A Schwimmwagen named "ilsa"

[54bugn]

So I made a little more progress yesterday. I added a steel tube that runs under and is attached to the spare wheel well, and attached the two ends to the front of the upper deck. This was to secure and stabilize the front end. It will stay there and I will fibreglass over the top when I reshape the nose again. You can just make it out in this pic.

Then I crawled inside the front end and put the first two layers of fibreglass on the inside between the clamps. Also first layer around the spare wheel well. More layers to go as well as some metal strengthening plates, but that’s for next time. Time to let to all dry.

More to come but I have to actually work so won’t get much done over the next couple of weeks.

Cheers,
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

This post is to thank finster for pointing out where mikeandkirsti posted the correct information about where the schwimmwagen bodies were produced. I have borrowed the actual post from Mr. Slug's build thread where it was first posted by mikeandkirsti. I may be buiding a repro but I don't want to post incorrect information either. Thanks to both of you, hope the rest of you enjoy the read, I did.

Mike

Quote: mikeandkirsti

Only the first 125 pre-series Schwimmwagen bodies were built at Ambi-Budd. The serial production ALL had bodies built at the VW plant. The reason for the misconception that Schwimmers were built at Ambi-Budd are pre-series press photos showing the Ambi-Budd body plate. The plate in the picture above is a repro added by a restorer who fell into this trap. His Data plate is also a poor repro.

Here is a picture of a pre-Series body number 2/166 built by Ambi-Budd
WITH body plate causing all this confusion:

Even noted authors like Chris Barber have fallen into this misconception.

The picture of the bodies hanging is from Volkswagenwerk (sky lights are there even today) where the Presswerk had the body pressing tools and jigs. These tools remained at the factory and were discovered by Ivan Hirst (see Ludvigsen: Birth of the Beetle). Ivan Hirst had two Schwimmers built using these tools and then later had the large presses scrapped for much needed steel.

According to Dr. Bernd Wiersch in "Die Käfer-Chronilk" page 91:
"Die Karosserien des Schwimmwagens wurden, im Gegenteil zu denen des Kübelwagens im Volkswagenwerk hergestellt".

Short translation: The Schwimmwagen bodies, unlike Kübelwagen bodies, were built at the Volkswagenwerk.

The Schwimmwagen body presses were ordered from the company Friedrich Volk, today called KUKA-Werkzeugbau GmbH in Schwarzenberg/Erzgebirge. In 1942 a total of 511 Schwimmers were built at the plant, in 1943 the number was 8258 and then 5507 in 1944. The factory leadership decided to invest in the body tooling as by 1942 the end of the war was no longer in sight. Originally Kübelwagen body production as sourced from Ambi-Budd as in 1940 the war was expected to be over shortly and investment in body tooling seemed uneconomical. Later in March 1945 also the Kübelwagen body presses were trucked to the Volkswagenwerk from Berlin and Kübels were pressed at the Werk from thereon until February 1946.

Here are the Volk presses in what clearly is the Volkswagenwerk building still standing today:

Dr. Wiersch was the director of the Volkswagen Museum foundation for decades and an unquestionable authority in VW history.

There are several pictures in the book of the VW166 bodies being built at Volkswagenwerk. Also, there are pictures of the damage to the Presswerk inflicted by the 5 August 1944 bombings halting VW166 body production. Wiersch writes on page 79:

"Nach einen Luftangriff am 5. August 1944 war das Presswerk stark getroffen, sodass die Produktion des Schwimmwagens, dessen Karosserien im Werk hergestellt wurden, eingestellt werden müssen."

Translation: After the air raid on 5 August 1944 the body press shop was badly hit, so that production of the Schwimmwagen, which bodies were produced at the factory, had to be halted.

The misconception has haunted the hobby for decades but as I understand was recently corrected on the VW166 German website.

Here are a few pictures of the VW166 bodies being built at the Volkswagenwerk in special VW166 body jigs, pictures from the Wiersch book:

Here final assembly at Volkswagenwerk (note building architecture, still there today), body number 799 being worked on with 795 and 794 in the background:

end quote.
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[cyberdyne systems 101]

Enjoying your progress, was the fibreglass tub only ever an approximation and never intended to be accurate?

Enjoying the historical details, especially that incorrect information that abounds for years is being slowly put right.
_________________
When I think of something to say - I'll be the first to know

56' Oval
71' Westy

[54bugn]

Thanks for the reply cyberdyne systems 101. I don’t know who actually built the body, or their intentions for it. I can tell you that dimensionally it is pretty close, just their attention to detail, and how they planned to exit the axles, wasn’t what I would have done. I am not sure if they planned it to float but I intend on making it so. I would never try and pass it off as original, but would like it to look as close as I can come.

Thanks for watching more to come shortly.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Hello all, after the initial two thick layers of fibreglass Matt had cured, I spent some time making 10 steel plates to attach inside the two sides of the cut I made for strength and alignment. My wife helped me attach the plates with countersunk 1/4” screws and nuts and body adhesive sealant. Once that dries I will do more fibreglass inside on the joints.

I think it is looking closer to the original shape. After the inside is done, I will start on the external filling and shaping.

Stand by Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[Puppy67]

Looking good

[cyberdyne systems 101]

Coming along nicely Mike, seems a lot of work to correct this defect. Looking forward to your next update.

Gareth
_________________
When I think of something to say - I'll be the first to know

56' Oval
71' Westy

[54bugn]

Thank you both back at it tomorrow morning.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Before diving in to finish the interior fibreglass work I wanted to see how things are looking. You be the judge.

Cheers,
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[cyberdyne systems 101]

It's looking good, but I don't really know if I'd have noticed it was out in the first place
_________________
When I think of something to say - I'll be the first to know

56' Oval
71' Westy

[finster]

looking good but I have to say that I would be rounding those front corners off
_________________
"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[pig-pen]

when you are done any chance of making a mold???

_________________
1954 L227 Type 113
1964 L31 Type 265

[cyberdyne systems 101]

I guess compared to this, the front does look a bit squared off at this stage, but I'm guessing you'll be addressing that soon.
_________________
When I think of something to say - I'll be the first to know

56' Oval
71' Westy

[54bugn]

Hello all, I was able to get the inside fibreglass work completed, I have to finish the exterior yet including the shape of the front two sides beside the tire opening. It is not the finished shape yet as a few have pointed out, that it’s not quite right yet. It has become too cold in my workspace for the time being to continue with the fiberglassing, but there is more work I can continue with.

As well as the front end not being the correct shape, the tire well was too deep and didn’t allow the tire to sit all the way down. With my changes it now fits. See for yourself.

Stay tuned for more

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Well folks, last post for this year as work is going to be getting in the way until late December. But I managed to get one last item started. My buddy came over and we flipped the body upside down(nice thing about a fibreglass body). Some of the components have come from leftovers from my 54 bug that I had extra. One item I had kept was a roof section off another 54 and it had seen a bit of a rough life but is still solid. I realized that it might work for the front rock guard so have made some initial cuts to the roof and the pic below is what I am starting with. Stand by for the work on it.

Cheers,
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Happy New Year all. I finally got back to working on the Schwimmwagen replica. I have obtained many new to me parts for this project.

As well managed to get more progress on the steel front guard plate I am making out of the 54 roof I had. More work to go but starting to take shape.

More to come,
Cheers.
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Hello,

Finally got back to work on the front end shield. With it cold out I am limited what I can do. But I managed to form and weld the shield together. Fits nicely.

Going to finish getting it fitted when it’s warmer.

Enjoy and stay tuned.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[cyberdyne systems 101]

Good to see your still at it despite the winter weather, looking forward to the next instalment.
_________________
When I think of something to say - I'll be the first to know

56' Oval
71' Westy

[vwoldbug]

Great looking vehicles.

[heimlich]

That's going to keep you busy. Did the project come with all of the gearing for the propeller?
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