Hi Guys,

Very new to this - I know next to bugger all about even standard Beetles - but the bug has bitten... :wink: I do not even have a pre 67....yet. Only a 69.

Given that there are only 690 odd Hebs manufactured and I am sure that very few found their way to South Africa I was wondering how viable a replica is.

I see posts re the decklid etc and realise that there may be many other folk interested in this sort of thing!

I also realise it will never be a "pure" Hebmuller nor indeed will ever be a hebmuller fullstop, but maybe a replica (not fibre glass please note) could give the same thrill....who knows.

For those who are interested in this train of thought:

1) Are Plans available?

2) Are non fibre glass parts available (repro metal)

Also I thought it might be good to list reference sites for others who are interested!

So far we have:

https://www.oldbug.com/heb.htm  (courtesy of Rob)

https://www.pether.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/VW/hebmuller.html  (courtesy of ET)

Ta

WM

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Another replica page...

Daniel Abarth Design 

Anyone know the full story behind Daniel Abarth Design?

Some of the phots appear to be from the old Australian Resurrection panels site!

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And this car was for sale in Argentina as a real Heb #471:

This to me is the main issue with replicas, people start getting mixed up as to which is real and which is not.  2544.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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And there's Hebster52...

Hebster52 

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Thanks guys

Yes it is sad when people try to sell replicas as the real thing - happens all too often...

WM

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Good point about the replica changing hands and then becoming confused with the real thing - although I still believe this to be deceitful on the sellers behalf.

As we know this sort of thing happens commonly on a large scale with fake production replicas of many diverse commodities coming from many countries where labour is cheap - but to find it happening on a one off basis is akin to fake art replicas - something created by a talented "artist".
Beware the uninformed potential buyer such as myself!

In any event as for myself I do not have the time right now for a conversion of this nature and my next project is a 60-66 type 1.

However what attracts me is the 2 seater softop "sportscar" that is embodied in the Heb based on as far as I can tell a standard beetle pan...and unmistakably "Beetle" and not so much the fact that it is rare!

Great stuff good links so far!

WM

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Just some cheap observations mostly gleaned from pics of restorations and drawings:

The internal body reinforcement seems pretty simple - including the components for this - simple metalwork indeed.

The front window frame is simple if one keeps it as per the type1 shape or buys a cabriolet body to start with - whaaat...

I see the Heb prototype was with a normal shaped type1 window frame - that suffered from cracking glass - would have to internally braced.

The soft top is no problem either - ditto the dicky type rear seat.
Dash I would leave as a 60 - 69 vintage

The two components that require the most work are the new rear cross section - would have to be hand formed and the decklid.

The decklid would be best fashioned from aluminium.

The side window component are the next tricky area...

But of course none of this would make a Heb at all but a simply a very nice project with an interesting 2 sitzer result.

Turning to other areas of maufacturing:

The other thing I have looked into is Fender Skirts - again very simple panels indeed and with a very simple former are easily made out of aluminium.

Yes I like working with ally mainly from my Landrover rebuild days.

WM

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Many people like myself love the Hebmuller and would dearly love to own one.

However even if one did become available to buy, only the very wealthy would be able to abtain it for themselves.

This is where the VW enthusiasts start to search for ways to achieve the car they dream of by other means.

Very often with some cars this can be achieved because there is already a market for the replicas to serve the demand. (Take Cobras & Ferrais for instance)

With cars like the Hebmuller it is far more difficult as few survive and the tooling is long destroyed.

It takes a little ingenuity and time to get together the parts required to build a Hemuller- style Roadster and 'I do say Hebmuller-Style' because it will obviously never be considered real and shouldn't be.

I truly believe a Hebmuller-Style Roadster built by an enthusiast for thier own pleasure and enjoyment cannot do any harm whatever.

Anyone contemplating such an endevour deserves praise and encouragement by us all.

Lets look forward to these Roadsters with great excitement.

My personal project is taking shape and will be a departure from the 'Vintage' look most commonly favoured...... :wink:

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Hello Paul,

I did send you an e-mail via your addy in the decklid thread - if it has changed let me know.

Ta

Mark

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Hi There

I did reply to your email address. Did you nor recieve the reply?

Please let me know, becuase I think I have a Hotmail problem then?

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Hi Paul:

My email is:

mandrews at worldonline dot co dot za



I have receieved no reply!

replace the at.... and dots.... :wink:

Ta

Mark

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Interesting topic... :wink: Had not read this before... :roll: Nice to see a link to my project too. Sorry about my homepage. Have not been able to update it for about a year... :oops: I finally got the internet at home too last week so soon I will make a few updates.

You can see some pics of my projects progress in the topic Hebmuller Badge!  in this forum, :wink:

I must agree that it would probably be cheaper to restore a oval-era Kabriolett that trying to make for example what I'm making but hey it's my money and I want to make the Hebmuller lookalike just because I love the looks of it. My project gets even more expencive partly because I'm trying to make a repro of the first Hebmuller prototype made in early 1949... 😎

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Some pictures of a French Heb replica, taken at Chateau-d'Oex Switzerland 2005, have been posted on The Samba...



The Samba Gallery... 

Almost there! :wink:

six-o-one

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Got to be the best metal replica out there. Slightly flat at the back, but incredible work.

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When you see it next to a real one, I'm sure the differences will stand out a mile! :wink:

A nice looking car all the same.

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I think that black & white Heb from Italy is a fake too... :lol: :lol:

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Yes Rob, fake or not fake, my idea is that you would like to own that car!!! :roll: :roll:
But I think you even have to pay a lot of money for that so said fake Hebmuller!! :lol: :lol:

:twisted: ET

ps: Today I received good news!!! Ofcourse you all like to know,....... but patience I'm tyred now and have to go to sleep, my lovely black haired wife is calling me!!!

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Just one thing scares me, and that is that someone would start making Heb replicas cheap and sell them even cheaper... :shock: Then the Hebmüllers them selves will lose some of it's glory on all the events...

Everybody will get even more suspicious even on the real thing...

Just my opinion... :wink:

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There are lots of replica Porsche 356s, Ford Cobras etc. around.
Has this effected the prices of the real thing?

I don't think so!

It just means that whenever you see one you assume it's a fake!
:roll:
I'm sure you don't get many fibreglass 356s turning up to vintage Porsche events (I could be wrong!!).

Are there any Hebmüllers left that require new Heb only body panels to complete their restoration, which would benefit from perfect reproduction panels being available?

This leads on to the question, what makes a car original?
Reminds me of the old broom story:
"Been in the family for 6 generations and it's only had four new heads and five new handles!"

six-o-one

😃 :D

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The problem of the Hebüller replica's are that they are often verry well made and you have to be a real expert (what I am not :cry: ) to see the fake or the real one.
With the cobra's and 356 they have almost always a fiberglas body and with the 356 the beetle floorpan is easy to see on the fake.

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