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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:17 pm Post subject: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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I was cruising through the ads and found this cool little Vokaro. It's complete including an excellent hardtop side windows, and tonneau cover. Has the instruction manual too.
It's been sitting for 25 years so I'll have to do some work to get it running. It has a Weber 2 barrel carb. It's a 1960 chassis and the motor is a 1500 from a 69 Ghia.
I've already ditched those hubcaps and am looking to get a set of Porsche replica wheels like in the picture below. Need a Ghia windshield too and will be getting rid of the exhaust with something a little cleaner.
Never had a VW powered car before so this will all be new to me. Luckily I've got some extra VW parts available from my Bounty Hunter rescue.
Last edited by dlyle on Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:30 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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DeathBySnuSnu Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2012 Posts: 1183 Location: MS
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Ohhhhh ahhhhh.
Smooth, clean, simple, red......
Looks good. Make it your own. Ya got a lot to start from. I started with less on mine.....but I am a nut case to start with anyways.
Wish I had the original top.....show me some pics of that please. _________________
modok wrote: |
And look at the SHAPE of the curves, just smooth, like gods own slingshot. . |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Here are a few of the top.
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DeathBySnuSnu Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2012 Posts: 1183 Location: MS
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:50 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Thanks for that.
The pics explain a lot about the top.
Does the assembly manual say that the body and the tub were separate items that the owner assembled?
Reason I ask is my tub, even though it fits the body flange nicely, is no where near centered or level.
The body itself is not fully symmetrical! _________________
modok wrote: |
And look at the SHAPE of the curves, just smooth, like gods own slingshot. . |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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The Vokaro consisted of 5 pieces. The body, the inner liner, 2 seats and a windshield frame.
The picture below shows just the inner liner separate from the body
mounted.
I've only read a few pages from the manual but it goes in to detail on how to bond the body to the inner liner.
If you look at my car you can see that the body/inner liner are not centered correctly The body needs to move back a couple of inches.
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DeathBySnuSnu Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2012 Posts: 1183 Location: MS
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 5:47 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Thanks again
Makes me worried about how well it is bonded.
It looks good laid.....so much so that figured it was factory.
What worries me is the windshield frame.....I popped it right off......It was not prepped at all........is the tub well laid but not prepped?
Worried now.
But I am going to be doing a ton of glass work anyhow.
Maybe I need to add some there. _________________
modok wrote: |
And look at the SHAPE of the curves, just smooth, like gods own slingshot. . |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 5:55 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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My windshield is bolted down. We'll have to look up in the instructions what it says to do. I need a windshield.
I've seen some guys glass the frame in to the body for a cleaner look.
Last edited by dlyle on Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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DeathBySnuSnu Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2012 Posts: 1183 Location: MS
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 6:01 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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I don't have the glass either.
The flange on the inside of frame takes a lot of trimming.
I am considering just bolting my windshield frame on.
I plans on bolting the top of it to the roll cage. _________________
modok wrote: |
And look at the SHAPE of the curves, just smooth, like gods own slingshot. . |
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ratrog Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2006 Posts: 137 Location: Holiday, FL 34691
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Wow! So nice! Great find! |
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Letterman7 Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004 Posts: 3198 Location: Downingtown, PA
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Great find! 99% don't have the top with them, even less have the engine cover. Great little buggy - have fun with it! |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:43 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Thanks guys. Can't wait to find out more about it. I pressure washed it Saturday to get some of the grime off of it.
The relevant specs are as follows.
Engine number H5519896 = I think it's from a 1969 Ghia 53 hp.
Chassis number 2942006 = 1960 bug? Still need to get the transaxle number.
I got a bunch of receipts with the car. The previous owner had 5 or 6 vw kit cars so it's hard to tell what's what but I managed to decipher some. He put the usual chrome dress up pieces on the car. A little rusty so not sure how well they will clean up. He put a 2 barrel Weber on it and lots of other parts. Lots of crud on the bottom of the engine but now that I've cleaned that off I can start tinkering.
I'll drain the tank, put a battery in it and see what happens. I'm going to ditch that Monza exhaust and replace them with the bugle type in couple of photos below. Also want to install a set of those Porsche rims.
The body drives me nuts since it's offset an inch or two towards the back. Not sure if I can move it back easily.
This car also has what looks like a leaf spring connecting the two rear wheels. Is that stock on 1960 bugs? It limits the amount of camber so the wheels can't tuck under the car.
Can anyone identify those headlight rings? I need a new set of of them and am not sure if they are vw pieces. If they are wondering what year. They are too pitted to try and clean. |
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Letterman7 Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2004 Posts: 3198 Location: Downingtown, PA
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:52 am Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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The "leaf spring" is a camber compensater, an aftermarket item on swing axles. It doesn't hurt anything and does help a little if you like to drive spiritedly through the corners. The body being offset.. is the mounting flange on the inside not matching the pan perimeter? It would be held on my the pan bolts on the outside along the edge, maybe a couple up front, but I wouldn't worry about a couple inches. Most kits were that way.
Headlight rings... could be any of a dozen different makes. I'd take them off, flip them over and peruse through eBay to see what's close. I think I have a dozen or more that I was trying to match to a vehicle in my garage and finally found something close. |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:02 am Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Letterman7 wrote: |
The "leaf spring" is a camber compensater, an aftermarket item on swing axles. It doesn't hurt anything and does help a little if you like to drive spiritedly through the corners. The body being offset.. is the mounting flange on the inside not matching the pan perimeter? It would be held on my the pan bolts on the outside along the edge, maybe a couple up front, but I wouldn't worry about a couple inches. Most kits were that way.
Headlight rings... could be any of a dozen different makes. I'd take them off, flip them over and peruse through eBay to see what's close. I think I have a dozen or more that I was trying to match to a vehicle in my garage and finally found something close. |
If only the early Corvairs had that camber compensator! I think the front of the inner body tub closely matches the flange on the admirals hat. I've got to take a closer look because they have a piece o plywood sandwiched between the an and fiberglass body tub.
They have a spacer on the admiral's hat too. I've got just a bit of wiring clean up to do. Looks just like my Bounty Hunter.
There appears to be a bit of room to move it backwards but then it may not line up with the admiral's hat.
This dealer photo shows it nice and centered.
The driver's side is all the way at the back of the wheel for the rear wheel. The front wheel is too but not as bad.
The passenger side looks a little better. Not sure if that is the camera angle or a bent suspension. Maybe they didn't do a good job of shortening the pan so it could be crooked. You can still see that the front wheel is offset to the back. I'll get the tape measure out and measure the space between the wheels and see if it is 80" on each side. I'm betting it's not. If the driver's side looked like the passenger side I could live with it.
Last edited by dlyle on Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:36 am; edited 13 times in total |
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isucorvair Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2013 Posts: 59 Location: DeWitt
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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If only the early Corvairs had that camber compensator! I think the front of the inner body tub closely matches the flange on the admirals hat. I've got to take a closer look because they have a piece o plywood sandwiched between the an and fiberglass body tub.
Early Corvairs COULD have a Camber Compensator (or similar).
1964 Corvairs (the last of the earlies) had a transverse Leaf Spring that ran from wheel to wheel in the rear, mounted to the bottom of the diff case. Several other aftermarket versions too! |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Can anyone identify this signal light? It's on the back of my car. I believe it was part of a kit from the body builder. The same light is shown on most Vokaros on the front in their literature and on many of the online pictures.
There is some lettering.
SAE PIP 68 on one side and PM 126 on the other side.
I'm looking to get a set for the front of my car as they have cheesy lights hanging down on there now.
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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I found them....
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lights/Peterson/4...gKqcPD_BwE
This is what the dealer used for rear lights for their demonstrator. These appear to be from a Mazda RX-2. I've seen lots of Vokaros with these lights as well as the trailer light above.
Last edited by dlyle on Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:50 pm; edited 4 times in total |
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jspbtown Samba Member
Joined: January 27, 2004 Posts: 5156
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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IS the Vokaro built on a shortened pan?
If so that might explain why its out of whack |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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jspbtown wrote: |
IS the Vokaro built on a shortened pan?
If so that might explain why its out of whack |
Yeah, 80" inch. The car is very crudely built so I wouldn't be surprised if they cut it at an angle. |
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DeathBySnuSnu Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2012 Posts: 1183 Location: MS
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 7:07 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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Headlights look like empi baja units.
Do the have a full plastic tub?
Or open in the back? _________________
modok wrote: |
And look at the SHAPE of the curves, just smooth, like gods own slingshot. . |
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dlyle Samba Member
Joined: March 22, 2019 Posts: 307 Location: Morgan Hill
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Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:21 pm Post subject: Re: Just brought home a Vopard Vokaro |
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DeathBySnuSnu wrote: |
Headlights look like empi baja units.
Do the have a full plastic tub?
Or open in the back? |
Full plastic tub. I looked them up and that looks like the same one. I'll get a set of the rings ordered although they look like they are chrome over abs now.
Thanks for the pointer. Mine are rusted and beyond saving.
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