There’s a number of companies making repro kombi bodies, but….

[MVB]

Wtf haven’t any of them come out with aluminium bodies?

Gez right now the Australian army’s been flogging off the old Land Drovers from the 80’s & with galvo chassis & alloy bodies they’re all getting real good money, way too much for me.

If Australia could’ve built thousands of 4WD & 6WD Landies with galvo chassis & alloy bodies back near 40 years ago, why can’t these startups do similar with their reproduction Kombies. It’s like they’ve missed the major reason most people would be tempted to get a new body kombi of having heaps to gain in being both lighter & basically rust proof. I just don’t see the point without those 2 benefits I'd just prefer a way over patinaed rat rod Kombi stinking of fish oil.

[pondoras box]

Aluminum is much harder to shape without becoming brittle. It’s much more expensive in raw form and much more labor intensive to weld. With steel 23 windows being offered for around 35 thousand US. I’m not sure there would be a market for one that’s 10 to 15 thousand more. Plus aluminum does corrode and it’s the nasty inter granular style which once it starts your bus would be toast. From what I understand the F150 aluminum trucks aren’t the lightweight miracle truck they marketed them to be. So if ford can’t do it I’m sure a small start up shop would struggle to make it viable. Just my opinion though.
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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda). https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=563183
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1960 hardtop
1964 hardtop
1965 hardtop
Another 65 hardtop
1973 standard bug
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=804912
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion

[MVB]

These Australian Army Landrovers (Perenties) are going for fantastic money at disposal auction, both 4WD with power take off (theoretically you could hook up a power trailer, or run winches from either end) or 6WD on a wider chassis, but even though they date from the 80’s, they’re going for tens of thousands. The SOpPDs over 50 000. Because of they are rock solid. With Isuzu Straight six Diesel truck engines (turbo on the 6WD). But their main selling point is their Land Rover architecture, with full galvo chassis & full alloy bodies. So, going by their interiors, the army has really knocked them about, however they have no corrosion what so ever. Where you can see the chassis work on the 6WD trucks with double leaf springs, many look brand new (obviously been steam cleaned). If it wasn’t for their galvo chassis & alloy bodies, they would be getting 1/10 the price, when you consider other vehicles the same age. Especially considering they’re designed to be user configured as optionable open vehicles.

Also in many ways the Type 2 T1 has no more complex body work than these Landies. I just think if one is to go to the bother of making new bodies for rear engined kombis, not going with a galvo chassis & ally body, is missing the major point about doing so

[zimblewinder]

Body wise the type 2 is more unitary than a landy. The body construction itself provides a much larger proportion of the vehicle rigidity. Landies do have a heavy ladder chassis that is still quite flexy and this, and the sectioned bodies allow the flex without significant damage. The body makes no contribution to strength. My 130 is three separate boxes; the tub, the cab section, and the front wings and grille section. It moves alot. The type 2 with a similar heavy (but not deliberately stiffer) ladder chassis construction would be too flexy for a unit aluminium body without significant strengthening of the body; unfortunately any flex would crack rigid aluminium construction.

Perenties are selling well because they are the epitome of utilitarian design and the ultimate off roader without the fluff of other (compromised) 4wd on the market.
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58Euro 23 343208 The Ultimate Zimblewinder Machine.
59 mango standard
Wanted- splash pan supports, og pressed bumper coach bolts, ivory blaupunkt knobs (early), armrest alloy strips, NOS door mechanism

[BarryL]

How bout 316 stainless steel. You can't paint it easily and you could even use the same drop hammer stampings and equipment. It can also be cast.

Too much glare on sunny days?

[Malokin Martin]

Probably because of the market…. Nobody would pay at todays prices when reasonable presentable deluxes are 50k. Plus average VW folks are pretty cheap as a general rule.