Paris-Dakar Vehicle Modifications

Although the Paris-Dakar Iltises remained largely stock – 1979 Bundeswehr specification Iltis straight from the Ingolstadt production line – several modifications were made to improve performance, enhance safety, and accommodate additional auxiliary equipment. These changes were intended to prepare the vehicles for the demanding conditions of the rally while retaining the Iltis's proven design and mechanical simplicity.

The most significant engine modification was made to Iltis No. 138, which received a complete engine transplant. Its original 1.7-litre engine was replaced with a naturally aspirated 2.1-litre (2,144 cc) inline-five derived from Audi's production 5E engine. Equipped with Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection, the engine was reportedly tuned to produce an estimated 150–160 hp. Accommodating the longer engine required extending the engine compartment, moving the radiator forward by approximately 20 cm and lengthening the hood.

The other three Iltises (No. 136, No. 137, and No. 139) retained their factory 1.7-litre gasoline engines, modified to produce an estimated 110 hp. These engines reportedly featured a larger carburetor (reportedly a Zenith 32 NDIX) and a more aggressive camshaft and/or modified cylinder head to increase power.

All four Iltises retained their standard transmission gearing and rear differential. However, for Iltis No. 138, which produced more than 150 hp, the engineers decided to lock the transmission in four-wheel drive, believing that the increased power would make the vehicle difficult to control when driven on a single axle. Jean Ragnotti, who had extensive experience in rear-wheel-drive rally cars, later expressed regret over this decision, as it limited his ability to use the throttle to help rotate the car through corners.

A second, backup fuel pump was installed and could be manually activated by the driver.

All four Iltises were fitted with a hood scoop, essentially a forward-facing metal box mounted over the louvers at the rear of the hood. The scoop on Iltis No. 137 was lost or removed very early in the rally, while the other three vehicles retained theirs for the duration of the race. The original green paint on No. 137's hood still reveals the outline of the scoop's mounting position. Very few photographs show the scoop in place, and all of them were taken before the rally began.

The exhaust pipe was shortened to exit on the passenger side, just ahead of the rear wheel. A full-length exhaust system was unnecessary, while the shorter pipe reduced the risk of snagging on obstacles during the rally.

Several safety and reinforcement modifications were carried out by German/French roll cage specialist Matter Motorsports, including the front bumper, roll bar extension, and racing harnesses. These modifications helped prepare the vehicles and their crews for the punishing terrain and demanding conditions of the rally.

The most noticeable exterior modification was the replacement of the factory front bumper on all four vehicles with a purpose-built brush guard. Constructed from aluminum tubing and metal mesh and finished in black, the guard protected the radiator and headlights from damage. Its design also improved the approach angle and helped reduce the risk of the vehicle overturning when landing nose-first after a jump.

The factory aluminum roll bar was extended forward to the A-pillars, creating a structure that effectively served as a roll cage. A tube extended from the top of each B-pillar, bending downward toward the footwell, where it was bolted to the body and frame. The tops of the two A-pillars were then joined by a third section running across the top of the windshield.

In addition to the factory steel engine protection plates, three aluminum skid plates were fitted, spanning the length of the frame rails to protect the transaxle, propeller shaft, and rear differential. Additional aluminum plates were added behind the rear differential to protect from impacts and damage on rough terrain.

The factory seatbelts were replaced with three-point racing harnesses for both the driver and co-driver. The harnesses were bright red and featured the “Matter” branding, suggesting they may have been manufactured by another supplier and rebranded by Matter Motorsports, which was responsible for several of the Iltises' safety modifications.

An emergency electrical cutoff switch was mounted on the driver's-side cowl, just ahead of the windshield. Its location was marked by a standard blue triangle decal featuring a lightning bolt.

Two hood pins were installed at the front of the hood to help keep it securely fastened during the rally.

Wide mud flaps were fitted to both the front and rear wheels.

Additional rally lights were fitted to improve visibility during night driving and in poor weather conditions. The two French vehicle teams (No. 136 and No. 138) used lights from French manufacturer S.E.V. Marchal. The two German vehicle teams (No. 137 and No. 139) used lights from German manufacturer BOSCH.

The following are the rally light configurations on each vehicle:

• Iltis No. 136:
  • two S.E.V. Marchal, 180 mm (7 inch), round lights (with white covers) on each side of the cowel, and
  • two S.E.V. Marchal, 180 mm (7 inch), round lights (with white covers) on each side and below the brush gaurd.
• Iltis No. 137:
  • two BOSCH, 180 mm (7 inch), round lights (with black covers) on each side of the cowel.
• Iltis No. 138:
  • two S.E.V. Marchal, 180 mm (7 inch), round lights (with white covers) on each side of the cowel, and
  • two S.E.V. Marchal, 180 mm (7 inch), round lights (with white covers) on each side and below the brush gaurd.
• Iltis No. 139:
  • two retangular lights with black grills on each side of the cowel, and
  • two BOSCH, 180 mm (7 inch), round lights (with black covers) on each side of the cowel, inside the rectangle lights.

Likely present on some or all four Iltises, the following modifications are confirmed to have been made to Iltis No. 137:

Steering Wheel — A three-spoke, leather wrapped, black Italvolanti Formel Indianapolis steering wheel was fitted.

Instrument Gauges — The three factory gauges were removed, leaving the original speedometer in place. A new instrument panel was installed to accommodate four additional gauges, with a separate pod housing the tachometer mounted on top.

To the left of the steering wheel:

Footwell Additions — An aluminum plate “dead pedal” was added for the driver's left foot, and a vertical aluminum plate was added to the right of the gas pedal to aid the driver in foot placement.

Storage Compartment — To the left of the driver's seat, and to the right of the co-driver's seat, an open-top metal box was installed and used as a general purpose storage compartment.

Ash Tray — Curiously, an ash tray was installed directly onto the plastic windshield defrost duct.

trip master rally computers, and radios

Communications Radio — Directly in front of the co-driver was mounted a communications radio.

The seat fabric appears to be from a late 1970s Audi. The foundation of the seat may be Audi as well, but is unknown.

Converted from 24 volt to 12 volt???

Reports suggest that the Iltises' suspension was reinforced with modified, stiffer shock absorbers, although this has yet to be confirmed.

90-liter reserve fuel tank???