This is my 1954 Volksboat. The first three pics are my Dad, whose boat it was before he gave it to me, the fourth pic is me. It's been in our family since 1965, and since that time has been painted with Dupont Imron paint, been re fiberglassed in a few places, been flipped over in the water, been in an accident with an aluminum boat, and countless other things that just can't be remembered, or just don't want to be. Before our family owned it an Army colonel who worked at the Pentagon bought it for his sons (not sure if they were the original buyers/owners of the boat, I think there were) and the sons raced it, but the colonel felt it was too dangerous for his sons and sold it to my grandfather who had heard of it being for sale from being in the service, my grandfather being a navy officer. He, (my grandfather) said his sons could handle it, and they sure did, because she's still here after 50 years. (Yes, the darn thing is 50 years old). The boat is absolutely all fiberglass except for one small about 14" X 14" spot at the transom, and it's a blast to drive. We've never restored it in any way, really. I mean my dad Imroned it and fixed the glass in places where it was hit or broken somehow, but it's truly all original. As for the steering tubes, they were chromed steel, so they rusted away, and my Dad put the steering cables inside the boat, using the 6 pulley system, with the cables going through the fins to the back. -SaltyVolksBronco (Pete)