In a message dated 12/17/06 3:08:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM writes:

>
> When I was into this biz full swing I would constantly have an eye peeled
> not for the flashy over priced "one-offs", but for the underrated special
> models to buy fix up (or clean up) and resell them to a good home that would
> appreciate them.  Take 411/412 models (yeah, I know, take 'em
> all....please!!!), VW's "Edsel".  They actually produced a big bunch of
> these.  To give you an idea of how many, there were more 411/412s produced
> from 1969 thru 1974 than the entire 18 year production run of the Karmann
> Ghia (56-74).  But there were certain models produced within VW's "Edsel"
> line that are hard to find and together with my buddy Cliff Crate, we buy
> 'em up, fix many of their problems (non-functioning auto trannies being the
> biggest expense,) and clean 'em up, then re-sell them for almost no profit
> to an enthusiast to drive or fix 'em up more.  It's a cult following, but
> most of them have ended up in the crusher over the years so now they're
> becoming fewer and fewer.  Cliff and I are always prowling the Samba,
> wrecking yards and VW shows for hard-to-find pieces and his backyard has
> become probably a lot like your farm property, just visualize Type 4s and
> tons of related parts instead.  Our "cute" name for it is the "Black Hole",
> where everything goes in and little comes back out because......well y'know
> 411/412 stuff isn't (and never will be) the rage of VW-dom ;-)  Same idea
> and focus, just a different model.
>
> Yeah, all the rest of ya out there can guffaw and laugh, but as long as
> Cliff and I can make someone happy with VW's "Ugly Duckling", we're just
> fine with that.
>
> Oh....My late father and I, not being the total purists that some people out
> there are, the last 10 years we had that 50 Bug (being totally restored
> otherwise) had it outfitted with a 2180, Dual 40IDFs, Joe Hunt Scintilla
> Magneto, Tunnel Trans totally beefed out and Porsche 356B brakes all the way
> around.  Ya think we were gonna "daily drive" it in California on 25HP?  It
> was a lot of fun lighting up those skinny 16" tires at the Vintage Meets.
>
> Now if I can just find a nice Doka or Single Cab Vanagon to tool around
> in.....sigh.
> --
> Jim Thompson
> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
> 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
> 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
> oldvolkshome@gmail.com
> http://www.oldvolkshome.com
>

hi jim...i found a '74 412 a few years back..  it only had like 40k original
miles.. it was harvest gold metallic.. and had the factory roof rack, and a
gas heater and auto trans.. and porsche 914 wheels..  also had this wierd little
map light thing under the dashboard??   anyway, it was a cool car..  sold it
to a friend of mine, he had is shipped to atlanta.. and that was the last i
heard of it..   i wish i would have kept it.. very cool.. and actually very
fast...

chris