02 Oct Spanner Works: Volkswagen Type 181

A regular feature by senior workshop technician JP du Plessis outlining the activities of FMM’s workshop personnel who are responsible for repairing, renovating, refurbishing and restoring the museum’s large and varied collection of vehicles. This month, JP’ fixes a VW with multiple identities…

The Volkswagen Type 181 is what many believe to be the Kübelwagen. However, while based on the same concept, it was produced much later than during WWII, with production spanning from 1968 to 1983. Initially developed for the West-German military, it was later also sold on civilian markets. These various markets gave the vehicle different names for sales promotion purposes and it sold most notably as the Kurierwagen in Germany, as the Thing in the USA, as the Trekker in the UK and as the Safari in Mexico.  Lesser known names included Pescaccia in Italy, and Camat in Indonesia. The right-hand drive version was coded the Type 182, the last digit 1 or 2 being an automotive industry trend indicating left and right, whether for vehicle codes or for part numbers.

The Museum’s example is a Type 182 that had been made to look like a military vehicle, painted in a deep olive green. There had been an issue with the brakes before and it was time to revisit the problem and I was tasked with making it stop.

After starting the 182, it was found to be in need of an idle adjustment before running it to get a feel for how the brakes were operating. The vehicle was then brought back into the workshop for further inspection. A fresh bleed of the hydraulics was done, but the pedal still felt low. It was then found that the pedal adjustment was out and could be adjusted much higher up, which solved the pedal issue.

Another test drive indicated that while the pedal was now correct, the car was still pulling to the right under braking. Back in the workshop, the car was lifted onto trestles and the wheels were removed to adjust the brakes at each wheel. After this was done, the car was driven again, and all was found to be in order. So, after a quick tune-up of the carburettor and adjustment of the brake system, the Volkswagen Type 182 was good to go – and, importantly – stop again.