NOS VW-1500 Abarth

Big thanks to Jason, Bob and Rod for their efforts in getting this NOS VW-1500 Abarth exhaust sent to me.

Appreciate it boys. It's new home will be a worthy one.

1 owner 1956 Oval

As some of you may know (now you do), I have a 1958 LHD gloss black beetle stashed away (well, it's a body and floor pan only) and it needs every single bolt on part you can imagine.

It is believed that the car came to Australia during the early 1960's with the original owner and ended up owned by a very well known VW man during the 1970's, Mr Ken Virgin. I would love to see some images of the car from that time period and wonder what engine was in it back then.

Anyway, after a while the car was bought another very well known VW man during the 1980's, Mr Roy Williams. It was when Roy owned it (I believe) that I saw the car at a VW show in 1984 or 1985. It was fitted with a 40hp Judson engine from memory and that was it's last public outing. Both Ken and Roy have now passed away so getting photo's of the car from back then is a bit of a task but I will continue that search some time in the future.
 

So, skip forward about 25 years and 5 or so owners and I bought the car. Almost every single item that is needed has been sold or taken off the car and I am in effect owning a body and floor pan- still almost no rust or damage but yes, missing a lot of parts. So when I got a phone call a couple of weeks ago from a VW shop telling me about a complete 1956 oval window for sale, I thought wow, this is my opportunity to get the LHD sort of complete again. Excellent.

I called the owner and drove out to look at the car that night (in the dark and yes it was raining - not ideal!). After a couple of minutes looking at the car, it dawned on me that although the oval needed both heater channels, both lower 'A' pillars and various other sections of steel including some of the deck lid and front hood, it was in remarkable original and complete condition.

It has not been hit anywhere majorly either. The girl selling the car then told me it was her uncles car and he stopped driving it about 20 years ago when something went south with the engine. Hmmm. And he bought it brand new and was still alive. Hmmm. This car should probably be kept together and not dismantled was the impression I was now getting. We did the deal and I then went back last Sunday to collect the car.

As soon as I got the car home, I removed the engine, the wheels, the interior, the windows and most of the small items like speedo, coat hooks etc.

I am pricing up the repair sections at the moment and also working to dismantle the engine down to the crank case (it's a very sad looking engine with mud, dirt, rust etc all over it).