DAF WEST COAST
The organizer and big motivator behind all DAF owners in the US
BILL RADTKE from SANTA-ROSA CA
Bill started with DAF's in 1980, as many others in the US he was involved in electric cars and became intrigued with the variable speed transmission.. His idea was to produce a kit car with the variomatic. Noel, a friend from the Netherlands shipped a beautiful 1967 low mileages Daffodil to SF. The intention was to take the vehicle apart for the kit car project. At that time Bill, did not know about the Handy wagon project, and the Daf pony, both have a separate chassis, what also was his idea for a kit car. But after driving the Daffodil for a while, He got more and more intrigued with the Car and the transmission.
Bill was infected with the DAF virus.
Got more and more DAFs. A 1973 DAF 33, a 1972 DAF 33 pick up truck, a 1972 DAF 33 bestel, and a 1968 DAF 55 coupe. But it must be 4 years ago, Bill wanted a new challenge so one by one all the DAF's found a new home. The Daffodil moved to Pacific Grove CA, the Coupe to Monterey CA, the Bestel to Kaz Wysocki in Hackensack NJ, the pick up truck to Mike Rhea in Tahoe City, and the green 33 to Jeff Santford in Provo UT. But Bill never fully recovered from the DAF virus so in 2001 Bill asked me for a DAF 66 station wagon.
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THE MASTER |
The latest toy a 1975 DAF 66 |
Golden Gate 2002 |
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Matt 55 secondary repair |
Matt & Bill 1968 DAF 55 coupe |
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first DAF clinic 1988 |
1988 doing the pick up truck |
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MATT 1988 |
Lombard street SF 1988 |
Bill 1988 |
That was the chapter Bill Radtke and his Dafs in Santa Rosa. 1980 till 2003.
Shortly after his wife Lenore passed away, march 2003, Bill stopped with Dafs
Sold the Daf 66 station car, and his house in Santa-Rosa and moved to Cross Creek in Florida.
In this Heaven on Earth place he started again to write novels.
For more photo's see
Fotoalbum daf - DAFs in the USA/Bill Radtke was Santa-Rosa
09/08/05
