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Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:15 pm

Hello there, I'm writing from Italy and, obviously, I ever was a huge fan of VW.
Last month, following a friend who bought a first run BMW 320 Cabrio (87) on a restoration garage here where I live, I found, merely abandoned in the parking a 68 Squareback N....was love!
After some asleep nights, I've decided to buy it and start my personal restoration project.
Here in Italy there's not too much Squarebacks, so as you can understand, is really difficoult to define what kind of works she need...
At first impression, the body doesn't seems rusted in hot spots, but need a closer look from expert body painter...the interior need to be rebuild, but is the minor work...the engine and the transmission seems to be ok, original, but need a closer check that the guy at the garage must do before I buy...
So...finding this community was like find the holy grail for me...I've read all the post on the forum to understand better the "mood" on this car.
Basically I want to make a everyday run restoration, but my doubts are:

Body - Must sand and repaint? even the pan, that is not in bad contition but...

Interior - Mantain the original black leatherette, black panels as original or changing the colour, using basketwave seat as original...

Engine - It's run, but I have intention to rebuild by myself (I ever wanted to be a mechanic!)also beacuse there's not too much VW rebuilder experts here...leave it stock or make a increase in cc for a bit of more power and driveability fun (i think a 1915, but I didn't find a rebuild kit complete...I'm not sure for the heades, cams etc...need suggestion from expert on the forum!)

Brakes - she has front brake discs and rear drums...needs a bump on perfomance also there or just change the lines with a braided ones?..and check everyting, obviously... :)

So...that's the point...need you help in suggestions!
Many thanks in forward to all replies me!

Matt

Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:23 pm

Welcome Matt, but you've gotta post some good pictures here for us to give any meaningful advice on your car?

Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:32 pm

Thanks Mike for the reply...and apologize if i don't posted before a photo.
I've taken just one for this moment, but let me said that, searching on the site in "rust" category, didn't find significant trouble on mine...
I don't think needs to cut'n'weld parts, just remove superficial rust and give a good coating on the pan, and a decent body paint.
Interior, if you forgot the seats and the carpet that need to be rebuild, is in good condition, no scratches except in the rear (i think she was a work car...)
Need to change rear bumper cause there's some rust holes, and belive me, with pricing here about recroming and repair, is more convenient order a new one :)
Is not running from a year, but the guy that sells me, that have an restoration garage, must check all the engine and transmission before, also because needs to make a official revision to motorization offices...but he told me that she running well when he drive a year a go, with no particular problems.
Must change all the seals, and the right window up/down mechanism, but I'm not scared about that, as you can see on the photo.
So..I need suggestion to follow a good restration process, also by myself, even to invest my money in a good way and don't sell them to not too much specialized people that makes works in a bad way...
Here's the pic and thanks again for reply me!

p.s.
the mismatched alignment that you probably can see between door and front is because she was umounted, painted (not too good...but decently) and remount...so i think is not a chassis damage, but only a bad unmounting!
When I have fresh pics, I'll post surely!

Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:52 am

mattpage wrote:
Need to change rear bumper cause there's some rust holes, and belive me, with pricing here about recroming and repair, is more convenient order a new one :)

Hello Matt,

You can't order a new one as they are not available. Only choice is to have your bumper rechromed, or maybe find a good used one in Italy, France (or Belgium : lots of T3s there), or in the classifieds section here on Thesamba. My advice would be to keep your car as stock as possible mechanically. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean 100% stock, but don't custom it with cheap junk parts. Chose parts for quality first, and not because they (maybe) could get your car to run faster. At least during the "resto" process. That means keep it 1600cc, and with its stock braking system. Brakes on a T3 of that year are excellent. People who own custom beetles take rear drums to brake better because they are bigger than the beetle ones. Its like the brake hoses, keep it stock, it works very well, stay away from shiny stuff made in China. Where are you in Italy ? Close to Ventimiglia (Italy), in Menton (France), there's a big VW meeting during the summer. When I was in France, there was a vendor who came from Belgium and had some T3 parts. Maybe you could go and see if he still comes there. That's a great meeting anyway with T3 fans coming from a lot of european countries (Belgium, UK, Austria, Germany, Italy and of course France...). Hope this helps. Your T3 seems nice. Post more pics.

Pierre

Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:13 am

Bonjour Pierre :) and thanks for the reply!
First geographical infos...I'm in Lumbardy, not far from Liguria and France...maybe if my restoration was closed for next summer we surely can meet in Menton (hope this year to make holidays!!)

thanks for the suggestion about the squareback...basically I want to mantain absolutely closer to original, but with some adjustment for daily driving here...
The engine seems have more than 150k km, so I think a mildly rebuild is necessary, maybe changing pistons if there's some problems on compression or something...

Rust is my major nightmare...don't see yet the car from bottom but trust in the word of the restoration guy that said me is ok...
for my "mind method" the ideal approach is unmount it, sandblast then repaint, but I don't know how many euros needs to do this, or is a work that I can do in smallest part (ea unmount and sepair the parts and sell them to body worker/painter)...

Needs change all the seals, check everything and change what doesn't work.
Interior as I wrote must be rebuild and I'm really not decided yet if rebuild as original (same colour) or make a little personalization...Uhhhh...

Thanks again for the suggestion and keeep in touch here! :)

Cheers.
Matt

Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:27 am

mattpage wrote: Bonjour Pierre :) and thanks for the reply!
First geographical infos...I'm in Lumbardy, not far from Liguria and France...maybe if my restoration was closed for next summer we surely can meet in Menton (hope this year to make holidays!!)

Thanks again for the suggestion and keeep in touch here! :)

Cheers.
Matt
Buongiorno Matt,

I don't live in France anymore. I used to when I was student, but then I went back home in New Caledonia (South Pacific Ocean). I go back to France once a year because my wife is from Haute Savoie (France), you know that part of Italy given to France in 1860... :wink: , but we go there in winter (big holidays here and summer in south hemisphere)... So no more Menton for me. :cry: .
Rust, and bodywork, even with low rust is always what costs more $$, so it's a good point if your square has low rust. It will cost you less. But you need to find a bodyshop that will accept and enjoy to work on your car, otherwise, they will do poor job and charge you a lot of euros... It's a good idea to disassemble it yourself and then bring the shell on rolling chassis to the bodyshop, have it painted, and then reassemble. You will enjoy, save $$, and learn a lot about your car.
Cheers,

Pierre

Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:35 am

Hi Pierre :) so you speak a bit of Italian!

see, from your opinion, how's the condition of the car?
I've found a bit of rust, but I don't think is a "cut/weld" process, in the pan nearest the air grille on the floor...mmmhh...
Note that as I wrote, the car was outside for a year (!!!) so if the rust had time enough to make his damage....I think the car was in baddest condition than the photo...what do you think?

Cheers
Matt

Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:50 am

mattpage wrote: Hi Pierre :) so you speak a bit of Italian!

see, from your opinion, how's the condition of the car?
I think the car was in baddest condition than the photo...what do you think?
Cheers
Matt

I speak very little italian because I've learned english, spanish and german at school, but no italian. I know a few italian words from my little trips to Italia, italian cinema,...From the photo it looks very sound, solid, but like Mike said, we need more pics to really tell you. I think you found a very good candidate for resto. Much, much better than mines. Check out my gallery to see what I mean (the '73 orange square).

Pierre

Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:27 am

Matt, welcome aboard! That sounds like a good start. Its hard to give a full check of your car with out better pictures of everything. From your description it sounds very good. But you may not have to take the whole car apart to do a nice restoration. Keep it simple if the car is truly in good shape.

Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:02 am

Hi Notchboy and thanks for reply!

Apologize for less in photo of squareback, but I'm a shy boy and don't want to be toooooo oppressive on shootin' clicks until the car was not mine... ;)
Be sure that, at the end of month when I planned to buy, I can give you a complete book of it!

By the way, I've seen you gallery and expecially rust shots...mine is not affected like your photo, for what i can see when i give it a close look last saturday...so I think I'm in a lucky situation...

Regardin engine rebuild, I ask you, that are in US, what do you think about SCAT rebuild engine kits...I've mailed to them about the 1776 engine kit, cause if you read the posts, I think mine need a rebuild too... I guess it have more tha 147k km on, so...

Thanks in forward for the suggestions and keep in touch! :)
Cheers

Matt

Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:24 am

I have neithor heard good or bad about Scat engines. I think what Pierre was hoping to impress upon you was to attend as many Euro shows as possible. There you will find parts much cheaper-makes the trip worth going and you will be able to find Euro dealers that can help you. I would think that if you bought everthing off the internet and ship it that it would be very expensive in the end. You may even find a good used motor that is the size you want for a good price.

Keep us posted.

Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:41 pm

Jason, you're right about ordering and shipping from the U.S, about used parts, or parts that are made in Europe/Germany. But about the repop parts, european dealers are so expensive that it's almost always worth ordering to the U.S., even if you add tax. The reason is market in Europe is smaller, charges to run a business are very high, + these days euro vs dollar make ordering to the U.S even cheaper. Add to this that T3 parts are really rare at euro dealers. I know only 2 who really carry a wide selection of T3 parts : BBT in Belgium, and Type3detectives in UK. It's sad but, yes, ordering to the U.S might be a necessity. It's still a very good idea to go to euro shows in Italy or France for Matt, and he may find good deals on used or new parts there. You're right about the engine too. Matt could find a good one there, but he'll have to check about reputation of the builder/seller. First buy the car Matt, then post some pics so the experts here (not me) will tell you, and then we may be able to help you with your new baby.
Ciao
Pierre