Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Been nosing around my mates van, a 1950`s split screen pick up. Bought from Sweden so is LHD but its UBER rare. Was hand built in Wolfsburg before they started the Factory in Hannover to make the vans.

Is looking a bit sorry for itself at the moment, but will be mint in a few years.
He`s leaving the paint as it is, as he discovered original 1950`s hand sign written paintwork underneath, so apart from that will be fully restored to how it should have looked including cross ply tyres.

Anyways heres some pics.

CrisPDuk

I'm amazed at how many of these are still turning up, You'd have thought the surf dudes would have found them all by now

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

my old mate andrew is restoring a rhd one of them , found in a barn and last taxed in 1964 . all new floors and panels with loads of time and effort .all going to be origional as well

Glynmitch

Tell your mate to do a conversion like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJgSSlN1drA&NR=1

leedscal

iTrader: (2)

wouldnt like to do spark plugs on that ^^ lol

FUNNKYMONKEY

iTrader: (2)

I went to a hot rod show in the summer and they had a splitty pick up with a difference, it had a dodge viper engine and running gear, sounded the muts nuts

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

Still loads on the roads in Brazil. I keep saying to the wife we should bring one back, it's just all the hassle that goes with importing them that I can't be bothered with.

TelBoy

Was there some sort of VW Camper convention on the South Coast this weekend? Never seen so many on the M23/M25. Some absolutely immaculate.

Didn't see any pick-ups like this though. Must be pretty rare? Is it an original option?

ScoobyDriverWannabe

There's an old fella lives near me who has a camper one he bought new.

He owns a chicken farm and one of the barns is filled with would would be considered classic vehicles now.

There is an old Bedford MJ truck, which was pretty much used daily until the last couple of year when the farm started to wind down.

He has a Merc from he early 90s, you would think it was brand new. Until recently it was still running on the original brake disks, and tyres. He only ever uses it to tow his caravan, although he has been all over Europe with them.

Hes in his 90s but still gets all over the place, goes away for a break monthly in the VW camper. Then has a couple of European holidays with the merc and caravan.

There is also a couple of old bikes & tractors. The family used to have a coach company in the 60s & 70s, im sure they still have the coaches in one of the other buildings with god only knows what else.

DYK

My mate has a couple of the old VW vans,he takes one with him to sleep in when he goes Banger Racing for the weekends.

CrisPDuk

There are VW gatherings all through the summer so probably.

Full pick-ups and crew cab pick-ups were available from the factory, they are few and far between these days though.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Its EXTREMELY rare. Its 1950`s so was handbuilt in Wolfsburg (one of 500 in total), then the Hannover plant was built specifically to make commercials. It was hand built, note the lack of the peak above the windows too (started in the "new" vans when the Hannover plant opened.

The usual RHD & LHD vans have passenger (n/s) side lockers, the Swedish vans had LHD and Drivers side (o/s) lockers, due to Sweden just having swapped from RHD to LHD and the filling stations being on the "wrong" side of the road.

So its a prototype of the most iconic van ever made, and of the 500 or so made this due to being Swedish AND a pick-up is one of the VERY rarest.


He did say the early Subaru engines were DIRECT copies of the Type 25 Van engines, so newer ones will bolt straight on using a bell housing adapter

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Back in my youth (not that long ago) I was into the classic VW scene and used to attend meets/runs all over the UK but mainly at Santa Pod / Stoneleigh and around the South Coast.

Any VW with a split screen whether type 1 or 2 is now worth major £'s almost regardless of condition. I'd love another Beetle myself and once the moneypit that is Impreza ownership has finished then I will get another air cooled VW.

But I've always really wanted a Karmann Ghia or a Fastback so you never know I might just get one of each yet.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

You remember them new lol.

Anyways he`s a Mk1 Polo, a Type 3 Fastback, and a few other newer cars.
So could be a VW meet and show all in himself lol.

But the VW stuff, why not put your engine into one??

The engine I removed from mine broken needs a crank and a conrod and bearings then will be in the back of a Vw (which I`m yet to see what can get for cheap/free).

Rescue Dude

iTrader: (11)

I used to have a Karmann Ghia.

I have some pics somewhere?

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

When I go down the VW route again I'll be getting a standard car in terms of it being an air cooled VW engine. I'd like it to be as near factory as possible, I've seen a Subaru engined Beetle and it was a real botch job and was f*cking piece of cr@p. There are lots of engineering issues to overcome like water cooling and intercooling, I dare say they can be overcome with some ingenuity.

Now an air cooled Porsche engine is another matter...

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Hard or rag top? Never a fan of the cabriolet myself, I have always preferred the tin top.

When it comes to colour I'd go for the powder blue/white/yellow as a rule.

Any pics welcome.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Well you better do it soon before they all go, or become stupidly expensive.

Have seen them done really well, and also bodged. Including an Alfa Sud engined one. But am seriously considering a pre 73 aircooled, but converted to EJ20. There is a few ways of doing it, and I`ve the guys who could know.

Leslie

It is going to be hard work naturally and I admire him for taking it on. I wish him good success and I hope we get a chance to see the finished article.

Les

Rescue Dude

iTrader: (11)

Hard top. It was imported from Germany so was lhd.

It was a great car but I got fed up with people trying to buy it so I gave in and sold it.

Myles

iTrader: (40)

Its so old, Jesus was found in the back!

Is he going to try and keep the door logos, I like them?

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Yep as far as I`m aware its to be made road legal, keeping as much as it is now as he can.

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Nice car, a real connoisseurs choice - they've always been desirable but if I go down the Ghia route then I'll try and find an exceptional RHD or if I have to go down the LHD route then a Californian import.

Or one of these



Or even

Scooby Soon!

why do people like these VW's so much??

Every weekend that I go round the M25 the hard shoulder is littered with broken down campers and to add insult to injury they are death traps as well!

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

It's because for want of a better word they have character, if they are well maintained then why are they any more a death trap than any other road vehicle?

As for reliability the Subaru EJ20/25 series of engines are hardly world beating themselves.

Scooby Soon!

That is shocking if you or other people do not know why they are a death trap I can only guess that most of the surrey holidayers that spend most of there time on the hard shoulder don't know this either

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Carbon Monoxide poisoning from the heat exchangers, brakes that don't work, crumple zone's are your face. Flintstone conversions as standard, bodies held together by rust. And usually worked on by people who shouldn't hold a spanner, let alone use one. If one hasn't been bodged then it's not real, the original heat proofing and shoes are made with asbestos.

But they just add character. Everything that tries to kill you is more fun!

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Please don't quote only a partial segment of my post, are you trying to use my partial post out of context?

As it happens I do know quite a bit about 'potential deathtraps' having worked in the automotive trade for over 20 years, I'll say it again if a vehicle is maintained properly then it should not be a problem.

What are deathtraps are the poor maintained cars on the road that only ever get any form of maintenance when they break down or when the VOSA annual test is due. The VOSA test is only a minimum standard and not the gold standard some believe it to be.

My cars always have and always will be maintained well beyond the minimum, so if I get another air cooled VW or even a Porsche it will definitely not be a shed or deathtrap.

As I stated earlier a vehicle is only as safe as the maintenance or lack of allows it to be.

And airbags, ABS, ASR, EBS, SRS etc do not make you invicible either.