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peter schepens Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2003 Posts: 1013 Location: belgium Caesars camp
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 11:29 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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Vanagonsgoslow wrote: |
Did anyone ever think that the poor welding on the very early cars had been done as deliberate sabotage by the German workers or the result of a shortage of enough welding gas/supplies so that the workers used as little of their precious welding supplies as possible?
The defeated German soldiers had no fondness for the Russian and French occupying armies; possibly the defeated Germans had a little more fondness for the British and American occupying forces. In those early years the Allies were still trying to figure out what to do with a defeated Germany and were "accidentally" starving the civilian population with very meager rations. By that time the Germans certainly had already learned about all the "tricks" used when it came to industrial sabotage, as the slave laborers the Germans extensively used during WW2 had been engaging in it to sabotage the German war efforts. |
Shortage of good metal, shortage of good gas, welding rods and other shortage of suply... I do not think they made sabotage... just my idea _________________ Zelensis, glassfibre body made in Belgium , disigned and built on a VW platform About 25 body's built.
Hebmuller info wanted for http://www.hebmueller-registry.com/home.html |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 7839 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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unlikely to be sabotage in my opinion however, relations between the germans and the british running the factory took a while to settle down. there was widespread pilfering and lack of co-operation from some of the germans. some resentment perhaps but more an uncertainty about the future, especially as the russians were so close. wing co. berryman recalled that when he asked the manager of the paint shop to improve the poor paint finish on the cars his interpreter suggested that he would have better results if he ordered him to do it. you can imagine the british way 'would you mind...it would be nice if...' coming after years of nazi rule.
remember also that the factory was badly damaged with wood and tarps keeping the weather out and that the machinery was worn out or damaged too. this, and the chronic shortages, makes it all the more remarkable that viable cars were produced in any number. _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2022 10:06 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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Looks like another candidate to send back to the factory for a rebuild! _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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The bumper says rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop
This raises the question, were they all labeled like this behind the license plate?
You can see the sign No. 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop at the bottom of this famous photo.
From Battle for the Beetle:
When the British occupied Wolfsburg, their Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) took over the workshop that the Americans had been using for vehicle repair. Designated the No. 2 Auxiliary Workshop, it was housed in one of the more habitable areas of the works, and reported to Workshop Control Unit 30 at Hannover (Ludvigsen 102).
At [Maj. Ivan] Hirst's request, Berlin-based [property control manager Leslie] Barber recruited ... Capt. Ted Weeks who supervised engine and vehicle overhauls (Ludvigsen 108).
Part of the shop area of the factory was taken over by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshops for the [major overhaul] work. The workshop [occupied] 16% of the total shop area and employed 8% of the labour force employed at the works (Ludvigsen 355, 356).
4th line overhauls Volkswagen monthy capacity: 250. (Ludvigsen 356).
The Works received the Class 5 hard cases among the Beetles needing repair, the ones whose over-enthusiastic drivers, reveling in the agile handling of these little cars, had spun, rolled or crashed their charges. Unrepairable cars were simply stripped, their usable parts being cannibalized to keep others going (Ludvigsen 356).
The department overhauling cars ... continued for some time. Later when the British fleet began to show its age, the overhaul operation was shut down. The British then exchanged older cars for new ones, and the factory sold off the "trade-ins" to dealers for overhaul and resale to the public. These ex-British cars were known as "CCG-Wagens" (Ludvigsen 356). _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 11:46 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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_________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 7839 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2022 10:26 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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^ I wonder who these people are to have a recon beetle in the garage, perhaps a bit of 'frat' going on... _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2022 1:38 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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finster wrote: |
kdf engine assembly
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Judging by the various states of assembly, as well as the condition of the Kubelwagens, this could be the reconditioning line as well.
There's no reason they couldn't cannibalize Kubels to help rebuild sedans. This would explain the odd sedan that shows up on a Kubel chassis.
I would have loved to see their scrap pile! _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 7839 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2022 3:34 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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^ that would account for the non-kubel exhaust on the most complete engine _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:05 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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... and the scruffy-looking exhaust! _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2023 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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Shipment of used CCG vehicles apparently returned to the factory from active postwar duty for refurbishment. As the CCG fleet aged, the cars were freshened up and offered to dealers to be sold off as used cars. Many ended up in taxi fleets.
_________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2023 12:10 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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Another front bumper saying Rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop (!!)
_________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Two Glove Boxes Samba Member
Joined: March 03, 2005 Posts: 838 Location: Texas
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 7839 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:56 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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too small to read but probably another reme car
_________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:09 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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That's amazing that another photo surfaced. The exact wording appears to be:
Rebuilt by 2 REME Aux. Wk Shop
It's also interesting that some of the tires appear to be repurposed Kubel military treads rather than civilian tires, which were in desperate supply. _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Casperdl Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2022 Posts: 2 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:20 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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finster wrote: |
too small to read but probably another reme car
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Comparing the guys in the previous pictures, the numbers on the hood and the way the taxt is written on the front bumper: isn't it just the same car on all te pictures? |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 5:09 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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The first and last pictures yes, but the second car appears to have entirely different markings.
_________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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kdf38 Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 896
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Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 5:49 pm Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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Two Glove Boxes wrote: |
Blue Baron wrote: |
Another front bumper saying Rebuilt by 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop (!!)
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That's how I feel driving my split! 👍 😆 |
That looks like one of the same guys from the above photos to me. |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 23760 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:38 am Post subject: Re: Wolfsburg Factory Reconditioned cars |
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finster wrote: |
production line or reconditioning section?
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Looks like about the right sized staff for the overhaul workshop. _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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