The Preservation of Lori

[johnshenry]

This will be the “build thread” for my ’56 Single Cab truck that I bought last month. Although, I’m not exactly building it, I am “Preserving” it. Back in 2010, guy from the UK who’s samba name is “Last Triumph” found an Oval Beetle in a barn and did something that I found to be inspiring and groundbreaking. He completely disassembled the car, cleaned and “preserved” everything. Replaced seals and made things 100% mechanically perfect. But if I remember correctly, he painted nothing. The 76 page thread is here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

And I am not really into naming my cars BTW, but a friend in California gave it the nickname “Lori” (a la UK “Lorrie”) and it kind of stuck.
I am adopting a “Paint nothing” mantra with this single cab as well. Well mostly, read on. My plan is to go over the truck entirely and preserve everything. It has its original engine which is one of the things that attracted me to it. And patina everywhere. And it is very well used and dented and bent in a lot of places. But I am not going to allow myself to straighten anything either, unless it is needed to restore function. As I’ve started to go over this truck I am realizing that this damage is part of its history and character.

I will replace all seals and will probably paint the treasure chest floor with some kind of rust inhibitor. It is pretty solid and I want it to stay that way. I will also use an epoxy trick to close up the few small holes in the cargo bed as I don’t want any water to leak through, and then clearcoat it. I will pull the engine in a few weeks and start a rebuild. Yes, I know the bumpers are not correct, I am looking for some nice patina’ed original ones (Anyone? Anyone??)

And I will be driving it next spring.

So lots of pics and details coming, and lots of questions too! I have owned Beetles for the past 38 years, but this is my first type 2. Really cool truck, and I love the simplicity of it.

Some other pics and info from the day I got this truck home here:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=709198&start=0
_________________
John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[nlorntson]

Lorrie looks like fun.

Will this preservation include stripping paint back to the original Dove blue?

[BulliBill]

I am soooooooo subscribed John! It was fun to watch you that day and see you decide to buy your (first) Transporter. You got a good one. Enjoy!

Bill Bowman
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[johnshenry]

[Lind]

[zuggbug]

[Erik G]

[vwuberalles]

Very cool, I like your approach! That's kinda what I'm doing with my 66 bug.
_________________
1973 Superbeetle: 1st car, owned since age 12. Update thread --> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9919140#9919140
1967 Kombi: Owned since age 17, Dad's retirement project.
1966 Beetle: My new project. (SOLD) Build thread--> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=678040

[Burlyhammer]

[azbob]

Nice single cab!
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Bus Builder

[johnshenry]

Ok, here is the first question/mystery. Aren't the bullet mount "hats" supposed to welded into the nose skin? Mine aren't, but held in place by some very small, low profile head, slotted sheet metal screws. No sign that I can see that the nose skin was replaced (tell me where to look to tell???) and the metal around the lights on the backside is perfectly straight.

And there are other big holes in the flange on the mounts that you can see on the backside, maybe from spot welds being drilled out?

Any ideas??

_________________
John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[Skim]

[johnshenry]

[BulliBill]

Here ya go John, I stole this photo from another esteemed John also known as "hazetguy" who just posted it in another thread on wiring. You can clearly see your brown bakelite flasher unit in place. The photo address is below, not sure how to make the photo post up here though...

Bill Bowman
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[johnshenry]

[johnshenry]

I've not done much more with this truck as I am forcing myself to get some other projects done first as I know once I get into it, it will be hard to tear myself away from it And one such project is the completion of the original engine for my '57 Beetle that will free up the '59 36hp that is in it now as a temporary pusher for the singlecab if needed.

Still curious about the those screwed in front turn signals. After someone posted about "buried semaphore treasures" above I bought cheap magnetic paint thickness gauge and checked a few spots today. The paint on the B pillar just below the door sill line IS much thicker than above it. I had no idea where the sems in a SC really were, so I searched on "semaphore singlecab" in the gallery and saw a couple and saw that the sems were above the door window sill line.

But then, looking at the thread on the '57 SC resto from Austia, I see this:

Whhhaaa? That is exactly where the paint is thicker on my SC. So, my question is (without grinding just yet), what else can I look for detail wise to confirm, or dispel that this is a semaphore truck??

I'll check the paint thickness on the other side tomorrow.
_________________
John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[Who.Me?]

[otahuhu]

Glass Sekurit not Sigla, centre brake light with euro taillights and no reflectors in the rear. Headlights!... Maybe some remnants of green/black or white/black wiring above the doors running down into the b pillar.

[drpete]

[campingbox]

Wouldn’t a 56 truck have semaphores above the belt line?

PR lists that they were moved down below the belt line at 247199 - April ‘57.

Those bullets look cut in - also, isn’t that red paint behind there? Maybe the nose came from a semaphore deluxe?