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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 7:49 am Post subject: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Bought this car with a friend 11 years ago and it is finally time to tear into it. It is amazingly original and solid for a car that has sat outside since 1978. Two major problems I am going to have to deal with are seized solid door hinges and a dented roof. As well the decklid hinges are both broken.
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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Chickensoup Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018 Posts: 5368 Location: Good Hope, GA
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:55 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Me like! It would make a good patina ride ay?
Edit- i just realized that is had a repaint. Sorry.
Last edited by Chickensoup on Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Stetoppingphoto Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2012 Posts: 475 Location: Darwen
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Id have to paint it back that original beige brown, looks a very straight car. _________________ stetoppingphoto |
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:57 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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It is Ultramaroon, a rare colour and extra rare on a Canadian custom.
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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AlteWagen Troll
Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8501 Location: PNW
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Ram protection bumpers as well.
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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AlteWagen Troll
Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8501 Location: PNW
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 6:22 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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AFAIK ram protection was an option until 1956 model year. Gas heaters were always optional on beetles. Type 2 and 3 I dunno. I've only had one beetle with a working gas heater and it burned as much gas as the engine.
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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motofly196 Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2008 Posts: 1467 Location: Eastern WA
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:59 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Don,
School me on Canadian Custom cars...do they have a mix of standard and deluxe parts? I don't see any window chrome, but has trim on the body. Cable or juice brakes? And a standard steering wheel... This will be a cool car to build! And...Ultra Maroon!!! |
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banana split Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2002 Posts: 1070 Location: Beautiful British Columbia Canada
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:17 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Damn! Cool Bug. You rarely find them like this anymore. And is that a Barndoor in the background? _________________ My Beetles :
1951 Crotch Cooler 11G Split Ragtop
1953 Zwitter
1964 Chop Top |
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VW_Jimbo Samba Member
Joined: May 22, 2016 Posts: 9960 Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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banana split wrote: |
Damn! Cool Bug. You rarely find them like this anymore. And is that a Barndoor in the background? |
My thoughts exactly!!!
I have a 54 in process right now. If you need any info or pictures, hit me up. Always willing to share what I know. I will be following for sure! _________________ 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. |
67rustavenger wrote: |
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
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Chickensoup Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018 Posts: 5368 Location: Good Hope, GA
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:03 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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You should name this one the peach bug |
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AlteWagen Troll
Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8501 Location: PNW
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type241 Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2006 Posts: 972 Location: MOSES LAKE, WA
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:05 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Yes! Good spot. September 2008 we dragged the car out of someone's front yard in Sperling Manitoba. It is finally going to get the love it deserves.
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And is that a Barndoor in the background? |
Ha ha. John told me no more pictures of his other cars.
So my '54 has 3 serious problems to sort out.
1: the passenger door hinges are seized solid, they do not budge. I'll be looking for suggestions how to fix that
2: The decklid hinges are both seized and broken
3: the choke cable is seized. At the engine end the outer looks rust free but there must be some rusted part. I'll pull the gas tank in the next couple of days and see how the cable looks in the front. I'm hoping it will slide out of the chassis but not putting any money on it.
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:07 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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BTW ultramaroon in all its glory:
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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Major Woody Samba Enigma
Joined: December 04, 2002 Posts: 9010 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 11:05 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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You should expect the choke cable not to cooperate. It is a steel cable in a steel wound sheath inside a steel guide tube and is likely rusted solid. Get up to the front once you get the tank out and start dribbling Kroil down the tube. Give it a year of this before using much force. Ultimately you will probably get the center wire out of the sheath, but the sheath may still be frozen inside the guide tube. You may need to run a new guide tube along the side of the tunnel inside the passenger compartment under the mat/carpet unless you want to cut access holes in the tunnel and install a new guide tube.
On the hinges, heat them up with a torch and get some penetrant in there. Do not use force to try to get the hinges moving--the rust is stronger than the hinge in some cases and you will bend the hinges or the door. Would be better to borrow/rent a hinge pin press and press the hinge pins out in place after using heat. Then you can get the doors off, ream the hinges and either reinstall the pins or install new pins, or install mirror pins.
On the decklid, no suggestions if the engine is still in the car. If not, you could get under and unbolt from beneath to get the decklid off. Then again use the heat/penetrant approach until you can free the hinges. |
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54 Oval Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2012 Posts: 91 Location: Alberta, Canada
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2019 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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Major Woody has it to a TEEon the hinges. Heat and penetrant, several times over, then the press. Repeat several times before attempting any force. It will give in in the end.
There is a 54 Ultramaroon in Calgary somewhere. I had a look at it in about 2012 when it came up for sale. Didn't move soon enough and it was gone. It is a very original, very complete car, numbers matching, no rust, been in a shed since it quit running in the 70's but not seized. In someone's garage, not known in the local VW community. These are 2 pics I have...
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sunroof Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1773 Location: Winnipeg
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Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:09 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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It is amazing the way this car is coming apart. I took the gas tank out and tugged on the choke cable, a little force and then it slid right out. Once it was on the bench the inner came free and went back and forth no problem. On the problem of the hinges, I have bought the hinge pin tool
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2252365
so I am stoked to see how it will work. I will have to drill the screws out tho, they are stuck solid. I have done this before and it works nicely. Once the hinges are off the screws turn out easily. I tried heat and an impact driver and managed to get 2 out but the rest are not moving. Pictures tonight.
Don _________________ Better and better mistakes! |
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motofly196 Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2008 Posts: 1467 Location: Eastern WA
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Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:29 am Post subject: Re: Field find 1954 Canadian custom |
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That's awesome Don! I just removed the choke cable from my Black 57' oval...came out just like yours. Also removed one from the donor car, came out even easier. It's the little things in life...
Have you tried an impact driver on your door screws before drilling them out? I soak the crap out of them from underneath the hood. Let them sit for a few days ...I soak them a few times during that. Then I hit them with a little heat on the screw head before smacking them with the impact driver. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. |
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