My First Car in BAOR

My first car in 1967 was a VW Beetle with cable brakes. Not ideal in a freezing wet winter!

It met its death in UK, when it died, by suffering from the dreaded 'valve dropping'. I had to get 'Customs and Excise' in to write it off as I was due to pay Import Tax!


My 2nd car was the Opel Rekord. I fitted Merc seats in the front! I think the BFG Number Plates are still at my Mums!

This was my Ford Taunus in Hameln Big ends went for a burton on the autobahn

Well bless my soul - is that a 1960 Taurus wagon like the lemon I had? It wasn't all the car's fault. The trouble started one Saturday night when I was out at Schmidt's gasthof in Herford. I had set my keys on the table and one of our table companions from 7 Sigs (a certain Signalman B.) decided to go for a spin. I noticed the keys were gone about two minutes before the red caps came in asking the question I suddenly realized was coming: "Does anyone here own....?" They kindly drove me to where my car was more or less attached to a large oak tree so I could confirm its ID.

After I got the car repaired (after a fashion, but that's another story. Remember an American auto insurer called AMIIA that went broke in about 1962?) I seemed to have one problem after another: the exhaust system, the clutch, a fuel gauge that I discovered, too late, was u/s, and finally, like our friend Gerry, its untimely death on the autobahn just west of Bielefeld one dark and rainy night as a result of a broken timing belt. A REME recovery crew hauled it into 4 Div HQ parking lot in Herford, and as far as I know or care it could still be sitting there

As for my very first car in BAOR, it was a Belgian-produced 1950 Plymouth, a huge thing built like a tank. It went around a lot of corners before I got rid of it.

an early 1960's beetle. followed by a late 1960's beetle, an opal record and then my one and only, even to this day brand new car. A Peugeot 204. they seemed a popular marque, all tiffys seemd to have the 504, as i was only a lance cpl i had to have a 204, several sgts had 404's.

In 1965 I owned a 1956 VW Beetle which at the rate of exchange then probably cost me about £180 - a lot in those days. It was a 6 volt affair with the Battery located (but not secured) under the rear seat, I remember going over the Level Crossing in Lippstadt and the Battery bounced up and welded itself to the metal frame of the seat, it burnt out the Loom but, a very clever REME Electrician replaced it for me for about DM20, could they do that nowadays? The other problem with it was that it didn't have a fuel guage, but a stick, with grauadtions on it to tell you how much fuel was (or wasn't) in the tank, I always knew when it need refuelling, it stopped!! I like the Married Quarters in the background of your photograph, Jerry. They don't build them like that now!

You mean you have forgotten about the fuel switch above the throttle pedal?

The switch was left = Main
middle pos= Off
rh pos=Reserve

Ach so!

Hi matey,

Now theres a memory. Bought my first car with the wifes Maternity Grant I think it was £30. The car was a Auto Union (Audi) DKW. it was 2 stroke. The biggest piece of crap ever bought........There again I did own;

Honda
Avenger
MG
Zantia
Picasso (lost it in floods)
Honda 4x4

recce83 wrote:

W like our friend Gerry, its untimely death on the autobahn just west of Bielefeld one dark and rainy night.

Well bless my soul it was on the Autobahn "east" of Bielefeld That mine collapsed.

Sheldrake
I like the Married Quarters in the background of your photograph, Jerry. They don't build them like that now!

They were very cosy, and could sleep 6 easily they were near the Bridging camp
Proper pikies we were

What a coincidence, my first car was a beetle as well, don't know how old but it had a split rear windscreen.

jerry wrote:

recce83 wrote:

W like our friend Gerry, its untimely death on the autobahn just west of Bielefeld one dark and rainy night.

Well bless my soul it was on the Autobahn "east" of Bielefeld That mine collapsed.

Sheldrake
I like the Married Quarters in the background of your photograph, Jerry. They don't build them like that now!

They were very cosy, and could sleep 6 easily they were near the Bridging camp
Proper pikies we were

The outside areas could do with a bit of "Tidying" up.

Tony, your right about the DKW. We REME types used to earn a bob or two by fixing peoples cars in the LAD. it was DM 10 per hour, and we had to give half of that to the LAD christmass fund. anyway some guy asked me to have a look at his DKW. what a crappy idea. 3 cylinder two stroke (perfected later by the Japanese motor bike industry) but it had 3 carbs, 3 coils and 3 distributers. effectivly it was 3 single cylinder engines hooked together. getting them timed right individually, and then to each other was a nightmare. as for the wiring loom in the 6 volt VW, not an uncommon occurance, saw that a few times. I had a series of straps and a rubber mat over the top of my battery.

Steve, after the REME guy rewired my car, I had a series of straps and a rubber mat over the top of my battery!

My first car was a 1963 VW Beetle. Fed up of it hard starting in the winter, I converted it to 12 volts, using a Bedford RL Generator and fan belt,a Fordson Voltage Regulator and an old Bedford battery.
It started up great after that and I was proud to slave start a Bedford soon afterwards.

Hi Steve,

Am now being serious,what am I saying I always am. Did you serve in the Wksps Bielefeld 69-71? Am sure you may have serviced my car. Mind you 10DM an hour

For 10DM an hour I wouldn't even type what I've typed - but that's inflation for you!

That was a lot of beer tokens back then.

Jim, in 1991 I could leave camp with 50DM, get loads of beer, have a schnelli and a taxi back to camp and have loose change left over.

In 2005, I took 150 Euros and halfway through the night was looking for a cash machine.....

Now thats true in ferkin flation

Themaadone wrote:

Jim, in 1991 I could leave camp with 50DM, get loads of beer, have a schnelli and a taxi back to camp and have loose change left over.

In 2005, I took 150 Euros and halfway through the night was looking for a cash machine.....

Now thats true in ferkin flation

In 1964 the only person that left camp with DM 50 was the Paymaster and that was the Regiments wages which he took home for same keeping!!

I know Martin,

On my first night in Germany, in Detmold I went to the Siq SQN club and realised I'd be pissed on DM 5.

LOL Shelldrake, too right mate.

One of the lads who works for me has just been to Amsterdam on a stag party, he says they were paying 7 euro's a pint, that's daylight robbery isn't it.

Jim, it all depends on your tastes. 7 Euros for a Pint or 6 Euros for a Spliff?

7 euros - cheaper at half the price...
£1 used to get you 3DM, 3DM became 1.50 Euros...

£4 something a pint.....

Tony Miller wrote:

Hi Steve,

Am now being serious,what am I saying I always am. Did you serve in the Wksps Bielefeld 69-71? Am sure you may have serviced my car. Mind you 10DM an hour

Tony I was at HQ IBR corps LAD at rippon barracks during that time. if i did service your car, did it keep going !!!!

Steve,
If you serviced my car am sure it would be perfect.

PS I worked n the servicing bay with SSGT Bill Lock, CPL Tom Curry and an RMP called Paddy

LOL Shelldrake.

Hey Steve and Dusty, looks like I just missed you guys at 1 (Br) Corps.