Post by Stale Air on Mar 21, 2012 1:03:10 GMT -5
Most of you guys know the story of my car. But here it is in its entirety. 
In 1995 while working for an auto dealership a buddy who I worked with, who also restored 1935 Fords on the side, told me about a little honey hole full of barn finds that hadn't seen the light of day since the early 60's. He had known about this place since he was a teenager, and had just recently scored an original paint 35 Ford pickup out of there. Since I drove my rag to work daily, he knew that I was into Vws and mentioned to me that along with the 10 or so early American cars stored inside the barn that there were also two Vws sitting outside as well. He wasn't a VW guy so all he could tell me was that one had a little back window, and the other didn't.
A week after him telling me about it we cruised up to where his stash of goodies was hiding. I almost thought he was going to make me wear a blind fold once we pulled off the highway, he kept saying, just don't tell anyone about this place ok?
As it turns out the barn full of cars and the the two vws were located about 5 miles up from the main road. It took like what seemed forever to get up there, the road was a single lane dirt road with blind corners and a ton of pot holes.
Once on the property, up on the side of a hill next to the barn I could see the vws. I was surprised when I met the property owner who turned out to be a 25 year old hippie dude who had inherited the property from his uncle who had died. This guy was far from a car guy, and explained to me that he wanted all the cars outside of the barn (there were other cars outside besides the vws) gone because he was worried that the soil was going to get contaminated and ruin his garden that he had planted.
Taking a look at first the oval, I could tell it was a lost cause, it had been in an ugly accident, the front end caved in, the A piller twisted in, and the steering wheel snapped in half. I actually wondered if the person driving had survived. I then turned my attention to what I now realized was and early big window car. Because of the moss covering the windows of the car, and the fact that I couldn't see in, I wasn't sure exactly what year it was. Just that it had to be a 58-61. I was only able to get the door open a tiny bit because it was stuck and needed some lube on the hinges, but through the crack I could see what was on the inside, and new I had to have it. The interior was totally complete, and I could tell that this car had been parked a long time. I popped the hood, and took a look inside, where it was full of acorns and insulation from where the mice had made nests. I popped the decklid and found the same thing, but could tell that the 36hp motor was complete. I took a look around and unbelievably could not find any rust. The only problem I found was that it was going to be a bitch to move because the tires were flat, and the wheels had sunk about to the middle of the hubcaps into the mud, which had now dried and was hard as a rock.
It had started to get dark, so I asked him how much he wanted for it. He said $500, but on the way back down the hill, we talked about it til I had managed to get him down to $375.
The following day I headed back up there cash in hand and in my moms Jeep, because I knew I was going to need four wheel drive to get it out. After pumping up the tires, and digging it out, I hooked it up to the tow bar, and pulled it from the spot where it had been sitting since 1972. Unbelievably the E-brake had not been set, so the brakes were not stuck.
I was able to store it at my work until I could get it on the road, which worked out great for me because I could work on it on my lunch hour, and after work. It took about a month to get it up and running, I did all the brakes, cleaned the tank, and all the fuel lines, as well as as a tune up and oil change before starting it up. The muffler had rotted off, and I hadn't put a new one on yet, but even without a muffler once running I could tell it sounded sweet.
The below pic was taken around Dec of 95 after bringing it home from work for the first time.
Sorry for the crappy pic, its all I got.
This pic was taken around 97 or so. You can see that it was a work in progress. By this time it was my daily driver.
A couple of more...... late 97 or early 98.
In 2001 I decided to pull her off the road and restore it.
After 10 years of doing some on and off work on it when money permitted her is the end result.
In 1995 while working for an auto dealership a buddy who I worked with, who also restored 1935 Fords on the side, told me about a little honey hole full of barn finds that hadn't seen the light of day since the early 60's. He had known about this place since he was a teenager, and had just recently scored an original paint 35 Ford pickup out of there. Since I drove my rag to work daily, he knew that I was into Vws and mentioned to me that along with the 10 or so early American cars stored inside the barn that there were also two Vws sitting outside as well. He wasn't a VW guy so all he could tell me was that one had a little back window, and the other didn't.
A week after him telling me about it we cruised up to where his stash of goodies was hiding. I almost thought he was going to make me wear a blind fold once we pulled off the highway, he kept saying, just don't tell anyone about this place ok?
As it turns out the barn full of cars and the the two vws were located about 5 miles up from the main road. It took like what seemed forever to get up there, the road was a single lane dirt road with blind corners and a ton of pot holes.
Once on the property, up on the side of a hill next to the barn I could see the vws. I was surprised when I met the property owner who turned out to be a 25 year old hippie dude who had inherited the property from his uncle who had died. This guy was far from a car guy, and explained to me that he wanted all the cars outside of the barn (there were other cars outside besides the vws) gone because he was worried that the soil was going to get contaminated and ruin his garden that he had planted.
Taking a look at first the oval, I could tell it was a lost cause, it had been in an ugly accident, the front end caved in, the A piller twisted in, and the steering wheel snapped in half. I actually wondered if the person driving had survived. I then turned my attention to what I now realized was and early big window car. Because of the moss covering the windows of the car, and the fact that I couldn't see in, I wasn't sure exactly what year it was. Just that it had to be a 58-61. I was only able to get the door open a tiny bit because it was stuck and needed some lube on the hinges, but through the crack I could see what was on the inside, and new I had to have it. The interior was totally complete, and I could tell that this car had been parked a long time. I popped the hood, and took a look inside, where it was full of acorns and insulation from where the mice had made nests. I popped the decklid and found the same thing, but could tell that the 36hp motor was complete. I took a look around and unbelievably could not find any rust. The only problem I found was that it was going to be a bitch to move because the tires were flat, and the wheels had sunk about to the middle of the hubcaps into the mud, which had now dried and was hard as a rock.
It had started to get dark, so I asked him how much he wanted for it. He said $500, but on the way back down the hill, we talked about it til I had managed to get him down to $375.
The following day I headed back up there cash in hand and in my moms Jeep, because I knew I was going to need four wheel drive to get it out. After pumping up the tires, and digging it out, I hooked it up to the tow bar, and pulled it from the spot where it had been sitting since 1972. Unbelievably the E-brake had not been set, so the brakes were not stuck.
I was able to store it at my work until I could get it on the road, which worked out great for me because I could work on it on my lunch hour, and after work. It took about a month to get it up and running, I did all the brakes, cleaned the tank, and all the fuel lines, as well as as a tune up and oil change before starting it up. The muffler had rotted off, and I hadn't put a new one on yet, but even without a muffler once running I could tell it sounded sweet.
The below pic was taken around Dec of 95 after bringing it home from work for the first time.
Sorry for the crappy pic, its all I got.
This pic was taken around 97 or so. You can see that it was a work in progress. By this time it was my daily driver.
A couple of more...... late 97 or early 98.
In 2001 I decided to pull her off the road and restore it.
After 10 years of doing some on and off work on it when money permitted her is the end result.
