Black Fastback Build Thread

[Clatter]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen.
Warms an old man's heart.
Really glad that people take time to read all this as it takes effort to create!


Have to only do the Fastback work in little bits here and there because i easily get burnt out on it at this point.

Once Brent's carb parts show up, with luck, I'll have a runnable/drivable car.



In the meantime I'm learning VW transaxles..
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758907
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[MonT3]

Hi Clatter, Been a while since I've been on here let along post anything. Has been a long year with various work, school and family related issues I haven't made time to even take my square out long enough to enjoy the summer. I caught up on your post and I have to say your car is stunning. Congrats to you for building your masterpiece and refining as you go. I'm sorry to read you were treated poorly at the cars debut show. Kinda of a shitty way to have others grovel over parking areas but again, I guess that's what may revolve around their lives at shows. You were robbed of an honor but I'm sure people were well aware of your car and the work put into it. Keep plugging away on it and she'll come around. I haven't returned to my IDFs in a long while. Hope you get your carb deal sorted out. Best wishes.
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MonT3
67 Squareback
64 Squareback
63 Squareback
Engine rebuild
Trailer rebuild

[Clatter]

Hey Monte,

Without you sending that seat spring I'd still be stuck in the doldrums.
Every little bit of help i got/get with this car i remember, and am eternally grateful for.

Waiting for these last carb bits,
(Another of many generous donations to the project),
And we can go back to making some noise.

And it does make some great noises.. Probably the best part.
While i love my built Beetle motors, The Big Block sounds VERY different.


VROOOM!!!

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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[Bobnotch]

[djway3474]

Love that photo!
Around the same time I fired up the T4 in the Notch I fired up a similar displacement T1 in the Lowlight.
The T4 sounds like a racing Porsche, the T1 sounds like a T1. I really think it is the exhaust design in my case even though I used the same muffler. Muffler not routed the same on T1 vs T4 and it is on an extractor. The T4 has a much longer route before entering the muffler.
Love that Photo!

[twinfin]

CLASSY!
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"It's knowledge to learn from your mistakes. But it's wisdom to learn from others!"
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“He that goeth to bedde wyth Dogges, aryseth with fleas.”

"The Blue Submarine"
1977 Campmobile, Type 4 2.0 liter Federal, Non-Catalyst, Fuel Injected with Valvetrain from the type4store, 411 Heat Exchanger Preheaters, S&S Header, Supertrapp Silencer. ...and a lot of help from Clatter and TCash and friends!

[andybla]

what a beauty this has become

[Clatter]

Out driving around..

Trying to stay close to home until i can get it tuned.

My new favorite youtuber Tyrrell says that a ground-up resto will have about 20% of total build time spent fettling little details once the car is together.

Should be confidently driving highway in 2024..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDGyoUeAagc

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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[VWporscheGT3]

looking sexy! Driving close to home is all you can do. my Drive to work is 24 miles... so I was doing 48 a day when I chose to go to work in the Fasty. It really helped in finding the faults. from carbs to oil leaks it really got it sorted.

Your doing great, just keep at it. Drive as much as you can, try not to be disgusted with all the annoying issues that pop up as they are bound to appear.

[iamnotatwork]

Wow, that looks fantastic!
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1967 Bug "Giblet"
1969 Squareback (undergoing restoration) "The Pickleback"

[eyetzr]

I thought for a moment there was a spelling error with that good looking Fastback. It may be correct for all it cost ya!
Awesome car Clatter!
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I think he meant "rare", as in "not well-done"

[Bobnotch]

[Clatter]

After sulking a bit and doing other things,
We're starting to get somewhere.

Brent sent me a few more carb parts and i ordered a bunch from Pierce.

Putting some bigger airs in seems to have closed up the lean hole at cruise.

Planned a Saturday last week to go up north with Damon to get some more pics,
And do some surfing (or at least try )

Had the pumps disabled, and the 57 idles still in,
But along the cool coast in the morning, the AFR stayed in the high 13s and the temps reasonable.

220 oil is still way hotter than my bus would run along the cool coast,
But it was a welcome relief to not have temps frying hot.


Jeff took some nice pics we hope to get in the magazine.

Funny how many tourists were taking pics, sometimes a few at once.
Was distracted and looked over to see a woman sitting on the car(!)
Where do these creatures come from?
Just about to lose my shit when she ran off..

After being in the water we went and got us some burgers and a beer or two.

It got downright cold after dark for the drive home.
The wideband was acting up and i put it away for the pics so it was just driving for a change.

Those Vintage Car LED headlights are amazing!
It's like driving in the daylight.
Better than any of the modern cars we have by far. Incredible.
(Mr. Duncan i will get you those pics - haven't forgotten)
That, and having all the dash lights the same, plus the heat rocking,
it was the first stress-free drive i ever got in the thing.
Nice to be driving what was essentially a new car without a bunch of janky annoyances like all my others.

Since it was cold i got my foot into it a bit.
Highway 1 is a pretty epic 2-laner in these parts.
With that big tall 5th gear, when you get the revs up into the cam it goes.
On the cam, in 5th, is really something. it's unlike any other car I've ever driven.
The long long gearing is a PITA in town, but at speed makes sense and works.
And how!
Coming up on cars going the speed limit it's like they're stopped.
The brakes take just a tap with the toe to scrub 30 MPH in a half second.
5-4 downshift takes some attention, but I've gotten better.
4th at about 65 or so, it's right in the power.
Dotted line, no headlights coming, it walks around cars like they just had all four wheels fall off.
Like you're dodging them..

So there was a section where i was stuck behind a car and another car came up on my ass.
Opposing traffic came past but the line went solid.
Car came around both of us on a solid yellow.
A Mini Cooper - S with the center pipe.
Highway then went right to four lanes and i gave chase.
Can say now for sure that my car is not as fast as a Mini Cooper S.
At least not that one..
It will, however, easily go 120+.
It's a bit twitchy at that kind of speed.
Might be the big sway, and/or the heavy torsions?
Wish i woulda pie-cut the pan head for some caster in hindsight now..
Either way, I can tell you that this car is definitely what it appears.
All that mechanical stuff under there works, and works together well.

This thing drives completely unlike my Beetle - night and day - nothing like it.
The Beetle is light and nimble and fun around town.
Fastback is big and mean and loud and heavy and clunky and sluggish down low and generally unhappy in traffic.
Get it rolling, uncork it, and it all just comes together...
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?

[VWporscheGT3]

YES! A CLATTER UPDATE!

your making me jealous about those long gears.... Best i can get with the 1600 up here is 105 before i have to back off (revs).

sometimes it just takes some time away from the project , but i am so stoked to see you driving the fasty bro! very very cool!

[nogoodwithusernames]

Awesome! So stoked to hear that things are coming together for you.

Jealous of the fact that you have heat, I am gonna have to get some tubing and fab up some pie cut weird squirrelly elbows to get the 411 heat exchangers to play with the 914 flapper boxes with the T3 cables and hose connections

Actually I'm just jealous of the whole car, not sure my setup will be enough to convert you to the dark side of EFI now that yours is coming together so well You're making me feel bad about my beat up rattle-can semi-in-progress setup

Congratulations though, that's gotta feel good!
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71 Squareback, 1.7l T4 w/ crank trigger fuel and spark
(Conversion thread https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732508&highlight= or https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=151375&sid=f0542d44a322d290c29d6609fac7f215 )
74 914, 2.0L w/ D-Jet

-Derek

[W1K1]

good to see it's working better, T3's tend to draw people because they're not very common,, a shiny black one would draw them like flies



actually sitting on the car??? probably posting video of her new car on tiktok

[Bobnotch]

[Bobnotch]

[Max Welton]

Sounds like you've got a great highway cruiser Steve! Love your description too. I feel like I was along for the ride!

Max
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1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836

[Clatter]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen.
This is a car we all did. Not just me.
Just an act of encouragement here contributes.


The last drive was a real surprise and totally caught me off-guard.
Might have anticipated it, but, just, didn't.

Bob mentioned the 3.88 later VW trans.
Have one of those in my Oval; they're way more practical, especially around town.
The 912E trans in my car was designed for 14" wheels.
It's WAY taller than an SSC 3.88, just the first four gears.

Also,
My car is technically 'over-cammed'.
A 163/86B is "too much" for a little 2056 with 'small' valves.
The carbs are also 'too big', and the exhaust as well.
It's not soggy down low per se, it's a type 4 after all,
But it needs some revs to make real power.
Up until last weekend, I'd never had it on the cam in an upper gear.
The 3-4-5 gears are tight,
But 1st is like 2nd in any other car, and 2nd is like 4th.
Anything that happens on the cam in these upper gears is going to be exciting.
On the cam _and_ in 5th - it's trying to go to the moon..
Hard to describe - like warp drive.
Remember when the Millenium Flacon makes the jump to light speed?
This i didn't anticipate and comes as a real surprise.

There's talk of built hot rods that the motor 'overpowers the chassis',
And I've ridden in a couple muscle cars where this is true.
My car you don't notice it until you're on it in 5th.
The powertrain puts the car in a place where it wasn't designed to go.
Where it doesn't belong really.
Fun, but also scary.

There's a lot of bad things that can happen in an old car above 120MPH.
I know myself, and when i have something i will use it.
Impulse control issues i guess..

TBPH, a more 'drag' car - light with low gears - actually makes more sense.
Do burnouts, launch it at stoplights, charge up to speed then shut it right back down,
These are more practical activities ( ) than just going really really fast.

Even around town, nudge it a bit in 2nd to 'get going', and now I'm traveling surface streets at dangerous illegal speeds.

I've created a monster!

Now what!?!
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Bus Motor Build

What’s That Noise?!?