53 Canadian custom find

[Trevor P]

Just added another oval to my stable. She's tough but it is a 55 and it is a Canadian Custom. It was found sitting behind a barn for the past 40 odd years. Someone had seperated her from the pan back then to make a trike or buggy and never did. The engine, trans and beam are long gone but I did manage to score a cruiser pedal with it and the complete original back seat. (the bottom was neatly hanging inside the barn on a hook!)
I know 55's are a weird year with the different possibilites for signals and taillights etc but this one has me scratching my head a bit. The VIN appears to be 1-0822434 which puts it as an early 55 which means it should have semaphores. Looking at the front fenders it has no bullets which seems correct until you look at the B-pillars...and see no semaphores If they have been welded up they did a dam good job cause I can't see any signs of bodywork there. The front fenders look to be original also other than someone had put 58 and later signals on them at one point.
Here's some of the 55 details it has, some which make sense and others that don't:
Ribbed doors
large spring decklid
early 4 tab hood with triangle
Snowflake tails
peashooter cutouts in apron
overrider bumper support tube holes in rear fenders/front apron (ram protection option perhaps?)

The last thing that makes me curious is the color. Doesn't look like Iceland green or Reed green to me. Almost more like a diamond green color when looking at the original interior paint. Can anyone tell from the pics?

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53 Canadian standard oval
56 Wolfsburg PG/SG
57 Oval, 2332 & Berg 5
70 911T
91 Westy

[olde skool]

im gunna call late 55. I had a april 55 that had no semis but ribbed doors ect.
I did some research. it was an option for late 55s, something like "large indicator" option including bullets and snowflakes.

Sweet find!!!
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April 55 Oval
2003 Golf

"Our Most Exspensive Option Is A Hole In The Roof."- VW

[Trevor P]

Maybe but that doesn't explain the complete lack of bullets on the front fenders. No previous holes welded up, and no hole in the back of either headlight bucket for the turn signal wires to pass through. Note the lack of horn grill on the right fender which is a Canadian Custom thing. This leads me to beleive these are OG front fenders. I need to go over this thing and pick it apart and study it. I may have misread the VIN, I'll have to double check it tomorrow.
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53 Canadian standard oval
56 Wolfsburg PG/SG
57 Oval, 2332 & Berg 5
70 911T
91 Westy

[phil1957]

nice another canadian standard oval. cool find

[OvalinAz]

nice find! love that dealer sticker!
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Dad's 4/55 Oval
8/56 Oval
5/64 French Notchback
12/62 French 11 Window Bus
Wedge VW
Pandraggers C.C.

[downsbs]

[Trevor P]

The plot thickens. Went out to look at it again where I have it stored. Turns out it is much older than I thought. How about 1953! Pan # 1-0522434 Body # 456483.
More details:
Round heater outlet in the channels with no mesh.
Built in ashtray in dash.
Solid hood handle
Hella stamped single rivet headlight rings
A-Z style heater knob
The rear fenders have been changed at some point with later units. No dimples and this explains the snowflake lights.
Looks like LF fender has been changed with a 58/59 fender. The RF fender is OG I can see the original green paint on the inside.
I'm thinking the rear apron must have been changed out also.

WTF are the semaphore pockets though! They must have been filled at some point, this is all I can come up with at this point.
The color must be L11 Pastel green.
I'm kind of embarassed by my oversight but in my haste to get it loaded and home yesterday I overlooked some very important details.

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53 Canadian standard oval
56 Wolfsburg PG/SG
57 Oval, 2332 & Berg 5
70 911T
91 Westy

[sunroof]

Another '53 Canadian custom, awesome! How many do we know of so far? There is buseric's that I used to have, Rick's that he sold a couple of years ago, Jason's car and now this one. I love these things.

Don

BTW My avatar is the car that Buseric now has.
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Better and better mistakes!

[tacochris]

Unless you already have em, getting front seats for that thing is gonna be a major pain in the arse..... But I would love to build that car....good luck and I hope to see some wind through its windows some day. Great OG color too!
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1957 Lowlight
1962 walk-thru Kombi

"Nothing will ever be as nice as original paint, no matter how much is or isnt left"

"Those that confuse hoodride with the OG paint movement definitely have their wires crossed. Its all about preservation, pulling out its true potential while hoodride is about purposely making something look like a piece of shit." -SKIM

[jeffff]

Cool car Trevor........hole is there for the push button starter. My favourite thing unique to 53s.

That is a early 53, my serial number is couple hundred later.

[Rich's 50]

Cool find

[Rustforlife]

Love the cruiser pedal!
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1956 Ragtop

[Riff Raff]

Cool score Trevo
That dealer sticker is from a long gone Calgary dealer. I hope the PO paid the Alberta export tax.
You were probably wondering what you were going to do with all your free time now that the SGBD is done, so you have your work cut out for you for the winter (and beyond).
Was tacochris refering to seats being a pain in the ass to find because they are CC seats, or are seats different pre 56? If it's just that they are CC seats, we live in the right country to scare them up.
Great score and looking forward to the build.
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The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge
- Daniel Boorstin

[Trevor P]

[ol36er]

Sweet find! Looks like a good candidate Is the o.g. Color pastel green. If so that kicks ass and so does the cruiser pedal!!
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WTB - Green Middle Seat Snowflake Kickpanel
WTB - Wingnut air cleaner

[koerspiloot]

nice find!!!

53 oval standards rock

I have a may 1953 oval standard ragtop project which I bought yesterday

Good luck restoring this beauty...
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WWW.OLDTIMER-SERVICE.BE
0472/21 92 26
8510 Bellegem (Kortrijk)
Belgium

[bwaz]

my alberta version 55 standard had no semaphores Trevor, so if it might be a 55, that would explain it, although the body number is confusing. Maybe someone has filled the semaphore posts in... although a lot of work. Have photos of the posts?

[FRK]

Congrats on the 53 oval. Looks very nice. Can wait to see the end results. I have a early July hardtop 53 deluxe and I think is also L11 pastel green. Don't wait too long to start the restoration on this one.
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64 Ghia
55 Kab
50 11G
50 11A
49 11
48 11
RVA Car Club

[slalombuggy]

I have a 53 parts car out at the farm. It's thrashed and hacked but has a tranny. the motor is junk as it sat in Rosetown with no lid for 40 years. Need to get it gone from there sometime. Call me if interested.

Nice find!!!!

brad

[Trevor P]

Thanks Brad I'll give you a call when I'm back home next week. I'm sure I could use some stuff from it.
Brian, it is a 53...this much I'm sure of. The semaphore issue I need to figure out. I'm sure they must have been filled at some point, just seems strange to go through all that work since the paint job(s) on it are terrible.

The funny thing about this whole deal was I just told my better 1/2 that I wouldn't do another project for a long time since the Barndoor is now complete. I agreed, however not without a small stipulation. It would have to be something special and fall in my lap. Seems that it's met both criteria.
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53 Canadian standard oval
56 Wolfsburg PG/SG
57 Oval, 2332 & Berg 5
70 911T
91 Westy