DAS - Der Autobahn Scrapers' thread

[speedwell]

stephane antracite grey 63  waiting for is 2.3L

[Rennsurfer]

Fabian, the gray '63 is COOL! I'm guessing that it's either a U.S. model or had U.S. bumpers on at one time, yes? I remember putting the Ghia rubber grommets behind my European bumper guards like that, too. Nice touch. Schwimmer's car still has 'em.

[speedwell]

i don't remember ever seen steph's car with US bumper , may be one of the club here, can be answer you 

fabs

[yvre]

Fabian, the gray '63 is COOL! I'm guessing that it's either a U.S. model or had U.S. bumpers on at one time, yes? I remember putting the Ghia rubber grommets behind my European bumper guards like that, too. Nice touch. Schwimmer's car still has 'em.

I believe the car is European.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had drilled the holes on purpose - to make it look like a US car sporting euro blades (same with Pat's car).

[jimi323]

many beetles here in italy had US bumpers...it was an optional ...
but i think you know that..maybe i've lost something....

[RedEx]

Fabian, the gray '63 is COOL! I'm guessing that it's either a U.S. model or had U.S. bumpers on at one time, yes? I remember putting the Ghia rubber grommets behind my European bumper guards like that, too. Nice touch. Schwimmer's car still has 'em.

I believe the car is European.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had drilled the holes on purpose - to make it look like a US car sporting euro blades (same with Pat's car).

Maybe... maybe not... If he bought his car in germany it can be an export model like my old white 64 that had US bumpers and came from germany.

[nicolas]

this tread needs an UP!

here is a nice pic. don't think i posted it before.

[Rennsurfer]

Maybe... maybe not... If he bought his car in germany it can be an export model like my old white 64 that had US bumpers and came from germany.

Good point. I had an all original Java Green '66 that was imported from Berlin and it had full bumpers, too. I didn't realize that those bumpers were so common throughout Europe during that era.

[JS]

this tread needs an UP!
here is a nice pic. don't think i posted it before.

AWESOME pic Nicolas!!

[yvre]

Seen on TheSamba.

[Stephan32]

DDD2 Muppet Racer

[Sander/DVK]

Seen on TheSamba.

That bus is located in Holland now, and have made a transformation.

[Sander/DVK]

Those picture's are a little big. Here are some smaller ones.

[Kobus]

cool to see that the big off road bus is still alive!!! hope to see it in it's full monstrosity on the road again soon! (ebi offroad track perhaps???)

here's a photo of the 2 Off Road Vans that are still in Brussels cruising the streets now, not as effective in the mud as the beetles, but sure nice and easy on those speedbumps they have here!

the cammo one is Mike's and the red one mine

[ESH]

Always thought those busses were cool toys, useful too. 

[MacRavens]

I found some old ones. From spring 94 or 95 in front of Pat's house near Waterloo
Pat's '54 offroad and my old sea-blue 66. On the 66 I change the 4,5 fuchs with Lemertz 4,5 and 5,5 because of new front diskbrakes. I realy need them because we put a T3 gearbox under the car. My car was prety fast at this time, like 170km/h on the highway.
Pat's Beril green '62 whit one peace windows and polished Fuchs (just to try, for fun).

[yvre]

Those picture's are a little big. Here are some smaller ones.

Good to see it’s still alive !

You guys may not know it, but the club is holding a weekly meet at the local burger joint since its beginning. Usually, after eating, we hang around in the parking lot chatting for hours until we can’t stand the cold anymore… 

A few years ago, we would also drive to a nearby bar and had a few drinks there to finish the evening.

I remember one day, Dav (the previous owner) came with the bus and, as we spent some time outside, he proceeded to show us the new subwoofer he had just wired in. He only had one tape – with some real loud techno music (that will probably be alien to the majority of US folks on this site).

We chatted for some time, then decided it was time to have a drink. And as you can imagine, leaving the fast food parking lot was always a good reason to have a bit of sideways action as the cars were engaging on the road.

There were these 2 guys along the road that were hitch-hiking. They were watching all the cars blast past them, but only one person stopped to take them… Dav' in his bus (with the music still playing loud), with a face and behaviour probably akin to somebody high on coke.

You should have seen their faces when they saw the bus stop, but more importantly when they stepped out of it!!!  I don’t think they had ever seen something like this!

[Sarge]

Cool story, Yves!  Back in the '70's, it was common to pick up hitch-hikers (and to hitch-hike as well).  I stopped once for a guy in the '63... had the close ratio's, solid mounts and a stout 1835 with IDA's.  I left hard... banged through the gears and got to the next traffic light which, luckily for my new passenger, was red.  He couldn't get out of the car fast enough....

[Wayne]

1995 while working at Competition Engineering in Tempe, AZ one day 3 guys came in the shop (Mike, Rowan, Pat).  They were very interested in early pop out windows and early convertible decklids (I think they purchased all we had).  They hung around most of the day and asked me if I knew of any Type 2 buses for sale.  I knew of a guy who had a 59 blue panel that was forsale.  I ended up inviting them over to my house for a few beers.  They ended up buying the panel! They said they were on a west coast tour for VW parts.  Bugorama weekend came and they attended.  I gave Mike my trophy.  I introduced them to Frenchy Dehoux who spoke french which they enjoyed!  I must say I have not meet 3 nice guys as them in a long time.  They liked my vert and gave me a few DAS decals and a couple shirts.  I kept in touch with Rowan and Mike for a few years after their visit.  When Keith Sueme shot my vert for Volksworld they were the first to congratulate me and gave me a hard time for not wearing my DAS shirt. I have always kept and eye on their club and their cars.  DVB has grown into a icon club.  One day I will visit them in Waterloo!

[Kobus]

Welcome anytime Wayne!!!

[speedwell]

this panel 

[Wayne]

Thats the one!!  Still looks great!!!  Who owns it now?

[speedwell]

Thats the one!!  Still looks great!!!  Who owns it now?

i took the colored pict in 95 , and the b/w in 96 , don't know who is the owner today , may be mike know 

[MacRavens]

Thats the one!!  Still looks great!!!  Who owns it now?

i took the colored pict in 95 , and the b/w in 96 , don't know who is the owner today , may be mike know 

Thats the one!!  Still looks great!!!  Who owns it now?

The panel bus is now somewere in France. Same colour, dropped on Centerlines wheels.

We took back tree split van at the end of our Californian Trip. Two CrewCab (beige-red-67/blue-61) and the grey 61 panel. You can see them on those pictures.
We maid a roadbook from the trip and this is one of the drowing I maid.

[yvre]

I remember the license plate!!!

[ESH]

... We maid a roadbook from the trip and this is one of the drowing I maid ...

I like that. 

[nicolas]

so much history with this club. i like the stories. so keep them coming. 

[MacRavens]

I remember the license plate!!!

Hum...  I got some private stuff... your thinking about this one ?

When I bought the split the two licence plates were on it. The californian owner keep the front one.

You want a story Nicolas ? Take this one :
 
We bring back thoses tree vans at home after our cal-trip. I drive the bus six months until someboddy stole it in front of my mother s'house.
One night my mother call-me and ask me if I was gone with the bus during the last 5 minutes, without give her a goodnight ? I was comming back from a august VW show, 100 km from there.  Back home... my bus was gone !
It was a verry bad feeling. Every boddy who passtrue this kind of experience feel realy bad ! And you imagine a lot of stories... Why Who ?

More than one week later, some boddy call me realy upset on my phone !
And ask me : "When are you going to move your F... van ? He sil parked on the front of my garage door from two days !!!!" 
? Hum... ok I come, where are you living...? I asked ! This guy found my phone number on a paper in the bus. "Call 0097756XXX if my car disturd". Paper I put on the front window when I was in a bad parking situation.
So, I bring my Bus back, but... unfortunately without his realy good engine...

I got no job at this moment and I sold it. I just I keep the rear Californian licence plate as a souvenir.

Now, the bus stil in belgiun in a garage waiting for a restauration.

[fastfred]

my car at freddyfiles (ninovemeeting) 1 or 2 (pictures by speedwell) ... nice pictures, fab, meanwhile i lost these cool blue carb tops, i frikkin do not know where i lost them (otherwise they won't be lost i guess) - they matched my blue interior  but the major thing i know from back then was that i just found out about the wonderfull world of dzus-fasteners (or how do you type that?) and that i just ordered my (local) body-guy to make me a rear valance that was easily removable with those dzus fasteners. the rear of my car was photographed alot then. at that time, it was a kind of exoticness tea spooning a "big" (that ain't big now anymore) engine into a little engine compartment.

i hope to find some oldschool pictures real soon, and most of all, some time to scan them.

[fastfred]

here are some pics, but read on, on this http://vw1500s.skynetblogs.be/post/6904617/early-pics#comments











i hope you guys love the pictures. i have posted these pictures on my blog, with MY memories ... i invite all you to post YOUR memories by these pictures here on this thread !!!