VW Split Window Club of America ?

[billmetric]

I havent found my old sticker yet but I went ahead and enhanced Eds copy to get a better idea of what they look like when the backing is peeled off, ( I think Ed probably gave me the one I've got, even back in the early 90s they were a rare oddity ) :

_________________
There is an idea of a Billmetric; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... I simply am not there...

[KdF1]

It's nice to hear stories about Steve Wood. I didnt know him, but obviously he was a cool guy that had his heart in the right place. It sounds like even though he was a big collector, he never forgot that it was all about the people.
_________________
Feb 1944 KdF Type 82e.
Nov 1947 CCG type 11
www.KdFregistry.com

[Ed Economy]

I peeled mine back to take a peek very colorful , but this is a later release. The early original sticker is more primitive looking when you see it you will like it. I have a box with over 1000 or so stickers I am sure I have it somewhere in there. I will see what I can come up with.

[Wolfsburg Classics]

I have three different styles of the sticker here that Steve Wood gave me when I stayed with him back in 1990 for the Vintage Meet,along with all my original newsletters that always had the latest arrivals at the Wolfsburg Warehouse on the back cover.....they were still finding some nice NOS stuff back then.
When I got Steve's old Kabrio it still had one of the stickers on the screen,right in the top centre,the same place that he put all those stickers.
I will get some pics up of the stickers,all three are different and from the early years up.

[ZwitterND]

Here is the steel badge, there are 2 nuts welded to the rear (hence the 2 bumps, spot welds) The body was painted black but barely anything left after 30 years, I am in the process of getting this repainted. The letters & raised portions look like they were chrome, but most of that is gone too.

Bill

[kaferdude]

Going through some files, I found these old newsletters from the now defunct VW Split Window Club of America (VWSWCA) which, if I recall, morphed into the VW Split Window Club of North America and the Vintage VW Club of Canada in the late 80's or early 90's. The earliest newsletter I have is from summer 1977 along with an undated, 8-page VWSWCA members list (also published by Steve Wood). This VWSWC of NA newsletter is dated Feb 1990.

These three stickers are proudly displayed on the passenger window of my Heb.

[p horvath]

if you go to page 3 in my gallery(half way down) you can see the old sticker on my 52 split.

[steven wood]

[50 Kafer]

I came too late for the poll and comment on a SW Club but I think it is a good idea to revive the SWCoA so count me in, and members will be alot closer with the use of this great forum. In the poll I would vote for;

Mailed Newsletter with member stories, classifieds, etc.
A registry of splits, owners, locations, contacts, pics, etc.
Organized show, meets, cruises, etc (if somewhat local to me)
_________________
John
1950 Kafer Deluxe (10/50)
1955 Beetle Deluxe (6/55)
1968 Beetle (11/67)
1982 Westy
1986 Cabriolet (6/86)
WTB Air-Camping roof top mount http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1499947

[ZwitterND]

I am all for reviving the SWCoA. And would volunteer to help in anyway I could. Just start off slow and see where it goes. I think a web page, registry, newsletter etc. would be fairly easy. As far as shows I think distance being the biggest issue it would be best to either rotate each year from city to city (works for the superbowl..lol) or just find one place and do it once every 4 years or so, seems to me there is such a show in the fatherland. The sad part about clubs is the term itself "club" it conjurs up thoughts of "elite-ism". I have seen too much BS and drama and ego's destroy "clubs". Makes one scream "can't we all just get along !" Bottom line if your in this for attention and admiration go buy a flippin' mirror. if your in it for love of the car lets pop a cork and jaw a bit.

[babymorty]

[Ron Stevenson]

My buddy Joe, (Bill, remember my '54?) who bought it, said there ws talk of the old days with Steve, Jeff, Bill, etc.

I would like to talk to "Wicked Willy", and Jeff. I haven't seen them in years. Bill & Steve were the main movers and shakers for the split window club meets, and he suckered us in to sponsor some of them! It was great fun! Is Bill still trying to peddle parts?

Jeff was driving his '70 117, and a tow dolly came unhooked from a rental truck, crossed the center line, the hitch came right up the hood and hit him in the head. Seriously injured, with a long recoverey, he had to quit his job as VP at US bank in Everett. He has a great Tri-star. He was my intro to my short lived Petroliana collecting. If someone knows how to contact him, I would like to do so.

I remember going to Steve's funeral, and Eric left a VW logo on top of his casket to be buried with him. it was very touching, and not noticed by a lot of people.

I remember "splashing" Bill's schwimmer at Sand Point, selling Jeff the 6V semaphore bulbs he needed. Being the pack rat I am, I have all the newsletters from that era, and the canadian one. I still subscribe to the newsletters, with member number 137!

My email; [email protected]

Ron Stevenson "Bow-Wow" 1974-1982
Freeway VW 1967-72, Metro VW 72-74

[Stock Steve]

[Blue Baron]

I remember first reading a letter from Steve Wood in Volkswagen Greats magazine (the first rag to take the vintage scene seriously).

Steve kept a registry of every split window owner and chassis number, and I sent him the information on the '48 I then owned. He sent back an envelope with a long letter and a pile of photos of his cars. (I imagine he was as generous with letters and photos to everybody.) His enthusiasm was off the charts (though his spelling needed work.)

I still have those letters and pictures along with a stack of newsletters from the split window club and other vintage clubs that I inherited from a friend who bought a Schwimmer (the car came with vintage club material dating back to the early 70s.) I probably have some window stickers buried in there as well.

It would be interesting to know what ever became of Wood's split registry.

[ZwitterND]

Last I saw of the registry was on Klaus Jacobsen's web page "Strickly Vintage" I was able to print it out a couple of years ago, it did not print out clear but I can still make out numbers & text. On the title page it says "The Vintage Registry" "is put together by Steve H. Wood, USA and Klaus Jacobsen, Denmark"

Bill

[Wiggy]

I maintain it.

Its right here.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/registry/
_________________
Kevin "Wiggy"

My 58 Ghia Vert

My 51 Split 11G

My 57 Deluxe

My 56 Oval

[ZwitterND]

Cool, thats great ! My zwitter is still listed! "Jr." (as the original owner called it) was delivered to VW Distributing in NY, would that make it a Hoffman?
Thanks for keeping the registry going Kevin!

Bill

[Wiggy]

Yes.
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Kevin "Wiggy"

My 58 Ghia Vert

My 51 Split 11G

My 57 Deluxe

My 56 Oval

[Blue Baron]

[ZwitterND]

That is Steves list, it matches the copy I have, scroll down and check the tabs you will see one for splits as well as others.

Bill