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Beetle chassis # 1-00003

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barls Administrator Causer of Chaos and Mayhem

9,473 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#1015432
it will polish out.
“We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free.” Bill Hicks
the chaos project - click me

vlad01 Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,270 posts · joined Jun 2010 ·

#1015451
forget the beetle, oh no! not the Lohner-Porsche! shit! can't see how that would be restored

71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#1015454
The car will be fine, and better than new when the resto is finished.

The VW factory Austostadt workshops can restore/rebuild anything. They have already built a 1931 Porsche Type 12 (Zundapp) from scratch, as well as restoring several Auto Union Type C and D grand prix cars from junk found in Russia. They are currently building a Type A from scratch - no originals survived. The 1950s diesel Beetle was recreated years ago. Numerous expernsive Horch and Wanderer limousines have been restored to museum quality for the museum in Zwickau:

http://www.horch-museum.de/startseite/1/

So restoring a pre-war Beetle - and even a Lohner Porsche - will not be a problem.

adlbeetle66 Under the car.........again!

1,476 posts · joined Aug 2014 ·

#1015531
Wow!... LOVE THAT CAR 🥲🙅

Undis Casual Dubber

38 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#1015591
Although the car looks like a mess now, it is in good hands and will be restored by the Prototyp Museum in Hamburg. I have spoken to the guys there and they are already busy doing research into the history of this car. It sat in a private collection of a German Volkswagen dealer Raffay. The car was found in late fourties and restored to the best ability of that time and exhibited at various shows. It did disappear from the scene in 1990 and was locked up until a fire destroyed the warehouse where it sat with numerous other vehicles about 2 years ago. This is the oldest of the VW39 cars despite having chassis number 3 it was the first one of the series built on 17 September 1939. The car initially featured number plate IIIA 43028. The car remained with the Porsche workshop testing team throughout the war and somehow managed to survive. This is the only VW39 in existence.

The guys already have engine 38/24 (from 1938!) which is very close to what this car had originally. I can say in confidence the restoration will be second to none.

Photo of the same car taken in 1940


List showing this same car (in the VW39 section) with chassis number 1-03 (1-00003)


The same car pictured around 1955 with Raffay signage on the doors and a sign on its roof stating it is number 3 of one million.


More photos of the way it looks now.










Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#1015609
Do you know if they'll be creating some sort of progress blog? It would be great to have photos and notes as they progress with the resto!

adlbeetle66 Under the car.........again!

1,476 posts · joined Aug 2014 ·

#1015613
Phil74Camper wrote:Do you know if they'll be creating some sort of progress blog? It would be great to have photos and notes as they progress with the resto!
X10!

Undis Casual Dubber

38 posts · joined Feb 2009 ·

#1015617
Hi Phil,

I’m sure the Prototyp Museum guys will be busy working on the car and not have a lot of time to write a blog. I’m hoping to have some sort of cooperation in place with them and get fresh picture updates. I’ll post the news up as soon as I get them.

It’s going to be a lot of work but they reckon they’ll have it done in two years in time for Hessisch Oldendorf 2017.

HappyDaze Superannuated

2,887 posts · joined Jun 2009 ·

#1015619
Good work there, Undis. 👍

Looking forward to any news on the progress of of this important restoration.

Cheers, Greg
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!