Aircooled VW South Africa

Hi!

Upon posting some of my bus pics on Facebook, a friend of my moms commented that her husband has been trying to restore a 1956 BMW for quite some time. He's hit a dead-end now as he needs someone who can panel-beat/work with the aluminum body and apparently these types of tradesman are very hard to find. They found a Russian guy who could but he's died since

Does anyone know of someone or a company fitting?

TIA

I know a guy who works with aluminium - he's a specialist welder at Rand Airport, helluva nice guy (seems grumpy, but that's just a front), good friend.

He can basically do ANYTHING with aluminium (and also certify it as airworthy into the bargain! hehehe - not likely necessary with a Beemer!).

PM me for details - he's currently working on his own aluminium-bodied Lotus Super7.... extended wheelbase... doing all the bodywork himself.

Is that Ken Jones Goosebeak?

Gavin what exactly needs doing? By that era it might be ok, but the quality of teh alloy in some postwar European cars was a big problem. I know of Healey's where the old metal was simply impossible to repair and new panels had to be made.
Sounds like an interesting project.

As always, you guys came up trumps! Thank you so much Goosebeak and Barry. What I have done is message said friend of my mother's and have asked for a few more details and perhaps a pic or three. Let's hold thumbs for what she comes up with. Goosebeak, your guy at Rand Airport sounds the biz! .

This does sound to be a very interesting project. I don't know Arnd (the owner of the car) terribly well, but I've met Liz (his wife) many times and been to their beautiful property quite a few times as well. I always wondered what was lurking behind their multiple garage doors... now we know what's behind at least one!

I'll get back to you chaps as soon as I hear anything from her.

Thanks again!

Goosebeak wrote:I know a guy who works with aluminium - he's a specialist welder at Rand Airport, helluva nice guy (seems grumpy, but that's just a front), good friend.

He can basically do ANYTHING with aluminium (and also certify it as airworthy into the bargain! hehehe - not likely necessary with a Beemer!).

Anything? I propose that you get him to certify the work on your car as airworthy

Nice body work done in this project. With an English wheel and time...

hehehe - you're such a smart@rse, Drusky, I bet you could sit on an ice-cream and tell us the flavour!

My contact is Mark Cummings - like I said, a tad taciturn, very serious dude, extremely conscientous and professional about his work. A couple of people have found out to their cost that you don't even joke about cutting corners on a job if you want to stay on speaking terms with him, let alone have him do the work for you.
Personally, he's ed-zachary the kind of guy I would like working on my plane if I owned one! Nothing puts a damper on your day quite like having the tail of your aircraft fall off...

Goosebeak wrote:Personally, he's ed-zachary the kind of guy I would like working on my plane - If I owned one! Nothing puts a damper on your day quite like having the tail of your aircraft fall off...

Lol! I couldn't agree more!

Right so Liz has gotten back to me and said she's forward my message onto her hubby. He'll be in contact shortly. She also added a gem of info of what two other cars are lurking behind the other garage doors: a 1956 Porsche "soft top" - which he restored himself as well as a 1987 Porsche . Guess they are rather secretive little people aren't they. .

Liz has said she'll take some pics this weekend and has invited me around sometime to have a look myself! What fun! I'll try and get some decent shots to show you guys if they let me.

What I can say is that they are rather.... well-off. His main line of work was being the direct contact for all imported spares and stock for Mercedes Benz....

Tell me it is a 507 and I may just have to fetch clean underwear (again!!)

Damn... forgot the linky link to that project http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... sc&start=0

And in case any of you, like me, had no idea what a 507 looked like. If I sat in this I would probably say it's berry nice.

This is one of the best looking convertables of that period... EVER!!!

Yes, the 507 is a true classic. I wouldn't say no to a Z8 either.