The Cal-look Lounge

A few of you will remember this post/thread from when I first moved over here here to norway:

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,16494.0.html

Well I was cruzing around the WWW late late last night and I came accross some really cool pictures on the "Sech Volt" blog - They are from when the 1951 Crotch Cooler (my current summer ride) was first pulled from a barn after a 14 year sleep - I love the fact that I am actually driving a REAL barn find  ;D

I know that a few of our Norwegian memebers "know" of this cool/99%complete/almost rust free/original bug, it has had a few updates/changes as you will be able to see (not by me!) I know the current interior is from the car known as "The Captin" and it does not have its original 25hp motor BUT as far as I know all the rest of the chassis/running gear/crash gearbox is original to the car!

The first pic is how she looks today  :)

In the barn  :)

Daylight  :)

The stuff dreams are made of  ;) :)

The interior  :)

 ;) :)

Here is the 30hp "Autotechnik Express" dual carb engine that was installed by "Kai" from the Sech Volt club when he owned the car - I had the pleasure of using this engine/set up for a while and it made for a perfect daily driver - The crash box still to a little getting used to though  :D :D :D

There is also a pic from when Kai had the engine dyno'd and it was putting out a MASSIVE 28hp AT THE WHEELS!  ;) :)

Also you can see in the picture of the engine bay area where the original paint/colour, it was painted some in around 1977/8 on the outside only (not very well either!) there is still overspray on the front screen and other areas  ::) I think the original colour is Azure Blue and the newer out side colour is 60's "Sea blue"  :-\

Also not the "Oval" rear lights - it now runs the ORIGINAL correct items  :)

Nice Score!!
That is a sweet car, congratulations. 8)

ditto, great find and thanks for sharing your story. very  8)

Thanks guys - It really is as good as it looks - For those of you on "Facebook" there are some other pic's on there, I will post them here when I get a chance  :)

The best part is the "deal" for the car inc:

- A complete/running 30hp engine (from an oval)
- An incomplete 30hp engine
- A 90% complete BARNDOOR 25hp engine (numbers confirm this!)
- A "Split" front/right fender, to replace the Oval item currently fitted
- And a few other bits'n'bobs 

Not bad huh  ;) :)

So what are you plans to return it to stock specs?
Does it have mechanical brakes?  :)

Nice basis for proper cal looker, I'd say ;)

street rodders would say...
that ones ready for the torch.  ;)
I'd leave it the way it is, a barn find.  8)

Na its a deluxe so its got "Juice brakes" but they are pretty weak  :-\

And yes Zach you are totally right....... its PERFECT for a Cal Looker, One piece windows, No exhaust cut outs etc etc  ;)

Yes it is a "Barn Find" but its been on the road/used for a couple of years now, Also it doesn't have its original engine or seats and it does need a little "Tidying" so I have to do "something" with it  :-\

I know a lot of norwegians who will hate me if I Cal Look it but hey Fuck it! its MY car  ;) :)

Sugestions please  :)

by the way one thing you can not see in the interior shots is it still has the little rubber covers for the "crotch cooler" levers  :o

I can't remember the the last time I saw a car with those (originals) intact!  ;)

Here are a few more resent shots - notice the changes  ??? ;) :)

A couple more  :)

a couple more  :)

Just LOOK at the ends of the heater channels!!!!!!!!!! :o

 ;)

If you look close enough you will notice an "Oil Change" sticker on the drivers door A pillar - This says some like.......

Kms: 13......kms
Date:6/79
etc etc etc

And the speedo/odometer now only shows just over 28,000kms  8) ;) :)

Oh and those are "Accessory" covers OVER the original door/rear panels  ;)

I think it would make a damn fine Baja Lee!

 ;D Just kidding  ;D

Nice car man, wish it were mine!

 

Damn right it's your car. Who says you have to start with a rusty, beat up, late model to build a custom??? It's a solid foundation to do whatever you want with it. This isn't the last original split on earth, there's plenty of them out there, but there is only one Ed C's split, only one Mark B's split, and maybe only one Monkiboy's split, too. Have fun with it dude :)

Thankyou Dave and Zach - it is such a COOL car  :)

And trust me I have ALOT of ideas  ;) :)

Very nice find Lee  :o :)

Yeah the seats are dirtier!!!

 ::)

Like I said it has been out of the barn for a few years now, I think it was even at SCC 2009 & a few other shows, And I have been using it as a "Daily Driver/Parts Chaser" all summer - Even with Crossply tires and crash box  ;) :)


I also noticed you can see "overspray" on the horn behind the tiny horngrill in one pic, You can also see the original "Azure Blue" on the Rear lights, around the semaphores, on the Interior, under the bonnet/hood area and even on the rear inner fender area  8)

Its just so SWEET!!!, you're a lucky man.  ;)

Roof chop it and race it ;) let the buffers try and catch you then...  ;D

Oh it will get raced thats for sure  ;) I think we all know that I am gonna "Give In" and Cal Look it, Its just such a good starting point!

I have mentioned before the interior (ie F&R seats,carpets set,mats) are not original to the car BUT are all original "split" parts from other norwegian cars, and it no longer has the correct 25hp motor  :'( Then there is the poor outside paintjob, There are also 2 "Repairs" that have been carried out over the years but NO welding just Wood screws! there is a small plate behind the pedals ( approx 3" square) and a very wierd "roofing lead sheet" that has been screwed to the underside of the passenger side floorpan (approx 8" square" but if you look inside the car the pan is almost perfect  :-\ :D oh and the running board trim is incorrect for the car/year (ie not ribbed)  ::) ;)

One other cool thing is that it has a neat "Accessory/aftermarket" steering damper bolted to the original front beam

I just have to change a few of my plans now, most of the ideas/pars are "interchangeable" just have to work it all out in my mind  ;) ;D

As it's not a minter nor totally og, cal look the crap out of it. You know it makes sense.  :)
I am sure it will be better looked after by you compared to the previous owners. Ida's and spg that puppy pronto ;)

I have a stock '51, I love the twin carb 25 hp motor you have, you can't beat old school race, check Christian Grundmanns '51 in the Mille Miglia http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=464023 (http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=464023) ;D

Agreed dude, its not one or the other  :-\ I know the owner of the car that interior came from want it back ASAP and I am sure I could sell off a few other "vintage parts" to help fund the transformation  ;)

I am gonna call Gary Holzechenct this week about my motor  ;D

P.S matt, those other ida's you sold me a while back are currently being "tested" on a friends 1776 back in the UK  ;)

Found a cool old pic from the 90's when the Split had the oval lights fitted   :)

thats a great color for your car....
early 90s mine was blue too...   :)

You had a couple more HOLES than me........... The Sunroof and the decklid vents  ;) :)

Cool Car  ;D

I think the "newer" colour on my Split is vw "Sea-Blue" from the 60's, I know it was painted in 1977/78 by the Second owner......


The story goes....... The first owner used the split for many years and he always used to visit a local garage for fuel & repairs etc and the garage owner always said "if you ever want to sell that bug - I'll buy it!" but in Norwegian  ;) :)

And in the mid 70's the garage owner got the call and the Bug was his, He then made a few updates ie: removed the semaphores, added oval rear lights, fitted the red carpets, fitted the oval fender and painted the outside ONLY and drove the car for a few years then put it into storage (in the barn!) and there it stayed until it was "re-discovered" in the late 90's (98-ish)  :)

I think it stayed in the barn for a few more year until the "Sechs Volt" guys convinced the owner to sell her, It then came into "Kai's" hand and he began refitting all the ORIGINAL parts from the car (the second owner still had them stashed away!!!) things like the Original 51/52 rear lights, Original Ribbed semaphores etc etc

He/Kai also removed the 25hp motor that was fitted to the car but this turned out to be a May 1953 Barndoor engine! and fitted his cool Autotechnik Dual Carb'd engine...... (see previous pic's)

Kai then "Traded" the Split in a deal with Norwegian Hammerworks (for work on his 51 cabrio!) And this is where I step into the picture....... Around this time I moved to Norway and started working with the guys at Hammerworks and one day while we where checking out some of the cars "In Storage" we fired up the 51 and I said "I'd use that as a Daily Driver!" so they said "Go on then!" So I got on the phone and insured it and I drove it home that night  ;D

And now through one deal and another I have ended up with the "Package" which inc:

- The 1951 Splitwindow Bug
- The 25hp Barndoor engine
- A complete running 30hp engine
- An incomplete 30hp engine
- A real right/front split fender (almost rust free!)

So I am the 5th owner of a car that is 61 years old this year - Not bad Huh  ;) :)

Beautiful!!!

Quick update:

I spoke with Kai resently and I got a few more details, Apparently its only the carpet set that is from the "Captin" so everything else inside is original to the car - Just check out those seats one more time :o ;D

So the only NON original parts to the car are:

- The Engine
- The Right/Front Fender (this has been replaced by an original oval item at the time of the re-paint)
- The Carpets
- The Running Board Trim (ie not ribbed but the running boards them selves are original/correct  ;))

Everything else is all original 1951 VW - Even the little rubber grips on the ends of the crotch cooler handles  ;)

Also apparently when it was in storage it sat along side a Typ166 schwimmwagen and an original kubelwagen - Only in Norway  ::) ;) :)