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Blue Baron
VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006
Posts: 27950
Location: Free State of Florida
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 Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 10:57 pm Post subject: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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We recently had the opportunity to retrieve a 1946 VW barn find in Florida. The car was off the grid, having been in storage for 50 years. The 97-year-old owner said it was found sitting in a Connecticut field in the 1970s, and was then listed for sale in Hemmings, where he bought it after answering the ad. He gathered parts for decades, but never finished the restoration. The owner and his wife moved to Florida in the 1980s, bringing the car with them.
The '46 is in pretty solid shape, with original body shell, classis, hood, seats, front end and transaxle. The '46 engine is less than 20 numbers off from the original. The pans are the originals with the usual hole under the battery, and there are some old lower body repairs, but nothing that can't be corrected. The car came with lots of goodies, including the hand crank and the original jack for the round jack ports.
The car was delivered to U.S. Forces in Frankfurt in November '46, and was likely brought to the U.S. by a returning GI.
As found
Some of the parts
Scott with the '46 engine.
First daylight in over 25 years
The car was unveiled at the Quaker Steak Bug Fest in Clearwater on Saturday, still with its barn find dust
Scott with the crew that helped him thrash it together in just three days!
More to follow.
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We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff
Last edited by Blue Baron on Wed Jan 22, 2025 7:44 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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14Eyes
Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2022
Posts: 69
Location: North of Raleigh, NC
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 4:07 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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Simply amazing
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The Story of my 72 |
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finster
Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012
Posts: 9892
Location: not far from the madding crowd
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 5:51 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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a fantastic find - they are still out there...
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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ryans65
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2016
Posts: 1334
Location: Yulee FL
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 8:05 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| DANG!! May I ask what part of FL it was pulled from? |
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EverettB 
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 71445
Location: Phoenix 602
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VW_Jimbo
Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2016
Posts: 11077
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:09 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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That is F’N COOL! I love that there are still old VWs being found!
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Jimbo
There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!
| TDCTDI wrote: |
| Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look. |
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Blue Baron
VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006
Posts: 27950
Location: Free State of Florida
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:35 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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The car came out of central Florida, and most parts are there, though still being inventoried.
_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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ryans65
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2016
Posts: 1334
Location: Yulee FL
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 10:35 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| Any plans on starting a dedicated thread for it aside from this post? I'd love to see it in more detail. Any plans to bring it to No Dough or Bug Jam? |
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banana split
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2002
Posts: 1122
Location: Beautiful British Columbia Canada
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:30 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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 Right on!
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Blue Baron
VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006
Posts: 27950
Location: Free State of Florida
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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Any future plans are up to the owner. Any future details will be posted in this thread.
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We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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restojohnny
Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2004
Posts: 2835
Location: SPLITSVILLE , SON !!!!
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 2:19 pm Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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AWSOME FIND 
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$$$ HUSTL'N AIN'T EAZEE $$$
** HELL YEAH I'LL SELL IT TO YOU**
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MAGNESIUM BRM HOARDING BASTARD !!!!
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48 split $$$$
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"STAY OUTTA MY BACKYARD !!! " |
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Martin Southwell
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2010
Posts: 1092
Location: Bath, England
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| Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| Never mind the car, which is something in itself, but the previous owner has done very well to get to 97. Good luck to both for the future. |
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rod_vw
Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2006
Posts: 421
Location: Shropshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 2:14 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| Martin Southwell wrote: |
| Never mind the car, which is something in itself, but the previous owner has done very well to get to 97. Good luck to both for the future. |
I'll echo Martin's comments about both owner and car.
Great to see another '46 come out of the darkness!
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Please visit http://www.historicvws.org.uk
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RichOakley
Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2004
Posts: 1118
Location: Midlands, UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 10:39 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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Nice one, Scott. That's a stunning find.
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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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| Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2025 12:59 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| Blue Baron wrote: |
We recently had the opportunity to retrieve a 1946 VW barn find in Florida. The car was off the grid, having been in storage for 50 years. The 97-year-old owner said it was found sitting in a Connecticut field in the 1970s, and was then listed for sale in Hemmings, where he bought it after answering the ad. He gathered parts for decades, but never finished the restoration. The owner and his wife moved to Florida in the 1980s, bringing the car with them.
The '46 is in pretty solid shape, with original body shell, classis, hood, seats, front end and transaxle. The '46 engine is less than 20 numbers off from the original. The pans are the originals with the usual hole under the battery, and there are some old lower body repairs, but nothing that can't be corrected. The car came with lots of goodies, including the hand crank and the original jack for the round jack ports.
The car was delivered to U.S. Forces in Frankfurt in November '46, and was likely brought to the U.S. by a returning GI.
As found
Some of the parts
Scott with the '46 engine.
First daylight in over 25 years
The car was unveiled at the Quaker Steak Bug Fest in Clearwater on Saturday, still with its barn find dust
Scott with the crew that helped him thrash it together in just three days!
More to follow. |
Pretty cool to see this car finally get out into the light, knew about this one for years now.
It's one of the last early postwar cars to be found in Florida.
Late 46' and was originally GREY ? More than likely was was a AES car, (Army Exchange Service) car either P.X. Sold or one of the special U.S. Army Lotto Pool cars.
Grey with VW factory chrome beauty kit, chrome handles, bumpers and three point Kubelwagen Horn cov er, chrome nipple hubcaps, then brought back by a New England GI.
Nice 1947/48 popes nose I saw on FB pics, originally all 46's had the solid ted Hella Truck brake light above the license plate indent.
Hope this one gets a proper restoration, which I'm sure it will.
Don't know of one single correct surviving U.S. PX car testored with the beauty chrome, if this car had it.
Very few 46's left today that were Grey.
Cu later Baron
_________________
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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Stetoppingphoto
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2012
Posts: 504
Location: Darwen
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| Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2025 8:48 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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What an amazing find!
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Two Glove Boxes
Samba Member
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Blue Baron
VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006
Posts: 27950
Location: Free State of Florida
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| Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 9:58 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| Martin Southwell wrote: |
| Never mind the car, which is something in itself, but the previous owner has done very well to get to 97. Good luck to both for the future. |
Here's Scott with the former owner saying goodbye. It was a fun day.
_________________
We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 643
Location: germany
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 12:51 am Post subject: Re: 1946 VW barn find in Florida |
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| Blue Baron wrote: |
| Martin Southwell wrote: |
| Never mind the car, which is something in itself, but the previous owner has done very well to get to 97. Good luck to both for the future. |
Here's Scott with the former owner saying goodbye. It was a fun day.
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No news? |
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rod_vw
Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2006
Posts: 421
Location: Shropshire, UK
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