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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 5:47 am Post subject: 1952 Split (formerly Mike Wolfe's from American Pickers) |
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A couple weeks ago I purchased the light green 52 split owned by Mike Wolfe. I believe the price was more than fair for a VERY original driver. Today I received the paperwork, and it completely blew me away. There's an original registration booklet that came with the car that shows every owner from the 70s back until the car was brand new and first bought in Jan. 1952!
Piecing together the backstory of the split it lived nearly it's whole life in the Untergruppenbach/Heilbronn region of Germany. A US army sergeant ended up buying the car and bringing it back to the US with him in 1978. Mike told me he had tried buying the car for years and was finally successful. I'm told the car was owned by the president of a local VW club (MTVWC Nashville?) and that person bought the car off the sergeant who brought the car to the US originally. The paperwork is phenomenal on this car. I've got all the customs forms and even a warning ticket from the Ohio State Police when the car must've been sitting broken down on the side of the road on his drive from the port of NYC to his home in Illinois.
I took a chance buying this car. And while it is missing some big ticket items like the taillights/grooved semaphores, and 16's, this paperwork definitely makes up for some of that. Kudos to Mike for selling me a great car at a great price. Truly a survivor car very representative of the kinds of cars servicemen would buy and tool around in while on assignment in Der Fatherland. I'm just glad Ssgt Werner decided to bring this one back with him!
Last edited by disneyherbie on Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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joel55bug Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2005 Posts: 297 Location: Texas
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:23 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Congrats on your new addition. On those high ticket items, I'd say just pace yourself and take them one step at a time. I know it's not an early split but for me the crotch cooler car is the one I'd like to own side by side with my '52 standard. I've checked out that car on the ad a bunch, truly a very nice car to own and work with. |
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:56 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Thanks Joel! Yeah that's definitely the plan! I'll keep my eyes peeled for good deals on parts as they come up, but my main objective is to just enjoy maintaining and driving the car. It will be a fun car to tinker with. |
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joel55bug Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2005 Posts: 297 Location: Texas
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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disneyherbie wrote: |
Thanks Joel! Yeah that's definitely the plan! I'll keep my eyes peeled for good deals on parts as they come up, but my main objective is to just enjoy maintaining and driving the car. It will be a fun car to tinker with. |
Couldn't have said it better myself. Just remember, at the end of the day it's your car maintain it the way it pleases you and don't worry about negative feedback you receive on your decisions. |
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:02 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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I'm definitely of the preservationist school of thought. Originally the car was pastel green which is still evident in the door jambs and dash/interior. The exterior was painted a lighter green for whatever reason, but that doesn't really phase me at the moment. I also plan on having some clear vinyl seat covers made up to preserve the original seat material. I may consider doing a full resto one day, but for the time being I think this 52 tells a cool story as it sits and it should stay that way for awhile... |
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DDub Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2005 Posts: 306 Location: central pa.
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:19 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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I could be happy with it the way it is. Or replace the tail lights and bumpers and be REAL happy. Enjoy it as you wish! |
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pastellgreen Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2012 Posts: 1036 Location: Germany
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Congrats to your new car!
I have the same problem, a pastelgreen car with wrong outside repaint and very much original paint inside, engine bay and front. I decided now to repaint it only outside in the right colour after doing slight bodyrepairs that have to be done. And of course repainting the rims in the original way, L16 "hellgrün". This would also be the right paint for yours.
If you are able to work with Glasurit, they have the absolute original paint formular for both colours.
Plastic seatcovers are a good idea!
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/pix/6614840.jpg
If you find someone who is making them, please let me know, I also want a set! |
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Thanks Nico! I sure will! |
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johnshenry Samba Member
Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 9359 Location: Northwood, NH USA
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:34 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Very cool. Having all of that documentation is icing on the cake for sure!! _________________ John Henry
'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab |
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79SuperVert Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2002 Posts: 9758 Location: Elizabeth, NJ & La Isla Del Encanto
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:46 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Very nice. Good luck with it. _________________ Central Jersey VW Society
Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt. |
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mandraks Samba Member
Joined: November 28, 2004 Posts: 7045 Location: Lawrenceville, Ga
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:49 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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you have the address of one of the previous owners, call them up and learn even more about the car. _________________ regards
Uli
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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel |
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FRK Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2002 Posts: 2652 Location: Orange county, CA
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:41 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Was fortunate enough to stumble upon a good 25hp core to put back in the split one day. Price was right and it's a Jan '53 engine (car is Jan '52) so I'm getting a little closer to "correct". The split made the trek from Nashville to my house in one piece. A surprisingly tight little car to drive. It's snowing currently, so a nice drive will have to wait until the roads aren't covered in salt and slush...
Last edited by disneyherbie on Fri Feb 12, 2016 12:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mr. OGPaint Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2010 Posts: 821 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:33 am Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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disneyherbie wrote: |
Was fortunate enough to stumble upon a good 25hp core to put back in the split one day. Price was right and it's a Jan '53 engine (car is Dec '52) |
Great find on the engine, but you may want to check the production date on your car, December 52 would make it a zwitter. _________________ https://instagram.com/mr.ogpaint
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Patrick Hall |
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 12:16 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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Thanks for the catching that. I meant to type Jan '52 production date! I edited my post...
The engine actually appears to be fairly complete. I've since sourced the proper 26 VFIS carb my car would've originally come with. As a side project, I'll tear it down and see what I'm working with inside the crankcase. For $500 I think I did ok on the 25hp core though... |
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usariemen Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2004 Posts: 1745 Location: Germany
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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disneyherbie wrote: |
Was fortunate enough to stumble upon a good 25hp core to put back in the split one day.
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It still has the rare Zwitter intake!
Even with these rust holes I´m sure John Henry would like to rescue it. _________________ Master of my domain! |
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 1:34 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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I will for sure be enlisting his services when I get to that point! |
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splitjunkie Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 4083
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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usariemen wrote: |
disneyherbie wrote: |
Was fortunate enough to stumble upon a good 25hp core to put back in the split one day.
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It still has the rare Zwitter intake!
Even with these rust holes I´m sure John Henry would like to rescue it. |
That engine might not be usable. It looks like it has been sitting outside for quite a while. With the air cleaner and oil filler missing it has probably had a lot of water inside it. I bought a 36 hp like that once. It looked about like your engine and pretty much nothing inside that engine was usable including the case which was Swiss cheese due to corrosion. _________________ Chris
You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld |
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disneyherbie Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2006 Posts: 363 Location: Mercer, PA
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:24 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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The engine is already in my garage. The owner had pulled it a few months back so it didn't sit outside long. Bottom sump is perfect. No corrosion at all. Drained oil and no water came out so fingers crossed... |
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splitjunkie Samba Member
Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 4083
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Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Recent 1952 Split purchase |
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disneyherbie wrote: |
The engine is already in my garage. The owner had pulled it a few months back so it didn't sit outside long. Bottom sump is perfect. No corrosion at all. Drained oil and no water came out so fingers crossed... |
Hope so. _________________ Chris
You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld |
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