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Rich Oakley
10 years ago
I thought it was MDL 179, not MOL 179. Isle of Wight car originally and spent a lot of years in near Birmingham (Bromsgrove perhaps?). It changed hands about three years ago.

Rob- it was a different one that was found in Stratford- that was TOL 660 which I was offered a few years back but turned it down. It's now owned by somebody named Russell in West Yorks.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
chrisbug91
10 years ago
Yep it was MDL 179 and would of been a Fishbourne Garage Isle of Wight car, I don't know the exact date when Fishbourne started trading as a VW franchise but i'm guessing this could of been one of their first cars.

I'm not sure when it was messed with as it looks pretty much stock in the video.

UserPostedImage
1975 1300 (1 family owned)
Foxy
10 years ago
Yep realised it was MDL not MOL when I got the Volksworld out last night. December 1995 and it's on the cover. I was right it's a 55 so 3 fold ragtop.
1957Oval
10 years ago

I believe ULN 444 is still in West London. TYJ 970 is in E.Sussex (I drove past it this afternoon!!!). XDD 521 was purchased in recent years and slammed (search RW forum for more details). Don't know where MTR 900 is now, but I remember the story about it being 'unrestored' as being a bit questionable at the time. I think Chris Clarke still has MCG 120.

Originally Posted by: Rich Oakley 



ULN444 is now in Esher, 'Otis' (as he's otherwise known) is absolutely charming and very well indeed, (just completed a comprehensive service from Ian Kent at E's Autos - who was fantastic). See you all at Volksworld Show...

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Robb
10 years ago

Rob- it was a different one that was found in Stratford- that was TOL 660 which I was offered a few years back but turned it down. It's now owned by somebody named Russell in West Yorks.

Originally Posted by: Rich Oakley 



nope I disagree, 😳

if you read the article that was in volksworld in the 90's, it says it was found in Stratford. now in Ireland.

TOL was originally sold by Black and White in Harvington just up the road from stratford, then later found nearer to Bham.
RoRoVw
10 years ago
TOL 660 was found in Wychbold.
Cheers,
Rob.
fiona.tannock.1
10 years ago
Hello everyone, eventually I find myself here after a such long time trying to trace my childhood 54 beetle! The reg appears below, PLJ 738. She was our beloved bug from 1975-84ish.I was very interested in cars as a child, and as a teenager my father and I stripped the now dilapidated bug down to rebuild.My parents split a while after and PLJ was left in the garage gathering dust. Soon after, Mum sold the beetle on for around £250 to a lovely guy who wanted to restore her fully. T
Im pretty sure this man must have been John Deveraux, as the bug appears fully restored by John in the book by Nigel Grimshaw 'The Volkswagen Beetle'.

I would dearly love to find out how our old beetle is doing, the net hasn't been helpful up until now!

I'll post a picture, I still have one of the original keys. The only disappointing thing is that the in the few pictures I have of her, her number plate is off :0(
Rich Oakley
10 years ago

Hello everyone, eventually I find myself here after a such long time trying to trace my childhood 54 beetle! The reg appears below, PLJ 738. She was our beloved bug from 1975-84ish.I was very interested in cars as a child, and as a teenager my father and I stripped the now dilapidated bug down to rebuild.My parents split a while after and PLJ was left in the garage gathering dust. Soon after, Mum sold the beetle on for around £250 to a lovely guy who wanted to restore her fully. T
Im pretty sure this man must have been John Deveraux, as the bug appears fully restored by John in the book by Nigel Grimshaw 'The Volkswagen Beetle'.

I would dearly love to find out how our old beetle is doing, the net hasn't been helpful up until now!

I'll post a picture, I still have one of the original keys. The only disappointing thing is that the in the few pictures I have of her, her number plate is off :0(

Originally Posted by: fiona.tannock.1 



Hi Fiona,

The car is still very much around and on the road, although I'm not sure who owns it now.

Rich.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
Iowbug
10 years ago
Hi
Does anyone have any contact info for the Isle of Wight car? Or knows anything more about it now ?
Have been searching for this car for ages, am an island resident and would love for the car
to come home :)
Any assistance would be very much appreciated
Thank you
chrisbug91
10 years ago

Hi
Does anyone have any contact info for the Isle of Wight car? Or knows anything more about it now ?
Have been searching for this car for ages, am an island resident and would love for the car
to come home :)
Any assistance would be very much appreciated
Thank you

Originally Posted by: Iowbug 



Hello there I'am also an Island resident, unfortunately I believe MDL 179 was exported to Ireland where it would have lost it's original plate. Funny that this should pop up as recently I found a classified ad for the car in Safer Motoring from the 1980's, I shall try and take a copy.

It's nice to see someone else from the Island on here and feels the same about bringing DL cars back home.
1975 1300 (1 family owned)
55Kab
10 years ago

Hello there I'am also an Island resident, unfortunately I believe MDL 179 was exported to Ireland where it would have lost it's original plate.

Originally Posted by: chrisbug91 



If it ever came back to the UK from Ireland I believe it would be possible to get the original number back on the car. This happened to a 65 I had that went to the C.I. and came back.


WayneMcCarthy
10 years ago
That's Correct What Martin Has Just Said ...... The Car Will Keep Its Original UK Number !
"Mr Stock"
nicolass
10 years ago
Anyone knows this car FTM 594  10489917_750177015034610_5456463282845234830_n.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.
Rich Oakley
10 years ago

Anyone knows this car FTM 594

Originally Posted by: nicolass 



Yes, I know the history of that car. I believe it got scrapped in the 1960s. That photograph above was taken in the mid-1950s. The picture below was taken in 1961 after it had been resprayed and 'modernised' a bit...

UserPostedImage
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
Rich Oakley
10 years ago

Anyone knows this car FTM 594

Originally Posted by: nicolass 



"April 11th 1956 Near Priddy on the Mendip Hills, North Somerset. My Dad's 1946 Volkswagen Sedan bought the previous day for £255 from Messrs. Coventry and Jeffs of Clifton, Bristol. Originally built by the British Army personnel in Wolfsburg as they restarted the factory, it was bought by a UK Army Colonel who brought it back home to Luton in Bedfordshire in September 1947 when it was first UK registered. It was Dark Blue and had been given "Castle Earth" side panels..a mid green/grey colour...with grey vinyl seat upholstery rather than the standard cloth. It also had been fitted with a new 1192cc engine in 1953 and then sold to a Mr Knapman of Saltford near Bristol.

This was the first car that my Dad kept..he had previously bought an Austin 7 Ruby which was so dreadful it went after a month and Austin Big 6 which lasted just a day! We kept "Volks" until April 30th 1962 and during that year we did effectively a total restoration of everything but also did do "upgrades" which now of course we would think dreadful..the full VW chrome set, carpets, luggage cover, new bumpers, painted the seats with "Nuagain" blue paint because the original vinyl made your clothes go black!! and worst of all, cut the dashboard to fit a loudspeaker for the 1950 HMV radio set. I still have the cut out piece of steel..argh! Sadly..we sold it for £125 as a trade in for a 1954 Morris Oxford Series II (SHY 214) which was a bad move as it done 255,000 miles and the side cills turned out to be marked "Vono"...(Bedstead Manufacturers for you young ones!)

It's a long story but our VW links began in 1950 and continued in various ways until 1994 so split window VW's and 1954 Microbus's were a big part of my early motoring experience. There are dozens of stories but for now, I hope you like the picture..I'll post more soon."

This is all from a guy called Richard Leaman.
47 Beetle, 56 UK Karmann Cabriolet, 56 UK Beetle, 57 UK Type 2, 59 UK Beetle, 66 UK Fastback.
nicolass
10 years ago
Great story Rick

You see how a old picture can make a story off his own

Thanks
Nico
Redbug58
10 years ago
MDL179 was in my care between 2000 and 2005. I sold it to the chap in Ireland who sold the plate

UserPostedImage 

Here's a photo i took on 1993/4 bug jam of 914, look whats in the background
Paulifa1
9 years ago
Hi All,

I can't believe it's been around 2 years since I last posted on here! Anyway, a little update on SSU 658. I've finally got the time to re-commission her now! Started in earnest today with a good clean and polish. She's held up pretty well since I restored her in 1989...

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The tyres have all rotted from age even though they've only done about 1000 miles! So she's getting a new set of boots. Along with this will be a full brake overhaul, and ermm... well that's pretty much it apart from a usual standard service, greasing & lots more polishing everywhere :)

I'll be seeing you all at Stanford Hall for the first time in 25 years !!:shock:




Guiddy
8 years ago
I owned MDL 179 from about 1994 to 1997 including when it was featured in VolksWorld magazine.
I was sitting with it at Stanford Hall when Ivan from the magazine told me he wanted to feature it! A very exciting day!

It was a 1955 car so had the ribbed doors, straight gear stick and the bat wing wheel. It also had motometer gauges too!

I bought it from a girl in her late 20s who lived in Tiddington just outside Stratford Upon Avon for £4750 in 1994. It was in great condition, just the engine tinware was a bit ratty, the seat frames and steering wheel in need of restoration and the wheels were a bit sorry.
It had radials with white wall flaps squeezed in them! That's how it appeared in that Bug Jam video. Wow, the 90's fashion looks pretty distinct!

I had the wheels redone in cream with beauty rings and propper white wall crossplys fitted. Changed the US Spec bumpers for Euro.
The had seat frames powder coated (One of them was in poor condition though, did anyone ever replace them?) and the steering wheel resprayed.
I cleaned the engine up and freshened the tinware with a lick of paint.

It had major inner quarter welding done under the rear seat just before I sold it. We ended up using plate under the battery pan, I always hated the fact it wasn't a pressed piece! I think it would have been due some front heater channel work soon after?

I sold it on in 1997 for around £4200! It wasn't easy to sell either! I had a lot of time wasters! I wonder what it's worth now had I kept it?
The guy who bought it was a real enthusiast. Young lad who owned the white mid sixties bug that had just about every accessory fitted!

I have a pile of pictures in a folder somewhere that I'll have to dig out.
deansplit
2 years ago
Hey Guiddy… that young lad was me!!! Now 50… thought we were about the same age no??…. Had been wondering about this car along with my own, mine was a 58, not mid 60s, and yes very accessorised LOL… I bought yours with the intention to swap every over you MDL - the 1776, 3.88 box, the accessories and lower it! Never got round to it and it was taking up space in my parents garage in Kent. So sold it a year later. Would so love to have that back now, I also say that about my 58, but can’t keep everything. At the time of selling my 58 ( can you believe for a bloody people carrier as had growing family at that point), I’d already bought a project 62 Dormobile which I was fully restoring so selling the bug didn’t feel as bad. Funny that MDL ended up in Ireland, I’ve lived in Northern Ireland since 2002!
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