Retrofit '71 speedo/clock/fuel into a Fastback '73

[Stonetek]

Hello,

First post what a great forum.

My first car was a '71 Type 3 Fastback. Thou life decisions were made to liquidate all my accumulated VW's. Tough decision, but when you have family, you make sacrifices.

To the now, I have a daily driver for my 6 year old and myself when I share him with his mum.

I'd like to have my old Type 3 sitting ready to drive in my garage.

I've found one at a resonable price, unfortunately I cannot test it, but willing to travel to purchase. Got to head interstate, but the car is road worthy so it is worth the effort.

I do however want to have the '71 speedo in Miles and the older style clock and fuel dials in the console.

Does anyone know if the '73 dash is the same as the '71 and are the holes the same size to retrofit the speedo and clock pieces?

Really appreciate the help and looking forward to working on my Ol' car again.

Thanks and looking forward to joining the forum.

Nik

[Editor]

Welcome to the Forum, Nik.
Yes, the grey dials will fit fine in the '73. The only difference may be in the type of clock. Most of the 71 clocks were impulse-wound - about every minute or so there's a 'clunk' and the spring gets wound. That sort has a fusible link internally, made with low melting point solder.If the battery has been left connected, you can get the situation as it discharges that the winding solenoid can't get enough kick to finish winding, and overheats, melting the link. It can be re-soldered if there's enough there to melt again and hold together as it cools.

The black-faced clock is usually a transistorised movement, which has a pendulum driven electronically. They can be a bit more difficult to repair than the electro-mechanical ones, but keep better time when working. Of course you may have a transistorised grey-face clock. If it's reluctant to run, they can sometimes be started again with a spray of WD40 on the internal mechanism.

You can see that the dials are held in the dash with spring clips - they can take a bit of squeezing to get the dials out, Take out the clock first to get to the speedo drive nut to undo it. Then press the clips in on the speedo and remove, then same again for the fuel and warning lights. There's a connection plate on the back of that which can in theory be disconnected from the back of the dial part, to save removing the wires, but it may not part easily.

It's best to disconnect the battery negative before fiddling under the dash, and be ready to whip off the connector again if there's any sign of shorting out, in case something else has been disturbed. (better safe than sorry!).

You sound as if you're in the USA. There's an email group www.vwtype3.org , which can be useful for stateside help and parts.

[Stonetek]

Thanks there Dave, most appreciated.

Interesting..., that your perception was that I was US based, ( I take that as a compliment as I would if I were taken as English or from the EU.). I am actually of convict decent, (perhaps...) - I am from Tasmania, Australia.

I miss my Ol' car. She was the car that taught me what was what and how to fix things when anything needed attending to. I have my grease covered spiral backed John Muir from years back still on the shelf.

I unfortunately had to sell everything else.

However I am back and having another crack at making dreams come alive.

My following question is the steering wheel section removable and also replaceable with the '71 set up.
Please view the following pictures.

'73 column and steering wheel.



Vs my original '71 column and wheel.



Is this a simple swap over once the screws are undone carefully as they are in a triangular formation at least for the wheel section with springs behind the screws...! ( yes we have all been there to repair a horn connection!)

[Editor]

Sorry Nik, your mention of having to go interstate to get the car made me think you were in the US. Anyway, that explains a lot, including why you wanted a speedo with miles on it, which had me puzzled!
I agree the '71 wheel is nicer, but there are some other things that would need changing if you want to fit that. The later column is shorter and the switch housing is different, with two stalks, indicator and wiper/washer. On the '71 there is only the indicator stalk, and the separate washer/wiper switch is on the dash. It would be quite a job to change that all over, as the steering column is shorter on the later type since there's a section of collapsible column at the top end as well as the lower end. See parts diagram http://home.clara.net/hallvw/type3/T3pbo/T3pb4-16.htm .
The plastic tubes for the washer would need a small mod if going from '73 to '71, though some people modify those to use an electric pump anyway, and they tend to burst without warning anyway, if not renewed!

I don't recall anyone else on the Forum from Tasmania, though we've had members from NZ, mainland Australia and Malaysia etc., so Type 3s are still around in small numbers all over the world.

[purplepeter]

There's a strong Type 3 group/club on Facebook "Type 3 Contingent", Based in Melbourne I think

[Stonetek]

I'll check that out.

Thanks