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Meet Klaus, 1955 Oval barn find
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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:34 pm    Post subject: Meet Klaus, 1955 Oval barn find Reply with quote
I met Klaus's owner at a recent car show, and he started telling me about his oval that he parked in an agricultural shed in the Central Valley of California about 23 years back. He had been in the same family since 1967, when the father bought Klaus for the daughters to drive to high school. One of the daughters ended up taking Klaus to Stanford for a while, and then he was passed over to the new owners in the family. "Dad" told the new owners that they could never sell Klaus, he was to always stay in the family. (Boy was I bummed to hear that) I was trying to convince the gentleman that the car was worthless, and that I would give him $500 sight unseen.
Here is Klaus the first time I saw him
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These tires are Sears Radials that were bought new 23 years ago, and when research was accomplished by the owner, they are verified to have less than 500 miles on them. And they are still holding air. While i don't trust them for driving at speed, they are ok for around the block.
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Un-molested dash!
Sometime down the line, they put these vinyl covers over the front seats. You can see the original cloth door panels in this pic.
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Rear window, and you can see the ORIGINAL green vinyl headliner, and seat back .
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You can also see that 23 years of dirt and dust on the exterior of the rear window!
No more talking, enjoy the pictures...

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Klaus is pulled out of the barn,,,
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Just a few cobwebs under there
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Getting ready for Klaus's first time on Asphalt in over 22 years!
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Updates to follow

BTW, clicking on any of these photos will take you to our webshots album, where you can see the full size version of these original photographs. Feel free to use them, just remember to say where you got them....
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Last edited by vwluvrs on Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:25 pm; edited 1 time in total
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janerick3
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice barn find! It's early '56 model year. Since it has a cloth interior, I'd be curious if the car has semaphore pockets bondoed over.
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forsale1971ghia
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
interested in selling the Gardner VW of Fresno plate frames?
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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
janerick3 wrote:
Nice barn find! It's early '56 model year. Since it has a cloth interior, I'd be curious if the car has semaphore pockets bondoed over.
[color=blue]In 1955 VW changed their designations, and anything built after August 1st, would have been sold as a 56! So even though built in October of 1955, Klaus would have been sold as a 1956..[/olor]
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Last edited by vwluvrs on Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:25 pm; edited 5 times in total
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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
forsale1971ghia wrote:
interested in selling the Gardner VW of Fresno plate frames?

[color=blue]Only have the one, but No... But would consider a trade for Riviera Motors VW frame![color]
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always buying and selling ; Specializing in Rust Free CaliFORNIA cars
>Click< to see my stuff for sale

Last edited by vwluvrs on Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:26 pm; edited 2 times in total
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stale air
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sweet find! Its awesome to still be able to see people pulling old VW's out of barns in 2012!
I sure looks like a family of mice might have made a home in that passenger side door panel. Sad


Just a little history I believe the car to have.....I ran the license plates, and the car was originally registered out of Fresno. That might mean that the car would have been originally purchased from Brittsan Motors, who in 1961 became Guy Gardner Motors. Another possibility could be that the car was bought used from Gardner post 1961. Either way the license plates, and the frames are a match, which is really cool.


vwluvrs wrote:
forsale1971ghia wrote:
interested in selling the Gardner VW of Fresno plate frames?

[colr=blue]Only have the one, but No... But would consider a trade for Riviera Motors VW frame![/color]


Not trying to cock block anyone here, but the stock nazi in me thinks that with a car this cool and original that the plates and frames should stay together. I would love to have the Gardner frame as well, but think that selling or trading off the frame would take away from the history of the car.
Just my .02. Wink
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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
More Klaus photos, progress being made. The current plan is to make him a driver, but we have had to replace the tranny (so far). Will go through the brakes soon, and hopefully THEN klaus will be back on the road. He will have to have minor surgery, (battery tray) but overall a straight old car!

New (old) bumper
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Mufflers seen better days
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Getting ready for the tranny transplant...
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Motor and tranny out...
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Klaus getting his shine back on,,,
First washed, and washed again
Then 1000 grit sand paper,
Then power buffer,
then DA buffer to remove swirls
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Spent some time renovating the tail lights
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Klaus gets a visitor...
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Klaus sitting along side Alfie, our Capri blue 58 deluxe
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More to follow
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AlwAys VW, (O\_!_/O)
Renovator, Resurrector, Resuscitator of old VW's
always buying and selling ; Specializing in Rust Free CaliFORNIA cars
>Click< to see my stuff for sale

Last edited by vwluvrs on Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:27 pm; edited 3 times in total
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boxkiteflyer
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just realized my jaw was slack and mouth open.... What a cool acquisition! Nice of you to bring Klaus back from his deep sleep!
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Jake Martinez
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
did you get it for $500? Shocked
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Cusser
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You people are funny, giving VWs German names !!!
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johnshenry
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cool story. Ovals are great drivers.

Quote:
....but the stock nazi in me thinks that with a car this cool and original that the plates and frames should stay together. I would love to have the Gardner frame as well, but think that selling or trading off the frame would take away from the history of the car.


God bless ya son.
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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
johnshenry wrote:
Cool story. Ovals are great drivers.
God bless ya son.

[colo=blue] Is that my old friend John Henry?[/color]
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Renovator, Resurrector, Resuscitator of old VW's
always buying and selling ; Specializing in Rust Free CaliFORNIA cars
>Click< to see my stuff for sale

Last edited by vwluvrs on Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Blauchen L331
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
vwluvrs wrote:
[color=blue]
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Klaus sitting along side Alfie, our Capri blue 58 deluxe
[/clor]


That Capri Blue car is very nice and great color too Smile

I would keep the Oval 100% stock, it's a perfect addition to your garage and it would be stupid to part with the original dealer frames it's like they say a *part* of the history of your car.

Question of the year is ~ did the seller fall for that krazy offer of $500? Wink

I don't think your going to answer that one, just leave us all hanging LOL!!!!

I like your paint results, I might have to try your restoring tips, how did you get it to shine so well??? (and what color is that - L 378 prairie beige?) Your roof paint looks pretty thick still, mine is thinning at the edges, I have a nice shine on my car now, but it seems like it could look better, I haven't sanded anything, I just used OOOO Steel Wool and Cleaning Wax on the doorjams and really rusty areas, like on my front fenders, the rest of the car has just been hand buffed out.

Tom
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OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR
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aa390392
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Reed Green?
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Blauchen L331
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
oopps!!! I forgot that color Razz

Yeah this is a late? 1955 car, I figure on the "new" steering wheel and the talilights, I wonder how long L 313 Reed Green ran in production?

That color was gone for 1957, so was it a 1955/56 color only? ~ it is a uncommon color, at least I didn't see too many before?
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OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR
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Major Woody
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Reed green was discontinued in March-April 1956.
I am very interested in your documentation of the interior colors...carpet, headliner, etc. This is a color combination where there is not a lot of accurate information.

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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Inquiring minds want to know,,,
Here are interior shots of Klaus....
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Factory markings....
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always buying and selling ; Specializing in Rust Free CaliFORNIA cars
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Last edited by vwluvrs on Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Blauchen L331
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Looks like someone put in a vinyl headliner that's not the original one and the German cloth for the car would have been a cord style, depending on the cars color, beige or I have to see what the shade cloth was for that L 313 Reed Green, I'm not real familar with that color, was it pale green or beige cord fabric?

What is the color of the car, hard to tell, in the photos, sometimes it looks green other times beige (typical with old VW colors)

See this other thread, your car's interior should look similar to this as original......

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=520132
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OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR
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vwluvrs
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Blauchen L331 wrote:

What is the color of the car, hard to tell, in the photos, sometimes it looks green other times beige (typical with old VW colors)
[colorblue] Reed Green[/color]
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Blauchen L331
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The car doesn't seem to be an European car, so the seats should be a leatherette medium green, it also had a mohair style headliner (Oppermann Himmel in Germany sells them) I guess beige, unless VW had a "off light green" headliner that early?

Your door panels look original, (the leather parts) just not that "check" fabric
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OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR
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