"Everything was removed."

Restored T1 All-Wheel Vehicle

Mr Volkland put every free minute into restoring his T1 all-wheel vehicle for three years.

Mr Volkland, from the Jena area, must be a true fan of IGLHAUT all-wheel vehicles. For more than 3 years, he put every free minute into restoring a Mercedes-Benz T1 built in 1991. He had first seen the vehicle 2 years before. At the time, it was owned by a seller of roasted chicken from Jena who had bought the van in 1991 and had it converted into an all-wheel transported by IGLHAUT in 1995. The chicken seller wasn't willing to sell in spite of the bad condition of the vehicle, however, since he had just invested in a fresh TÜV acceptance.

Mr Volkland stuck with his 309 D for the time being – which didn't have an all-wheel drive. He had to "dig it out" often when taking trips and travelling across loose ground, on the field around the corner, on the beach in Denmark and in the Western Sahara. His wish for a T1 all-wheel vehicle grew increasingly urgent.

His dream finally came true in July of 2006! The chicken vendor gave in and sold his all-wheel vehicle to Mr Volkland in spite of the many "applicants".

Restoration and conversion started immediately. The tail was welded shut and 5 cm wide extensions were applied into the rear window openings to make for an inner width of 195 cm. The spare wheel holder in the rear is supported by a specifically-integrated auxiliary frame. The wheel runs were pulled outward by 4 cm and widened further with a rubber lip. Everything else made of any kind of metal had to be repaired: sills, wheel runs, cowl, frame, entrances, wheel cases, mudguards, doors and the load compartment bottom - virtually the entire car body had been strongly marked by corrosion and needed to be repaired and sealed. The entire vehicle was sandblasted, half of it primed with zinc dust and given an entirely new coat of paint. It was given a roof hatch from an Atego and sliding windows from the Bundeswehr. The inside of the van was completely insulated. The technical pieces were also completely overhauled. Motor, gear, articulated shafts, track rods – everything was removed, revised and repainted.

Interior development is to start this winter. The plans include a compressor fridge, solar system, triple-flame cooker, hot-water boiler, 130-litre fresh-water tank and a 70-litre additional diesel tank, auxiliary heating, electrical footboard and others.

Mr Volkland is self-taught where his knowledge of T1 technology is concerned. He has put far in excess of 1,000 working hours into its restoration to date, as well as lots of money! He now probably has one of the best Mercedes-Benz T1 that are still in existence – and one of the very last all-wheel T1 IGLHAUTs!

We would like to congratulate Mr Volkland on his performance and this wonderful bus. We wish him lots of fun in his future excursions. He has already planned various trips to Northern Europe, Africa, Eastern Europe and, at some point, South America!

 

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