Old Supra in rough shape

[Germandrummer]

Just got an old Supra a few minutes ago. Serial number 31880 should be from 1964.
I like that tatty appearance and even hesitate to clean it. I`m very excited to compare it to my 2019 LM400.

You want to laugh? I paid 200 Euro for it and it`s still a bargain here in Germany considering that those early Supras don`t come to the market on a regular basis.

 

[BRIAN]

Brother you just inspired me........I have a 1965 supra that has been to hell and back, gonna play her tomorrow

 

[Roosto]

Just got an old Supra a few minutes ago. Serial number 31880 should be from 1964.
I like that tatty appearance and even hesitate to clean it. I`m very excited to compare it to my 2019 LM400.

You want to laugh? I paid 200 Euro for it and it`s still a bargain here in Germany considering that those early Supras don`t come to the market on a regular basis.

Look forward to seeing pics after you have cleaned it up. A recent post here has a man who cleaned up an old Supra with simply warm water and Dawn. Be gentle.

 

[kdgrissom]

I think you may have brass rims which will clean up nicely.

PS: Nice MB avatar!
I have an '84 diesel Euro Wagon.

 

[dutchy]

Nice buy, but you should clean them up a little.

 

[Germandrummer]

Look forward to seeing pics after you have cleaned it up. A recent post here has a man who cleaned up an old Supra with simply warm water and Dawn. Be gentle.

Usually I put my old stuff into the dishwasher but this time I`ll make an exception.

 

[Germandrummer]

I think you may have brass rims which will clean up nicely.

PS: Nice MB avatar!
I have an '84 diesel Euro Wagon.

I`m not an expert at all just read some articles about classic Ludwig snares. I thought brass was only used on the earlier "super" models?

PS: Nice car! Reliable and easy to maintain. You don´t get decent 123-wagons here in Germany anymore unless you are willing to pay at least 15k€ for a mediocre one. A friend of mine searched for years and finally ended up importing a turbo wagon from california.

 

[kdgrissom]

Ummmm. This is rather embarrassing, but I bought mine for $2,500 14 years ago. Best car I ever owned. I had an elderly German friend that had a sideline importing 123's to Germany. Lots of German ex-pats here in Florida.

 

[Germandrummer]

Ummmm. This is rather embarrassing, but I bought mine for $2,500 14 years ago. Best car I ever owned. I had an elderly German friend that had a sideline importing 123's to Germany. Lots of German ex-pats here in Florida.

Rust and a strong demand are an unfortunate combination. Decent wagons are unlikely to change owners whilst a strong demand motivates vendors to sell bad cars for a fortune. Wagons also tend to be treated more roughly at some point compared to the sedans and coupés.

 

[Germandrummer]

Today I could inspect the supra and it is in a good overall condition. One weak point is a twisted batter hoop (brass) with up to 10mm discrepancy in it. Can it be fixed by metalwork companies (?) or should it be replaced, if so: which hoop should I go for? Original brass hoops won`t be out there (here in Germany) that much.

 

[kdgrissom]

Is the hoop actually twisted or just out of round? Out-of-round brass rims can be adjusted by exerting gentle pressure with your hands while pushing the rim on the floor (measure twice, push once and repeat as necessary). Also use a new drum head to make sure the fit is perfect.
Twisted depends on how bad the metal is torqued. If the damage is slight, a well equipped machine shop should be able to make it right. Good Luck!

 

[Germandrummer]

Is the hoop actually twisted or just out of round? Out-of-round brass rims can be adjusted by exerting gentile pressure with your hands while pushing the rim on the floor (measure twice, push once and repeat as necessary). Also use a new drum head to make sure the fit is perfect.
Twisted depends on how bad the metal is torqued. If the damage is slight, a well equipped machine shop should be able to make it right. Good Luck!

Well, I actually ment out-of-round. My poor English skills, sorry!

Meanwhile I contacted an old friend who works as an engineer at our university in Aachen doing some metal stuff there. He will try to sort it out. Keep you updated!

 

[Germandrummer]

Tough work next days...

 

[Germandrummer]

Tough work goes on...

Three hours just for cleaning the strainer. Tomorrow reassembly will start!

 

[Rotarded]

I`m not an expert at all just read some articles about classic Ludwig snares. I thought brass was only used on the earlier "super" models?

Up until mid 1964ish, all hoops on all Ludwig drums were COB or NOB. Then they introduced the steel hoops. It's also not uncommon to have one of each COB and COS hoops on a drum from the 1964/65 timeframe.

 

[Germandrummer]

Up until mid 1964ish, all hoops on all drums were COB or NOB. Then they introduced the steel hoops. It's also not uncommon to have one of each COB and COS hoops on a drum from the 1964/65 timeframe.

In fact both hoops of that "beauty" are COB. Chrome is missing here and there and the brass underneath is visible. Before starting to clean it up, everything was hidden under a thick layer of dirt and dust. I already like that snare so much as I love things showing signs of a working life. My 2019 LM400 sounds great but doesn`t have that appeal to me.

 

[Rotarded]

In fact both hoops of that "beauty" are COB. Chrome is missing here and there and the brass underneath is visible. Before starting to clean it up, everything was hidden under a thick layer of dirt and dust. I already like that snare so much as I love things showing signs of a working life. My 2019 LM400 sounds great but doesn`t have that appeal to me.

I feel you. I have 2 1964 Supraphonics. One is nearly mint, one is rough. BUT, they both sound the same......Brilliant! I also have a 1976 400, and a 2017 402....

 

[Germandrummer]

Nice drums! It is fascinating to me how a simple thing like a snare drum can be so different. I absolutely can`t develop that much sympathy for my 1970s Gretsch 4160 (sounds too harsh to me) and was a bit disappointed by the Sonor D518 and its limited versatility. The 400 sounds great at any tuning.

 

[Germandrummer]

Finally done!

It`s like birthday! I just cranked the snare side head to the max, put the batter side head starting with two twists on each tension rod just to start from there but: a perfect sound right from the start! Makes me want to throw my other stuff into the garbage.

 

[studrum]

That's the insane "magic luck" of the Ludwig family! They were originally from Germany, too, as you are probably aware. The change from brass to aluminum shells was to make things cheaper - not necessarily better- AND they botched the early metal finishing - the poor finish condition of your drum is quite common. In spite of all of this, they still sound fantastic. You almost can't make a Supraphonic sound bad. Enjoy your drum.
PS. I have good friends living in, yep, Ludwigsburg.