Re:Super 8 Film file of '53 Barndoor Deluxe - circa early 1960

[kintail]

Background of the '53 Barndoor Deluxe (aka Green Flash)

Related link: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=222253

Josef Werner Damrath, was born on February 7th, 1932 in pre WW2 Germany. Back in the early ‘50s, he was a wood joiner by trade in then West Germany and beginning to contemplate a new life in Canada. The decision to immigrate was made, and he told the story about trading in his ’49 Beetle for a ’53 Barndoor Deluxe, realizing he needed more space to pack his belongings for the move overseas. For whatever reason, he chose Winnipeg as his home, and ended up buying an older cottage/home situated on a river lot along the Red River. Sometime later he bought another barndoor bus, a 54 Kombi w/rare rear opening hatch, for which he handcrafted a top notch replica SO 23 camping interior for.
Over the years many people knew about the buses and tried to acquire them. Werner however wanted to keep them and was known not to answer the door, mail, or phone as well. So all attempts came to naught!

In early June of 2003, Werner passed away at the age of 71. After a few weeks with no further information, a call was made to the provincial government’s Public Trustee which confirmed that they were handling the estate. They had decided the buses would go in the next public auction. The auction date was set for Dec 13th, 2003 and included in the auction were some NOS barndoor parts; shock absorbers, axle boots, 1 rear torsion bar, pair of semaphores, photos and Super 8 film, and some other odds and ends. Everything VW was sold!

The 1953 Deluxe
The 1953 was built on May 18th, 1953 and delivered in primer (M 031 Type 24 - in primer). Making it the 39th oldest Deluxe still in existence (according to the Barndoor Registry) and earliest known M 031 primer optioned factory bus. The first owner was most likely a commercial business that painted it and decorated it for their unique needs. Is it possible this resulted in the green two tone and aluminum wheel trim seen in the old pictures?

The Super 8 Film
Amongst the auction items was a collection of a few old Kodachrome photographs and period Super 8 film. Turns out this entire film collection was a record of one long trip the bus had taken in January to March, 1960! The film contents are now highlighted in the links below.

The Barndoors Leave Manitoba
The ’53 Kombi was sold in the summer of ’04 and has now passed thru a couple of owners, and resides in California. The ’53 Deluxe ended up being sold in 2006 and now also resides in the US with a dedicated owner. So thanks to Werner for his many years of care and stewardship,; two more barndoors escaped the scrap heap and continue their legacy.

First file on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf8uMdBjqFs

Interested in comments of possible locations where film was taken, travel route, etc. Film features the 1953 VW Barndoor Deluxe known as the Green Flash on The Samba. Date of film circa spring 1960.

Werner Damrath in Mexico

The Green Flash in December 2003 at auction
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Scott

[mandraks]

[kintail]

"I love old films" .......likewise. There is a lot packed in this file.

Bixby Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
Alcatraz
San Fran - Federal Building and in the background City Hall.
Huntington Beach - Oil storage
San Fran - The Commodore Hotel, 825 Sutter Street, VW Beetle parked
Stemple Bakery - still working on that
US Coast Guard Station San Diego - P5 Albatross amphibians
Bay Bridge....and more when you start looking.

Its interesting in this trip by the end of it they have mastered the Super 8 Camera compared to the start. Filmed from the passenger seat is cool but it bumps the camera every time when it hits a tar joint!

Florida and NY pictures show way lower traffic as well which will be coming up. More than 30 minutes on this big round trip on film!

Enjoy!
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Scott

[mandraks]

i also drove all the way to San Diego and Tijuana, but i do recall the way down to Santa Barbara much better than the rest.
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regards

Uli

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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[kintail]

The next film reel to be posted is apparently Mexico according to the one note on the whole trip......

Also German notes on trip experience.

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Scott

[djfordmanjack]

possibly rather film roll condition. or cinematographic grading.
Schlecht= bad
Gut = good
ganz gut= rather nice
'geht' means, es geht= fair condition. this is a typical German, rather derogative saying for an acceptable, but not great action or condition.
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Hotrods, Fords, Veedubs and Triumph Twins !

52 Barndoor DLX Coachbuild project
55 Wolfsburg panel project, og paint Taubenblau L31
62 Dickholmer, custom color Seeblau L360
63 1500 Notch, og paint Rubin Rot L456
67 1500 Käfer, og paint Lotus weiß L282 w/red interior

[kintail]

Thanks for this good observation and had not thought of film quality...

The list contains 1-14 destinations with #8 missing, and I have only 6 reels of film. The next reel is Mexico which would cover 5 thru 10..... and is 12:34 long. As a side note the first film reel thru Canada is really bad as they struggle to figure the camera out. So maybe!

Will come back to this point at the end.
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Scott

[kintail]

#2 ....This next film reel shows the Green Flash putting the miles on in Mexico. Destination points...Tepic, Mexico City, and Pachuca.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSAmnc2xGMg
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Scott

[kintail]

# 3 .... . one of my favorites!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygD9ksqIU38

Starting at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in Miami
Florida Keys
Flooding - Excessive rainfall in March 1960 caused widespread damage
Washington DC - National Gallery of Art

For those Samba folk located in Florida lots here to see from back in the day. Traffic looks easy!!

TOTAL DISTANCE traveled by the Green Flash from Winnipeg to Washington DC - 8,136 miles with 36hp VW motor at best!!
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Scott

[kintail]

# 4 .......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsSHGxqNTuQ

New York with vacant streets
Wall Street
Central Park
Broadway

circa March 1960
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Scott

[kintail]

# 5 .......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsSHGxqNTuQ

Leaving New York (NYSE) thru New Jersey (George Washington Bridge) and Pennsylvania to US Niagara Falls ( Prospect Point Observation Tower under construction) and Ontario to return to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in April, 1960
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Scott

[j.pickens]

I love this!
Do you have the original 8mm film reels?
I'd be willing to chip in to help with the expense of having the film properly cleaned and scanned. What we are seeing, while an amazing time capsule, is nowhere near the possible fidelity from the original film. This looks like a 640 by 480 pixel scan, with lots of debris on the projected image. Super 8 film, when properly scanned, can easily exceed HD video resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels.

Here's an example of a 4K scan with denoising applied:


Link

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Founder and Chairman Emeritus, ECMSAS
BBX BBXII and BBXXI Long Distance Award Winner

[kintail]

Glad you are enjoying it!!

This scan did make the film easier to see at least from the original reels. If you could get HD quality, there is still the constant movement of the camera by the passenger filming as the bus bounces down the road. The Super 8 camera had basic settings for focus, clouds, and direct sun which I don't think film restoration can correct?? Anyway if you could make this better I would throw some $$ in as well. I did have the original film reels but have since shipped them to the current owner of the Flash. Maybe a future conversation with him?

The last of the film is the worst and actually the beginning of the trip;

Final link # 6........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUCbM1jXf5s

You can definitely tell they are just learning to use the camera. They depart Winnipeg cross the Prairies (train shot), get in the mountains (run into a snow storm), visit the Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island (bus parked on road), pass some saw mills and head south.

I have to agree with djfordmanjack... the list is ranking of the film quality. #1 is schlecht (bad)!

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Scott

[busben]

[kintail]

Ben

Thanks for the comments on behalf of everybody who has been involved with this bus!

Link where uberwagen explores the paint of the Green Flash / VW primer discussion.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=20

The pictures of this are in his gallery, same date.

Scott
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Scott

[earlywesty]

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing some Canadian VW history.

[busben]

Thanks Scott. Interesting link.

I probably explained my question badly but I think you answered it anyway. I’ve had a few primer supplied barndoors, (Swedish standards & panels), but don’t recall an m-code shown on the birth cert for this. I think you’re suggesting the m-code in this case purely because you believe it was primer supplied rather than reading it off an actual VW cert? I’m just interested in how m-codes changed over time to be used for different things, hence wondering if any primer supplied barndoors come with this m-code on the cert.

Anyway, I digress, so I’ll let you continue to blow us mere mortals out the water with this buses amazing history

[sled]

heres the BC Ben

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drive your split.

[notchboy]

Getting that film properly cleaned and scanned. That would be a sweet vid for sure.
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[kintail]

Need some help... On this BC Canada film reel I have struggled to identify three frame sequences late in the film as per below. Maybe WA / OR as well? (link below)

The three span steel truss bridge, two lanes. 3:53
The (2)large sawmills along the road with teepee/wigwam burner. 3:24/3:55
And the large rock with the surf smashing over it. 3:42

Anybody have an idea or suggestion on these?

"The last of the film is the worst and actually the beginning of the trip;

Final link # 6........"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUCbM1jXf5s
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Scott