1958 Heinkel Kabine Microcar - Fully Restored Concours Winner

1958 Other Makes Heinkel Kabine Cruiser Description

This is a remarkable example of a Heinkel Kabine microcar. It took the best of two Heinkels to achieve this level of originality and detail. Restoration was completed in 2012 at which time the car won the prestigious Keeneland Concours microcar class.

The restoration took place over a period of about ten years in my spare time. Since the completion of the restoration the car has only traveled 4-5 miles around my subdivision to perform post restoration “shakedown” and give it some occasional exercise. This car should really be in a museum or shown more so people can enjoy this very original and rare piece of automotive and aviation history. I am also listing the cousin and stablemate to this car…a 1960 Heinkel 103 A-1 scooter. You can easily get to this listing by selecting “View Sellers Other Items”.

I will do my best to identify all of the work that was accomplished during the restoration process.

Body

The car was disassembled down to the bare body shell. The shell was stripped to bare metal and finished in epoxy primer. There was very little rust repair needed. Even the spare tire well did not require repair! There were small patches required at the rear of the floor and the door bottom was repaired using a handmade repair panel from England. The paint work is basecoat clearcoat in Audi Amulet Red. This color very closely approximates the original red that remained on the car when purchased. The inside, underside and exterior surfaces share the same high quality paintwork. The windshield, quarter windows, and vent windows were originally glass and in very good condition. These were reinstalled using new rubber seals and locking strips. The plexiglass windows that are used for the side windows and the rear dome were replaced with new parts obtained from Germany. These were also installed using new seals and locking strips. The sunroof was purchased in Germany and arrived pre-stitched and ready to install. Once the body shell was complete a new wiring harness was installed. The front bumper was replated and the rear bumper was replaced.

Interior

The rear shelf pad and seat were covered in the proper vinyl and tartan plaid cloth. The insulated firewall covering was custom made to utilize the original fastening snaps. Side panels were constructed from the proper interior panel backing and covered with gray vinyl. The front door panel insert and map pocket were replicated from the original patterns. The floor in finished in a reproduction rubber mat supplied by the Heinkel Club in Germany.

Engine

The engine was fully disassembled, cleaned and bead blasted. The crankshaft was sent to Germany to replace the crankshaft bearings. The head was also sent to Germany for machining and the valve seats were replaced with hardened seats. An oversize piston was used in a rebored cylinder to provide factory clearances. The carburetor was rebuilt to factory specifications by the Bing Agency. Engine tins were detailed in a gray industrial paint as close as possible to the original color used by Heinkel. Dynastart brushes were replaced as well as points, plugs, air filter, etc. A new battery and fuel petcock completed the power portion of the restoration.

Suspension and Driveline

The suspension was removed to prepare the body shell for restoration. At this point the front suspension was disassembled and detailed. The silentblock bushings were replaced as well as brake master cylinder and wheel cylinders. New brake hoses and steel lines were also replaced. New cables including emergency brake, clutch, accelerator and shifter were also installed. The drive chain was replaced in conjunction with the installation of the cast aluminum swingarm assembly.

Other

Tires and tubes were replaced using Trelleborg tires in the correct 4.40 – 10 size. Wheels were powder coated and new lug nuts were installed. A charging pigtail was added to keep the battery trickle charged without removing the rear shelf and battery cover.

As one can see, this was a very extensive restoration that has resulted in a very nice, functional, and original example of a rare microcar. If you have any questions or if you would like some pictures of a specific area of the car please feel free to message me through eBay.

I have posted some YouTube videos of this car in action. See links below.

http://youtu.be/ESZaWGJHhHg

http://youtu.be/yM8McLwbC0E