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1937 Prototype W30 chassis 26
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Undis
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:12 am    Post subject: 1937 Prototype W30 chassis 26 Reply with quote

In The VW38 topic a few people mentioned a very early prototype chassis which has survived to this day. In the meantime I received information and pictures of it, so I thought I may as well start a topic on this particular item. Seems this is the oldest surviving major part of a pre-production VW and would be interesting to share.

The chassis was found in a junkyard in Austria. It was built in 1937 and used for one of the batch of 30 W30 prototypes. These cars were intended for testing of the Volkswagen technical concept and never were intended for the public. This particular chassis is number 26 and was used for the car with registration number IIIA 37026. The number plates were matched to the chassis number in case of the prototypes. In 1942 all the prototypes were ordered to be destroyed.

So what happened to chassis number 26 and how come it survived the destruction? According to Chris Barber and his book “Birth of the Beetle”, car number 26 lost its body during testing, presumably crashed. Briefly it received body from car number 8. After that it seems the chassis was used as a test bed for something – most probably for the development of the Kübelwagen body. Because it was no longer a complete car and still used for a purpose, somehow it survived.

Here is car number 26 during wind tunnel testing.

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Plans for the W30 chassis

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Period pictures of the bare W30 chassis

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This is the way the surviving chassis looks like now.

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The location of the chassis number. It is a very simple punched number unlike on later production cars.

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That indent between the handbrake and the shift lever is for the front seat mounting tube which runs right across the chassis tunnel

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The rear torsion housing and mounting for the shock absorbers

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Frame head detail. Note the exits for the brake cables. On the right is the fuel line and on the left is the hole for the wire harness which runs through the central tunnel instead of the body as on production cars.

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The frame head has lost its distinctive beak which was used to mount the spare wheel. That area is cut down and roughly hammered in new shape. The reason for doing this is probably to do with it being used for a Kübelwagen body.

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Note how narrow the frame head is. This must have caused some flexing of the front beam.

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Here is photo of a W30 chassis in the day (could be this one?) modified for some other purpose. Note the cut-down spare wheel mount.

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Simon uk
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wow great pics, so do you think this chassis could be used for the body found, are the dimensions the same as the chassis on the vw38? And if so, would the owner be prepared to sell it on???? I am guessing certain items like pedals could be modified from a later unit (kubel or split?) but would a normal split front axle fit that frame head?

Si.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool pictures, thanks for posting.

I wonder what the exposed wire/cable is that you see just to the left/above the starter in this pic? Could that be the clutch cable? It goes to a lever up near the transmission. Don't know what else it could be...

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Undis
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

johnshenry wrote:
Cool pictures, thanks for posting.

I wonder what the exposed wire/cable is that you see just to the left/above the starter in this pic? Could that be the clutch cable? It goes to a lever up near the transmission. Don't know what else it could be...


Interesting! Seems too thin to be a clutch cable. In the detail pic of the engine I can see the clutch and accelerator cables in the normal positions. Could be a choke cable coupled to a lever somehow. Or is it something else? There was no heater at that time.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello, I think that thin cable is the starting cable. I seen on solenoid on the starter so it is a starter that uses a cable on wich you pull....like in the old fiat 500. The lever operate a heavy duty switch to start the electro motor.

Nice picts. I have seen it in real that frame and was thrilled to know it was that old...
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, that makes sense. A starter pull knob or something similar instead of a starter button. Thanks!
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Simon uk wrote:
wow great pics, so do you think this chassis could be used for the body found, are the dimensions the same as the chassis on the vw38? And if so, would the owner be prepared to sell it on???? I am guessing certain items like pedals could be modified from a later unit (kubel or split?) but would a normal split front axle fit that frame head?

Si.


Nope. Totally different animals.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You said that it was found in a junkyard. Do you know when it was found. Was it shortly after the war or many years later?
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder what the two brackets with oval shaped holes on either side of the frame head are for? Must have something to do with what it was used for after the body was removed. They clearly weren't on the chassis originally.

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Last edited by splitjunkie on Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:52 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You mean those two that are on the lower front cross member, on either side of the tunnel? I can see them on the top pic, but not in the lower.

Framehorn ordinarily refers the back end "horns" that the tranny sits between.

Maybe it was for a Manx body or something...... Wink
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

splitjunkie wrote:
You said that it was found in a junkyard. Do you know when it was found. Was it shortly after the war or many years later?


That's all I was told. I'm sure someone will ellaborate on this.

splitjunkie wrote:
I wonder what the two brackets with oval shaped holes on either side of the frame horn are for? Must have something to do with what it was used for after the body was removed. They clearly weren't on the chassis originally.


You are probably right. I see several other spots where stuff has been welded etc. Also the crossmember over the rear framehorns is missing alltogether.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

johnshenry wrote:
You mean those two that are on the lower front cross member, on either side of the tunnel? I can see them on the top pic, but not in the lower.

Framehorn ordinarily refers the back end "horns" that the tranny sits between.

Maybe it was for a Manx body or something...... Wink


Yea, I meant frame head.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can sort of see some sort of bracket for supporting the steering column in the closeup. It looks like it might be attached in front of the front cross member where those brackets are.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In this picture you can see two pull knobs next to the shifter. Based on the observation earlier, one must be the choke and the other must be the starter.

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These are clearly present on chassis 28.


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kind of a cool detail.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

amazing pics, nice topic !
I recognize the cablebrakes on my standard oval 1953...

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

At some point they relocated the outlets for the front brake cables. They moved them forward and used these plates to patch it together.

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very cool. Despite the differences, it's amazing how similar it is to the later production chassis. Any photos of it how it was found (or is this how it was found)?

Dan
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

splitjunkie wrote:
You can sort of see some sort of bracket for supporting the steering column in the closeup. It looks like it might be attached in front of the front cross member where those brackets are.

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Oh yeah, I used one of those on my '57 chassis when I took it for a spin around the block....! Wink

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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yea but I don't think they bought theirs at Home Depot. Wink
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:25 am    Post subject: :) Reply with quote

This is really super first time I saw this type chassis.
But one time I sam some parts for this type chassis, I dont have the camera so I dont have any pictures, but I remember that it was gearbox and some parts fro the engine and front axel. And this parts was at one gut in Austria.
meaby it was from that same chassis?
I need to chack this.

tom
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