Yesterday I was hired to take some aesthetic photos of this 1958 Volkswagen Käfer - which spent over 50 years abandoned in a local forest near Kraiburg am Inn.
In the old days many people simply abandoned old or damaged cars on their property. Such was the case here, but they had the good sense to remove the engine (but left behind the transmission). The car was dug out and is going to be partially restored - it will receive a new platform, a period-correct engine and should be at least partially movable under its own power. The exterior patina should remain as it is. I will be involved in this project for some time so I will get to see the partial restoration process on the car. :ohyeah:
This Beetle was practically halfway submerged in the wet forest grounds and had to be carefully excavated. I was told that to the rear of the car a tree had grown between the rear bonnet and rear bumpers, and the only way to remove the car safely without damaging the tree (probably a punishable-by-death crime in hysterical Germany 2019...) was the cut through the rear bumper.
(https://i.postimg.cc/130m9y1Y/VW-1.jpg)
Some more snapshots of the car.
More photos of the car (including many salvage photos) here courtesy of Mr. Florian Rauscheder: https://www.instagram.com/florianrauscheder/
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y24mtLnn/VW-2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/44rHy4jJ/VW-3.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pLv9QG24/VW-4.jpg)
The floorpan problem will be solved with a new original 1958 VW Beetle platform, which is already on the client's property.
(https://i.postimg.cc/X7dGCS09/VW-5.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vmKRQHG5/WIMKRAI-9.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/CKPzgwjp/VW-6.jpg)
The original owner took out the engine, but left the transmission behind.
(https://i.postimg.cc/HxrjWF2c/VW-7.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/QCWDv3qm/VW-8.jpg)
The car's VIN plate. Unreadable.
(https://i.postimg.cc/B6zsh62t/VW-9.jpg)
Other parts of the Beetle...
(https://i.postimg.cc/HsDjHZ7n/VW-10.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/W3qbcgN0/VW-11.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/j2Vqx22m/VW-12.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cJHLTPP9/VW-13.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Vvjfdwb6/VW-14.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/fWXTHcgN/VW-15.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pXHV3mgn/VW-16.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qMxBrkTD/VW-17.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SxZyXDjW/VW-18.jpg)
50+ years in a forest means animals have made themselves at home here. Here's a nasty slug inside the fuel tank! Yuck!
(https://i.postimg.cc/rpKq5xt7/VW-19.jpg)
Every good shop needs one of these on the wall. :lol: :praise: :ohyeah:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Wb2kZpsg/Werkstatt-3.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mk4F8BCx/Werkstatt-1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/CMC8dnpw/Werkstatt-2.jpg)
VIDEOS
The Beetle being rolled out. There's a strap on the front connecting the left-hand-side section to the right-hand-side windscreen to prevent the car from falling apart. I was amazed that the steering system still worked after all these years - I was afraid the rusty metal would snap!!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8GzN02kfx4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p9AIZK3ZkI
The original sunroof mechanism still "works" - except for the fact that the cloth sunroof has disintegrated!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RldVcTmeYdk
My client runs this little shop and has a sidekick mechanic who is a total Opel FANatic and daily drives this: a 1956 Opel Olympia-Rekord - ALL ORIGINAL. This is one of only nine still-registered-on-German-roads classic Opels in ALL ORIGINAL CONDITION. As you can see this little sweetheart is holding up quite well and has lived a pretty hard life with bumps, scratches and other blemishes to prove it! Engine is a 1.5-l 4-cylinder gasoline with a Nürburgring-storming 53-horsepower. :praise:
(https://i.postimg.cc/g20d8Qwg/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gkzPbQKG/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yNgHrRy9/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-3.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VvRQbWzy/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-4.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/prxMT6bY/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-5.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7LFkvLKR/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-6.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FR0QhQqH/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-7.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jSC0Lf99/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-8.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MK9J65sV/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-9.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/g259RJb0/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-10.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSm5xHtz/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-11.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/sXdt6NXd/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-12.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5yfD1QLs/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-13.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/d3np0Q9w/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-14.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VsF3g4Pp/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-15.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8PKxQ55b/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-16.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7YYjW7x6/1956-Opel-Olympia-Rekord-17.jpg)
The client builds his own racing off-roaders and participates on rallys and competitions across the world with them, so he has donor cars on his property. Here are some of the more interesting ones (I didn't bother photographing a Subaru Impreza Wagon, a Ford Focus Wagon, a Mitsubishi Galant etc.).
(https://i.postimg.cc/SRvk37Jb/WIMKRAI-1.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dVBwKY79/WIMKRAI-2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pVw2fkbK/WIMKRAI-3.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cLXybBj9/WIMKRAI-4.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/YqNw1Hxw/WIMKRAI-5.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/T3Rv04k5/WIMKRAI-6.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tTnK7Qgw/WIMKRAI-7.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0NyxkBD1/WIMKRAI-8.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yNk5r40x/WIMKRAI-10.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XvmPRHg8/WIMKRAI-11.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SNfwnGyS/WIMKRAI-12.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/44z001H6/WIMKRAI-13.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kXqHPtWk/WIMKRAI-14.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/DwzY8kj6/WIMKRAI-15.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vBwz7pzp/WIMKRAI-16.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/prGzS7fV/WIMKRAI-17.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pXssNcWF/WIMKRAI-18.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VLvjtfwJ/WIMKRAI-19.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0QCpYrrw/WIMKRAI-20.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/85TvzDwP/WIMKRAI-21.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/x84N5mQc/WIMKRAI-22.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/wjsLWw7H/WIMKRAI-23.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9X89C69C/WIMKRAI-24.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xTXzC6GH/WIMKRAI-25.jpg)
It was a good day! :rockon:
That Kafer is gone but the Opel is really cool. Looks like a miniature 53 Chevy. :ohyeah:
All very cool. :ohyeah:
Quote from: shp4man on October 02, 2019, 07:59:37 AM
That Kafer is gone but the Opel is really cool. Looks like a miniature 53 Chevy. :ohyeah:
Opel went the "American car design" route until pretty much the late 1960s and early 1970s in Germany. No surprise there since they were owned by GM at the time. :ohyeah:
I love old abandoned cars, but why bother with the Beetle? It's too far gone and not worth the effort. I could understand if it was a 356 or something else rare and interesting.
Quote from: Rockraven on October 03, 2019, 08:32:45 PM
I love old abandoned cars, but why bother with the Beetle? It's too far gone and not worth the effort. I could understand if it was a 356 or something else rare and interesting.
Some of the relics surrounding the shop seem far more interesting than a rusted out Beetle.
Quote from: Rockraven on October 03, 2019, 08:32:45 PM
I love old abandoned cars, but why bother with the Beetle? It's too far gone and not worth the effort. I could understand if it was a 356 or something else rare and interesting.
I guess it's a little project of theirs. They will restore it to partial driving condition but keep the exterior and interior patina the way it is.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on October 04, 2019, 02:34:04 PM
I guess it's a little project of theirs. They will restore it to partial driving condition but keep the exterior and interior patina the way it is.
I hope they're current on their tetanus shots.
Quote from: Rockraven on October 04, 2019, 04:00:35 PM
I hope they're current on their tetanus shots.
It's probably mandatory here just like the monthly coercive GEZ (state propaganda TV) payments. :lol: