Mr Seume, what happened to Flashback?

[Prowagen]

Keith as the title says what happened to it? Was an awesome looking car loved the paint!

Rob.

[dth]

Is it not in France? ,now painted black with ghost flames.

[Prowagen]

Is it not in France? ,now painted black with ghost flames.

No way! Why would you paint over that kick ass paint job!
Man, oh well each to their own I suppose, Would have been awesome to see it as Euro bug in as flashback.

[dth]

Yep am sure thats correct ,hopefully KS can confirm this ,remember it struggled to sell with its multi -colour paintjob ,ye??,so was painted black ,and looked hard as f*ck ,anyways ,as i said am sure KS will fill in the detail here , its just what i remember from way back ,cheersDTH

[guillaume]

Keith repainted it in black and sold it in France. I saw the car everyday during 6 months, 2 years ago while I was launching a brand with my friend who paint it. The car was resprayed in black with the flaming by TFabs because all the remainings of Flashback paint scheme were still visible under the first black paintjob.
At first, TFabs was ready to respray it in Flashback scheme, but the actual owner wanted it to be black with a green flaming. The car is still very nice and the flaming paintjob was inspired by an old 70's hot VWs features car. I've been in the car for a few kilometers it's a real race car with the full rollcage, very noisy, light etc etc. I love it  The car was at the European Bug-In. I will edit the post tomorow with a picture of it.

[Lids]

Story i heard was that it was bought as a present for someone's son.  The engine was removed and sold separately.  Painted black becasue that made it more sellable.

[guillaume]

Yes, the current owner received the car as a present from his father (Super VW magazine editor). The current engine is a tuned 1600 with dual carbs. The pan has 4 CSP disc brakes. But I know only the story of when my friend paint it black again with the flames. For the rest of car history and 1st paint, maybe Keiht can help us? ;-)

[speedwell]

for those who read french here's  the story http://das.skynetblogs.be/post/3829857/flash-back-#comments
and the father of the new owner is jacky morel for those who don't know  the super vw magazine editor 

[Sam K]

I remember reading the feature on that car. I would have driven it just like that!

[Russell]

Well guys keiths engine from flashback is in my garage and fitted into Igunna for EBI2... I did try and buy flash back last year but they owner wants to keep it black and not use it ?

I want to return as per fabs pictures..... another car built ahead of its time.

[Black Sheep]

I saw it parked up on the warm up lane at EBI after it was pointed out to me , I would have just walked straight on by otherwise . shame it had to receive a coat of black over that top paint job .
Talking of Keith's old cars , what happened to the fastback ?

[Russell]

Its in Aberdeen too, me and Kev have it. 

[Black Sheep]

Is that what Kev want's to put my old 5 speed box into ?

[Prowagen]

No offence to the current owner of Flashback, but I would prefer to see it in your garage Russell back to how it should be!
Its really a short lived piece of UK VW history, what with the Autocavan connection too!

Rob.
 

[guillaume]

I didn't find good picture on my computer, but I found some on internet.

Even is if the car is not painted in Flashback scheme, the actual paint is a very good quality job and the flames are very well made. Flashback paint was really cool, but I also like it with the actual paint. It looks like a 70's custom. Don't worry, it's in good hands 

[Prowagen]

The black paint makes the chop look lower,funny!

[Pekka]

Give the current owner a break and stop the bellyaching. Keith Seume sold the car on after painting it black himself. And if the current owner wants to hold on to the car it's his choice. In the photo it looks really cool as is IMHO.

Besides, Mr. Morel wrote this in DAS blog:
"mon fils aurait préféré qu'elle soit encore en Flashback, mais c'est trop tard, on ne va pas refaire la déco..."

For those who cannot read French (like me) there is always Babelfish...

[Fastbrit]

Sorry guys, been away sorting more important things in life – like the fact that my girlfriend's house just burnt down...

Yes, I had Luke at Terry's repaint Flashback – I wanted in dark metallic green, but Luke refused to paint it anything other than black! You don't argue with a painter... The reason? To be honest, I think the car was about 10 years ahead of its time (there was no real nostalgia VW gasser movement back then) and I seemed to be the only person who really understood what it was all about. As I wanted to put the car on the street, I chose to repaint it (I'd achieved my goal of building a '70-style gasser) and take a more 'low key' approach. It was fun, like having two cars for the price of one!

To me, the car looked awesome in black with its Mitchell wheels etc but was a pain in the a** on the street as it was so loud inside! I took the car down to the SVW Nats at Lege Cap Ferret and had a blast driving it about the streets there – for one morning! I then took Serge from Super VW out for a drive, came back to the offices and proceeded to blow the trans to pieces in front of a crowd of 'admirers' (read: 'drunken VW enthusiasts'!). My fault entirely but, hey, that's life.

I was already thinking of something new (like a 914-6) and as I still owned the ex-Goss chop-top, decided that owning two street-legal chop-tops was just plain greedy. I put a 'for sale' sign on the car and Steve Morel (Jacky's son) fell in love with the it. A deal was struck where I kept the engine, trans and wheels and sold the rest to Steve and Jacky. I then sold the engine and remains of the trans to Chris Ashworth. The engine is now in Russell's hands, while the trans was rebuilt by John Maher as a Berg five-speed, which I now own, courtesy of a deal struck with Russell. This is going in my 'new' Beetle street car so I can drive the thing more than 20 miles at a time...

I preferred the car before it's flames and repro BRMs, naturally, but give Steve and co a break. It still looks bitchin' and it was great for me to see it again at EBI. I've known Steve since he was a bump in his mother's tummy and he's a great guy and one cool dude.

KS

[Prowagen]

Sorry all, I never intended the post to become a 'bashing' of the current owner Steve Morel!!!!
At the end of the day if someone owns a car they have the right to do what they want, if that means sticking an 80's porsche whale tail on it, it may not be to my or others taste but so be it!

For me it wa just a shame to find out the Flashback scheme had gone!

Rob.

[Prowagen]

Sorry guys, been away sorting more important things in life – like the fact that my girlfriend's house just burnt down...

KS

Sorry to hear that, I hope no one was injured and things get back on track for you guys!

[SplitMan]

[...] and I seemed to be the only person who really understood what it was all about. [...]
KS

I'll hold that against you Keith.... when me and Paul was in your garage the eve before VoWo Show when it was about to debut....we understood ALL of what it was about. As a matter of fact - we loved it!

Oystein

[Fastbrit]

[...] and I seemed to be the only person who really understood what it was all about. [...]
KS

I'll hold that against you Keith.... when me and Paul was in your garage the eve before VoWo Show when it was about to debut....we understood ALL of what it was about. As a matter of fact - we loved it!

Oystein

Yeah, but your guys are really strange...

[ballbag]

I Keith wheelying in it up down, up down, up down, skid to the right, skid to the left, miss the armco, get out and take a bow 


Quality

[Neil Davies]

To be honest, I think the car was about 10 years ahead of its time (there was no real nostalgia VW gasser movement back then) and I seemed to be the only person who really understood what it was all about.
KS

I remember the car well. I spent hours looking around it when I first saw it at Santa Pod. Even three years later when I built Headstraight no-one really "got" nostalgia gassers except for Simon at Paintbox (who'd just displayed Snort at VoWo and Blue Obsession at the Pod) and a few others - I even got asked where I'd found that old race car and how come a US gasser was RHD...  I always wanted to race against Flashback but it never happened. I have to say that the green flames don't do it for me at all - I think it worked so much better in plain black, but the first paint job was my favourite!

[gibber!]

I Keith wheelying in it up down, up down, up down, skid to the right, skid to the left, miss the armco, get out and take a bow 


Quality

Remember that too.... sitting on the grass embankment hands over face..!
Think I took these there too:

[Russell]

Ok lets say we find inch pincher 1 painted in black ? do we say nice paint job sorry about the wheels ! NO. We dont, we say get it back to how it should be and was.

Ok lets talk tar babe, do we say paint in black some fake BRMS and that will do, No we dont.

So Flashback is Flashback not quite as famous as the other 2 but famous and european built and as keith and I have said ahead of its time, infact you could say that Flash Back is the car that really got me into the look of Nostalgia Built Gassers....

So no abuse intended at the current owner, but the Gasser Police should step in and get this car corrected, I have been trying !

PS. KS, wheres my box ? Still waiting floor pan is blasted and powder coated and waiting !!!!

[Fastbrit]

PS. KS, wheres my box ? Still waiting floor pan is blasted and powder coated and waiting !!!!

Trust me.... I've been dropping the hints to a certain workshop to get going. Maybe a call from Bonnie Scotland (whoever Bonnie is) will do the trick!