cat
a yard full of fruit trees
26 chairs for some reason
a crapload of old shoes
a lot of books on history of the Mexican Ranchos
200+ kamax bolts... stacked in rows
Last edited by overrestored on Sun Jan 31, 2016 12:34 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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kingsburgphil
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2009
Posts: 42
Location: kingsburg, ca. USA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 9:19 am Post subject: |
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| SplitPersonality wrote: |
Wow! Very interesting pictures Phil - thanks for sharing!!
The two pictures of the black car.... very very interesting. I am not 100% sure which car this is, I have compared to numerous pictures and numbers I have recorded. It is not a NJ-car, it is not Malamut, Kee or Hollywoods car.
Out of the known survivors (35 Beeskows) - it has to be one of two cars, I am quite sure.
- It is either the ex-Mac Jones, ex-Les De Cruz - now in Germany car (now blue). I am not sure where Mac bought this car - somebody could confirm? (not to be confused by the 2 other Beeskows Mac has owned)
- OR - it is "the other Beeskow" owned by the LA-eccentric. Numer 260. I believe Eric - you could confirm if this is the case or not. This car was also owned by Chris Morley at one stage.
...or it could very well be a "currently unknown" car... that would be very cool. What do you know about it Phil? Patrick? When/where was these pictures taken? |
The black cabrio (freshly painted) showed up at my house unexpectedly,
on its way to the bug-in. The cars owner (pat ?) had planned to sell it there, I'm guessing 82' or 83'.
The primered car was a cabrio also. I vaguely recall the car being at a vvwca meet,
maybe 85'?. Two young guys where showing the car, one of them might have been
brett (blue) nelson, but I'm not sure.
Also, at that time hollywood ralph still had his three Beeskows and at least one D&S.
The turquoise one (cabrio) was heavily damaged (front) and in poor condition. That
car is the one later purchased by Chris Morley, if I'm not mistaken.
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founder - Rometsch Registry - 1978-96 |
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SplitPersonality
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2004
Posts: 631
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:57 am Post subject: |
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| overrestored wrote: |
| kingsburgphil wrote: |
Snapped this pic at a Bug-In just to show that some cars came with dual
front trims pieces. Never saw the car again.
edit: After looking at the reflection in the hubcap, it wasn't taken at a Bug-
In.
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Phil... my car had holes in the aluminum for twin front trim buried beneath the paint etc... but only one trim was on the car when I got it. |
Also a very interesting picture Phil... Was this a Convertible or a Coupe? What year Bug In and do you know any more about this car? Judging from the color and lights it could have been the now-Mark Merrill car, but I do not have any records of that having two eyebrows. Maybe Mark/Schubert/Andy could confirm is it ever had this layout?
My theory:
More than 50%/most of all Beeskows supplied to the US had double eyebrows in the front. None of the EU-supplied cars had them. It was a "license-plate-size&location" and "US grill-look-alike-desire" thing that led to this market-split. |
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SplitPersonality
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2004
Posts: 631
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:50 am Post subject: |
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Wow! Very interesting pictures Phil - thanks for sharing!!
The two pictures of the black car.... very very interesting. I am not 100% sure which car this is, I have compared to numerous pictures and numbers I have recorded. It is not a NJ-car, it is not Malamut, Kee or Hollywoods car.
Out of the known survivors (35 Beeskows) - it has to be one of two cars, I am quite sure.
- It is either the ex-Mac Jones, ex-Les De Cruz - now in Germany car (now blue). I am not sure where Mac bought this car - somebody could confirm? (not to be confused by the 2 other Beeskows Mac has owned)
- OR - it is "the other Beeskow" owned by the LA-eccentric. Numer 260. I believe Eric - you could confirm if this is the case or not. This car was also owned by Chris Morley at one stage.
...or it could very well be a "currently unknown" car... that would be very cool. What do you know about it Phil? Patrick? When/where was these pictures taken?
Last edited by SplitPersonality on Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Broadacus
Samba Member
Joined: January 25, 2003
Posts: 535
Location: Manchester. ENGLAND, UK
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| Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 3:26 pm Post subject: Beeskow |
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My car has the two front trim pieces.
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1957 Rometsch Beeskow
1963 Karmann Ghia Convertible RHD
View my rare literature For Sale. |
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kingsburgphil
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2009
Posts: 42
Location: kingsburg, ca. USA
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| Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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Back in the Dark Ages of the Rometsch Registry, accurate information was hard to acquire and sometimes confusing. In 87' Fritz Rometsch when
asked stated, no Beeskow models came with two front trim pieces.
This picture hung on his office wall.
Frankly, I think they look better with just one.
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overrestored
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2005
Posts: 730
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| Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| kingsburgphil wrote: |
Snapped this pic at a Bug-In just to show that some cars came with dual
front trims pieces. Never saw the car again.
edit: After looking at the reflection in the hubcap, it wasn't taken at a Bug-
In.
|
Phil... my car had holes in the aluminum for twin front trim buried beneath the paint etc... but only one trim was on the car when I got it.
_________________
some cars
some bicycles
some old skateboards
One cool crazy cat
a yard full of fruit trees
26 chairs for some reason
a crapload of old shoes
a lot of books on history of the Mexican Ranchos
200+ kamax bolts... stacked in rows |
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overrestored
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2005
Posts: 730
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| Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not certain which Beeskow this is... ghia headlights give it away to a degree... it is a 56 I would guess... Maybe it is one of the cars in NJ now? I remember they had to make trim for one of those.
_________________
some cars
some bicycles
some old skateboards
One cool crazy cat
a yard full of fruit trees
26 chairs for some reason
a crapload of old shoes
a lot of books on history of the Mexican Ranchos
200+ kamax bolts... stacked in rows |
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pbaptist
Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2005
Posts: 1206
Location: Netherlands
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| kingsburgphil wrote: |
I lost track of this car in the early 80's. Any ideas?
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Another picture of this car.
Eric or Oystein. With one is this??
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Dutch Karmann-Ghia and coachbuild lover.
1* Karmann Ghia Coupe (1966 Teak)
2* Karmann Ghia Convertible (1958, 1971)
4* Rometsch Lawrence (nr 534, 555, 558 and 561)
Karmann-Ghia Lowlight page and registry
Karmann-Ghia Collectibles database |
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kingsburgphil
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2009
Posts: 42
Location: kingsburg, ca. USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Snapped this pic at a Bug-In just to show that some cars came with dual
front trims pieces. Never saw the car again.
edit: After looking at the reflection in the hubcap, it wasn't taken at a Bug-
In.
_________________
founder - Rometsch Registry - 1978-96 |
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kingsburgphil
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Joined: August 02, 2009
Posts: 42
Location: kingsburg, ca. USA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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I lost track of this car in the early 80's. Any ideas?
edit; I recall the owners name may have been "Pat".
_________________
founder - Rometsch Registry - 1978-96
Last edited by kingsburgphil on Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mozart
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Joined: June 22, 2009
Posts: 157
Location: Franklin Bridge
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| Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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mozart
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Joined: June 22, 2009
Posts: 157
Location: Franklin Bridge
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| Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:27 pm Post subject: Re: lost beeskow |
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| pbaptist wrote: |
| SplitPersonality wrote: |
| overrestored wrote: |
Gary also mentioned that there was a Beeskow hardtop... in burgundy... rolling around the Pasadena/altadena area... and he saw it once or twice... and then saw it once up on the lake tahoe area!
Eric |
This car is 99% confirmed to be Ray Schubert's car now. I believe we went through details and colorchips some years ago. Mark / Ray ?
Side note - Grundmann's now-silver Coupe is confirmed to be the car sold new to actor Gregory Peck...and it's first color was ... burgundy.
(Again note removed side trim and yet another variant of 356 taillights...) |
While searching for Rometsch information on the internet, I got into contact with the person who owned this burgundy coupe from 1973 untill he sold it to a guy from the SF Bay area in the summer of 1985.
He aslo wrote me that he spend a couple of summers in Lake Tahoe.
Het was the one who installed the 356 taillight and made some technical changes to the car. The interior was done by his wife and she also choosed the red color. (originally it was some sort of blue). During his time and repaint, the car lost some of the original external trim.
I have more information and he will scan some pictures for me.
Mark / Ray, if you sent me a PM with your E-mail address, I will sent you more information and the contact details of the old owner
Regards
Patrick |
Another picture of this Beeskow |
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mozart
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Joined: June 22, 2009
Posts: 157
Location: Franklin Bridge
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Rusted Relics wrote: |
Here are the pictures I spoke about.
Thanks Everrett for the photo help. |
Thanks for posting the pictures , Everett and Rusted Relics. I miss the Rometsch! |
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SplitPersonality
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Joined: September 26, 2004
Posts: 631
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks a lot RustedRelics! Very interesting photos..
It is just sad to know this car was wrecked and dead in "post-VW-hobby"-years... |
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Rusted Relics
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Joined: December 03, 2002
Posts: 695
Location: Where the sun lives during the summer!
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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Here are the pictures I spoke about.
Thanks Everrett for the photo help.
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www.rustedrelics.com
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Stonefish
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Joined: April 27, 2004
Posts: 734
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:09 am Post subject: |
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These pixs turned up on another forum a few years back. Shots taken in Southern CA 30+ years ago....
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Historian and Archivist for the Pennsylvania Hill Climb Association
1965 Notchback SCCA/PHA prepared, 1966 Bus, 1968 Beetle, 1969 Bus, 1970 Squareback, 1971 Fastback, 1973 Thing, 1983 Rabbit LS, 1986 Cabriolet, 1987 Viper VW powered "A" Sports Racer, 1996 Harlequin Golf, 2001 Eurovan Weekender, 2003 Jetta Wagon, 2007 Passat 4Motion wagon. |
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SplitPersonality
Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2004
Posts: 631
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:10 am Post subject: |
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| Rusted Relics wrote: |
I have found 3 photos of the car mentioned in the beginning of this thread that I will try to post tomorrow.
They are from the same Bug-In, just a different view. |
Great! We look forward to seeing them! |
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