The white VW-jacket I wear is a 61-year-old NOS-item coming from this big Cologne VW-dealership where the Samba was delivered to. If you look real close you can identify below the VW-logo the script “FLEISCHHAUER”, the dealership´s name

 

 

Dear VW-friends,

 

don´t worry, Germany will not try to finally conquer England beside a soccer stadium, nor do we think we could stop the silly Brexit by an even more silly cardboard tank (but I would try to if there would be any chances it could probably work!). But what is this huge toy all about?

In my last post I wrote that Mark is desperate for some new work, now when he finished the Samba´s decklid. So it was time to send the remaining pieces of the chassis to Mark. There are a front and a rear piece of the chassis still existing. Let´s start with the front piece. The front axle beam was still mounted. Sure I had to remove it, because restoring the beam with all its bits and pieces is something I can do in my little Bonn workshop while Mark is working on the chassis. Will the fixing screws of the beam turn without breaking? Can we convince them to leave their place after 66 years rusting in the mud? Let´s try.

 

With a little help of my worker Robert, a long tube and some strong German Schwarzbrot for breakfast I can put a bit of force to the screws

 

 

Another job done! And none of the screws broke!

 

After removing the beam I found it in relative good condition. At least I don´t see any rust hole nor are any pieces missing. The right axle stud with the drum I removed before, to check if the brake system is still the original one. It is! I will feature the disassembling of the beam´s pieces in another post soon.

Now let´s concentrate to pack up the front and the rear piece up carefully and make sure it will arrive at Mark´s place without damaging the precious rust. I decided to construct a wooden floor and place the rear chassis piece on it. See here:

 

Now we have to build a “second floor” for the front piece. Check how we done it:

 

 

 

 

To make sure no truck driver takes a look on our rusty wreck, dumps it in the next junk yard and can call the ambulance to bring me to a psychologic hospital, I close the whole construction with some thick cardboard. Wonder about the “Vespa”-logo on the cardboard? My neighbor has the biggest Vespa dealership in the area. When he gets a new delivery of Vespas from Italy he dumps the cardboard of the Vespa pallets in my yard. So he has not to pay to get rid of it and I receive this beautiful strong and thick cardboard for free. It´s the perfect material to build up strong oversea pallets full of VEWIB-goods! Recycling at its best.

 

 

“Hhhhhmmmm……it looks like a tank, Florian.”, my worker Markus said.
“You are right”, I replied, “let me stick a big metal tube on to it and scare the English a little bit!”

 

The “tank” is finished. No, I swear I am not fascinated by any military device at all, it was just a strange coincidence.

 

Have a good journey! See you at Mark´s place.

 

End of December I will follow my “tank” to England and have a meeting with Mark to discuss how we proceed with the reconstruction of the chassis.

Stay tuned and have a beautiful weekend!

 

Florian

 

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