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Wed May 06, 2009 3:21 am

amazing, the car is in good hands ready for a reborn..

dieter

Wed May 06, 2009 3:54 am

:P

Great pics. What a fantastic project. Thank you.

Wed May 06, 2009 4:41 am

At this point, with so much removed and so much metal gone from the car, what parts are really left of a VW38?
It honestly comes down to, it's less of a restoration and more of a recreation of a VW38 using some original parts.

It is amazing and will be even more amazing once completed.

Reminds me of an old "restoration" they did in "excellence" Porsche mag. They "restored" an ultra rare split window convertable with literlly nothing more than just the windshield frame. Everything else was new and recreated. They called it a restoration. I dont belive it can really be called that.

Wed May 06, 2009 5:43 am

cfvwtuner wrote: At this point, with so much removed and so much metal gone from the car, what parts are really left of a VW38?
It honestly comes down to, it's less of a restoration and more of a recreation of a VW38 using some original parts.

It is amazing and will be even more amazing once completed.

Reminds me of an old "restoration" they did in "excellence" Porsche mag. They "restored" an ultra rare split window convertable with literlly nothing more than just the windshield frame. Everything else was new and recreated. They called it a restoration. I dont belive it can really be called that.

Your words are the reason why we were thinking to share the informations of restauration here in this forum or not. What shall we do in your minds with the car? Put the car as a holly grail in the cellery and keep it in its find condition?

The most important parts of the car stil exist, the original Body was handmade in the late 1930s - so it should be possible to recreate the missing parts of the body on its same way 70 years later. Original maching metall parts still exist, most of the missing parts were also used in other cars.

We all know that the car will not be a 100 % maching numbered car when it is finished - but a car with the highest level of authentithy and saved basement as possible.

Wed May 06, 2009 5:53 am

Björn Schewe wrote:
Your words are the reason why we were thinking to share the informations of restauration here in this forum or not. What shall we do in your minds with the car? Put the car as a holly grail in the cellery and keep it in its find condition?

The most important parts of the car stil exist, the original Body was handmade in the late 1930s - so it should be possible to recreate the missing parts of the body on its same way 70 years later. Original maching metall parts still exist, most of the missing parts were also used in other cars.

We all know that the car will not be a 100 % maching numbered car when it is finished - but a car with the highest level of authentithy and saved basement as possible.
Absolutely - the coming together of so many ultra rare parts with the skill of the folks involved in fixing this car will be absolutely fantastic to watch.
Please keep the pictures and updates coming. Im really looking forward to seeing it at Hessisch Oldendorf.
Mark

Wed May 06, 2009 6:46 am

after cutting away all the wolga parts and dismantling this example of craftmanship in countries with not really much ressources - it would be really interesting to rebuild the remains of the conversation, too.

imagine to display both of the siamese twins - one back in his originally created style, the other one rebuild as its later image - the conversation to watercooled.

i really thik this would be great to honour the craftmanship in countries of no ressources - why not take a newer beetle of the mass production era (1960´s/70´s) to rebuild the hybrid car??

Wed May 06, 2009 6:54 am

I commend anyone who takes on a project of this nature, preserving the history of VW with little less than a few pieces of original sheet metal to go off of. I have been in the southern California VW scene for close to 30 years, and I dont know anyone who would even think of taking on this project. You are a true craftsman that is highly respected in my mind. Thanks for doing what everyone dreams of doing one day.

Wed May 06, 2009 6:58 am

Thanks Christian for the great pictures, can't wait to see your progress on my next visit

Wed May 06, 2009 7:03 am

YEAH!!!

It's not the destination it's the trip!
Keep up the good work fellahs and I'm happy you've got a site for all this !

Wed May 06, 2009 7:17 am

that's really amazing, how it have survived for so many years, and now it will be restored as it should be, I glad that the car is now in hands of someone that can restore it in the right way!

can't wait to see the progress, please keep posting the updates.

Wed May 06, 2009 8:51 am

Björn Schewe wrote:
Your words are the reason why we were thinking to share the informations of restauration here in this forum or not. What shall we do in your minds with the car? Put the car as a holly grail in the cellery and keep it in its find condition?

The most important parts of the car stil exist, the original Body was handmade in the late 1930s - so it should be possible to recreate the missing parts of the body on its same way 70 years later. Original maching metall parts still exist, most of the missing parts were also used in other cars.

We all know that the car will not be a 100 % maching numbered car when it is finished - but a car with the highest level of authentithy and saved basement as possible.

PLEASE continue to share as much as you can with us. There are many people watching in awe and with immense appreciation.

Thank you Undis/Christian/Björn and all others who have shared information.

Wed May 06, 2009 9:10 am

cfvwtuner wrote: At this point, with so much removed and so much metal gone from the car, what parts are really left of a VW38?
It honestly comes down to, it's less of a restoration and more of a recreation of a VW38 using some original parts.
and
cfvwtuner wrote: They called it a restoration. I dont belive it can really be called that.

This is a "ship of Theseus" paradox. Can you step twice in the same river?

Digressing a little, I had a tree in my old home that was part of my family for 50 years. My grandpa climbed it every Christmas to put the decoration on. But one day we sold the house, and I had to move. The tree was set to be removed by the new owner. So I took a branch and made a bonsai of it, which sits in my desk to this day. It is the same tree, down to the DNA, and every time I see it I remember all it's history and importance. But the branch was just four months old when I took it...

This particular discussion has been going on for more than two millennia. Everyone has a particular feeling about it. Even in this thread I saw three or four different opinions on the subject. But the fact is (IMHO), things only get the value we give them.

But I'm getting too philosophical...

Björn Schewe wrote: The most important parts of the car stil exist, the original Body was handmade in the late 1930s - so it should be possible to recreate the missing parts of the body on its same way 70 years later. Original maching metall parts still exist, most of the missing parts were also used in other cars.

I feel we are overlooking the W38 chassis just found. If we had any doubt about the authenticity of this project, this chassis shattered it nicely and smoothly :)

Björn Schewe wrote: We all know that the car will not be a 100 % maching numbered car when it is finished - but a car with the highest level of authentithy and saved basement as possible.

All those cars were just test mules back then, as we discussed before, the bodies were swapped often, the parts (hoods and so on) were even numbered to keep some sort of track. They (the parts) were constantly damaged, and all they had to do was craft a new one. So, today we are looking at a 38 body been matched to a 38 chassis, and some minor body parts are getting replaced. Can we get more historically authentic? Who knows, maybe this body was at a given time bolted on this very chassis just found!

cfvwtuner wrote: It is amazing and will be even more amazing once completed.

I couldn't agree more. I think the only thing more awesome would be the complete restoration of the W30. In the other topic Christian said they were planning just that, so I cannot ask for more :D.

Wed May 06, 2009 10:46 am

I am truly in awe of this restoration.

Christian... I hope this translates:

"It is far better to have been criticized... than to have been the critic".

It is easy for somebody sitting at a keyboard to complain that this isn't a restoration... blah blah blah.

compare the effort it takes to type that complaint... with the effort it takes to find, buy, research, and restore such an incredibly rare car.

and with respect to driving them... Which I agree with entirely in most cases... In some cases... with particularly EXTREMELY rare cars... it is important to save them for the future generations... so the driving should be carefully controlled.

Eric

Wed May 06, 2009 11:35 am

This thread makes me hope the Hebmuller prototypes will surface one day too.. :wink:

It is just so amazing to be able to be following this restoration! 8) 8)

Wed May 06, 2009 11:41 am

overrestored wrote: I am truly in awe of this restoration.

Christian... I hope this translates:

"It is far better to have been criticized... than to have been the critic".

It is easy for somebody sitting at a keyboard to complain that this isn't a restoration... blah blah blah.

compare the effort it takes to type that complaint... with the effort it takes to find, buy, research, and restore such an incredibly rare car.

and with respect to driving them... Which I agree with entirely in most cases... In some cases... with particularly EXTREMELY rare cars... it is important to save them for the future generations... so the driving should be carefully controlled.

Eric

I agree 100%, you have a piece of history there and the fact that you are DOING it is awesome. Congratulations and thank you for being brave and talented enough to do it. The critics here are just jealous do nothings in my opinion. "Where's your '38?" is a good response to any criticism.

Wed May 06, 2009 11:56 am

you could probably prune about 5 pages off of this thread if you cut out all of the "there is not enough left to call it a restoration" gibberish.

The car is in the right hands and it is progressing. That is all that is important.

Wed May 06, 2009 12:09 pm

splitjunkie wrote: you could probably prune about 5 pages off of this thread if you cut out all of the "there is not enough left to call it a restoration" gibberish.

The car is in the right hands and it is progressing. That is all that is important.

I agree and though people have a right to their opinion why don't they start a thread dedicated to whether the car is a recreation/restoration/Volga/VW38 or whatever you want to call it and let us truly interested in the car follow the RESTORATION by, as mentioned before, some of the most gifted VW enthusiats out there. Please continue with all of this fasinating information.

Wed May 06, 2009 12:49 pm

I belive some people took my comment the wrong way. I belive the owner understood my comment.
It was not meant to discourage the process or downplay what they are doing.
I guess it's all symantics.
"It's my great grandfathers axe. It's had 4 new handles and 2 new blades over the years, but it's still my great grandfathers axe" Is it?

If you had nothing but a split roof section to start with, and using a all correct parts made that into a correct split driving running vehicle, was it a restoration or a recreation?

I know this car will be better than anything the factory has. I know the work will be top notch. There is almost nothing in the world like it.

The idea of putting the as found condition of the car back together based off of another bug is a neat idea.

Wed May 06, 2009 12:55 pm

Hey--perhaps those Volga parts were a hybrid longer than they were a Volga??!??
:lol:

Wed May 06, 2009 1:04 pm

What about the papers of the car.
Is it possible to get the right papers back?

Is it possible to get a born certificate from Wolfsburg for the car or Chassis??

I hope there will be a book that will be published about this car.
I´m sure that the car be on the road witin several years.

Grtzzzz