New project - Iltis.

[Baxter]

How do.
not really been here much, work has gone nuts, and to be fair I was just a bit stalled with fixing Vanagons day in day out, lost my enthusiasm, so...
I bought something for winter, and summer, a 4 wheel drive cabriolet to enthuse me again.
I know/knew absolutley zero about these things, so it's really nice to be learning again!
I bought it blind, saw it on e-bay, bid, won then sent a lad with a truck to get it!
Scarey biscuits.



Thats what I got when it rolled off the truck!

originally it came with a 1.7l petrol engine, that didn't last long!

Ive ordered all the bits to convert to Diesel, and then convert the Diesel to 24v too!
Anyway, I put a blog together, if your interested it's www.iltis.co.uk
I know it probably goes without saying but you start at the bottom of the page and work up!



Simon.

[rallydiesel]

Those things are so cool! Keep us posted on your work.

[gnavs]

I read "convert to 24V" as convert to 24 valve.  I was like "huh?"

Sweet project.  I'll be following for sure.

[MJF]

I read "convert to 24V" as convert to 24 valve.  I was like "huh?"

x2 :lol:

[blackdogvan]

24 volt maybe...

[Baxter]

Yeah, it has 24 volt electrics!

[arb]

WOW !!   Cool looking ride - what is it ? I see it has a yankee drive and it looks beyond 25 years so we could bring one across the pond for $1,500 or so. ( R.O.R.O)

[rallydiesel]

You can buy them easily in Canada. They used to be used in the Armed Forces.They were built by Bombardier under license from VW.

[arb]

You can buy them easily in Canada. They used to be used in the Armed Forces.They were built by Bombardier under license from VW.

I was just in Ontario for the weekend. What does VW / Bombardier call them ?

Brain fart - I see it now... "Iltis"  did not recognize it as a name. Also called a VW Type 183.  Hummm.

[Baxter]

Boring bit.. as I understand it.

The Iltis came about as a commision from the German government. there was this thing called the "Eurojeep" that was in developement for NATO forces, which Germany had subscribed, but the costs got daft and the project was shelved, this left the Bundeswehr without a half ton all terrain vehicle so they put the concept out to tender.
BMW came up with something as did VW, VW won the contract.
But, it wasn't actually VW, Audi designed and built it at ingolstat but it was badged as a VW.
Some of the design stipulations stated that it must be made of simple, standard parts so it is a bit of a parts bin special but a lot of it's parts are unique.
I like the fact that the front and rear suspension is the same, parts are interchangeable. porsche wheel bearings, porsche steering bits, and adapted Audi80/Passat gearbox, T2 drive shaft joints and so on..
The initial order was for 10000 units, once this threshold had been reached the tooling was packed up and sent to Bombardier in Canada where they made the Iltis under license from about 1983 onwards.
Production ceased in 1988.
Some of the later versions were powered by a 1.6TD "1C" engine which was a mechanical tappet unit.
The Canadian forces, whatever thay are called used them and did the Belgians and I think the Dutch also, they are out there but not in massive numbers. Some Bombardiers did make it to Europe when the Canadians broght them over for some war or other and left them here.

Audi do (or did) cold weather testing in Finland.
One winter in the late 70's one of the engineers realised that the most reliable vehicle on the fleet in cold weather, and the most agile was their Iltis supprt vehicle.
So, they took the Iltis running gear and installed it in the Audi 80.
It was rather good.
Some top dog at Audi got wind of it and asked them to develope it further, which they did.
Hey presto! Audi quattro.

[Baxter]

Oh, and, if you get bored Google the "DKW Munga" 
That is one seriously fugly MoFo!
That is what the Iltis was designed to replace.
DKW was one of the 4 companies that made up the AutoUnion that went to to be Audi.

4 Auto union companies.

Audi
Horsch
Wanderer
DKW.

This is where the 4 rings of the Audi badge come from, the 4 companies that made it up.
they then went on to adapt the Audi name.
Later on, Audi then absorbed NSU, really the Audi badge should have 5 rings....

[rallydiesel]

So does yours have a heater?

[Vincent Waldon]

For your viewing edification,  here's some locally for sale:

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-iltis-1986-bombardier-W0QQAdIdZ213942181

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-ATVs-snowmobiles-ATVs-Bombardier-Iltis-W0QQAdIdZ218039473

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-ATVs-snowmobiles-ATVs-Volkswagon-iltis-4x4-W0QQAdIdZ216623577

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-iltis-W0QQAdIdZ213736271

[Baxter]

So does yours have a heater?

Yep, it's a MKII polo job, same as a Vanagon rear matrix.
Apparently rather good too.
Plentiful supply of 24v Eberspacher heaters from trucks if I turn homo though.

[blackdogvan]

If my memory serves, my beloved government paid $80,000 each for these when new...