Roof-top KdF Wagen in Lithuania

Undis · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:23 pm Post subject: Roof-top KdF Wagen in Lithuania

From the people who brought you the incredible story of finding the world’s second oldest VW beetle, comes another KdF find. Yes, our favourite Lithuanian KdF hunters have done it again and got their hands on another wartime VW.

The way it looked circa 2000

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

And just before rescuing.

Undis · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:36 pm Post subject:

Just like the VW38, the roof-top KdF is a bit of a mystery as far as its history is concerned. It has sat on top of the service garage serving as an advertisement of sorts for the garage for over ten years and has been known to members of the Lithuanian VW community for some time. Finally in March this year a rescue mission was organised, the car checked and assessed and determined to be a genuine wartime KdF Wagen, and negotiations started to purchase it. The proprietors were still keen to have a beetle on their roof, so a replacement car of seventies vintage was mustered up to take place of the wartime artefact and the deal was done. Unlike the VW38, this beetle is still pretty original although it contains it’s fair share of surprises and make-do innovations. The obvious butchery are the frog-eye headlights, the re-shaped rear fenders and strangely trimmed deck lid . Luckily the main body itself has suffered less with the exception of the cut-up dash.

Battered and bruised and suffering from bad facial reconstruction surgery but underneath it still is a genuine KdF Wagen.

Under the hood the fuel tank is missing but everything else seems to be there including the “ears” that hide the body number under 10 000 layers of paint. At some point the braking system has been converted to hydraulic.

The chassis number reveals its Kübelwagen origin.

Undis · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:46 pm Post subject:

The dash is a mess – modified for some kind of modern car instrument cluster.

The interior is gone, in its place an electric chair.... really no idea what this was supposed to be.

Anyone for wood headliner?

Undis · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject:

The engine is the real deal, just smothered in strange add-ons and modifications

MDKG · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:17 pm Post subject:

Incredible, what a find........again! What a life this car must have had. What are the plans?

[add VW38 discussion here] Laughing

SplitPersonality · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:53 pm Post subject:

Wow - what a great find! Congratulations! Is this the result of Arunas'-hunting? Can't beat the look of an "arched" split window divider bar...

It obviously sits on a Kubel-chassis...is there any hope for determining the chassis number of the shell? Was it a Type 60 og 82E...I am not sure of the body-number when-revealed can decide that.

Niklas the Swede · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:02 am Post subject:

How cool is this! You found one more! This should be interesting to follow.
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Undis · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:03 am Post subject:

Yes, Arunas is very much involved in the rescue of this car. I don't know about the plans yet, time will tell.

Undis · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:12 am Post subject:

The car seems to be made up of wartime VW parts. The chassis is from a 1944 VW Typ 82 Kübelwagen as proven by the prefix 2 in the chassis number. The running gear including the engine and gearbox may be of the same donor, but that still needs to be investigated. The body may be from a Typ 60 (normal beetle) or it may be from a Typ 82E. At this stage the body seems to date from 1943, which is consistent with the build year of wartime beetles found in the Baltic countries.

Undis · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:16 am Post subject:

The moment of the exchange. New for old!

tstracy39 · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:24 am Post subject:

The level of tweaking done to cars found in the old communist regimes never ceases to amaze me. That mysterious electric contraption in the seat, just takes the cake as far as weird shit is concerned. Maybe the whole car was an advertizement for Crazy Ivan's Used Cars. You know, "In Mother Country, KDF Drives You!"
Seriously though, it could only be a transformer for a neon sign, or to power the lighting with AC current.
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Undis · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:27 am Post subject:

The insides of the doors seem to be well preserved

Could this be a new trend?

Undis · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:36 am Post subject:

More stuff from underneath. Check out those axle boots!

All wheels are from Opel

Cog-wheel logos on carburetor and fuel pump

Mercedes horn button???

Added bonus, a few birds nests

Undis · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:46 am Post subject:

The removal of several layers of paint reveal the body number and the original paint color which seems to be black. Could this indicate a Typ 60?

Welded up semaphore openings!

A curious modification. The rear parcel tray floor has been repaired by welding another piece over the existing one. Rust repair? This also means that parts of another KdF were used to repair this one and keep it on the road.

So, for the numbers......

chassis nymber - 2 - 038606
Engine number - x - 056355 (first digit unreadable)
Body number – 527

BUGBOY1976 · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:36 am Post subject:

Hang on I'll just start up the popcorn machine and get comfy.
Looks like another great resto coming up.

beetlekey · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:22 am Post subject:

Stonefish · Samba Member Joined: April 27, 2004 Posts: 734

What an amazing find!
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peter schepens · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:24 am Post subject:

What a great find. Congrats Arunas and team. Now I checked the picts and can not find Christian Shocked

....Oh wait, He is on the Mille Miglia and after the finish he drives on with his split towards Arunas? Laughing

Keep us informed about this one. Thanks.
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Wiggy · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:27 am Post subject:

I love this stuff. Awesome find.
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Pegasín · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:33 am Post subject:


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