RESTORATION

VW Schwimmwagen type 166

Due to its unusual state of preservation, this restoration was very special. The 1943 Schwimmwagen was used until 1948, after which it hung on the wall of a shed in Lower Silesia until 2010. The entire bodywork was covered in rust, but during the disassembly and verification of the car’s condition it turned out that the original paint and military markings had been preserved on a large area of the body. This, combined with the good preservation of the sheet metal itself, meant that the restoration, carried out with great care and diligence, made it possible to stop any further corrosion and  preserve the original structure, rather than carry out a comprehensive rebuild of the bodywork. And for us, preserving the original structure is of the greatest value.

In this case, the original structure was preserved on an unprecedented scale, although part section of one sides needed to be rebuilt. Relying on our years-long experience, we combined the new sheet metal with the original sheets, with the result that the location of the steel structure repair is virtually impossible to detect. We then visually aged the new section of sheet metal, so that the patina is identical to the preserved original parts.

In addition to maintenance and spot repairs to the bodywork, we carried out a comprehensive mechanical overhaul. Many components remained in surprisingly good condition, although obviously  seals and  bearings had to be replaced. After the overhaul, the original markings on the body became visible, and whilst the Schwimmwagen itself is  visually comparable to a well-preserved ‘mummy’, it is mechanically in full working order.