Inch pincher 1 or 3, what do you make of this ?

[Russell]

Guys

Look at this link

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2433274#2433274

[Russell]

coments please ?

I thouight there was 2 of the 1st one....

the 1st 1 was an oval but i think had a larger window put in to save weight, however if you check the pics on Speedwells site you will see that the square window car has the proper small vents under the window, surely they did not change the rear roof section on the car too ? could this mean that there is a 3rd one ?

[Russell]

By the way big thanks to martin Gold turbo beetle for the heads up on this one, cheers

[Rocket-Racing]

There is no way the car this guy is talking about is the original Inch Pincher. The cars story until it disappeared to Mexico is way to well documented by both people and pictures. And it certainly was a 56, not a 53.

When it comes to the big rear window I think they must have used a whole rear roof section. It's almost impossible to put a larger rear window in an oval without using the correct vents, at least if it's going to look half decent. In some pictures it even looks like the front window is larger, but you can see here (in one of my all time favorite VW pictures) that it has the correct front window.

[Martin Greaves]

I been thinking about this i know what door it is i have seen a photo of it. It is off a Empi car but not the Inch Pincher will call you tomorrow Russell.

[Fastbrit]

Another bull sh*t Inch Pincher story, I'm afraid. Don't get excited Russell, it isn't 'the' car. Three IPs were built, two by Vittone, one by EMPI New York. Latter in Tokyo, the first became the second (well, the chassis did, anyway) and that was that. A '1953 Oval' Inch Pincher is no Inch Pincher at all. 

[Rocket-Racing]

For some time I assumed that the flower power vinyl roof was there to hide all the welding involved in the rear roof section swap (a common trick at the time) but it got the big window before the flower roof.

[Bruce]

Anybody ever found orange paint when restoring a set of real BRMs?

[WCB Hitler's Hot Rod]

I'll pay top dollar for the doors if found. Email me!

[SlingShot]

Someone that can speak Spanish, and has nothing but time and money to burn should go down to Mexico and try to dig up what really happened to The Inch Pincher.
Or maybe we should all get together and see if they will put the story on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries 

[Jon]

What I cant get my head around is that this IS a mystery... this happened in the seventies!, that's not that long ago, hell even I remember stuff from the seventies,  how come no one remembers??  Those who was into VW's at the time surely knew what a famous bug "Inch pincher too" was. Even though it was past its prime they would have remembered that their cousins neighbour owned it for some time or remembering seeing it parked in some yard... that car didn't easily blend in...

And how about on the other side of the border, one of the stories says it was sold to Mexico and broken up down there, the most lightly suspects would be Mexican drag racers, as the parts of this car would not have been very street friendly. And I guess a guy who has the original tube front suspension of the Inch Pincher on his car would be quite proud of it, or the gear box... You would think that the Mexicans that were into vw drag racing at the time "IP Too" was broken up could remember anything??


And how about that story of a guy buying a Chassis and mounting the first IP body on to drive home to Mexico.. is that a bogus story to? Since a door has showed up I mean... but that still leaves a question, is this door a steel 56 VW door, or a Empi fibreglass (late) door?? There should have been at least two sets of doors to IP (one).

I don't think we will ever find out about this stuff......    but, PROVE ME WRONG!!   

[empicolector]

look on the background

[Fastbrit]

I think this is the picture you're trying to show... 

[Liou]

yes JHU !!
I have with the current on the drag inch pincher too is in Mexico in the mountain since the year, it does not move!!
the owner of Tar babe told me that here

[simon uk]

yes JHU !!
I have with the current on the drag inch pincher too is in Mexico in the mountain since the year, it does not move!!
the owner of Tar babe told me that here

I cant believe someone who owns the tar babe would know where the IP is, and leave it there. Are there many mountains in mexico? 

Si.

[Liou]

my friend of super VW mag was in Mexico for the report, it  told me
he was visit his garage of air cooled in centre town, he met the owns of Tar babe, he discussed like the culture VW, his owns of Tar babe, he said that I know the owns inch pincher is in Mexico but in the mountain in top, normally my friend  must go to see inch pincher unfortunately the rain is strong, he  cannot not gone it is high!!  here
thanks liou 

[Gunter]

Liou PM moi en français stp
amitiés
Gunter

[flatfire]

I was having a look at that thread yesterday and thought the Inch pincher is not in Mexico after all. Its in Peru, part of the legend of El Dorado.

I think its legendary status and the cold trails it has produced makes it cool if it was never found. IMHO

[empicolector]

i find this cool pictures where empi team fit the news inchpincher2 body on old floor pan

[simon uk]

cool pics empicollector!

Liou, can your friend get pictures? I assume the owner knows what it is he has got?

Si.

[Liou]

no my friend did not go to see inch pincher because of time  is bad and it is very high mountain!!  it is thus missed the next time  okay

[Jon]

I would like to see the mountain stopping me from checking out the Inch Pincher! 

[Shubee2 (DSK)]

i find this cool pictures where empi team fit the news inchpincher2 body on old floor pan

Did Anyone Notice the EMPI 8 SPOKES on The Trailer???

[speedwell]

Another bull sh*t Inch Pincher story, I'm afraid. Don't get excited Russell, it isn't 'the' car. Three IPs were built, two by Vittone, one by EMPI New York. Latter in Tokyo, the first became the second (well, the chassis did, anyway) and that was that. A '1953 Oval' Inch Pincher is no Inch Pincher at all. 

sorry keith there's 4 IP were built    3 by darrell vittone and one by richard guarino of new york , the  first IP2 was an off raos car , only after the second grag were built they names him the IP2 why?? i don't know may be to continue the name of the first drag
did someone know what it's happened to the off road car , i had some pictures from this one but never know the end story from this one 

[Russell]

Eye Eye keith wrong again ! 

[speedwell]

Eye Eye keith wrong again ! 

[Shubee2 (DSK)]

Eye Eye keith wrong again ! 

Anyone Know anything about this Car It is an Oval??

[speedwell]

the guys who's liou talking is JD COLLOMBET from super vw magazine and this 's what he said in the magazine : - it would seem that inch pincher is also in trimmings of Mexico City, alas for lack of time, it will be impossible to go to the address indicated to know some more  

[speedwell]

Eye Eye keith wrong again ! 

Anyone Know anything about this Car It is an Oval??

yes gary it's the oval  which will become inch pincher later here it is at the time of the nassau grand prix  into 63 or 64? driven by DAN GURNEY

[speedwell]

here's the cover from a foreign car guide with DAN GURNEY with his trophy at nassau grand prix in 64