1955 Coachbuilt Beetle Roadster
The body lines are very pretty and it is easy to squint your eyes a little
and visualize just how gorgeous this car
would be once restored to it's former glory.
Very well balanced design.
Here it is with the top in place.
The top is a removeable hardtop that has the appearance of a folding soft
top.
It latches on with the original convertible top latches and houses the
original 55 Convertible rear window glass.
The interior is all original and intact...excellent for patterns for an
accurate restoration.
Original door panels too.
The biggest challenge with restoring this car is rust.
Unfortunately the car has been exposed to the elements for many many years
and ol Mother Nature
has not been kind. The floor pans are all but gone, the support rails and
heater channels are too,
And there is rust in the front apron area as well as in the body at some
points.
I have aquired an excellent donor body for the support rails and lower
flanks that is included with the sale.
The dash is clean complete and uncut.
Since the support rails are gone, there is a temporary support under the
dash to keep the body lined up.
The rare convertible only parts are all in place such as the rear view
mirror, locking glove box, dash grab handle,
covered door hinges, small "mail slot" rear window, all the top
latches, the locking hood release, and everything is there.
Some close inpection of the rear quarter panels even showed that the car
was originally equipped with semaphore turn
signals behind the doors. It doesnt appear that the mechanisms are present
but the mounting boxes are there.
Here's a good detail shot of the rear deck modifications.
The air vents were the original ones from the convertible "W"
decklid that were relocated
above the re-worked engine lid. It looks like portions of another hood
were used
and a lot metal work and re-shaping to make it all fit. It really looks
like it was done well.
I cant imagine it being a home job, but if it was the builder was a master
at his craft.
Under the engine lid lies the original 36 horse engine, very complete but
quite frozen in time.
Go ahead and squint again...picture it finished with the crowds of VW nuts
ooohhhing and ahhing at it.
Ive been very tantilized by the car and I really want to restore it myself
and make it happen.
Ive been eyeing it daily for the past two years and have done little to
it except for flaking off an occassional chip of paint.
I figured I might as well just put it up for sale and see if there are
any takers. Im not wildly motivated to sell it
but if the right buyer comes along I will be happy to see it go on and
be restored by someone else.
I may kick myself in the end when I see it in some magazine or book in
the future, but I will have
to live with the fact that "I owned it once". It truly has the
potential to be extremely valueable as well as beautiful.
Just so you dont have to squint too hard...here is a photo of my other
"Coachbuilt",
The Rosensteil Roadster, shining in the summer sun. (this one Im keeping
...dont ask!)
So...back to the task at hand.
Another thing I forgot to mention is that included in the sale is all of
the original wheels
including caps and aluminum trim rings!! (The chrome wheels are just on
the car so I can roll it around the shop)
In closing this is a very big project car...not to be taken lightly.
Its not a car you can hop in and drive and just respray to make it shiny.
It is welll withing the realm of possibility though and once it's completed
you will have perhaps one of the rarest VWs on the planet.
Just think about it...they made over 700 Hebmullers...and there is only
ONE of these!!
SOLD!