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1937 Prototype W30 chassis 26

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Author Undis
Samba Member Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:12 am

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Post subject: 1937 Prototype W30 chassis 26

In The VW38 topic a few people mentioned a very early prototype chassis which has survived to this day. In the meantime I received information and pictures of it, so I thought I may as well start a topic on this particular item. Seems this is the oldest surviving major part of a pre-production VW and would be interesting to share. The chassis was found in a junkyard in Austria. It was built in 1937 and used for one of the batch of 30 W30 prototypes. These cars were intended for testing of the Volkswagen technical concept and never were intended for the public. This particular chassis is number 26 and was used for the car with registration number IIIA 37026. The number plates were matched to the chassis number in case of the prototypes. In 1942 all the prototypes were ordered to be destroyed. So what happened to chassis number 26 and how come it survived the destruction? According to Chris Barber and his book Birth of the Beetle, car number 26 lost its body during testing, presumably crashed. Briefly it received body from car number 8. After that it seems the chassis was used as a test bed for something most probably for the development of the Kbelwagen body. Because it was no longer a complete car and still used for a purpose, somehow it survived. Here is car number 26 during wind tunnel testing.

Joined: October 24, 2006 Posts: 908 Location: Riga, Latvia & Sydney, Australia

Plans for the W30 chassis

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Period pictures of the bare W30 chassis

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This is the way the surviving chassis looks like now.

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The location of the chassis number. It is a very simple punched number unlike on later production cars.

That indent between the handbrake and the shift lever is for the front seat mounting tube which runs right across the chassis tunnel

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The rear torsion housing and mounting for the shock absorbers

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Frame head detail. Note the exits for the brake cables. On the right is the fuel line and on the left is the hole for the wire harness which runs through the central tunnel instead of the body as on production cars.

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The frame head has lost its distinctive beak which was used to mount the spare wheel. That area is cut down and roughly hammered in new shape. The reason for doing this is probably to do with it being used for a Kbelwagen body.

Note how narrow the frame head is. This must have caused some flexing of the front beam.

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Here is photo of a W30 chassis in the day (could be this one?) modified for some other purpose. Note the cut-down spare wheel mount.

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Simon uk
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:28 am

Post subject:

Joined: November 13, 2003 Posts: 550

wow great pics, so do you think this chassis could be used for the body found, are the dimensions the same as the chassis on the vw38? And if so, would the owner be prepared to sell it on???? I am guessing certain items like pedals could be modified from a later unit (kubel or split?) but would a normal split front axle fit that frame head? Si.

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johnshenry
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:46 am

Post subject:

Cool pictures, thanks for posting. I wonder what the exposed wire/cable is that you see just to the left/above the starter in this pic? Could that be the clutch cable? It goes to a lever up near the transmission. Don't know what else it could be...

Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 8188 Location: Dunstable, MA USA

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_________________ John Henry '57 Deluxe '51 11E Standard Sunroof (PhotoBucket resto pics)
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Undis
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:07 am

Post subject:

johnshenry wrote: Cool pictures, thanks for posting. I wonder what the exposed wire/cable is that you see just to the left/above the starter in this pic? Could that be the clutch cable? It goes to a lever up near the transmission. Don't know what else it could be...
Joined: October 24, 2006 Posts: 908 Location: Riga, Latvia & Sydney, Australia

Interesting! Seems too thin to be a clutch cable. In the detail pic of the engine I can see the clutch and accelerator cables in the normal positions. Could be a choke cable coupled to a lever somehow. Or is it something else? There was no heater at that time.

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peter schepens
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:11 am

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Hello, I think that thin cable is the starting cable. I seen on solenoid on the starter so it is a starter that uses a
Joined: April 17, 2003 Posts: 499 Location: belgium Caesars camp

cable on wich you pull....like in the old fiat 500. The lever operate a heavy duty switch to start the electro motor. Nice picts. I have seen it in real that frame and was thrilled to know it was that old... Greetings. _________________ Zelensis, a true coachbuilt body made in Belgium , disigned and built on a VW platform by THIEBAUT Raoul between '58 and '62. About 25 body's built.

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Undis
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:20 am

Post subject:

OK, that makes sense. A starter pull knob or something similar instead of a starter button. Thanks!

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Joined: October 24, 2006 Posts: 908 Location: Riga, Latvia & Sydney, Australia

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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:48 am

Post subject:

Simon uk wrote:
Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

wow great pics, so do you think this chassis could be used for the body found, are the dimensions the same as the chassis on the vw38? And if so, would the owner be prepared to sell it on???? I am guessing certain items like pedals could be modified from a later unit (kubel or split?) but would a normal split front axle fit that frame head? Si.

Nope. Totally different animals. _________________ Chris

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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:49 am

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Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

You said that it was found in a junkyard. Do you know when it was found. Was it shortly after the war or many years later? _________________ Chris

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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:00 am

Post subject:

Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

I wonder what the two brackets with oval shaped holes on either side of the frame head are for? Must have something to do with what it was used for after the body was removed. They clearly weren't on the chassis originally.

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_________________ Chris
Last edited by splitjunkie on Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:52 am; edited 1 time in total

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johnshenry
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:18 am

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You mean those two that are on the lower front cross member, on either side of the tunnel? I can see them on the top pic, but not in the lower. Framehorn ordinarily refers the back end "horns" that the tranny sits between. Maybe it was for a Manx body or something...... _________________ John Henry '57 Deluxe '51 11E Standard Sunroof (PhotoBucket resto pics)
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Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 8188 Location: Dunstable, MA USA

Undis
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:33 am

Post subject:

splitjunkie wrote: You said that it was found in a junkyard. Do you know when it was found. Was it shortly after the war or many years later?

Joined: October 24, 2006 Posts: 908 Location: Riga, Latvia & Sydney, Australia

That's all I was told. I'm sure someone will ellaborate on this.
splitjunkie wrote: I wonder what the two brackets with oval shaped holes on either side of the frame horn are for? Must have something to do with what it was used for after the body was removed. They clearly weren't on the chassis originally.

You are probably right. I see several other spots where stuff has been welded etc. Also the crossmember over the rear framehorns is missing alltogether.
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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:52 am

Post subject:

johnshenry wrote:

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Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

You mean those two that are on the lower front cross member, on either side of the tunnel? I can see them on the top pic, but not in the lower. Framehorn ordinarily refers the back end "horns" that the tranny sits between. Maybe it was for a Manx body or something......

Yea, I meant frame head. _________________ Chris

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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:02 am

Post subject:

Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

You can sort of see some sort of bracket for supporting the steering column in the closeup. It looks like it might be attached in front of the front cross member where those brackets are.

_________________ Chris
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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:06 am

Post subject:

Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

In this picture you can see two pull knobs next to the shifter. Based on the observation earlier, one must be the choke and the other must be the starter.

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These are clearly present on chassis 28.

kind of a cool detail. _________________ Chris

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maesdieter
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:14 am

Post subject:

amazing pics, nice topic ! I recognize the cablebrakes on my standard oval 1953... Dieter
Joined: December 29, 2008 Posts: 115

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Location: Belgium / Europ

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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:29 am

Post subject:

At some point they relocated the outlets for the front brake cables. They moved them forward and used these
Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

plates to patch it together.

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_________________ Chris
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Redbarnresto
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 8:32 am

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Very cool. Despite the differences, it's amazing how similar it is to the later production chassis. Any photos of it how it was found (or is this how it was found)? Dan _________________ 1961 Beetle w/ 23,000 original miles
Joined: May 29, 2007 Posts: 147 Location: Girard, OH

1963 Sunroof Beetle 1964 Sunroof Beetle 1965 Microbus Red Barn Restorations

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johnshenry
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:06 am

Post subject:

splitjunkie wrote: You can sort of see some sort of bracket for supporting the steering column in the closeup. It looks like it might be attached in front of the front cross member where those brackets are.

Joined: September 21, 2001 Posts: 8188 Location: Dunstable, MA USA

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Oh yeah, I used one of those on my '57 chassis when I took it for a spin around the block....!

_________________ John Henry '57 Deluxe '51 11E Standard Sunroof (PhotoBucket resto pics)
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splitjunkie
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:30 am

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Joined: April 04, 2006 Posts: 1648

Yea but I don't think they bought theirs at Home Depot. _________________ Chris

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kdf-service
Samba Member

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:25 am

Post subject: :)

This is really super first time I saw this type chassis. But one time I sam some parts for this type chassis, I dont have the camera so I dont have any pictures, but I remember that it was gearbox and some parts fro the engine and front axel. And this parts was at one gut in Austria. meaby it was from that same chassis? I need to chack this.
Joined: November 17, 2005 Posts: 103 Location: POZNAN POLAND

tom

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