Present Day Photos of KDFs, Kubels and Schwimmers

[Martin Southwell]

As for Schwimmers, I recall the one that Geoff Sumpter restored, originally came from Austria, and we were told that the door openings cut into the sides, along with a huge square of metal removed from the underside, about 1m x 1m, was done as a requirement by the authorities, so that it couldn't be used as a military vehicle again, and certainly not for it's originally intended purpose. He had a mobile blacksmith, with an interest in military vehicles, fabricate suitable repair panels, and weld them in place, to bring back to original.

Looking at the one in the photo, this would have filled a similar requirement, finished off in an Italian styled way. Certainly different!

[splitjunkie]

[finster]

this is the blurb for it

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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[virtanen]

That can't be the chassis number, but body number.
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Mika
Split beetle restoration panels
Oval beetle restoration panels
New projects

[Martin Southwell]

Nice car, but the blurb cotains a strange mixture of incorrect facts. The chassis number provided is wrong, as 13536 is meaningless. Anything from this period would have a 6 in front, and so if we assume the 1 should really be a 6, making it 63536, this would make it a '46 car. However, the blurb says the build date was 14th May 1947.

My own car was built on 22nd May, 1947, and so very close to the build date of this car, mine having a chassis number of 1-065918, and the origianl engine, still with the car, being 1-93108. So, we would expect this vehicle to be somewhere close. The engine for the car in the blurb is very slightly early for the said build date, but pretty close, and as it says, the engine was provided by VW (never heard of such a thing before), so we know it's not original.

As for believing that it's the most original 47 known, I would challenge that assertion, as for starters, it doesn't even have its original engine! Often these 'history' plaques are embellished by someone other than the owner. I know that this happened to me once in a press article, where my car was said to be the oldest in the UK, which is not true, and not something I said, even if it is one of the oldest in the UK. Why let the truth get in the way of a good story?!!!

Mika beat me by getting his reply in 1st, and I would confer with what he says as a distinct possibility, as the body number on mine is 14834. I difference of 1300 bodies in a week is possible, as many of the bodies sat around for long periods, before cars were actually assembled.

[finster]

yes, I understand that the chassis number is 1-064705
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[Martin Southwell]

OK. So, from the Samba list, for the chassis number 1-064705 provided, we can see that build date is 21st April 1947, and not 14th May 1947 as stated in the blurb. I believe that the latter is the delivery date.

To put things in perspective, looking at a letter I received from Bernard Wiersch of VW in 1979, in answer to questions regarding chassis number 1-064229, the engine number was given as 1-91248, the build date 14th April 1947, and delivery date of 30th April, 1947.

The Samba list gives an engine number of 95771 for the provided chassis number 1-064705, at that earlier time, which is slightly later than the car, whilst the engine number in the blurb is now fractionally earlier.

Nevertheless, a fine looking car, even if not correctly coloured, that would grace any garage.

[splitjunkie]

Yeah, I don't know how anyone would say it is the most original '47. When he bought it, it had no pan and as I said, it was just a body shell, hood and doors for $75. Back when it was in HotVWs (May 1985, page 44) it had '61 and later front and rear aprons, '59 - early '63 front hood, oval decklid and a few other minor details, besides the color that were incorrect. Still a really nice car, and quite an accomplishment given there was no internet to help find parts. Just some club newsletters and word of mouth. About the only thing he had going for him was that parts were dirt cheap compared to today.

Maybe all of those incorrect parts have been corrected, but it certainly could never be the most original. The best it could be would be the most correct because it was put together from parts that didn't come together from the factory.
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Chris

You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld

[finster]

a (late?) 42 kubel that has been restored by the jersey war tunnels museum in the channel islands.

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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[sinclair]

[cyberdyne systems 101]

[finster]

might be best to start a new thread on kdf petrol tanks more people in the know might see it then...

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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[Martin Southwell]

[finster]

I used the term restored loosely. I think it was mainly a de-rust and repaint, although that wing would be relatively easy to sort. here's a couple of before photos

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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[Martin Southwell]

It would appear to be a good basis for a half decent resto. Maybe museum funds are limited? Those tyres if I'm not mistaken, are 15" Firestone M&S, as I still have some somewhere. If the engine lid is original, then the vehicle is mid 43 onwards, but obviously these things can be changed.

[finster]

1946 with kubel headlamps

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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[Two Glove Boxes]

Great photos!! Awesome looking car.
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1951 Split Standard Hoffman Build

1960 Dove Blue Double Cab Patina Build

Two Glove Boxes

DLK

[finster]

full article here https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/ivan-hirst-beetle/
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

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

[cyberdyne systems 101]

I love that restoration, it looks just how you'd imagine it to look if it had just survived in tact and just parked in a lock up for years.

Also I've been to the Jersey tunnels and saw that kubel, need to find the pictures of it, possibly on my previous phone.
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When I think of something to say - I'll be the first to know

56' Oval
71' Westy

[allsidius]