I used to own 1956 Ifa-9 which has been built in DDR as a eastern wing of DKW , later known as Autounion. Engines are easy to work on but delikate. I recommend rebuilding it.
Growing up in Kenya in the 60s my dad had a DKW station Wagon. Being a 2stroke engine it was loud like sounded like a awn mower on steroids. We could hear dad coming miles away. This gave us time to straighten out and get our affairs in order. You had to mix the oil and gasoline. Very interesting and unique car.
I love 2 stroke engines! I think this was the same model sold by the name Caiçara here in Brazil. The DKW was produced here by VEMAG, and sold several models of the brand in the 50s and 60s. It was a car highly praised by the brazilians of that time. Today it became a rarity.
What a great find. I would certainly like to see more of this car but would recommend engine and gearbox removal and overhaul as the essential first step.
Hi Steve, These engines are very delicate, parts are expensive and hard to source. I restored a dkw 1000 s coupe 2 years ago, and the engine was completely destroyed. It's common on these cars because most people didn't knew how to deal with a 2 stroke engine. Most of them would overheat to the point of internal damage. I recomend you taking apart the engine. The one I did had damage on the head and crankshaft because the pistons were broken in many places. I had to go to Germany and get a reconditioned crankshaft (they wouldn't send it) and also order new pistons from MAHLE. It took more than one year to complete the engine rebuild because all the parts took so long to source. The good news is, there is information available online and new parts can be ordered. Good luck with your new project, hope to see more about it soon :)
The GDR produced the "Wartburg" with that same engine all the way up until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the production ended as late as 1991, it ought to be fairly easy to get spare parts for it.
@@MetalTrabant I'm not 100% sure about that, but to my naked eye it looks as if they would be compatible yes. I overhauled a 1980 Wartburg back in 1992 and from the looks of it, it's the same engine. A weakness these engines had was the contact points located low down at the front of the engine directly driven by the crankshaft. The cover need to be kept completely sealed or running trough a puddle of water will ruin your road trip all of a sudden.
@@MetalTrabant Fun historical fact; the Saab model 93 also used that engine, but production of that model ended back in 1957. This engine might actually be one of the longest lasting in production and most widely used ever.
@@MetalTrabant On the side, I remember the "Trabies" from my childhood and early youth. Not a lot of metal in a Trabant, besides the engine, back then 🧐
This one takes me back a long, long time. My aunt drove one of these for a long time. I will never forget the unique sound it made when driven thru the gears. And here u are with one to be resurrected. Can not wait for the restoration process !!
@@henrygreen19 You've got me there. I have no personal knowledge of the car, iyt never having been sold here, but do recollect reports in Autocar and Motor at the time.
Internal crank bearings could be rusted, usually these are open to be lubricated by the fuel mix in the crankcase, therefore stripping down the motor is required, so engine out is the next step
Crank bearings in this engine are ball bearings ("needle bearings" - "Nadellager" in German if you search for them) - a constant nuisance for Wartburg drivers in the "GDR" (with all the mess to get hold of spare parts and find a garage to repair). They are that way because a two stroke engine is always low on lubricants. If you don't add enough oil to the fuel, these bearings break and the engine gets stuck or makes horrible metallic noise. (probably what happened to your car - when the driver didn't know about it - who in the US knew about 2 stroke engines - your 1961 doesn't have separate lubrication does it?) Western two strokes never got under 1/33 mix (1l oil / 33l gas) - while the last Wartburgs and Trabants run on 1/50.
@@becconvideo It says 1/32 right on the filler cap (1 Oel - 32 Benzin)! So yes, most definitely needs premix. DKW switched to separate oil feed in the early 60s I think.
I believe this is a '57. The '61 has a wrap-around windshield like the picture on your owner's handbook and has a 42hp two-stroke 1000cc engine. Also, the 61 has a vertical instrument pod, instead of your car's round gauges.The wagons were made for more than just two years. '57 was the first year for the 'cheese-grater' grill ('56 had a horizontal-bar grill) This should have a 3 cylinder, 38hp, two-stroke 900cc engine lubed by oil mixed in tank with the gas. If you plan a tear-down, keep in mind these engines have a crankshaft built up of sections pressed together with captive rods/needle-bearings & two of the main ball-bearings. Thermo-syphon cooling system has no waterpump and 'distributorless' ignition uses 3 sets of points driven off the front of the crankshaft. DKW was the first to mass-produce front wheel drive cars, with their 1931 F-1 introduced 3 years before the FWD Citroen. I have a '57 DKW 3=6 Sonderklasse two-door hardtop. 3=6 was their '50s claim that the 3-cylinder two-stroke had equivalent power to a comparable 6-cylinder 4-stroke. Happy Motoring, Mark
Seem to remember my wagon had freewheel. All synchro box. What a star it would have been with a flat four engine a la Hansa Goliath. My DKW could turn a corner at 30mph with a yank on the wheel. A revelation to a lad raised on Beetles. The hardtops all seemed to be black and white. Well, the 3 in my town were.
We had a 1958 3=6 Sonderklasse four-door sedan as our family car in New Zealand for about 20 years. Ours had the suicide doors, the cheese grater grille, and the same dashboard as this one, with the starter button still separate to the ignition key. As a young lad growing up, I asked Dad why it said " 3 equals 6" on the back of it, and he gave me exactly the same explanation you've described above. Advertising puffery at its finest! I've seen 2 doors and 4 doors, but never a station wagon version - which Wikipedia says is called a "Universal". It's not the prettiest car ever made, but it's got to be rare now and I hope Steve chooses to restore it. It's about 30 years since we owed our one, but I think the 3=6 logo perched on the clock normally belongs on the glove compartment lid. The centre of the clock should have a chrome knob to adjust the time. Ours never kept proper time. The little T handle found in the glovebox resides under the dashboard. I think it's to operate a radiator blind for cold weather running? The free wheel control is also under the dashboard, and you can briefly see the spherical white knob for it under the dashboard in the video. We always ran our car in free wheel mode, as the 3 cylinder compressions on overrun made it really jerky otherwise. If the filler cap is like our one was, it's quite a complicated and hefty piece. Hopefully the key is still available for it. When in place, the cap just spins round and can't be removed. A small metal cover fits over the lock, and slides to one side to insert the key. When unlocked, a whole piece of lock slides out with the key - and then the cap can be unscrewed. As Mark mentions, the two stroke oil should be put the tank before adding the petrol/gasoline. So you have to work out how much gas you are going to add and then calculate the correct ratio of oil to pour in first. My long suffering Mother endured years of gas station attendants assuming she didn't know what she was talking about, every time she asked for the car to have 2 stroke oil poured in the gas tank.
Pretty decent summation, Mark. I had two '58 models, one a four door. They had cheese-grater grilles and suicide doors. Eventually, they went to scrap because of rusting out (N.Y. salted roads took their toll). I then had SAABs for years, even a 99 model.
@@snich63 Steve. I used to see a couple of black and white hardtops in Christchurch as a kid. I owned a Universal in '82, but didn't appreciate its rarity. Terrible thing to start when hot. Paul. NZ.
Nice to see that some DKW were sold in the USA. Here in Brazil they were produced by Vemag, under license from the German factory DKW, between 1958 and 1967. This van was called DKW-Vemag "Vemaguet" and they are quite rare as well.
It's beautiful. Can you imagine how it must have looked when new? It is in such good condition and completely worthy of refurbishment. Someone near me has the sedan version and I find them fascinating. I would love to see you resurrect this rare car to at least getting it driving. Cheers.
My Dad had about 5 of these, just as a regular two door and also a pickup. All from 1957 to 1959. I learned how to drive in one of them. Later taking the body off and driving around the farm with it. Great fun!!! 2:50 that is the lifting jack ( useless really ) and an old vw rim someone welded a flange to it. 7:35 cigarette lighter. 8:31 3 equals 6 , three cylinders at two strokes is like a six cylinder. 10:50 distributor is on the front of the crank, behind the rubber disc , it has triple breaker points, one for each spark coil above. 15:08 no oil pan, but a crankcase never having oil, only a mist of two stoke oil passing through. I know lots about the drive train. Ask me.
my friend hed a dkw when i had my first car a 1956 morris minor.many great memories 50 years ago..you are helping us keep them alive.would love to hear this one running.
I just purchased a similar one through my sister in South Africa. It appears to be a 1958 DKW Estate Car (Station Wagon) that had been changed Into a pickup. We managed to start ours with the minimum of effort. Will be cleaning it up and having it gone through with a fine toothcomb while it's still in Africa because some of the parts are more accessible over there, and then we'll be shipping it to Seattle. My first car ever was a DKW 3=6 which I bought in 1971 for $100. I lived in Pretoria then. The car had rolled over so I did the body work as best I could myself and spray painted it with an attachment for my mom's vacuum cleaner. 😉 I painted it purple and drive that sucker for many years. Rebuilt the engine once after I burned a hole through one of my pistons. It's an easy car to work on. Totally worth restoring.
I also have one of those. Also in blue, but it's a right hand drive because here in South Africa we drive on the left side of the road. Mine hasn't started in more than 10 years. Your video inspired me to get it going again.
You are 100% wright, trying to start a engine in such a state means it end! I think I even saw the sparkplug aren't in place, so the pistons will be almost like being "welded"to the cylinder wall and maybe result in braking of internal pieces, only a very carefull disassembly and cleaning and reassembly will rescue this engine of the scrapheap and that would be a shame!
This same car was produced here in Brazil by an industry known as Vemag, that bought the auto union blueprints and tooling. In fact the VW beetle was a huge success and ended by swallowing the DKW market... There were other models besides this on the video, there was a coupe model which was a hit among taxi drivers. The blue smoke and the typical noise of its engine are still well remembered here in Brazil. In the beginning of 70's still there were some of them on the streets. I remember going to school in the back of this car. The suicidal doors were a big turn off and during the last years of production ( I guess, 1968, but not sure) this car already had regular doors. Congrats for your car!
Oh man, this is probably one of my favorites so far. I would love to see a full mechanical restoration, and maybe some clear coat over that patina. It just looks like a good ole family hauler. I'd love to see more of this thing- engine rebuild, everything.
With the rarity of this car, repair it for certain. 3 = 6 was the slogan that made it famous in Europe. The 2 stroke 3 cylinder engine was a strong as a 6 cylinder 4 stroke. My dad's first car was a DKW. He spoke of this all the time. The fuel mileage was very good. He said he could run a tank a month. At the time he was a salesman for his father's printing company and had to drive all over the Netherlands. Love to see more!!
Take it apart and rebuild it! Would love to see it go! It brings back memories of our 1962 Trabant, 2 cylinder, 2 stroke, cardboard and a fast speed of max 80 Km/h.
My dad had a DKW which sounded like a pop corn machine when it was idling, had a beautiful interior and a joy to ride in. Had to put oil in the gas tank with each fill.
lived in Germany as a kid ...isetta- vw bug- dkw - merc that was the pecking order on the streets of Berlin daily below that were any number of home built mostly 3-wheelers and on the upper end were American cars (my dad drove a '57 Buick Roadmaster) and Patton tanks
well - at the Kuh'damm at least. At Stalin/Karl Marx Allee these days: DKW (IFA) F8, P70, Trabant, Wartburg and if you were part of the nomenclatura: Wolga and Tschaika for the gran Leader.
I have just returned from 1964. My brother in law's dad became owner of the 1958 DKW coupe that had been rolled and totaled. He got it for nothing and made it into a hunting vehicle. Brother in law towed the car across South Dakota in 64 and the car was stuck in first gear.. He called me and asked if I would take a look at it. Neighbor and I drove into Rapid City and towed the car into the black hills where I was working. He told me a few things about the car, such as it was a 4 speed on the tree and required a quart of oil into the gas filler then add 5 gallons of gasoline. 5 gallon cost about $1.25 then. On with the getting car out of first gear. I jacked up one side of the car and while my neighbor jimmied the gear shift. Amazingly it took less than 30 seconds and the thing popped and was out of gear. What an amazing drive it was, 4 on the tree and front wheel drive, What a thrill it was to drive, hell nobody had ever seen a 3 cylnder 2 cycle engine and front wheel drive was about as rare. The top and rear fenders had been removed so the thing was quite light. Take a sharp curve and the rear end bounced all over the place. Thanks for allowing me to recall some of the good thing I got to remember, love your channel
Hi! I owned a 1959 DKW-Auto-Union 1000-S which I fetched from the Stuttgart factory and drove back to Bern, Switzerland, where I was living. Brought it home to South Africa a year or so later, where I ran it happily until mid- 1962. The A-DKW-3=6 estate gwas an alternative buy. What amazing cars - especially the motors! I’d recommend a complete engine-gearbox dismantle: these cars rely on unstored oil (only in the fuel) to keep running. Don’t risk spoiling it.
I just saw this video today, 3 months after you posted it here so I may be too late. I also own a DKW 3=6 (1957 coupe) which was in a similar condition when I acquired it back in 2004, after it having sat for 46 years. Got mine running and been driving it almost every weekend since! My advise would be not to remove and dismantle the motor just yet! First instead, take your time and add various types of penetrating oils, wd-40, whatever, down the spark plug holes to let it continue to seep in and keep incrementally turning / rocking a little more and more to get it to make a full rotation. It already looks as if you have a small start in movement as it is! Don't try to rush it, take your time. Remember also that these cars have a freewheel device lockout, and that if it's engaged wont help you any if you're trying to roll it in gear to rotate the engine. If you can get a full rotation, then you're 90% on the way to firing it up.
Definately get it running, you will be very pleased, they run very well, I salvaged a 800s engine, stripped it, found the crank needed no work, ( they are indistructable ) so I balanced the ports, gasflowed everything, opened the inlet ports and took 6mm off the piston skirts. Then lightened the flywheel which gave instant acceleration. It did 125mph which on my car at 8.5 cwt was 130hp. unlimited revvs and lots of fun for 6.5 years. let us know when you start again.
These are also very rare in Europe where I live. Be gentle and pull the engine. And yes, a clear coat on that beautiful patina would look nice. Looking forward to the next video. 👍🏻
Looks like someone went to town with a disc-sander, that "patina" screams, im to lazy to finish painting, so i just clear coat it, for that (eyesore) retro rusty style, adding no value whatsoever!
A couple sort-of sad/funny DKW tales. Back around 2000, I went with a local guy to look at a couple of DKWs he'd stored in a barn. He told me that about 25 years earlier he was regularly driving the one car. Then it developed a major engine problem. So he bought the second DKW for parts, but never got around to doing anything because it turned out the parts-car had a seized engine. I asked him what was the problem with his original car. He said the engine was smoking real bad, obviously burning way too much oil and he thought it was probably going to need a major overhaul. I reminded him that two strokes naturally burn oil and they smoke, especially if the carb is too rich or there's way to much oil in the mix! He smacked his forehead when he realized what I was saying. Sadly, after sitting in an unheated, leaky barn for a quarter-century, rodents and mold had consumed the interior, and the engine had seized, along with everything else that deteriorates on a long-neglected automobile! On a more cheerful note, when I got my 57 DKW, back in '97, the body was in excellent shape. But I had to fix multiple problems with the upholstery, brakes, gas-tank, fuel-pump, steering and gearshift. One day after my DKW was finally driveable, a lady friend stopped by after dark, and asked for a ride. So I fired it up, and before it was even moving she asked "Why is my window all fogged up?" I replied "Well actually, your window is rolled down, and you're seeing the two-stroke exhaust!" Good thing she wasn't an EPA agent! I used to call my DKW "The Mosquito-Fogger! Typically after they're warmed up, off the manual choke, and the oil-mix is correct, the smoke mostly disappears. Happy Motoring, Mark
Another interesting car!,that i would like to see more of. Also i think the engine would be straight forward to strip and free off. Its a little bit like an old saab 2t.You could produce some first class smoke driving that down the road.lol Thanks for another good vid.
My brother and I had an Auto Union identical to this one in the early 70's. Rigged up a 2 gallon oil can for the fuelmix since the gas tank was rusted out. It was a 4 speed on the column and I would drive it around in the woods until I needed to back up at which time I'd shut it down and walk back to the house and get my brother to come and find reverse! I would love to see you get it running .
I actually owned a few DKW's Some sedans and two station wagons. I sold them because parts became a problem. Please note that DKW requires a 6 volt battery and it is a 2 stroke engine. (Clean the gas tank first) 1 pint of oil is poured in the gas tank and then 4 gallons of gasoline is added. Another thing to take note of is that the crankshaft runs on roller bearings. Setting the timing is very interesting to say the least! You need to set each piston separately first. There is a base plate where you removed the points. You set the timing for all 3 pistons by adjusting each set of points on the base plate. You need to find the TDC (top dead center) first by removing the spark plugs, then insert a screw driver through spark plug hole and turning the crankshaft until you find the tdc. Also around the timing is the "spark advance plate" which is located behind the plate where the points and condensers are mounted. There are three coils, 3 sets of pints and three condensers. You will find a small metal plate mounted on a pin with a little spring. As the engine turns faster, it uses centraphysical (turning energy) force the plate to move and then adjusts the timing. Lastly the fuel pump. It i s mounted on the side of the carburetor and consists of the diaphragm and a spring. There is a hole in the engine block that allows the back pressure of the piston to force air through the hole and onto the diaphragm which pumps the fuel to the carburetor. PS the whole brake system will have to be serviced after all these years. Its a unique and a wonderful car to drive. Good luck!
By the looks of those crank bolts, someone probably seized it at high speed. A soft seize can come apart alright though.. I've never touched a DKW, but I do daily drive a Trabant 601. So screaming 2 strokes appeal to me. I've seen enough seized, an chunked crank roller bearings. Even had bearings pop on me (made a awful racket that shook the whittle cotton body panels nearly off! Drove it home 2 miles, after a better crank all was well. Mein Trabi engine cases are disposable(uses a rotary seal system, that wears the case out). These water cooled 2 strokes mean you can get away with running any quality outboard oil. I gotta run air cooled only stuff(higher temps) or it can foul out .. No good when sitting in traffic, right before getting on the interstate. I run a 40:1 Personally I'd fix, and or rebuild what ever needed. Then drive it just how it looks. This would be my daily, then Herr 601 for the weekends. I'm sure you know, later on Wartburg, Barkus used this 3cly engine design.
Impressive amount of people with good knowledge of this rare marque. Take out the engine and do whatever's necessary. A new headliner and general fixing up, but perhaps save the patina. Great channel.
I remember in my youth my dad had a DKW. It was a Bleu one with white top. It was in the Netherlands. You could smell that everything was new. And the sound of the engine was like a Kawasaki motor. Very nice car. It was the years 66-68 - I think it was the auto union 1000S 4 doors.
I would travel to Munich when travel restrictions subside. The Mercedes/Porsche/Audi factory museum is a great resource. You are going to need a parts manual and some contacts in Europe but you can get the parts. What a great adventure this will be!
I had one for a while in the 1970s. It's a mixture of old and modern. At 1:19 note that it has split folding rear seats that fold flat. The engine layout of inline engine in front of the axle with gearbox behind was used by later Audi cars until they switched to transverse engine. 😎 The two stroke engine sounds fun but does smoke a lot. 😱
My brother in law had a running version of the DKW (1953 model) in Durban, S Africa until he sold it a couple of years ago. They did not run it too often but it was in fair condition and still roadworthy. I would like to see the car rebuilt completely as I have good memories of long drives in a friend's similar wagon in the Zambezi valley in the late 60's.
Around 1967 a friend in Germany had a DKW just like this except his had a sensomatic clutch less gear change, in fact the clutch was electrically operated by a switch on the gear lever. Amazing car.
My father's first car, he bought it in 1962, it was used, a dark blue, 1957 DKW station wagon. The front grill was different, it was a previous iteration of this model. He sold it in the late 60's after he bought a brand new 1967 1300 VW Beetle.
You need to SOAK the engine and TAKE YOU''RE TIME before you start to try to move the engine and try to soak them 2 bolts to...the time spend comes back to you in the end!.
Can't imagine where you found that? She's beautiful, and has tons of potential, just know parts to replace anything damaged is gonna be a chore. Hope you have a machine shop or a parts car in the backroom. Would love to see her rolling under her own power one day. Best wishes my friend.
This should be restored, others have said that this is now an extremely rare car and it should be preserved. I did see a sedan in Frankston, Australia last year, and was really surprised and had to take photos of it. Please restore it.
This rare bird is an absolute candidate for engine overhaul. Do not try to force anything on to it, before it's taken apart and thoroughly restored. The rest of the car looks solid (part from the battery housing) Looking forward to the complete restoration.
Yes, and don't overlook the fuel pump, it's likely no good. The original one on one of my "DEEKs" came apart and ruined a main bearing causing it to spin in the case and ruining it as well. Replaced the engine with a short block available from DKW at the time (1964, White Plains, N.Y. dealer). After repairs, an electric fuel pump was used, fitted inside the trunk.
regarding the 3=6 logo, it's a marketing thing. it's the way dkw found to always remember you that those 3 little cylinders had the same performance as the bulky 6 cylinders cars from back in the day ;) neat little thing, though I cannot confirm if it really is much better than a Ford or Chevy straight six from the 60s-70s
Rare, indeed. I owned two DKWs, both '58 model 3=6, 900cc engines. Biggest problem with the engines sitting so long is likely rusted and corroded main bearings, not to mention the cylinder bores and rings. I hope you have success in restoring this unusual little auto. I recall Chrysler Corp. was the importer back in the day.
I had never even heard of Auto Union, so it is obviously pretty rare. I would definitely not leave anything to chance or do anything half ass. Be very careful and do everything correctly so that you don't make things more difficult for yourself later, or risk damaging anything else on this car. I can't wait until you put out more videos on this car. I love learning about cars I have never seen before.
I owned a '59 DKW back in 1966. It was a great little car. I drove it up and down the west coast several times. So much better than a VW. I suspect parts are near impossible to obtain now. I think it's been 20 years or more since I last saw a DKW being driven down the road.
Being the wgn. model makes it so great! The 1st. Saabs from about '50-'55 had DKW engines though they were 2cyl. Good for you for having an interest in such a unique car. Perfect original patina. Just do mechanicals at least for now. Have fun!!! DVB from Me. US.
Hi Steve, great find. These State wagons were built in Brazil too, untill 1967 under Vemaguet name. Some parts are are still manufactured, like universal joint rubber boots. There are clubs to support restorers. Hope soon to see your jewel fully restored. Good Luck;
Great Find. You don't get to see these cars. I recommend that you go ahead and get the engine out to get her going. I think that broken bolt was the reason it was parked in the first place. Can't wait to see more.
My dad bought the last 3-cylinder 2-stroke DKW F102 ca. 1965. It was 1200cc, 60bhp and had inboard disc brakes at the front. The oil reservoir was white plastic so level could be seen easily. It was the same shape that the 4-stroke Audi became. Performance-wise it could lick the arse off most family cars up to about 2200cc except the Fiat 1500. 75 mph cruising was effortless. It didn't smoke too badly, and with modern synthetic 2-T oil, would be even less obviously a 2-stroke. It's easy to say when someone else is paying the bills, that you should do this or should do that, but, being sentimental, I'd love to have dad's old car back. Col (72) NZ.
I think to be on the safe side I’d say the best option would be to remove and strip the engine. It’ll certainly make it easier to remove those broken bolts and less likely to damage anything important and difficult to replace.
Those cars were also made in Brasil during the 60's. Google for Vemaguete, Belcar, Decavê. Some of them can still be seen on the streets, although they're becoming quite rare these days. It's also possible to find parts in specialized stores.
There is a specialist in Germany for the Jeeps. Its the same engine so most of the engine parts should fit,particularily the three roller bearing crank. Also to be seen in a vid being assembled on the web( Munga Interessen Gemeinschaft).
It's actually a great little car. They were made in both Argentina and Brazil as well as Germany. It isn't really good on fuel but if reasonably maintained quite reliable and fun to drive.
That's a real rarity. I remember way back in the mid 1960s when I was a boy, I lived in Vienna, Austria, and there were quite a few of the DKW sedans driving around. My dad was not very charitable when he saw one. He would say "Stink Auto" (say that with a German accent). I have never seen a wagon version. Much later, I saw under the hood of an East German Wartburg car which looks very similar to this engine room. The radiator is behind the motor. I would love to see that car restored.
