1964 Volkswagen Notchback

VW 1600 E Typ 3 mit 1835ccm Motor Erster Start First Start Auspuff Sound

2011-12-28T22:28:00.001-06:00

Nice

Post Play

2011-12-21T16:42:00.001-06:00

Since the notch has been at my place for a couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to evaluate the really bad areas on the car. One of the previous owners reinforced the passenger hinge area with a plate that actually is a really strong repair but it looks like arse!

I was going to convert the bottom hinge area to the 2 bolt hinge since that's whats on the late model heater channel/rockers that I have. (Which I've since found out have a lot of flakey rust in them.)

I found a 3 bolt hinge section on the Samba that I'm going to graft in and this will allow me to keep the 3 bolt hinges on the notch.

The Notch Made It Home

2011-12-06T12:37:00.001-06:00

I finally have the notch safe at sound at my place. With winter bearing down I won't be able to accomplish much, but come spring I hope to go all out on killing the rust. I have a lot of work ahead of me!

Another T-4 into T-3

2011-10-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

Random Stuff and T-3 Manifolds

2011-09-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

I'd hoped to be further along in my project this year, but roadblocks keep popping up. My wife overheated the engine in the Jeep a week or so ago, and it will require a rebuild.

The only good news is I picked up a set of Type 3 manifolds for $30.00!

KAWASAKI ZX 750 CARBURETOR INTAKE BOOTS

2011-07-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

I picked up a set of ZX750 intake boot in hopes that I could use them to mount the ITB's to a IDF manifold. The mounting flanges are just a tad short, however I can drill and tap the manifold to make it work.

Mocking Up The ITB's

2011-07-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

I'm keeping my eye out for a pair of shorty Weber Type 3 manifolds at a reasonable price. I know that I can purchase them for $100.00 but I don't think that's good value for my money.

I ordered up some fuel rail stock and and wanted to see if my eyeball calibration was correct. I figured that the CB Performance IDF spacing would be correct and took a chance. Since I didn't have Type 3 manifolds I mocked it up on a set of T-1 manifolds. I think that I got it spot on. The injector spacing also works with the stock T-4 manifolds.

I had to space the throttle bodies apart to fit the Weber IDF spacing and I used a stack of washers to help maintain the spacing. I covered the bottom washer stack with a bit of hose to hide the fact that I used washers and not a proper spacer.

The only thing I need to do now is to figure out how to secure the ITB's to the manifold and make a spacer to actuate the other throttle shaft.

I had to use a fatter o-ring on the top of the Keihin injectors so they would seat in the fuel rail. I can also use a Bosch injector by using using the stock washer in the ITB. Works perfectly!

Almost Ready To Start

2011-07-06T20:50:00.000-05:00

I still have to make more room in my garage but I've started moving parts for the notch over to my place. I picked up the pan and heater channels today, needless to say I'm getting excited.

914 Sport Wheels

2011-07-05T22:05:00.001-05:00

I picked up a set of Porsche 914 sport wheels that have seen better days. I think they've spent some time at the bottom of a lake. They are pretty rusted and pitted in some areas but I figure they will clean up good enough to use until I upgrade to the Porsche Cayenne wheels.

The first step will be to convert to disk up front and T-3 four lugs out back. I don't want to deal with spending the money sourcing front wheel cylinders only to remove them later on. I figure it would be cheaper converting to 4 lug since I have all of the bits.

I removed all the rust from the wheels by electrolysis and shot a coat of Duplicolor primer followed with a coat of Duplicolor flat black. Once the flat black dried I hit the rims with a couple of coats of Duplicolor clear. The wheels look 100% better than before but they are 20 footers to say the least.

Making Room

2011-07-03T11:04:00.001-05:00

I'm still clearing out parts from my garage to make room for the notch. I have so much stuff it's crazy! Since my focus is currently on Type 3's I'm selling off some of my Type I stash. I'd hoped to have the notch at my place by now but I have way too stuff taking up the needed space.

Today I traded a 1974 Karmann Ghia pan, and trans for some Type 3 bits. I got this IRS rear sub frame as part of the trade.

You can see my Manx clone tub in the picture too. This is another project that will be taking a back seat to the notch.

I have someone interested in my Oval so I may get rid of it to finance the notch. Plus that would mean that both bays in the garage would be empty.

Old School Amps

2011-06-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

I have a pair of ADS Power Plate 6.25 amps that I'm going to use in the Notch; but I haven't figured out what I'm going to do for a head unit yet.

I have a mini ITX computer laying around and I thought about using it, or maybe modding a vintage Blaupunkt head unit. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I've got pans and heater channels to replace and I hope to get started on that by the end of the month.

Hurst Shifter

2011-06-12T12:50:00.003-05:00

Picked up a couple of Hurst shifters for rebuild.

I also picked up some Chinese shifters for parts.

I'll rebuild both Hurst shifters and most likely will powder coat them one of them black for my Notch.

I'll powder mine like this one.

I currently run a Hurst copper trigger shifter in my 68 Bug and I love them.

More Body Parts

2011-06-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

New Fenders and Hood for the Notch.

Better Doors

2011-06-12T12:11:00.001-05:00

I picked up a better set of doors for the Notch; they need minimal work to be perfect.

Gill Scott Heron RIP Brotha!

2011-05-28T22:10:00.002-05:00

Garage Tunes

2011-05-28T11:13:00.001-05:00

I found this pic while surfing today. I'll be making one of these for the garage.

Fender Repair Parts

2011-05-06T13:58:00.001-05:00

I’ve got a line on a set of early fenders for my notch but if they happen to fall through my back up plan will be to patch my current ones with donor metal. The only area that leaves me a bit concerned would be around the headlight buckets. One of the fenders is full of body butter that’s bubbling up and I might be able to take the area down to bare metal and bump out the dents to make it look presentable. If my fears play out I may need to replace the whole bucket area.

Since this is my first T-3 I’ve found out that aftermarket replacement sheet metal is almost nonexistent; you have to plan on replacing with good used parts. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of T-3’s in the area and shipping something from out west can get expensive rather quickly. My unlimited supply of money has dried up so I have to spend what I have wisely. So that means that I have to repair what I can or find good used suitable replacements that fit within my budget.

I did happen to run across these upper and lower “mud guards” as the fabricator calls them from Retro Rods Custom Sheetmetal in Australia. You can follow the link to Retro Rods http://www.retrorods.net.au/ if you’re interested in sourcing these panels for your project.

Go Big or Go Home

2011-05-02T15:47:00.001-05:00

My current plans call for a 1679cc turbocharged and fuel injected engine, and while I have both a T-3 and Garrett T-25 turbocharger in my possession my thoughts are that both may be a hair too large. I’ve consulted with several engine builders and the consensus is that up to 1776cc engine a T-3 turbo with a 0.36 a/r turbine housing would be a better fit for the engine I wish to build. As luck would have it none of the shops that I contacted had a 0.36 housing in stock.

I’ve kept my eyes open for a T-3 0.36 a/r turbine housing for several months now and they seem to be as rare as hens teeth. I guess that most people live by the old adage of go big or go home! While killing time surfing the ads on the Samba last month I ran across a 0.36 housing listed for sale but it was cut for a T4 O-trim turbine wheel, and while the price was reasonable @ $50.00 I believe that it would have been all wrong for my application, you can see the ad here in case you’re interested. I figured that I’d just rebuild my T-3 and run it as is and if I got lucky and found a smaller turbine housing I would just swap it out at a later date.

While looking at crap on eBay last week I noticed a seller that had several auctions going for turbine housings. On a whim I emailed the seller to enquire if they stocked any 0.36 a/r turbine housings and didn’t expect the results to be in my favor. Well as luck would have it the seller replied back that they had a few in stock, so I placed my order for one thinking I better strike while the iron was hot. Well this is what showed up in the post today…needless to say I’m happy!

What's Behind Door Number Two?

2011-05-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

I picked up a set of late doors in hopes that I can graft the good metal into my early doors. I know it sounds like a lot of work but early doors in my area are hard to come by, and shipping a set from the West Coast would be expensive. If a set does pop up locally I'll jump on them.

Getting Ready

2011-04-27T09:38:00.000-05:00

The April showers have really put a damper on getting things done, and before I know it summer will be here and I’ll be complaining about it being too fricken’ hot! I’ve spent a couple of hours here and there bagging, labeling and boxing up items in order to make room in the garage for the arrival of my notch; but what I really need to do it to block out an entire weekend and devote that time to getting everything cleaned up and put in its place. In reality I need to stop buying parts and start focusing on getting the notch home and meeting my goal of at least repairing the heather channels and floor pans this summer.

I also have a few items that I need to photograph and place for sale over on the Samba to help fund this project. Speaking of which my notch has a pair of French reflectors mounted on the rear fenders, and they seem to be hard to come by. One of them is smashed up a bit however the other is in decent condition. I’ve searched for a replacement but I’ve grown tired of looking and I think that I’ll sell the good French reflector but throw the smashed one in as a well as I’m sure someone might salvage something from it. I’ll just replace the French reflectors with the more common T-3 sort, or even some trailer reflectors that are the same size from eBay.

Hummer Stone Guards

2011-04-22T09:56:00.000-05:00

I've always liked the look of headlight stone guards on most race inspired vehicles. The 7" Hella versions seems to be way over priced for what they are, and while the versions that are advertised on many of the Morris Mini sites are much cheaper they never seem to be in stock.

While killing time on eBay I ran across these black 7" stone guards that were take off's from a Hummer. I think these will work out great once I figure out how to mount them without it brackets looking all hokey.

JOKON REVERSE LIGHTS

2011-04-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

I scored a decent set of JOKON reverse lights off of the Samba for a reasonable price. One of the lenses has a crack near the mounting screw for the base but iit would be nearly invisible when on the car.

I think that I’ll try to source a set of LED replacement bulbs to run in them.

Traveling

2011-04-11T19:02:00.001-05:00

I'm traveling on business in Georgia so I stopped in and had lunch Nu-Way Weiners. I ordered the Chili-Cheese Slaw Dog "All the Way". It was good but nothing beats a Chicago Style Hot Dog.

Bored...So I Did Something

2011-04-04T21:41:00.001-05:00

I'm still waiting for the weather to get better so I can work outside. To pass the time I did a quick polish on the rear ash trays to see if they could look any better.

Before

After

The pitting is still there but they look 100% better. I'm guessing a little more time with the polish and I can get more of the rust out of the pits.

Spring Plate Conversion Kit

2011-03-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

Since I'm going to covert to IRS and run bags I picked up this spring plate conversion kit.

%$@*! It's Cold Outside! Can't Do Anything!

2011-02-11T18:41:00.000-06:00

It's too flipping cold to do anything outside so I've been daydreaming...a lot! I've been thinking since my car will never be a 100% correct restoration I might as well upgrade to IRS. I've got a couple of IRS transmissions and a set of weld in IRS mounts from a Baja project that I shelved a few years back.

I'd also picked up some T-3 trailing arms complete with brakes from a buddy of mine late last year and was going to install the brakes on my 68 Beetle for more stopping power. I think that they will find a home on my Notch. I just wish that I would have made a jig for the trailing arms from the rear sub frame my buddy had!

Chicago Blizzard 2011

2011-02-02T10:05:00.000-06:00

Saab Turbo IAC

2011-01-18T16:38:00.000-06:00

Picked up a Saab turbo 2 wire idle air control valve.

Same Car?

2011-01-16T08:51:00.000-06:00

I think this may be the same vehicle. Notchback with I.R.S. and Air Ride. Narrowed 3" total in the back and 6" narrowed Type 1 link pin in the front. Maybe the wheels are only similarities.

Narrowed T-3 Beam

2011-01-14T19:43:00.001-06:00

5" narrowed T-3 beam as found here.

Inspiration

2011-01-12T17:49:00.000-06:00

I found these over on the Samba tagged as Mexican Volks out of TJ Mexico.

Tuck'n the fronts rather nicely.

Those look like 17's out back.

TPS Adapter

2010-12-23T09:05:00.000-06:00

My TPS adapter came from The Dub Shop, and works perfectly with the TPS sensor that I snagged from my old Kia Sportage that bit the dust. When I upgrade to the ITB's I'll use the GSXR one provided.

Turbocharged 1679cc Go Box

2010-12-22T11:02:00.000-06:00

Okay here’s the plan! I’m going with the T-3 1679cc fuel injected coil on plug engine and will install the turbo upgrade later down the road. I’m going to use the stock T-3 fuel injection bits with the MIC 3 ECU.

I was able to pick up the throttle body, runners, and fuel rails for a song, so I’ll use those to get everything sorted out and upgrade to ITB’s when I’m ready.

The turbo T-4 swap will be later down the road for now. This looks tasty no?

Turbocharged and intercooled T-4 into T-3.

More Snow

2010-12-21T14:17:00.000-06:00

I'm so done with snow!

Notch Racer

2010-12-20T09:24:00.000-06:00

No Comment.

N.O.N.A. DECAL

2010-12-19T08:40:00.001-06:00

This N.O.N.A. decal came with the car, I think the club is now defunct. I haven't decided if I'm going to use it or not. I'll just keep it in a safe place until the time comes.

FUN BAGS?

2010-12-13T14:07:00.000-06:00

I've toyed around with the idea of installing air ride on my notch, and thought about running air shocks on the front. While screwing around on the internet I ran across these bags on eBay for $0.99 and placed a bid on them to see if I could snag them. Well I got lucky...again!

Front Apron

2010-12-10T06:40:00.000-06:00

I picked a front apron up this week for the notch. It has a little filler in the bottom and some surface rust happening but it's in much better condition than the one currently on the car. I"ll cut the bumper mounts out to patch my rusted out sections too.

Free Stuff

2010-12-08T10:53:00.000-06:00

I picked up these pans for free. They're in much better condition than the pans I originally was going to use.

Work Stoppage Situation

2010-12-08T06:40:00.000-06:00

The weather will slow me down until spring time.

Parts Is Parts

2010-11-29T20:10:00.000-06:00

New Dash Pad

New Hood

Roof Section to Plug Sunroof hole, and Heater Channel Replacement section.

Replacement pan that needs some work.

Window Chrome

Window Seals

New master cylinder, brake shoes

Coil On Plug

2010-11-25T08:07:00.000-06:00

I picked up these Denso coil on plugs to try out. The coils are Honda CBR F4I 's and I scored them on eBay with the harness included for $25.00. I’ll use them in a wasted spark configuration and fire them with a Bosch 0 227 100 211 ignition module.

Throttle Bodies

2010-11-21T07:36:00.006-06:00

After giving the throttle body situation some more thought I figured that a set of 44mm throats would flow more CFM than I need and that I’d most likely experience low end drivability problems, unless I built a large 2 liter T-4 or T-3 engine.

I found a couple of threads over on Shoptalk Forums about using motorcycle throttle bodies instead of purpose built Weber IDF patterned throttle bodies. The last time I checked a set of 48mm throttle bodies from CB Performance were roughly $530.00 for the pair, and 48mm would definitely be too large in my opinion, even though CB Performance claims they will work on a 1776cc and up.

The idea of using motorcycle throttle bodies appealed to me since there was the possibility of getting them on the cheap, and the fact that I could find them in a smaller diameter than 44mm.

I searched Google for “individual throttle bodies” or ITB’s and found that this is a rather popular conversion at the moment. A set of ITB’s and a Megasquirt ECU can get you on the path to EFI rather quickly and at a modest cost. Another Google search pointed me to the Bike ITB Directory thread on VW Vortex that I found very useful, and as far as I could tell the GSXR ITB’s seemed to be the ones that are the most plentiful.

I figured that 40 to 42mm ITB’s would be perfect for whatever engine I chose to build so off to eBay to see if I could snag a set on the cheap. I watched auctions for several weeks trying to find a set of ITB’s at a reasonable cost, (I meant really cheap) and after about three weeks of searching an auction popped up for a set of 38mm GSXR ITB’s. I figured that since I’m not building a high RPM screamer that 38mm ITB’s might actually be perfect for my application.

As a general rule smaller ITB’s will create a more drivable engine (better throttle control and low end torque.) I’d gladly trade off some top end for better low end drivability, plus I’m willing to bet that the 38mm ITB’s would outflow a set of 40 IDF’s any day of the week.

I performed another Google search and found out that theoretically 38mm ITB’s should support 184 hp, and on some forums 200+ hp was being estimated. All indications were that these HP figures were obtained with a 9000 max rpm. I’ll take the 200+ rating with a grain of salt, and I highly doubt that I’ll build a motor that even approaches 184hp. I’m thinking 140 to 150 hp max if I’m lucky and that’s including a turbo! I won’t be running insane boost pressures just for bragging rights.

I found a throttle body size calculator at Revtronix.com and played around with different engine sizes and max rpms. My unscientific results seem to back up my theory that for a street engine that will only see a maximum of 6000 rpm that 38mm ITB’s won’t give up a lot of horsepower up top and would work great on an engine up to 2 liters. So I took my chances on winning the auction for the 38mm ITB’s, and my patience finally paid off and I scored a set of 2002 GSXR 600 throttle bodies for $38.00. Whoo Hoo!

GSXR ITB's with one stock injector and a 300cc Bosch injector.

T-4 into T-3

2010-11-20T08:55:00.001-06:00

If I decide to go with the T-4 into T-3 conversion I have the stock T-4 throttle body, plenum, and the runners which would make converting over to after market fuel injection a breeze. It’s been utilized in several T-4 to T-3 conversions that I’ve seen, and while it doesn’t look cool, it will get the job done.

I do have a set of well trashed Weber 44 IDF’s that I planned on converting to throttle bodies. I figured that these would be perfect if I built a big T-4.

Love Injection...Wait that sounds rude!

2010-11-18T09:49:00.001-06:00

I definitely know that whatever engine combination I finally choose will be fuel injected. The ECU I'm going to use is the Perfect Power MIC3. I’ve had the MIC3 for awhile, and it is in perfect working condition. Perfect Power has replaced the MIC 3 with a new and improved model, but since my unit works fine I see no reason to upgrade.

The MIC3 came with everything needed to set it up and get a car running; however the TPS sensor that came with the kit was a simple ALPS type potentiometer that you could get from Radio Shack. I would imagine that the included TPS would be a major pain to incorporate however the instructions show you how to excite an OEM type TPS so that’s what I’ll use when the time comes to perform the installation.

The original literature obtained from Perfect Power stated that the MIC3 is a self-supporting engine management system for DIY and professionals alike. Its application is universal to all petrol engines, where more power or better fuel utilization is required. The unit is ideal for modified engines which require precise control over fuel and ignition.

The MIC3 provides fuel injection and ignition mapping on 4, 6, 8 cylinder cars for normal aspirated, turbo charged or supercharged engines. The tuning can be done in near real-time while the car is in motion via a laptop PC. The engines operating map is graphically displayed to allow fast and easy tuning. The injector open time is computed for every firing pickup according to the throttle position, RPM, and absolute manifold pressure. It is compensated for engine temperature, air temperature and acceleration variables. The ignition output is computed from the firing position, the rpm and the absolute manifold pressure, compensated for engine temperature. The MIC3 holds two completely independent tuning maps, which can be selected from an optional dashboard switch, while driving. An optional dashboard input allows the manual retarding of the complete ignition map. The unit drives 2 independent banks of injectors. The default current limit per bank is 4 amps. The MIC has 4 ignition outputs, which can be used in many configurations.

INSPIRATION

2010-11-14T16:18:00.002-06:00

I think I could live with this sort of ride height.

Bump Stick

2010-11-14T10:19:00.003-06:00

I have several different camshafts in my stash of parts. I have an NOS Engle 110 from the late 80’s, a Scat C45 of the same vintage, and a Web-Cam 122/125 that I picked up for a 1915cc engine I had in the planning stages. While researching different engine/cam combinations I found that a 1679cc with Scat C45 cam, along with 1.25 ratio rockers and 9.5:1 CR will typically pull just shy of 120 hp @6 grand which isn’t too shabby.

If I were to turbo the motor all of the cams in my stash would be wrong for the combination with the possible exception of the Engle 110. I think something along the lines of an Engle 100, Bugpack 4061-10, or a Web-Cam 86 would be the ticket. I’ve had one report that the Web-Cam 119 would be the hands down favorite in either motor.

I really want a nice driver/stoplight to stoplight racer and the stock cam with 1.4 rockers on the intake and 1.25 ratio rockers on the exhaust sounds like a winning combination too that will pull to 5-5500 without any problems.

Autocraft 1.4 rockers intake and 1.25 rockers exhaust.

INSPIRATION

2010-11-13T00:37:00.000-06:00

Gotta Keep the motivation up!

1679cc or 1776cc...Naturally Aspirated or Turbo

2010-11-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

I think my first engine for the Notch will be either a 1679cc with the new slip in 88’s or a 1776cc T-3 motor. I have a nice counter weighted crank in my stash of parts, and I also have a good set of 40x35 heads opened up for 90.5/92mm cylinders. Also in the mix are a set of gently used 90.5mm pistons and cylinders that I can hone and install new rings on and call it a day.

The slip in 88’s that I’m referring to are not the old thin walled ones from back in the day. The new slip in 88mm pistons and cylinders appeal to me because they are the thickest cylinders available and they are over 5.25mm thick at the top. These cylinders fit in the stock 85.5mm case bore and share the same dimensions at the head as a standard 90.5/92mm cylinder.

If I were to turbo the engine at a later date I believe the added thickness of the cylinder walls would be a huge plus in a heavier T-3. The slugs and jugs are reasonably priced at $139.00 USD, and I wouldn’t have to open up a case to 90.5mm.

T-IV into T-3

2010-11-11T20:42:00.002-06:00

I have enough parts in my possession to build several different engine combinations and I’ve been leaning heavily towards doing a T-4 install, but I wouldn’t mind a small displacement low boost turbo motor either. Aquarians are known to be big dreamers so I might end up doing both! In all seriousness I’ll build the motor my wallet says that I can afford first!

I’d love to do a T-4 engine swap into the Notch, my buddy has a 2056cc installed in his Notch, and it’s a real nice combo. I have a CU code 2000cc T-4 short block in my possession and a few other parts to throw an engine together. The “show stopper” keeping me from pulling the trigger on the T-4 swap would be that the heads and the exhaust I want are freaking expensive! Those two pieces alone would equal the cost of my proposed T-3 motor build!

The T-4 engine that I have was originally destined to be installed in my Oval as I have another open breather case that I was going to swap the CU engine internals to so that I could perform the upright conversion. Early on I figured that I’d try to save some coin and purchase a set of used heads and have them rebuilt instead of saving the money for the full tilt set that I wanted.

After a few misfires on securing suitable heads, I was able to source a set of 1.7 Q heads that I’ll have to send out to be rebuilt. The casting number on the heads is 021.101.371Q and supposedly these are the most durable T-4 heads and shouldn’t be prone to cracking or dropped seats like the 1.8, and 2.0 variety.

I’ll have them opened up to the 2 liter register and 42x36 valves installed. I guess getting the heads rebuilt, and opened up will set me back around $750.00 USD. The other thing that may be a problem is that while the heads checked out visually they may be pure crap. If that’s the case it would have been cheaper to start out with new castings and have them worked over.

As far as the exhaust goes I can’t afford to drop over a grand down on something stainless, (cough CSP.) I can’t drop a grand down on a Tangerine Racing system either. So I contacted Vintage Speed Performance to enquire if they made a T-4 into T-3 exhaust or if their Extreme Lowered VW BUS Stainless Steel Super FLow Muffler would work behind the rear apron. Vintage Speed Performance replied back that they didn’t manufacture a T-4 into T-3 exhaust and that they would make one for me and recommended that I use their Type 4 baywindow BUS unit as a base system.

Vintage Speed would make the muffler so that it would exit on the correct side, and would include 2 tail pipes in the kit. I would need to weld the tail pipe on for the stock location, and this special order exhaust would take 8 weeks to build. While this option works out to be cheaper than the original exhaust I wanted I’m still worried about the fit behind the rear apron. I don’t want the exhaust to hang down too low and be visible from the rear of the car; I would like for it to tuck up like a stock exhaust. If my math is correct the rebuilt heads and the cheaper exhaust would total around $1400.00 USD. While this amount is significantly cheaper than the full tilt stuff I wanted the T-3 engine would still be cheaper to build.

Packing Six

2010-11-09T18:24:00.000-06:00

The engine in the notch right now is a 6v, and I definitely want to convert it to 12v. Converting to 12v means that I need to find cooling tins, a fan housing, and a few other bits to make it happen.

I checked the Samba, and the prices on these items could run several hundred dollars, since I would have to source these items from several different sources, and shipping cost will add up quickly.

It was cheaper to pick up this core motor to rebuild than to source the need bits from separate sources.

Inspiration

2010-11-09T18:09:00.000-06:00

I Love this Square!

Hasta La Vista Baby!

2010-10-24T13:24:00.002-05:00

I had too much crap in the garage and needed to make room for the notch. Yesterday I got the 63 and some sheet metal ready for it's new owner.

Three 3's

2010-10-12T19:04:00.001-05:00

I was over at my buddies house the other day helping him move some things around and snapped a few pics of my car and his two T-3's.

Goodies From The Stash

2010-10-01T06:19:00.002-05:00

Chicago Motor Club License Plate Topper

Marquardt Volkswagen Dealership Frame

I originally planned on using these two items on my 1956 Beetle but i think that they"ll look better on the Notch. I'd love to find another Marquardt Dealership frame,

Slimy Troll Under The Bridge

2010-09-29T10:13:00.000-05:00

On business trips I usually try to get out to enjoy the local surroundings. This past March I was in Seattle and someone that knew I was into VW’s suggested that I check out the Freemont Bridge Troll. I plugged the address into the Hertz Never lost, and promptly became lost! I had to pull over and ask a few people to point me in the right direction. Eventually I located the Troll, and took a few snaps. Enjoy.

My Friends Notch

2010-09-26T08:18:00.002-05:00

This is when he first picked it up.

My friends Notch with 2 Liter Fuchs; those Fuchs are now on my 68 Beetle.

Here's a pic I took of his Notch last summer after fitting 17's.

This is my friends Notchback. True story, he told me that he wouldn't be my friend anymore if I didn't buy my Notch.

Inspiration

2010-09-26T07:49:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to stay geeked up on my project since I have a few issues keeping me from getting started on the Notch. I hope to get cracking on her before the end of the year, and in an effort to keep my spirits up here's a motovational picture.

Uh OH

2010-09-24T09:20:00.001-05:00

I found this picture of the powder coated Porsche Cayenne wheels on germanlook.net, and I really like the look! I highly doubt that I’ll powder coat my wheels black…but it’s an option.

Cool Video Of A Squareback Episode 2 Segment 4

2010-09-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

Episode 2 Segment 4

Another Local Squareback

2010-09-22T13:42:00.001-05:00

Here's another local Square.

Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2010-09-21T07:01:00.000-05:00

I had to opportunity to attend the 2009 Volksworld show, and it was wicked awsome as my kids would say. I saw this Notch outside and thought that it was cool. At the time I didn't know I would be the owner of a ruby red Notch.

Axe Clean Your Balls

2010-09-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry for posting this on my VW blog but this commercial is hilarious! I can't believe they aired it on television. I believe the FCC banned it because I've only seen the edited version lately were they don't talk about balls.

Can You Hold Please?

2010-09-18T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm putting my Oval project on hold to focus on the Notch. My buddy keeps telling me to sell it, but it's too hard to say goodbye.

Random Bus Pic

2010-09-17T06:44:00.000-05:00

I love these wheels!

More Bits In The Mail

2010-09-16T16:59:00.004-05:00

The new door locks arrived today, I think they'll polish up nicely.

Random T-3 Photo

2010-09-15T16:20:00.001-05:00

Here's a random shot of a squareback from my local area.

Mail Call

2010-09-13T15:52:00.001-05:00

Here's my spring plate drop extensions.

Drop It Like It's Hot

2010-09-12T09:56:00.002-05:00

Every Volkswagen I've owned has been lowered. My motto is "If it's not lowered, it's not for me!" The problem with that is the roads in my area are so bad that having a slammed vehicle isn't really practical.

I've been toying around with the idea of doing some sort of air management with air shocks in the front and rear. That way I can drop it when parked, and raise it to a sensible ride height to drive. There's a big Monroe Air Shocks thread over on the Samba that has ton's of information.

In addition to running air shocks front and rear, I thought that in the rear I would use spring plate drop extensions to help facilitate mounting a Shockwave or something similar.

Watch this space for more details if I go this route.

Life Gets In The Way Part II

2010-09-11T11:49:00.003-05:00

I had big plans to have a lot of work accomplished on the notch by now but things just haven't worked out that way.

I don't want to loose my motivation to finish this project so I've tried to keep my enthusiasm up by following other builds/projects I've found. Here are a couple of recent pics I found of notch's on 17's, and a couple of links to a few blogs I've been following. Luftsick & International Musselschrupping

A Towing We Will Go...

2010-04-24T11:06:00.006-05:00

When I went to pick the Notch up back in November 2009 I rented a U-Haul trailer and truck to get it over to my buddy’s house and that turned out to be a rather expensive endeavor. To get the Notch to my house I will need to come up with a cheaper solution, so I started looking for tow bar options. Obviously there isn’t a Type 3 specific tow bar available so something will have to be fabricated. So off to the VW Porn site The Samba to find out what others have done.

I’ve found out that there are several ways that you can go about doing this; the easiest of which would be to weld brackets that locate where the bumper mounted and hook a standard Beetle tow bar to that. The problem with doing it this way is that my bumper bracket locations are not solid and I’d most likely rip the front end off the car!

The other option would be to fabricate a mount that bolts to the beam and then the Beetle tow bar would hook up to that.

I think this will be the design that I go with.

Another alternative

Now all I have to do is fabricate the tow bar mount, finish making room in the garage, and get the Notch to the house so I can start work!

A Second Look

2010-04-24T10:41:00.001-05:00

I searched through the Samba Gallery again looking for Porsche Cayenne wheels; and it appears that this Square is running the 17x7.5's up front without any issues. The Square sits a little high for my tastes but it's kind of growing on me.

Eventually I found a thread referencing this vehicle and the owner stated that he could go lower but the car rode the best at the current height.

Not narrowing the wheels would save me a boat load of cash. Don't get me wrong I like the look of the narrowed wheel up front but I can put that cash to use elsewhere and maybe narrow the wheels at a later date.

Interior Motives

2010-04-18T20:04:00.008-05:00

I think I have the interior fabrics picked out, I want to go with TMI Brick Red and Mesh Red. ISP West offers those colors in their full seat cover kit. The upper door panel will be Brick Red and the Bottom Mesh Red. I think this will look pretty nice.
For carpet I've decided to go with German Sqaure Weave or Loop in Salt and Pepper. I found a pic on the Samba of a Notch with the Brick Red and Mesh Red seat covers. The door panels are Brick Red.

Paint

2010-04-13T15:27:00.005-05:00

I spent some time looking at different paint chips and I’ve come away with something that I like at a reasonable cost. I figure that I’ll need at least two coats of black primer to hide the original red paint, and a coat of silver base on top of the black before I lay down the final color. Now I need to decide how to treat the interior.

BLADOW!

2010-04-12T21:36:00.003-05:00

Un-fricken real, $39.00! The only way this could have turned out better was for me to get the rims for free! It's going to run me around $200.00 per wheel to get them narrowed to 17x6" so getting the wheels cheap was a major cost savings! I wonder if I can score another one and get it narrowed to 17x4.5 for a spare?

This Is It

2010-04-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

So it is settled; the Porsche Cayenne wheels and the color above and I'm a happy camper. Now I've got to find a set of these on the cheap!

Bingo!

2010-04-12T17:45:00.000-05:00

I found this one on germanlook.net. I think this one sits just right. The front rims on this one are narrowed to 17x6.25, I think I will go 17x6 just to be safe. Now all I have to do is find a set of rims on the cheap, since narrowing two will cost some coin!

Getting Closer

2010-04-12T17:43:00.001-05:00

I think that this might be a little too high as well.

Hmmm

2010-04-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

I like, but the rear seems to be sitting too high for me.

I Think I Found Something I Like...

2010-04-12T17:39:00.000-05:00

While searching to find a wheel that I like I ran across the Porsche Cayenne wheels. They have a large ET and should work well with the T-3 arches. The plus is I really like them! Now I need to find examples of these wheels mounted up on a Notch.

Searching To Find The One

2010-04-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

I scoured several sites looking for deals on wheels and I didn't find anything that I really liked. Out of all of the wheels I looked at the mesh type stood out the most. Maybe I liked this style of wheel since it's the sort on the Volvo that I like?

Big Shoes

2010-04-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

There are several threads on the VW Porn site the Samba about mounting 17's on a Type 3. Getting the correct offest wheel seems to be the key, however the Porsche wheels seem to have a large enough offset to work. The problem is I really don't care for the Cup or Twist wheels on the examples I found.

What's My Vision?

2010-04-12T06:19:00.001-05:00

Everyone should have a vision of their finished project, a road map or blueprint to work from so to speak. Without a guide it's easy to get lost or sidetracked, worse case would be to lose interest in the project and never complete it.

Unfortunately I can't decide which direction to take this project. I like the stock look, Cal Look, Resto Custom, Rusto Custom, German Look, and what ever else that catches my eye. In a perfect world I would build several cars that embody the styles that I like, too bad we don't live in a perfect world!

I've been toying around with the idea of taking different elements from the styles that I like and combining them into my vision. This could turn out to be something really nice, or a mutant freak that should be put out of it's misery! I also thought that maybe I could perform the restoration in stages, with Rusto Custom being the first stage as pictured in the Selecta, then moving on to the other styles as I progress.

2010-04-12T06:10:00.000-05:00

I even thought about going two tone with the black roof after I fill the hole for the aftermarket sunroof.

2010-04-12T06:09:00.000-05:00

I really like the color of this Porsche and I think that this will be the color that I'll end up using on the Notch.

2010-04-12T06:08:00.000-05:00

Surfing the internet I ran across a photo of a Volvo on 17's that I really liked. The classic body style with modern wheels really get's me going. So I've started looking for examples of T-3's on 17's.

Bumpers

2010-04-11T08:06:00.002-05:00

These should buff out nicely.

FRONT SEATS

2010-04-11T07:02:00.000-05:00

These are so ugly they're almost cool!

The Samba Topic

2010-04-09T06:22:00.000-05:00

I was surfing my favorite VW porn website the Samba the other day and came across this thread about my Notch when it was up for auction on eBay. $1400 Notchback!

Body Shots

2010-04-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

2010-04-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

The car has some issues but there's nothing that can't be fixed.

Now This Is How It Started...

2010-04-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

A buddy of mine had a 1964 Volkswagen Notchback and offered to sell it to me a year or so ago but I didn’t have the funds available at the time to purchase it. He eventually went on to list it on eBay, and it didn’t sell. He also had it listed on the local Craigslist, and the Samba for a while and he was still unable to sell it. Here’s what his ad looked like:

1964 VW Notchback Project Price: 1000.00
PLEASE READ THIS AD CAREFULLY. 1964 Volkswagen Type 3 Notchback Project, reluctant sale, VIN number 438818, clear title, needs pans, has lots of rust but certainly needs to be saved.

THIS IS A PROJECT CAR! Single carburetor type 3 engine, 6 Volt electrical system. Over $1000.00 worth of new and used parts included:

· new Lucas rear brake shoes part number BS 140,
· 1 new Front wheel cylinder ATE 311 611 062B,
· 2 new Brazilian rear wheel cylinders 311 611 067C,
· 2 new rear axle boots (split type, no hardware),
· used brake reservoir (beetle) 113 611 313J,
· new master cylinder ATE 311 611 021A,
· new WCM white pop out window inner seals,
· new WCM vent window seals,
· new door seals 311 831 711F, 712F,
· new CIP 1 headliner,
· 2 new steel headlight trim rings (Taiwan),
· 2 new WCM side marker light (euro) seals 311 949 121,
· 2 WCM tail light seals 311 945 121,
· box of used door hardware,
· new Cal Look windshield seal Bugpack 311 845 121CA,
· new WCM rear window seal Cal Look 315 521C (WCM part number)
· new WCM regular windshield seal 311 121B (WCM Part number),
· new WCM front hood seal 311 703A,
· new WCM inner quarter window seal 311 145B,
· WCM front quarter window seals pair 311 137A L/R,
· new aftermarket padded dash in a JC Whitney box,
· used stock muffler,
· new door window chrome,
· used front seats,
· Full pan from a 1969 Squareback,
· roof clip to replace the aftermarket sunroof,
· lower body section from a 1969 Squareback for rust repair,
· extra front hood.
· The price: Car only without engine $1000.00,
· $1500.00 car with engine only.

$2000.00 car and all parts. Might be willing to trade for 67 or earlier bus or bug. Will not separate parts.

2010-04-05T11:53:00.000-05:00

Later in the year I went to the 2008 Type 3 Invasion with another buddy of mine that’s a Type 3 fanatic and had a great time. I wouldn’t call the Invasion a car show, but more or less a gathering of enthusiast and this was very appealing to me.

I talked to many Type 3 owners over that weekend and before I knew it I found myself wanting to add a Type 3 to the stable. The problem with adding another car was I already owned a 1956 oval window project, a fiberglass dune buggy project, and a 1968 Beetle daily driver project. There was no way could I make room for yet another project, and I doubt that neither my wife nor the village that I live in would approve either!

My buddy that I went to the invasion with tried to convince me to sell everything and get a Type 3, but I felt it just wasn’t in the cards for me at the time since I hadn’t fully enjoyed my current projects.

2010-04-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Last summer I was finishing up work on my 68 and was having trouble with the ball joints on the lowered front beam binding, the car rode like a dump truck! Eventually I installed the proper ball joints, lowered shocks, and caster shims and was able to get a decent ride, and chalked it up to the price you have to pay for being low.

My Type 3 fanatic buddy had just finished revamping his squareback and came over to the house to show it off. We went for a ride in is Square and I commented on how nice the ride was compared to the 68, and his Square was even lower! He just smiled and said “You need to sale those Type 1’s and get yourself a Type-3!”

Fast forward to mid October 2009, and I noticed that my buddy’s ad on the Samba for his Notch had a further reduction in price. I emailed the Type 3 fanatic and asked him what he thought about the current asking price. He replied back that he thought that it was fair for a Midwest car. A rust free car would go for much more and many “Left Coast” guys would cut that car up for parts to save another. Midwesterner’s just don’t have that many options when it comes to rust free vehicles in our immediate area. You either spend more for a rust free example or do the work to bring the car back to life. Luckily you won’t have to farm out the work.

I spent the next several days trying to figure out how to pull the trigger to make the deal happen for the Notch, and I just couldn’t maneuver my funds around to make it happen. I still had a “Love Jones” for a Type 3 and with Christmas rapidly approaching I figured that I would revisit owning a Type 3 in the New Year.

During one of the many subsequent conversations that I had with the Type 3 fanatic I commented that if a Type 3 were in my immediate future the VW God’s would smile upon me and make it happen. We both laughed and I resigned to the fact that a Type 3 wasn’t happening unless some money fell off the back of a truck, or several of my projects sold within the next few weeks!

A few weeks had gone by and I would spend my time window shopping for Type 3’s on the Samba, hoping for the day to come to have one to call my own. It almost felt like being a kid again; looking through the Sear’s Christmas catalog picking out what I wanted for Christmas.

I looked at cars listed in Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas. I tried to figure out how to plan a business trip out to California or Washington to purchase a car and trailer it back home. I was driving myself crazy with all of the day dreaming that I was doing!

A series of events occurred in late October and early November 2009 that I didn’t see coming, and I put all thoughts of owning a Type 3 out of my mind. I had to focus on getting things in my life in order, and I had a lot of hard choices to make and soldiered on. Through all of that adversity the VW God’s smiled upon me and bestowed their blessings!

I am now the proud owner of a 1964 Notchback, and it all happened before the end of November! Now I just need to make room in the garage!