This car has been posted on here before - it's a split dash Karmann that Yan Rami imported from Egypt. As you can see, it's been 'updated' to look like a nice 70's bug, but a lot of the good bits are still there. Correct ribbed doors, one piece windows with aluminium frames, dash (although slightly butchered) Hatch over gearbox for example and the hood frame. But obviously quite a lot is also gone 😞

It's now in my garage and I'm working on getting it roadworthy and also undoing all the modifications. I've also been collecting parts for some time, but if you see something I need that you have cheap and want it to be part of history in the making then please let me know :thumbup:

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Nice and good lock with the project :thumbup: Got an inner and outer steering column etc that might help and a brown dash pod in brown. If you are going to replace the glove box liners then give us a yell on you old ones :wink:


AW

Thanks AW. I have steering column and dash pods. I probably will change the glove boxes, but you won't want these ones as they're home made aluminium ones.

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I don't think it'll be ready for Lavenham 🙂

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Thanks AW. I have steering column and dash pods. I probably will change the glove boxes, but you won't want these ones as they're home made aluminium ones.

They would be fine as they are for the Beast:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


Andy W

Not done a great deal on this, I've been happy to have a little break from working in the garage over the winter. But last weeked ripped off the old valence and mocked up the rear just to get a little enthusiasm going...

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Looking good and now is the time to start work on them again. Keep amassing parts for mine. Did you take the alloy glove box pods out ??? if so got any photos as could be interested in them :wink:


Andy W

That´s really cool. Looking 10x better already, just for having the right bits on it.

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I thought it might be interesting to post about some of the 'upgrades' this car has had.

The doors have been updated to use later door handles, but more impressive is that it has electric windows and central locking!

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This thing must be finished by now?:rofl:

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This thing must be finished by now?:rofl:

No not yet, but there has been a bit of a development. It turns out it's a little older than I thought, it's a '49!

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No not yet, but there has been a bit of a development. It turns out it's a little older than I thought, it's a '49!

Jeepers! Lucky you.
Well, you always wanted an early one. How many 49s are there supposed to be? Not more than a couple of dozen are there?

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There’s not many, and this one could possibly be the oldest. I’ll post some photos later and explain.

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So...

Having lost its numbers in its long hard life, it's been difficult to date the car. Definitely no crotch coolers because the inner footwell panels are intact, no ashtray in the dashboard, so we thought it was an early car. After pulling some carpet out and assessing various things, I noticed that the fuel reserve lever hole is offset to the right (and the curving swage line goes all the way over). This was changed in Aug '49 when the large fuel tank was introduced - which means that this was a small petrol tank car! Also note that there is no indent for a RHD dimmer switch.

I then had a closer look at what was cut away to make way for the 70's petrol tank and sure enough you can see where the flat panel at the side of the small tank has been cut and folded over. So that has changed things somewhat. I have recently bought a small tank from Ritchie at KK, he said that in his 30 years of trading VW parts, it's probably the 2nd small tank he's had, which shows you how rare (expensive) they are.



It currently appears that there are no other surviving small petrol tank Karmann Kabrios and if thats the case then this would be the oldest surviving (barely) model. 😮

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Some proper Howard Carter style excavations going on there.
Is there any doubt that it was a small tank car?
I suppose we´ll never know how it ended up in Egypt. Still thank heavens for the desert climate, if not for Egyptian coachbuilding techniques.

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Is there any doubt that it was a small tank car?

Not to me no, the fuel reserve lever, extra metal near the petrol tank explained by the small tank. Also, the passenger side door still had a split window mechanism in it with '49 markings on it, unfortunately the drivers side was not a split mechanism but something with a built in motor. No ash tray, it all fits.

There is also something strange going on around the back, behind the rear seat post/rest, there's a strengthening piece I've not seen on any other kabrio and it looks factory.

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Well, it makes you wonder if it´s a pre production car I suppose?
What´s that flashing down the sides of the front bulkhead? Egyptian stuff?

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Well, it makes you wonder if it´s a pre production car I suppose?
What´s that flashing down the sides of the front bulkhead? Egyptian stuff?

The pre production cars had semaphores in the front quarters, there's no sign of anything in the front quarters and you can see where the hole has been welded up in the rear quarters - so definitely not a pre production car.

What flashing are you referring to?

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By flashing i meant the metal(?) strip that runs down between the front bulkhead and the front quarter panel.

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It's the edge of the inner strengthening panel

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