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dmuis
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2004
Posts: 381
Location: Sunny Alberta, Wild Rose Country.
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 Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 4:34 pm Post subject: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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With all the early Wolfsburg bus threads popping up as motivation, thought it might be time to start a thread on my early Wolfsburg Kombi.
I picked it up last year. My friend Art had stumbled across it in late 2015.
These are the first pictures he had of it.
I could not see bullets, or the b-pillars, but the taillight bezel appeared to be euro/semaphore bus. |
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western auto
Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2013
Posts: 293
Location: yuma,az
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 7:03 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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| that fuckers bad ass!!!! |
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srfndoc
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 3275
Location: SoCal
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 7:09 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches |
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campingbox 
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10198
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:24 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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| dmuis wrote: |
I could not see bullets, or the b-pillars, but the taillight bezel appeared to be euro/semaphore bus. |
Sweet. What's the Vin #? That semaphore can be seen plain as day in this photo. |
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dmuis
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2004
Posts: 381
Location: Sunny Alberta, Wild Rose Country.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:40 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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It took 3 months before it could be seen in person. In March 2016, Art was able to travel the 5 hours to get some first hand pics.
Couldn't get to the VIN under the snow and ice. |
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LAGrunthaner
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Joined: March 18, 2007
Posts: 5509
Location: 1st Coast
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 2:41 am Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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I'm assuming it is not home yet, I hope you get it home soon dmuis. This is one awesome looking bus and I'm looking forward to history along with your build.
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| Lind wrote: |
| Have you considered simply starting with a nicer bus? I don't know what your skills are, but the race is easier if you can see the finish line. If you are not a runner, don't start off doing a marathon. |
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dmuis
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2004
Posts: 381
Location: Sunny Alberta, Wild Rose Country.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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June 2016, Extraction day. By Art and Greg.
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ryans65
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2016
Posts: 1263
Location: Yulee FL
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 12:12 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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| looks incredibly well preserved |
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dmuis
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2004
Posts: 381
Location: Sunny Alberta, Wild Rose Country.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:01 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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| ryans65 wrote: |
| looks incredibly well preserved |
Which is amazing, as it sat on it's rump for 45 years. It took more than a month after the thaw for the ground to dry up/firm up for the extraction. There was apparently water a foot deep on the other side of the bug on its drivers side. Maybe the pH of the soil in that location was just right for German steel, because the rear corners were not rusted out.
Last edited by dmuis on Tue Nov 28, 2017 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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nineteensixtyfiveVG
Samba Member
Joined: August 03, 2009
Posts: 456
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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| wow, super solid. Awesome find. |
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Okie Adam
Samba Member
Joined: November 07, 2003
Posts: 1347
Location: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:33 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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Awesome to see another early post barndoor bus come up! I'll be watching this for motivation!
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55 Wolfsburg Kombi
60 Walkthrough Kombi
62 Single Cab
66 21window
67 so42
76 Westy
64 Karmann Ghia |
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Braukuche
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Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 11005
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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How the hell did that thing not rust away in the climate? I've had way rustler "black plate" Cal vehicles than that. What a nice find.
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1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
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1967 21 window less rusty now |
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jeffff
Samba Member
Joined: February 23, 2006
Posts: 1044
Location: Alberta, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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Alberta (and Saskatchewan) are the two best provinces for vehicles like Darrens to survive. It gets cold but no humidity, stays nice a dry during winter months. Our summers are a dry heat, not much in the way of humidity.
While not as ideal as Arizona or Nevada for preserving old cars...it is pretty decent up here.
Darren, I'm surprised you haven't posted about this one yet. Super cool bus!! |
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obus
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Joined: March 08, 2001
Posts: 11071
Location: just off Garden State Parkway Exit 81
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grailoc
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Joined: March 25, 2004
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Location: FRANCE and now QUEBEC city
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Long-roofs
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Joined: March 20, 2002
Posts: 2295
Location: Millwood, Wa
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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I remember many years of these types of finds. I miss those days, was a lot of fun and met tons of great folks. These days are gone, enjoy the rarity of these finds.
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Mr. OGPaint
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Joined: September 24, 2010
Posts: 823
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:35 pm Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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Love this bus, can't get enough of it. Hope to be documenting my March 55 build soon as well
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dmuis
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2004
Posts: 381
Location: Sunny Alberta, Wild Rose Country.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:40 am Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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I had been doing a lot of research for Art prior to the pickup, as semaphore buses are pretty rare around here. It could have been a private European import, but it had the MPH speedo.
The VIN turned out to be 20-1185XX. Early March, a bit more than 600 units post barndoor. The speedo was dated 2 55.
A few days ago, I got confirmation from [email protected], that the kombi was built on March 2, 1955, and shipped to Toronto, Canada on March 3, 1955.
The transaxle had been robbed for dunebuggy purposes in the early 70's and it had been dumped on it's butt. The 15" front wheels were left on it, and were both dated 4/54. Lemmerz, non-crows foot.
The barrels are dated 3/54. One other rim was found on site with the same markings, but it appears the other 2 were lost.
I hypothesize that these wheels were prototypes created by Lemmerz in anticipation of the change to 15" wheels with the new body changes. By January 1955, VW had decided to order the Kronprinz design, with the crows foot pressing instead, but decided to use up what testing stock they had received from Lemmerz.
Last edited by dmuis on Wed Nov 29, 2017 9:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Okie Adam
Samba Member
Joined: November 07, 2003
Posts: 1347
Location: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma
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| Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 11:13 am Post subject: Re: March 1955 built, Canadian Delivered Kombi |
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Wow! 1954 15" wheels? That's cool. Mine are 1/55
_________________
Oil Capital Air Cooled
55 Wolfsburg Kombi
60 Walkthrough Kombi
62 Single Cab
66 21window
67 so42
76 Westy
64 Karmann Ghia |
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EverettB
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Location: Phoenix Metro
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