Barndoor Coachbuilders #1: Hans Kohlruss’ Buses

[djfordmanjack]

Wouldn't that be great ?

Easy as that, see a pic online, get in touch, pick up an early coachbuild Transporter....

Not gonna happen, though. I don't think any of their buses survived. They also had a slightly newer 1960ish BG/SWR DLX, when the old horses were taken off duty.

I remember a conversation, when Valentin, Mark Evy and me visited another tourist bus business in Southern Austria some years ago ( When Mark drove the KRSS to Austria). We talked to the founder of the business and he told us how he had bought a KRSS converted BD bus new and he put a gazillion miles on it before ordering another brandnew og works DLX, in 1959 I believe he said, when retiring the old bus.
That KRSS bus (not Mark's) helped him to pay the next one and on to purchasing larger fullsize traveling buses.
The early buses were really used hard and were often gone by the early 1960s !
_________________
Hotrods, Fords, Veedubs and Triumph Twins !

52 Barndoor DLX Coachbuild project
55 Wolfsburg panel project, og paint Taubenblau L31
62 Dickholmer, custom color Seeblau L360
63 1500 Notch, og paint Rubin Rot L456
67 1500 Käfer, og paint Lotus weiß L282 w/red interior

[ambu55]

I found a picture online, with a Deluxe FORD, no VW, but it might be a conversion by Kohlruss...? so my question is, did anyone see Kohlruss cars from the fifties or early sixties, based on Ford or others, non-VW ??

The original Ford FK 800 and 1000 had panels, busses, deluxes, and also the Panorama, they had corner windows like VW Samba, and Skylight, long ones, but only SIX roof skylights... this one has no cornerglass, but an extra small window like deluxe Ford FK, and it has 8 roof windows , never seen on a Ford !! Also, their Panorama didn't have a soft top, but smaller opening...

[djfordmanjack]

I think the factory Panorama Fk 800 was only offered very late in the model years, I think 1961 or 63 up. Judging by the other cars in the pic ( Opels and Peugeot) and the photo grain, this is rather mid 50s. So there were no factory Panoramic buses available yet directly from Ford Germany. so IT MUST be a coachbuild. And this fits the time frame when KRSS did these custom work buses (mid to late 1950s).That said, I have never heard or seen a KRSS converted Ford before.
It is interesting that the skylites look close to VW proportions, but not just right. They appear to be short of that. although they have rounded corners.
The VW and the Ford bus bodies are nearly exactly the same size. But the Ford roof is more sloping in front of the B posts than on a VW. maybe that is the reason for not having roof windows in that area.
You can see in the factory brochure of the FK 800 how the foremost skylites have a different shape and crown.
_________________
Hotrods, Fords, Veedubs and Triumph Twins !

52 Barndoor DLX Coachbuild project
55 Wolfsburg panel project, og paint Taubenblau L31
62 Dickholmer, custom color Seeblau L360
63 1500 Notch, og paint Rubin Rot L456
67 1500 Käfer, og paint Lotus weiß L282 w/red interior

[ambu55]

[djfordmanjack]

obviously the Großglockner Edelweißhütte.

https://www.grossglockner.at/gg/de/naturbewegung/edelweisshuette

edit: This pic is way nicer....

_________________
Hotrods, Fords, Veedubs and Triumph Twins !

52 Barndoor DLX Coachbuild project
55 Wolfsburg panel project, og paint Taubenblau L31
62 Dickholmer, custom color Seeblau L360
63 1500 Notch, og paint Rubin Rot L456
67 1500 Käfer, og paint Lotus weiß L282 w/red interior