Classic Daf cars

2cv

I'm looking for owners of classic Daf cars (600, 750, 33, 44, 46, 55, 66, ...).
I found a bit of information on the Department of the Environment website.. It appears that in 2005 there were only 2 in the country.

Anyone know of one of those cars?

let me know :-)

Cheers

Dave

BrianD3

I don't own a DAF or know of any, but i did check out that report you mentioned. It seems reasonable enough that there are only 2 DAF cars taxed in the country. But apparently there is only ONE Morris car taxed in the country. Surely that can't be right.

Anyhow, back on topic...

Max_Damage

BrianD3 wrote:

I don't own a DAF or know of any, but i did check out that report you mentioned. It seems reasonable enough that there are only 2 DAF cars taxed in the country. But apparently there is only ONE Morris car taxed in the country. Surely that can't be right.

Anyhow, back on topic...

Where are these reports?

BrianD3

Near the bottom of this page
http://www.environ.ie/DOEI/DOEIPub.nsf/wvNavView/RegularPublications?OpenDocument&Lang=en

dahamsta

I didn't even know DAF made passenger cars!

/me toddles off to google images

Max_Damage

Thanks for that link.

There is now only 6 Yugo's in Ireland! I haven't seen one of them since the late 90's.

Indeed DAF made cars, don't know much about them though.



They sort of look like Trabants.

dahamsta

Sold to Volvo in '75 apparently; the 343 was originally designed by DAF! The factory is now owned by Mitsibishi!

Going to read the rest of that history site now.

BrianD3

I don't know much about DAFs myself either, the thing they are most famous for is their CVT (aka rubber band) transmissions. This is a continuously variable automatic with no actual ratios. Rumour has it that the car drives exactly the same in reverse as it does going forwards!

Anyway I'd say it's at least 15 years since I saw a DAF car (apart from the Volvo 340 which some may count as a DAF) on an Irish road. I do remember seeing a few of them about so there must have been a reasonable number sold here but it is not suprising that there are only 2 left these days

greglo23

thats true about the reversing speed. they used to reverse race them in Holland back in the day and they used to restrict the steering so they would'nt spin out. limited slip diff was standard on them as well. they were a mad car to drive as the the engine was at high revs most of the time so they made a fair racket. they had the 1396 Renault engine fitted in the 66 model and the same in the Volvo 340. even though they had a cvt box they also had a centrifugal clutch which was about 5 times the price of a normal clutch at the time :eek:

i saw one of the 66's at the West Cork Rally many years ago driven by Sandy Lawson which ran a group 1 engine and it was bloody quick

PanhardPL

Are there any of these 66YA's in Ireland

Daf66YA

2cv

This would be the military version of the Daf 66 :-)

The DAF cars can be divided into 2 groups: the earlier ones (with air cooled engines) and the later ones (with water cooled engines). Also, some of them were 2-belt driven (ie the Daf 44) and some of them were single belt driven (ie the 46). The reason for this is that the 2-belt ones can squeek a bit when cold and when DAF was taken over by Volvo, they thought it didn't sound very "professional" so they changed it to single belt drive. The advantage of the 2-belt system is that if one of the belts snaps, you can still drive, making the car a 1 wheel drive :-) Of course, on the single belt system this is not possible.

BMWE21

A neighbour of mine in Santry used to drive them years ago. They had 2 or 3 Daf 66s, followed by a Volvo 66. They were good old cars. I know the family still has their red 66 coupe squirrelled away somewhere. That was a nice looking car. Not in running order as far as I know.

2cv

Oh, that sounds interesting. I'd love a 66 Coupé. Could you maybe ask them what condition it's in and if they might be interested in selling?

G Luxel

The earliest Dafs were built in I958 and were originally called the Daffodil.
In fact it is similiar to the red car pictured in this thread.

2cv

G Luxel wrote:

The earliest Dafs were built in I958 and were originally called the Daffodil.
In fact it is similiar to the red car pictured in this thread.

I'm sorry but this information is not quite correct!! :-)

The very first Daf was the Daf 600 and was presented to the public in 1958, but the first ones were delivered in March 1959.

The Daffodil is actually the Daf 30, which was launched in September 1961, together with the Daf 750.

PaulK_CCI

Wow, there's a blast from the past. Being of Dutch origin, I know the Daf cars very well indeed. Lots of uncles, aunts, teachers and other people would have owned them, and I grew up with lots of these contraptions on the road.

I can still hear that typical sound of the (renault) engine, and the endless revving of the variomatic gearbox. And Yes, you could drive them in reverse just as fast as forward... : there was a TV program on the telly when I was younger, where they would race against each other, about 30 Daf's reversing down the Zandvoort Formula 1 circuit all at once. An absolute ball to watch them gunning through the bends, catapulting themselves off the road or into the sand traps. Hilarious and memorable TV.

According to the police, it was always crystal clear the programma was on, because there was a sudden surge of thefts of these cars, either for joy riding or for use on the track!!! Also, the program did not help conserving these cars, as most of them have been wrecked and suprisingly few have survived...

Panda Moanium

There's actually a very good DAF museum in Eindhoven which has examples of nearly all their cars over the years. I had a quick run through last year but would like to go back and spend more time sometime.

My aunt had the Volvo version of the variable transmission DAF (was it the 66?) I remember she used to be terrified about reversing it in case it would take off at high speed on her (And no, it never did.....)

2cv

PaulK_CCI wrote:

Wow, there's a blast from the past. Being of Dutch origin, I know the Daf cars very well indeed.

Nou da's handig, ik kom ook uit de regio Eindhoven :-)

Now back to english... :-):-):-) I'd love to find either an aircooled Daf or a 55 coupe (or why not both, they go for f*ck all in holland anyway). The fact that it's LHD doesn't bother me too much because it's not like you're going to be overtaking much in one of them. They have about the same performance as a 2CV, and my 2CV is LHD as well so....

unkel

The reverse races were good crack at the time, but no doubt many DAFs were written off:

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-1217583695448859056&q=achteruitrij

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-4955826931261609012&q=achteruitrij

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-5639216533634867446&q=achteruitrij

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-9171370098278578391&q=achteruitrij

2cv wrote:

Nou da's handig, ik kom ook uit de regio Eindhoven :-)

Me too

2cv

:-) I remember them as well... They were great fun!!!

What type of BMW do you drive?

unkel

2cv wrote:

What type of BMW do you drive?

'96 E38 735i

2cv

Nice one... I've two BMWs as well, but i'm selling the 525i to make room for something else :-) I'm keeping my E30 though!!! :-)

macplaxton

I've got a DAF 66 SL. Bit of a rusty shed, but I'll be bringing over with me from the UK when I move to Dublin later in the year, so make that 3. Might bring my Reliant too, but when making queries as to the tax position of a Reliant Regal, they didn't know what it was, so I assume there aren't any registered of that type.

There's a not bad 55 estate on ebay at the moment in the UK. They are fairly rare here. Your best bet is to join the DAF Owners Club in the UK if you want a RHD drive car. If you want spares, you'd best join the Daf Club Nederland and trade in yo-yos. (although for larger items the carriage would be astronomical, so you'd best collect those).

I'd just keep you're eyes peeled on a UK one, they come up from time to time and all cars manufactured after 1st January 1973 are taxed as regular cars and not historic, so you can get those cheaper.

HTH,
Rich

2cv

I think i'd go for a LHD one.. doesn't really matter to me anyway :-) My 2cv is LHD as well.

As for the tax, rules in the republic are different to the ones in the UK. In the UK, there's a fixed date for tax free status, the 1st of January 1973. Over here we still have the rolling date system, so anything up to 1977 automatically becomes tax free (well not really tax free i have to admit, you still pay €42 a year, regardless of engine size). Also, once the car is 30 years old, it no longer requires a test in this country.

macplaxton

My point was that they are cheaper. I used to own an Austin 1800 which was made in June 1973, so was liable for annual tax of £175. I had trouble shifting it as it was not tax exempt here. If it was an identical car made before the cut off it would have sold much easier or for more money. As you have a rolling 30 year concession, it has created a gap of currently 3-4 years and those cars would make a good import buy, even at current exchange rates.

Getting a car from mainland Europe would be dearer, not just in transportation, but in similar condition, I reckon a DAF might fetch more money as slightly more highly regarded than they are in the UK.

Ireland's 30 year old vintage concessions on tax and NCT are precisely the reason I'm throwing money at my 1973 DAF, because if I was staying here in the UK the car would have been scrapped and a pre-'73 one found.

The only bonus I have at present in the UK is insurance. Even as a first car, unlimited mileage, fully comp, £50 excess, European breakdown cover, and a second classic on the policy, I only pay £98! To insure the DAF only as a main car in Ireland, I'm looking at around €500.

Btw, have you ever driven a DAF?

Regards,
Rich
(1st car - Citroen Dyane 6)

2cv

When are you bringing your Daf over here?

macplaxton

I've not got a precise date yet for moving or a visit, but have this idea around the end of March / beginning of April at least bring the car over to get the paperwork done and plated.

You're more than welcome to try it out. I'll let you know when I have an exact date.

Rich

2cv

Cool! You moving to Dublin?

Rudy Jakma

Hi Dave,
I don't know if the thread is still active but I own a DAF 66 which still is in regular use. A bit tatty but presentable enough. I live in Leixlip, Co. Kildare.
Rudy Jakma

Rudy Jakma

I bought a DAF 66 last year. Brought in, I think, for parts but then the vendor (who was restoring a 55 Marathon) decided it was too good to break.
DAF tried to tap into a niche market when they introduced their first car in 1959.
The firm had started making trailers, then branched out into commercial vehicles. They made a lot of specialized trucks for the Dutch armed forces; some still survive but with an astronomical thirst for petrol not many enthusiasts can afford to keep them.
By 1959 the Dutch economy - like the German - had started to recover from WW2. Many people who had money again and could afford to buy a car did not have a driving licence. Bubble cars were popular as they could be driven with a motorcycle licence. DAF introduced the 600, a light car but it was nevertheless a full-sized car AND fully automatic due to it's innovative "Variomatic" gear.
Belt driven, very simple but effective. The Dutch government introduced a law that allowed novice drivers to do their test in one, provided they could prove that they owned a new DAF.
Soon the 600 was replaced with the 750 and joined by the luxury model, the Daffodil. My father bought one new in 1964 and drove to Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Austria on holidays.
The model range soon was re-named 31, 33 and the 850cc 44 was added.
Later came the 55 with 4 cylinder Renault-sourced engine.
The last models before the take-over by Volvo were the 46 and the 66. This was a slightly modernised 55 but with enhanced road holding.
There also was a Marathon version to emphasize the sporting ability but it never managed to shed the image of being a car for the elderly.
DAF was too small to make it in the world of motoring. They attempted to introduce the cars in the USA through the Volvo dealer network. soon after, Volvo took over the DAF car division. The last DAF designed cars were the re-badged Volvo 66 and the 340, developed by DAF but never marketed under their brand name.
My DAF is one of the last and has a 1.3 litre engine. The Variomatic allows for a surprisingly brisk sprint off the traffic lights and for the first 100 metres or so can severely embarrass owners of newer, more powerful cars. Great fun but once hitting about 40 mph it is over, of course. The newer cars will become bigger again in the rearview mirror to close in for the roadkill !
See you guys ! (In my rearview mirror off the traffic lights !)

Thinkingaboutit

BrianD3 wrote: »

I don't own a DAF or know of any, but i did check out that report you mentioned. It seems reasonable enough that there are only 2 DAF cars taxed in the country. But apparently there is only ONE Morris car taxed in the country. Surely that can't be right.

Anyhow, back on topic...

That's an odd one. Maybe the Morris Oxfords might be mis-identified somehow in records, but Morris Minors are still somewhat ten a penny. Not sure I ever saw a Daf car myself.

macplaxton

Rudy Jakma wrote: »

I bought a DAF 66 last year. Brought in, I think, for parts but then the vendor (who was restoring a 55 Marathon) decided it was too good to break.

I know the one. A yellow 66 1300 on Meath plates now? (Know the last three or four owners of both).

Rudy Jakma

Hi Maxplacton,
Thanks for that. Yes, I bought that car. A bit of nostalgia because my late father had Daf's. First a "Daffodil", then a 31. His last one before he died was a 55. After his death, my sister-in-law drove it for some more years.
Any history of my current Daf that is available would be welcome.
It is not a bad car. One side has some dents and dinges, not deep and not too noticeable.
It was barely running when I bought it, but now it is "flying". A slow process of improving it, perhaps a "running restoration". Actually I only bought it as a temporary classic, to be passed on to another classic car enthusiast but it is fun to drive. Especially when sitting at the traffic lights beside a nominally faster car - and see it appear in the mirror when the lights go green. The colour is not original, it should be a bit less bright but it suits the car so I think I will keep it that way. Maybe I will keep it for longer but I am a Morris Minor fan and hope eventually to get another Moggie again.
If you can pass the message to previous owners that I would like to get in touch I'd appreciate. My e-mail address is rudy@jakma.org . All I know is that it was a UK import.
Regards

salysol

Heres a pic of a Volvo 66 i owned and sold a few years ago ,it went to the north same as the Daf

macplaxton

Yep, I know that Volvo too!

salysol

macplaxton wrote: »

Yep, I know that Volvo too!

I remember you saying that when i had it up for sale

Rudy Jakma

Macplaxton, you seem to know a lot about these Daf and Daf-derived Volvo cars.
Do you also happen to know if there is a Daffodil or 31 for sale ?
I would like to have one like my dad used to have. So many happy memories. And even with that puny 750cc engine it had no problems going up steep and prolonged inclines.
On holidays in Switzerland. Two adults, two teen-age sons and luggage and often we passed bigger cars like Opel Rekord's, even Mercedes 180 or 190 with the bonnet open and steam coming out of the radiator. Those were the (Daf) days my friend !
I also remember cars leaving after a sailing regatta: The cars of participants had been parked in a field. It had been raining and the ground had become mud, especially at the exit gate. A tractor was positioned to pull them out. Then a Citroen 2CV came and nearly made it. Next a Daf 750. WITH trailer and dinghy and that was just about the only car, except for a jeep, that made it all the way. That Variomatic was brilliant. And of course, the light weight of the car helped. It did not dig itself in the way the heavier vehicles did.

macplaxton

Rudy Jakma wrote: »

Do you also happen to know if there is a Daffodil or 31 for sale ?

Not at the minute. The nearest I've seen recently was a 32 changing hands over the water.

Rudy Jakma

Saw that one too, at least I think we are talking about the same car. It looked nice but I did not have the money and anyway I could not find time to go across to view it.