1956 Oval Barn find in NH

themacnut · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:20 am Post subject:

Great find. Nice work getting it buffed, tuned, and back on the road.
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Jeff W.

jbreddawg · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:32 am Post subject:

Just me personally but I walk right past the overly restored cars at any show I go to and head directly to the survivors !! It always amazes me to see a nice old original car that has made it this far in life without somebody restoring it or heavily modifying it.
They just dont make em like that anymore. I say keep it like it is Very Happy

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The wheel may be turning but the hamster's dead !

seanboy69 · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:24 am Post subject: 1956 Oval Barn find in NH

Awsome story!! AWSOME car!!! I cant get over how nice the interior is on that car!!!
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In a sea of american muscle there is alittle bug hiding in the corner...
Oh, and I am 39 years old.....I am supposed to know better......ha!!!
1956 oval ragtop
1962 baha
2276 in progress

4Doora · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:45 am Post subject:

I failed to mention it, but when we bought the car, the seller gave us a bunch of parts he had lying around his property...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

In this pile of parts, there were two 36hp engine cases. I ran the numbers through the samba a few weeks ago, and discovered one of them was from the same year, and same month as the car! Could this be the original engine case?
... well I was just out in the garage with my dad, he was checking the specs on that old '56 block, and he inquired about ordering a birth certificate for his car. I grabbed the stack of old registrations from the glove box so I could get the VIN and send for a birth certificate. While flipping through the pile, I came across a number that differed from the other VINs... the number was typed in a box marked "engine number" Shocked

.
I stooped down next to my father to compare the number on the block he was fiddling with... the numbers were identical Very Happy

.
The block isn't in the greatest shape though, it's quite weathered from sitting outside. It would be really great if we could salvage it... but no big loss if we can't.
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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

kidvintage · Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 5:36 pm Post subject:

Do three things:

1. Rebuild a 36HP for it (would be nice if you could use the OG case)

2. Put on some decent used GERMAN bumpers (NOT Brazilian repops & NOT restored ones either.....just some good used ones)

3. Two-tone the wheels CORRECTLY (DO NOT paint the white portion too bright.....very important!!)

And your done.......drive that sucker for the rest of your life as it sits.

DO NOT restore it!!!!!!!!!!!!

4Doora · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 8:38 am Post subject:

Well, it's safe to say my dad and I have been enjoying the hell out of this '56. He's managed to clock over 1000 miles this summer!
He and my mother took it up to Wolfsgart in Burlington, VT. I Followed in The bus. 150 miles one way, ALL UPHILL. Fully loaded with camping gear for the weekend.

She ran flawlessly all the way. Very Happy

Last week, my dad and I spontaneously decided to take off camping for the night. We loaded up the bug within an hour with the bare essentials and all our food (pringles, little debbies, redbulls). We camped at Russell pond in north Woodstock, NH. A white mountain national forest park. We stayed the night, and packed up the next morning, and were back on the road by 8 o'clock. We took the scenic route home, Over the Kancamangus Pass. The cool morning air on the west side of the mountain allowed us to power up the highway with ease. We headed back home down route 16, and decided to take another scenic drive through Meredith, NH around Lake Winnipesaukee before hopping on the highway and heading home.
Again, no troubles, she ran great.

In order to address the issue of the missmatched wheels, my dad painted them all white, and he found a set of trim rings here on TS that he liked

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

1-4-3-2 · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject:

Great job/car! I remember that ad on craigslist, it was one week after I bought my latest project.

If I didn't buy my bus I would have been all over that one. I would have done the same thing, a preservation rather than a restoration. Good luck.
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1967 Sunroof Deluxe, L633 VW Blue
1979 'Vert, 97A Diamond Silver Metallic
1974 Standard, 31A Senegal Red

buddy69 · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 7:00 pm Post subject:

i enjoyed reading the story of the car,
a fantastic find.

keep us posted...

4Doora · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 7:16 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the kind words. That split bus looks like a great project! If my dad and I ever come across one, a split is going to be our next project. (i'd really like to find a single cab or double cab or panel so I can haul mopeds Laughing

)
We'll be going down to Brookline, MA tomorrow morning for transporter fest/ VW day. My dad will be taking his '56, I'll be taking my '71 bus. Very Happy

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

4Doora · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:33 am Post subject:

The '61 is eventually going to want it's 40hp back, so here's the motor my dad's putting together for the oval.

He obviously didn't want to "downgrade" his horsepower, so the new 36hp will have a little extra kick ala wolfsburg west Wink

We've sourced a whole lot of extra 36hp engines to get little pieces. Here are a few we picked up off eBay a few weeks back.

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

Jake Martinez · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:13 am Post subject:

nice keep up the work! have you thought about painting the rims the correct color?
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58 euro vert
63 bug ruby
64 sunroof notch
65 bug
67 standard

4Doora · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:46 am Post subject:

70 140 · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:01 pm Post subject:

Did you use the original 36 case?

seanboy69 · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:12 pm Post subject: 1956 Oval Barn find in NH

Cool

_________________
In a sea of american muscle there is alittle bug hiding in the corner...
Oh, and I am 39 years old.....I am supposed to know better......ha!!!
1956 oval ragtop
1962 baha
2276 in progress

4Doora · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:24 pm Post subject:

Jake Martinez · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:17 pm Post subject:

ratbug56 · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 7:18 pm Post subject:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT RESTORE!!!! Pray

That car is so beautiful just the way it is!! If you want something to restore, Ill swap you for MY '56 and cash! Very Happy

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1956 oval

4Doora · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 7:14 am Post subject:

Out with the old, in with the... older.

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

bugpowered · Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 6:18 pm Post subject:

You and your dad truly have memories to last a lifetime. I was looking at the pics you have taken of the car when my 15 year old stepson leaned over my shoulder and said now thats a "cool" car. It stands to reason that if he can appreciate it in its current condition you have done well. (He is into Mustangs and the Fast N Furious junk). keep up the good work!
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the parts that you buy from me today, will fund my projects tomorrow...

BGLOCOTE · Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 6:44 pm Post subject:

Nice oval
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1955 TYPE 1 Under Construction
1962 TYPE 1 SOLD

Looking for 54-55 TYPE 1 finger tin.

UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERAN


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