NOS-partradamus

Mirror mirror on the notch, who's the fairest VW of them all. Well Notch of course! I got this great NOS accessory Blendschutz für Rückblickspiegel - Type3 rearview mirror shade from Wolfgang of WolfParts fame. http://www.wolfparts.com/ Thanks Woffe!

Progress On Variant Project

I've been using about half of the time I spend in the garage on the Variant project and other half on my new hobby single/fixed speed bikes. So Variant has slow but quite steady progress, unfortunately most of it has been dismantling. But I have welded some spots to keep also project moving forward and my spirit high. Right hand side heater channel was in very bad condition, so I made replacement piece of the inner sheet, bolted it to the pan and welded it to thin piece what was usable of the original steel. While scraping the under seal (which I deeply hate) off from the right front wheel housing, I needed to remake a patch under the front bumper mount, as the bumper mount was welded in so badly that almost dropped off only by tweaking it with a screwdriver. So I suspected the patch was not done very well either, but it wasn't actually that bad, but still it had some unpainted excess material left inside the spare wheel dwell, so it had already started rusting between the two sheets of steel. The drivers door had also multiple patches welded on top of each other so I decided to cut out 8 cm from the bottom.

TL Out-> Variant In ->

I traded my '67 TL to '66 Variant. It's a project but I've wanted a Squareback for a long time. So when one popped up for sale about 90km from where I live I had take a look and ended up owning it. The seller was a friend of mine, and he wanted a driver instead, so we traded our typ3's.

Variant is a project but major welding has done, so it's basically ready for paint & assembly. Plan is to build a 2165cc engine for it, paint it original Pearl White L87 and get it on the road for next Summer! 

I started from the front end with some cleaning. 

TL RPM

What do you get when you add 22 year old VDO tach, 50 year old Type3 gas gauge, angle grinder (ofcourse) and duct tape? It's tach for the TL and a bunch of left over parts! I bought used accessory tach for 48 euros and butchered a red needle '62 gas gauge (with hesitation, but it was broken anyway). Now I'm able too see if the TL is running on idle or not at the trafic lights, as that's how quietly stock Type3s roll baby.

TL service & stuff

Today I checked TL rear brakes as they were squeeking, but nothing was found, liners were Ok etc. So just a clean up and assembly. I sorted out the oil leak on the left valve cover, which turned out to be a over "relaxed" valve cover clip I suppose. I also threw in KYB Kayaba Gas-A-Just shocks at rear, so TL is ready for 900km summer vacation trip! Just needed to trim the lower bushing a bit.

I bought these 6V orange turn signal bulbs from Paruzzi/Oberschlacter.fi for my Ragtop for 1,35euros /pair , as I couldn't find any locally

Some Stuff

I got NOS 12V Type3 choke element and new chrome ring VDO temp gauge. I need the choke element for TL's stock carb as the other one has a dead choke.

TL Maintenence

Left carb had some fuel leakage, and it caused some fuel smell to the garage, and naturally was a minor fire hazard too, so I changed original Solex PDShits to NOS Dell'orto 40 DRLA's with new Type3 CB Hexbar linkage. Aren't those NOS carbs clean, HUH? Paavo the carb guru was helping me with jetting and he polished the throats just for fun. I also threw in 123 ignition and four tip spark plugs. And new front disks with new FAG bearings, only to find out that it was the rear brakes that were squeeking...

TL engine top end rebuild

My past months spare time has been consumed at the garage over hauling the TL's leaking engine. Dropping was pretty straight forward 50 min job by myself, didn't even forgot to detach anything. Well the air bellow fucked up anyhow at dropping, even it was detached...

I got the heads planed by a CNC-macine at my work for a cup of coffee and a doughnut.

I bought new valves from local auto parts shop for 4,5€/exhaust valve and 6,9€ per inlet. Valve guides I needed to order, 3€ each but I didn't have the time or the patience the change them myself, so I dropped them of to do it professionally with valve seat grinding, which cost 120€. So refurbishment of old heads cost about 200€, about half the price new ones would have cost. But atleast they are german made, and fine tuned in Finland ;o)

Setting the end play. At 0,07mm the engine was almost completely jammed, at 0,09-0,10mm it turned fine.

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A little bit of spay paint make up.

Two issues are totally bitchy about Type3 engine, first is the generator belt assy, second is putting the air bellow back between the engine and the body.