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Mike Peckham
11 years ago

...I paid £100 a replacement engine was got from G & GW Bridges breakers yard at Pease Pottage...

bobthebuggy wrote:



I used to go there in the 80s too, might have seen you there! I remember it being a proper old fashioned scrap yard where you could clamber over the cars that were stacked three high and use your own tools to strip out the parts you wanted. Then head up to the “office” to agree a price. I’m sure they used to charge me for the small parts I smuggled out in my tool box too…

There always seemed to be a lot of type 3s there, and at one point there were about three semi auto beetles, all in very sound condition but presumably had problems with the transmission and no one was prepared to take on the challenge of repairing them.

I don’t remember ever seeing any particularly early beetles there, though of course there were plenty of 60s sloping headlight models, which in those days didn’t seem properly old.

Mike
July 1957 UK supplied RHD Oval. 1972 World Champion Beetle. 1978 UK supplied RHD 1303LS Cabriolet. 1973 UK supplied RHD 1303s.
Robb
11 years ago
whos the chap that did the pan? Hayden from panelkraft? think he did my mates car.
JULIANROBINSON
11 years ago

whos the chap that did the pan? Hayden from panelkraft? think he did my mates car.

Robb wrote:



Yep, Hayden does all my metalwork. :thumbup:
www.vwoval.co.uk
Robb
11 years ago
good feedback then?

does he use spot welders? and all welding ends up invisible?

want a factory looking job, and hes not that far from me.
Old Blue
11 years ago
In 1977 I had passed my test and Dad and I were looking for a car. I remember a grey oval that was for sale in the same street as my sister's house, the reg was LOW, that I remember well. We took a drive in it and Dad thought it was awful, He didn't realise the double clutching needed, and the brakes were not good and it didn't have any proper indicators. Didn't know of Standard models then. Dad thought it was something from the war as it made Old Blue then his '68 seem really modern. Needless to say we didn't buy it, and thought it worth about £80! It did sell though to a Jeweller of all people according to my sister. That guy may have known about precious metal, but obviously knew nothing of sheet metal to buy that in those days. Of course, today attitudes to these old VWs are totally different, as is the values - even Old Blue is worth a lot more now.
1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!
JULIANROBINSON
11 years ago

In 1977 I had passed my test and Dad and I were looking for a car. I remember a grey oval that was for sale in the same street as my sister's house, the reg was LOW, that I remember well. We took a drive in it and Dad thought it was awful, He didn't realise the double clutching needed, and the brakes were not good and it didn't have any proper indicators. Didn't know of Standard models then. Dad thought it was something from the war as it made Old Blue then his '68 seem really modern. Needless to say we didn't buy it, and thought it worth about £80! It did sell though to a Jeweller of all people according to my sister. That guy may have known about precious metal, but obviously knew nothing of sheet metal to buy that in those days. Of course, today attitudes to these old VWs are totally different, as is the values - even Old Blue is worth a lot more now.

Old Blue wrote:



The story of Low keeps growing!

What part of the country was he in at the time?

Thanks for the details. :beer:

www.vwoval.co.uk
GKL 7
11 years ago


What part of the country was he in at the time?

JULIANROBINSON wrote:




Julian,i think the jeweller person may have been John Miller(Rattletrap) from the N.London area.
JULIANROBINSON
11 years ago
Oh, is he a Jeweller? You live and learn. :smile:
www.vwoval.co.uk
GKL 7
11 years ago

Oh, is he a Jeweller? You live and learn. :smile:

JULIANROBINSON wrote:




Don't know about today,but he was in the trade all those years ago.
JULIANROBINSON
11 years ago

Julian,i think the jeweller person may have been John Miller(Rattletrap) from the N.London area.

GKL 7 wrote:



The dates make sense - as he said this on another thread...

"I had a 1953 RHD Standard back in the late '70s, the real thing, grey and VERY basic, like the 56 I have now. It was registered here from new and came in with the first batch of VWs for the UK that year (945 units - nearly all deluxes).

It even had the original (dated 1953!) log book. Registration LOW 514, which still checks out at the DVLA registration site. If it the car still exists, who has it now, I would love to know"
www.vwoval.co.uk
Rich Oakley
11 years ago
I think John Miller used to live in Thetford in Norfolk at that time.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
AW
  • AW
  • pre67vw Junkie
11 years ago
Theres a 49 standard on German ebay at the moment.


Andy W



JULIANROBINSON
11 years ago

good feedback then?

does he use spot welders? and all welding ends up invisible?

want a factory looking job, and hes not that far from me.

Robb wrote:



Yes, spot, mig, plug... he is very good.. there are some pics on my website www.vwoval.co.uk .. But please dont use him... I want this shell welded up! 😛
www.vwoval.co.uk
Robb
11 years ago
:d

thanks for the info :thumbup:
Old Blue
11 years ago

Julian,i think the jeweller person may have been John Miller(Rattletrap) from the N.London area.

GKL 7 wrote:


That is also about the area where the oval LOW was. As said in earlier posts we were aware of the car Rattletrap as it also lived in NW London not far from where we lived then. However, that car did have an air of providence, if not for the mileage stories, but because it had a split window (pretty well unseen in the UK then), and looked attractive with its black and chrome adornment. But LOW being a basic dowdy looking car as I remember, wouldn't have had much value in 1977, particularly to a Jeweller you'd think, also there's that double de clutching and not existent cable operated brakes.

Today a RHD Standard Oval is still far rarer than its Deluxe sibling, but now also more valuable!
1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!
Old Blue
11 years ago

I think John Miller used to live in Thetford in Norfolk at that time.

Rich Oakley wrote:


I would't have thought someone would have driven all the way from there into London in 1977 when old Beetles were plenty available for a few hundred pounds and more useable than an ancient base Standard. It would be like chasing around the country for a tired and rusty £650 1993 Fiesta Popular today.

Now people travel across countries for a rare early Beetle, but there was no interest back then other than for a Split Window, early Karmann or Hebmuller (if you'd heard about them!), but even then prices for these cars were just in the hundreds of pounds.

Happy days:smile:
1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!
six-o-one
11 years ago

I would't have thought someone would have driven all the way from there into London in 1977 when old Beetles were plenty available for a few hundred pounds and more useable than an ancient base Standard. It would be like chasing around the country for a tired and rusty £650 1993 Fiesta Popular today.

Old Blue wrote:



John would!

:thumbup:

Lavenham Vintage VW Show - 2012 
Bandwagen | Vintage Volkswagens & Photography 
JULIANROBINSON
11 years ago
I purchased a 1991 VW T25 on the Island of Sandy (Orkneys) last summer and drove it home.. not particuarly rare... but I thought it was worth the 660+ mile mainland journey each way to collect it... I'm sure others wouldnt have 😉
www.vwoval.co.uk
Old Blue
11 years ago

I purchased a 1991 VW T25 on the Island of Sandy (Orkneys) last summer and drove it home.. not particuarly rare... but I thought it was worth the 660+ mile mainland journey each way to collect it... I'm sure others wouldnt have ;)

JULIANROBINSON wrote:


Yes, but today there is a VW collecting mania world-wide, in 1977 there was little interest.
1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!
Old Blue
11 years ago

John would!

:thumbup:

six-o-one wrote:


You're right, the penny has dropped. From the Early UK VW Shows thread:


Dad's list of VWs at VW Action back in the 1970s as said earlier;

1946 - LAL 23, D.Smith
1947 - JLT 420, Colbourne's Garages
1948 - 1948 VW, Jim Murray
1949 - TJJ 62, Rod Sleigh
1950 - 10 BXK, Tony Levy
1951 - SLH 16, D.Smith
1952 - MRT 308, J. Miller

Two other very interesting cars from Dad's listings;
1950 Hebmuller cabrio – Robin Arkle
1952 Papler Police car – Tom Dobson

The picture of the Papler he took looks to show that the car is on a later chassis though (has 4 bolt wheels)?

I've also found of Safer VW Motoring from the period, features MRT 308 on the cover, with a sign on the roof written 'First VW Built for the UK' In the write up, the 1952 RHD Beetle is owned by a John Miller who claims to also own the last Beetle built for the UK, a 1978 1200L, although its not silver?

Of all the 'original UK vintage VW enthusiasts' above, I wonder who if any today remain on the scene other than Jim Murray?

Old Blue wrote:


1956 VW Beetle, 1962 Morris Minor, 1968 VW Beetle (Old Blue), 1972 Morris Mini, 2005 MGTF

Blue, blue, Electric Blue, that's the colour of Old Blue!
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