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Lambretta recovery unit (see restoration page)

I bought this from a guy out in Hartbeespoort for R2500. He was a beetle fanatic and had picked it up in Florida (Roodepoort) some years ago and was keeping it at his folks place. Same story, folks moving, needed to move it, nowhere to keep it, had to get rid of it. I bought it without a motor, but mostly complete.

This is a 1975 VW fleetline. The production of split windscreen VW kombis was stopped in 1967, but there was some story around the parts having to be kept in production for at least 8 years thereafter, so there was a whole lot of parts. Coincidentally, South Africa gave import concessions on vehicles that were assembled in the country, so the parts were brought to SA and apparently 789 kits were put together, including 300 panel vans, 300 buses and (I'm guessing here) 189 Single cabs.

I got a lot of help from people I met along the way. There is a site that I found that specialises in old vw's (TheSamba) and I saw some pics of a guy in the Cape who has a similar vehicle, and got in contact.

Paul put me on to a hell of an interesting guy that is really into the splitties. Christian had 24 of the at one stage, and even drove one from Cape Town to Germany. Check out his website of the trip - zebra safari

I took the split straight to a connection I found that specialises in restoring old VW's. He does mainly beetles, but has been doing some splitties for guys that are sending them overseas. He had a bus there, and I was pretty happy with the work, so I arranged to drop off the vehicle there. For R4500 he will take out all the rusty sections and dents and dings, and get the bus into primer for me.

After that, I need to get an engine, overhaul the brakes and running gear and maybe adjust the suspension down a notch.... I am hoping the whole project will come in under 15k. I can use the bakkie to help build the house later this year, and then keep it and use it to carry the Lambrettas around after I get a decent spray job. I am hoping to end up with something like this... but we shall see...

There was recently a similar pickup for sale in JHB. It had been restored and was in pretty good shape, and the owner, a VW restorer and dealer in vintage VW's was asking R50k for it..

(Now have a look at the splitty restoration page)