How the marketplace has changed since I first wrote my original article over a year ago(late-1997). With the increasing availability of good cars, radio equipment and practical information, the opportunity to accurately restore not just the radio car, but all types of ex-Bundeswehr VW 181`s has never been so accessible.

The purpose of this updated article is therefore to try and address the points raised by helpful readers over the past year and, to include those aspects not covered previously. (ie new sources of cars, spares and info as appropriate). As before, my aim is not to write a difnitive reference but rather to provide enough information to allow readers to accurately gauge feasibility of the project ( ie technical and cost). I hope it will also appeal to the increasing number of ex-military `181 owners by providing an accurate reference source.

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The VW 181 was originally intended as a multi purpose vehicle - which, with its limited off-road capability translated into a primarily non-tactical liaison role. Despite this, many (fully camouflaged ) examples saw service as rear echelon carriers in addition to the CBR / NBC recon, military police and `conventional` roles. In many instances, radio communication was required and, for this the Bundeswehr specified a compact radio fit utilising the field radio system of the day.

The equipment centred around either the SEM 25 (vehicle mounted) or SEM 35 (vehicle mounted / man portable) tranceivers . Both these German units operated in the 26 MHz - 69.9 MHz frequency range and pumped either 15 W or 1 W maximum output respectively. Occasionally, the American derived AN / VRC8 (vehicle mounted) tranceiver was substituted for the German units and, this operated between 21 MHz and 27.9 Mhz with a maximum output power of 16 W. All of these were mounted using special bases to a steel frame which was in turn bolted to the rear deck (immediately behind the rear seats). The power source depended upon whether or not the engine was running ; when the engine was switched off, power was obtained from 2 x 12v batteries whilst when running, a 24 v generator mounted to the engine provided the necessary power for radio operation and trickle charging of the batteries. Remote operation of the radio was facilitated by mounting an amplifier, handset and speaker in the front of the car although, changing frequency required a second person in order to keep driving. The output from the radio was directed through the rear bulkhead via an automatic antenna matching unit (AGAT) and into a 2.17m antenna. Overall, the set-up was reasonably compact although, the radio and battery box group by virtue of their size, prevented the full closing of the rear seats, hence, these were generally folded forward. The only variations of this equipment were :

1. the relay system used to ensure that the radios were not overloaded from battery and generator power ; for this, two different relay groups and associated junction boxes were developed during the service life of the vehicle and,
2. Different antenna bases were used for the German and American radios. The American type worked with both families of radios (but not vice-versa), had a brown ceramic insulator and had a removable rubber cap for use when the antenna was taken down. The German variety on the other hand comprises a green ceramic insulator and has slightly different earthing arrangements to the American unit.

Whilst the vehicle has been employed by a number of other forces, no evidence has been located to indicate that a specific radio fit was developed as with the Bundeswehr (although I would be pleased to hear to the contrary.)

Not suprisingly, the principal source of VW 181`s in Europe has always been ex-military. For many years however, the only examples reaching the civilian market were well used, with a sizeable restoration effort being required to bring them `up to the mark`. If the civilian owners were lucky , some of the early releases had previously been radio cars, although they could only speculate what had occupied all those mounting points and ducting holes ( the Bundeswehr - right up to the final major demobilisations of `181`s consistently removed virtually all radio related components). However, the situation is quite different today for two important reasons - firstly some really excellent ex- radio cars have come up for sale and secondly, the actual radio sets have been declassified and are available through civilian dealers.

I would point out that a considerable amount of cutting is required to convert a `stock` vehicle and, although this task is well illustrated in the Bundeswehr manual, I would suggest you think very carefully before cutting up your pride and joy unless you have sufficient resources / ability. This is why I would recommend restoring vehicles that have already been adapted.

As for sources of ex-radiocars, this of course depends on where you live. In mainland Europe, I would suggest Germany as a good starting point. Roland Schüler and Ulrich Eckstein come immediately to mind, but lets not forget Ken Crimmins who I believe still has interests in Hamburg. There are of course others, and a good deal can still be struck in the personnal ads - try the Classic car magazine `Oldtimer Markt`(Germany), which always advertises a few.

In UK, there are not any recognised dealers as such, but Ian Harrisson of the 181/182 register maintains a list of cars for sale (there are currently over 200 cars on the register - though not all for sale or of military origin I would add !). `Part-time dealers` spring-up from time to time. In the North of England - Harald Volkmann (Darlington) and Tony Lewis (Chesterfield) come to mind, and I also hear that someone has recently brought over (to the UK) some 2-tons of spares to sell. Look forward to seeing his prices....

In the US, I am unaware of anyone other than Ken Crimmins who imports military `181s (he also runs the excellent `Thing` mailing list ).

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My first task was to establish the original specification for the radio car. This turned out to be much easier than anticipated, since the Bundeswehr produced detailed workshop manuals for the conversion. Juergen Gossling of the German Kuebel Klub was most helpful here and provided me with a copy of one of the documents - TDv 5820 / 108-21 (Tdv 5820/108-13 is also good, but aimed more at trouble-shooting the completed system). It then required some serious study on my part to draw up a hit list. The rather daunting list of major components for the radio fit is detailed in table 1. However, apart from some travelling and a great deal of persistance, getting hold of 95% of the components turned out to be reasonably straight forward (as of 1996) due to the assistance of a few very helpful individuals.

In restoring the vehicle , I prefer to use the original markings whenever possible. In the case of the ex-military `181s - especially the later releases, the original markings are usually well visible and can be traced / photographed for re-application after a respray. In general, painted markings include tyre pressures (above wheel wells) and unit markings (rear RHS wing and front hood LHS ) a minimum. For sources on this sort of information, there now exists a useful website called `The Flecktarn` which details a wide range of unit data (markings etc). Mike Woodhouse in the US, was also putting together a site on military `181s and has clarified for me several matters relating to markings (whats happening Mike ?). For the last few years also, Hanno in the Netherlands has produced the excellent data set on both Military and civilian vehicles entitled `VW181 Facts and Figures` which is now on the web. For enthusiasts in the UK, try Ian Harrison of the 181/182 Register who often carries a lot of useful references.

On the subject of colour, I prefer a total respray (inside + out) since the paintwork will normally be very weathered and scratched. Two colour schemes were employed by the Bundeswehr. The first used Olive Green (L319) which was applied as a satin-matt finish at the factory although, most examples were apparently repainted before going into the field in a full matt version of the same colour. A second colour scheme was also used for field vehicles and comprised a three-colour disruptive pattern cammouflage, which was also applied to the hood (refer Ken Crimmins` site for a plan of the cammo pattern). The original Bundeswehr number plate - destroyed when the vehicle is released, was made of thin sheet metal (aluminium I think), onto which the numbers were stamped and highlighted in black paint. Reproduction of this should not prove too difficult, although a space allowance must be made for the Bundeswehr coat-of-arms. As to the original number for the vehicle, Roland Schüler is very helpful here and, can assist in determining your original registration from the chassis number.

Army information stickers fall into two categories - vehicle related and radio fit. These are in addition to many of the original VW stickers, and include :

Vehicle related : Eberspacher warning

Gear schema (not all vehicles)

First Aid kit

Licence (Road Tax)

Speed Limit advice (not on all vehicles)

Radio Related : Dashboard - 12 volt system warning (not all vehicles)

Windscreen - Warning sticker

Warning Stickers - Dashboard or Drivers door and Rear RHS box

Earth Stickers - LHS pillar, Rear cargo bay, Antenna bracket

I would add, that I have yet to see two military `181s with either the same sticker combination or indeed sticker mounting locations !

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Whilst most of the parts can be obtained in Germany, an increasing number - especially the radios are becoming available in the military radio scene on both sides of the Atlantic. As for my own restoration, the biggest problem was not the radios themselves but rather, the supporting hardware and cables - which were removed and / or destroyed by the military before releasing the cars to the civilian market.

For the radios, I currently know of three dealers (there are probably more) who specialise in the correct kit and supporting electronics (i.e. transcievers, handsets and speaker, antennas, miscellaneous electronic spares). In choosing your `set`, there are no general rules, except that with the SEM series (of the ones I`ve seen at least) if they look clean and well preserved on the outside, then they are generally functional. On account of the duplicate systems within them, then provided they function initially, for our lightweight use , they should continue to give reasonable use. Of course, if you can aquire a set of spare transmitter/receiver modules, bulbs etc, then the radios should last you as long as you need them. All cables are difficult to locate although, most of them can be found in the test cable set used in conjunction with the tuning equipments specific to the family of SEM 25 / 35 radios (provided you can locate one ). The alternative is to re-wire all the sockets with other more modern fittings - although, from a practicality point of view I would not recommend this.

In the end, I elected to go to Helmut Singer in Aachen (Germany). He is very reliable and provided radios which (when I received them) were only 9-years old. The audio amplifier , terminal box, generator and voltmeter were more difficult to obtain and I was lucky to get these at the time through Roland Schüler in Witten (Germany). Interestingly, the audio amp and voltmeter are now available from some surplus radio shops (see later section on sources)

With regard to the American designed radios, whilst Singer can provide these, he does not possess the all-important connector / adapter cables between the American radio fittings and the predominantly German radio fittings of the car. Of course, adapters are easily made provided you can understand the radio circuit diagram……

I also went to Roland for most of the hardware and stickers (and had a most enjoyable time looking over his extensive `181 workshop and stores - but thats another story). Even then, there were several smaller items I could not locate notably, mounting brackets for the tuner, metal cable ducting for the audio + power wires (passes alongside the tunnel), power cables to the batteries, correct cable mounting clips and, a warning sticker for the windscreen. I therefore had no choice but to fabricate these myself (access to / contact with small metal fabricators helps here). As for the windscreen warning sticker, Ken Crimmins kindly sent me a scanned image of the sticker, which I eventually copied using MS Word and printed onto yellow card, before heat sealing with a plastic cover. Batteries were not a problem. The original units were either 45 or 64 AH capacity, and are freely available on the German civilian market. I can obtain the correctly sized 45 AH and 38 AH units in the UK but eventually plummed for the cheaper 38AH units - which have proven more than adequate for my applications. Paint also poses no difficulty, the two options being to aquire Bundeswehr surplus or to have it made-up at your local paint store. Unless you have access to cheap shipping, then I would suggest you consider getting the paint made-up at your local paint dealers which for me, has so far matched very closely those exposed parts of original paintwork. I prefer synthetic paint on account of its flexible nature and relatively non-toxic side effects (Always check with manufacturers specs though regarding breathing protection).

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The army tech manuals really came into their own here as they are so well illustrated with photographs and line drawings. For wiring up, the circuit diagrams are essential and if followed carefully allow you to achieve a first-time success. There is little point in my duplicating the contents of the manuals, however there are a few points worth mentioning

Wiring the generator : after several faulse starts, I eventually rigged the generator to run correctly. This is probably the only aspect of the wiring diagram which is unclear and, special note should be taken of photograph #51 on page A60 of the manual for a better understanding. I was lucky not to blow anything, and would suggest taking some time to get it right before generating any power.

Power Relay : the wiring loom attached to this (carrying 24 v , 38 A) sits perilously close to the fuel line and fuel pump. Great care should therefore be taken to ensure that such cables are securely fastened to appropriate fixing points.

Speaker : During initial operation, I experienced problems because I did not realise that the LS 166 speaker has a vehicle and backpack operating modes. Set accordingly – it does make a difference !

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Certainly, a saving can be achieved by fabricating some of the hardware components eg brackets, mounting frame etc, although, a welding and bending/forming facility would be required. As noted earlier, the cables can be manufactred using alternative components ( try Radio Spares, Radio Shack etc), although, changing the multi-pin sockets on the radios could prove difficult - even if you are dab-hand with the soldering iron. If you can manage to get original cables, don’t cut and try to splice them together (as I originally did) but rather, produce a junction box with suitable sockets mounted either end.

For ideas, see the component photographs / diagrams elsewhere in this article. I hope also in the near future to produce approximate drawings to assist fabrication - although I must admit, there a few other items to take care of first....

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Its all very well cruising around showing off your 60 lbs of radio gear however, would it not be nicer to actually talk to someone with it ? Both the SEM 25 and SEM 35 operate between 26 and 70 MHz, by contrast, the American AN / VRC 8 operates on the lower bandwidth of 20 - 27.9 MHz. Both will allow you to communicate with each other on CB frequencies and can add a whole new dimension to your VW activities. To give you some perspective, when stationary, my higher powered SEM 25 will transmit at least 25 km over undulating terrain– probably more (This is the farthest I`ve tested it to so far). This reduces somewhat when on the move due to interference from the engine (despite being suppressed) – and probably my limited radio experience. In the receiving mode however, I have picked up stations as far away as 110 km ( I know this because they called in their positions to one another !). Whilst CB`s are probably more efficient, I think the army radios are much more fun – and of course original. Servicing is another matter however, and it could be useful / economical to get to know radio enthusiasts in your area for back-up. Also, dont forget to stock up on spares when you purchase the radio – your friendly Sony dealer is unlikely to carry the right spares at any time. Only Singer carries most of these as far as I am presently aware, although as other sources emerge, I will try to report them here.

As to regular usage, the SEM family of radios are TOUGH, and essential systems are duplicated. For us `hobbyists`, this translates to many years use, although as with any electronic equipment, common-sense should be applied. On the matter of radio basics and procedures, the two most helpful books I have come across are the US Army publication ` FM 24-18 : Tactical Single-Channel Radio Communications Techniques` and the `Amateur Radio Operating Manual` by the Radio Society of Great Britain (I`m sure there are others - but found these genuinely helpful).

Also, there are an increasing number of amateur military radio enthusiasts getting into the SEM 25 / 35 radio family, and bit by bit, I hope to be able to report more / add links on the practicalities of using and maintaining your little green box (the radio that is, not the kübel !).

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Getting Started.

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I hope this article has given you some insight into the task of restoration. If you still think this is for you, then I would recommend you first get a copy of one or both of the radio fit manuals to evaluate the amount of work involved ( the originals also make nice collectors pieces). If you then want to take it further, I would be glad to advise if I can. Should you come across any other info sources / required corrections on my text, then please Email me and I will gladly incorporate (with an acknowledgment) into the article.

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Roland Schüler (Germany) : VW181 / VW183 Zaunkonigweg 40, D-58455, Witten, Germany. Fax : 0049 2302 8854

Ulrich Eckstein (Germany) : VW181 [ to be added ]

Ken Crimmins (US) : VW181 [ to be added ]

Ian Harrison (UK) : VW181 / VW182 Tel : 0044-181-504-9834

Tony Lewis (UK) : VW181 / Munga Tel : 0044-1246-454200

Harald Volkmann (UK) : VW181 Tel : 0044-1325-284979

Roland Schüler : Zaunkonigweg 40, D-58455, Witten, Germany

Helmut Singer Elektronik (Germany) : http://www.helmut-singer.de/

Army Radio Sales (UK) : http://www.armyradio.co.uk/

Military Radio Swap Shop (UK ?) : http://www.milradio.com/

Murphys Surplus Electronics (USA) : http://www.maxpages.com/murphyjunk/

RS Components Ltd : PO Box 99, Corby, Northants NN17 9RS, UK

Tel : 0044-1536-201234

There are to my knowledge no publications in the english language on the subject, and it is essential that anyone about to embark on this project get a copy of the relevant Bundewehr manuals. These contain plenty of pictures / sketches and wiring diagrams which are largely self-explanatory. Roland Schüler can provide original copies of the radio fit manuals and, Helmut Singer will usually give a copy of the model specific manuals with each radio sold. The Military Radio Swap Shop also sells several relevant manuals (copies ?). I have also included references for radio technique which are very useful for helping to understand basic radio concepts and practical operating techniques.

TDv 5820 / 108 - 21 " Einbausatz Funk Fur PKW 0.4 t" - Teil 21 : Einbauanweisung

TDv 5820 / 108 - 13 " Einbausatz Funk Fur PKW 0.4 t" - Teil 1 : Beschreibung

Teil 2 : Bedienung und Pfelge

Teil 3 : Truppenstandsetzung

TDv 5820 / 046 - 40 " Fahrzeugfunksprechigerat 26 - 70 MHz SEM 25" ( Vehicle Mounted Radio)

TDv 5820 / 061- 13 " Fahrzeugfunksprechigerat 26 - 70 MHz SEM 35" (Vehicle Mounted / Man Portable Radio)

US Army (1987) " FM 24-18 : Tactical Single-Channel Radio Communications Techniques"

Radio Society of Great Britain (1995) "Amateur Radio Operating Manual - 4th Ed."

Military Radio Swap Shop (UK ?) : http://www.milradio.com/ - Various BUND manuals

Marks Green Radio Page : http://members.home.net/mblair1/ - Good technical introduction, soon to expand

Roland Schüler : Zaunkonigweg 40, D-58455, Witten, Germany - All aspects general military

Fax : 0049 2302 88543

Flecktarn http://www.fortunecity/tatooine/t1000/190/index.html/ - Excellent Source of BUND info

Hanno Spolsestra http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoelstra/vw181/ - VW 181 Facts and Figures Page