1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

For Type 3 and 4 restoration projects, interesting history, adventure trips etc
Post Reply
User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 27th July 2016 - 11:49am

Electric water? Please explain! Some sort of electrolysis?
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 27th July 2016 - 11:56am

Very much so, I did a lot of the front axel bits with it earlier on in my thread. It's great for surface rust stuff.
Last edited by broady_6 on 20th May 2017 - 5:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 28th July 2016 - 2:03am

OK, found it on orange fastback pages. Water with some bicarbonate of soda, with anodes (to +) and part to clean electrolytically as cathode (-). Battery charger works, or welder (with caution and lower setting if available)!
Just a note, I've heard it is not advisable to use this method of rust removal on stressed items - suspension components eg, due to hydrogen embrittlement. Anyone know if that's correct?
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 28th July 2016 - 7:53am

Oh dear, its very much a case of too late, if it is.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3094&start=200#p53521
Last edited by broady_6 on 20th May 2017 - 5:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 28th July 2016 - 1:04pm

Well, they say you can't weld up front axles too - but when you do it neatly and strongly, who can tell? ;-)
Same with fibreglass repairs - if it doesn't crack in use, it's probably not weak structurally.
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 29th July 2016 - 8:25am

This is true, my front wheels havent fallen off yet!

I havent made much progress as ive been busy catching up. I was on page 4 of chinos thread. Now at page 20. Hopefully finish that tonight :D
Last edited by broady_6 on 20th May 2017 - 5:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 30th July 2016 - 1:23am

Must be my problem too - too much reading, not enough doing. ;-)
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 30th July 2016 - 8:24am

Aye and someone stoved the back of the other halfs car in yesterday. Decent enough bloke and is willing to sort it all out. But its still another distraction!
Last edited by broady_6 on 20th May 2017 - 5:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sultan of swing

Chino
Posts: 1074
Joined: 5th January 2014 - 5:39am
Location: Stockport

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Chino » 1st August 2016 - 10:14am

Editor wrote:Must be my problem too - too much reading, not enough doing. ;-)
Problem I have currently is too much working, but not enough on the Fastback :/

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 1st August 2016 - 8:55pm

Feels like I never get out of work! I have done quite well of late though.

I gave it a blow over with primer.

Image

After a few hours of pondering, I wasn't any closer to working out how to replace it. All id managed to do was decide it was too far gone to repair. I had a chat with the fabricators at work. We decided this coffee table was the most useful thing to sacrifice.

Image

It turns out, we were right

Image

It isnt 100%, but its so close that with a bit of beating then the shape is there.

Image

The radii is just slightly too shallow. But as a cost effective die, I wasnt going to do much better. I put a sheet of mild in, clamped it down with every G clamp I own and started thumping. I didnt watch the clock but Im sure a solid 30 minutes went past. I was never going to be able to make it in a oner though. So I formed a block to form the bottom lip.

Image

I forgot to photograph this, but its just a flat plate with a lip round the inside, I then welded the two halves together.

Image

As you can see, it still needs some trimming and cleaning up, but as a rough cut. This is version 1.0. I can already think of ways I could improve it, which might lead to V1.1 If I can make a male die for the coffee table corners then I can smooth the curve no end. This will reduce the welding, something which im cautious of as I know of the difficulty in reapplying rust treatment. And in a rare instance its an area deigned to get wet.

Feeling as though id expended a lot of energy on that, I decided to fettle something a little easier. At lunch today I folded myself a nice long strip of tin, this evening I chased a groove into it.

Image

Yes its for the panel in the back ground, im trying to recreate the front lip which the foam seal is compressed into. I blasted the remaining panel to find the worst of the whole to know how far I need to go, and its a little further yet.

But I tacked this in to see how it fits in the bulk head

Image

Its very close, I think Ive folded it about 5 degrees to far so ill have to tap it back, but otherwise I think it will work reasonably well.
Last edited by broady_6 on 30th June 2017 - 4:43pm, edited 2 times in total.
The sultan of swing

Chino
Posts: 1074
Joined: 5th January 2014 - 5:39am
Location: Stockport

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Chino » 1st August 2016 - 11:50pm

Very ingenious use of a coffee table!

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 23rd September 2016 - 7:56am

I shall apologize for my absence (again) but this is happening. plus a lot you cant see in the rest of the rooms. Its rather taken up all my time

Image
Last edited by broady_6 on 30th June 2017 - 4:34pm, edited 2 times in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 17th May 2017 - 9:13pm

Was it really that long ago. Ive hidden all my bank cards this time so I cant by any other cars to take my focus. During the strong winds of two weeks ago the cover blew off, and as the temperature picked up I decided to leave it off. A few days of seeing it gave me some motivation I didn't realise I was missing. Ive picked up where i left off and done a little pottering.

So this was V1.0 and pretty awful

Image

Out with the cardboard for a little CAD

Image

To get the radii correct I made another template

Image

It wasnt 100% the right shape but its good enough for government work.

Image

With the center knocked out and then the lip peened over I gave it a test fit on the airbox

Image

With the easy bit out of they way I turned my thoughts to how id make the curved lip. First up I would use some more of that old coffee table to form some sheet.

Image

And I think i got the profile about bang on :D

Image

A friend of mine kindly lent me his Shrink/strech and it worked wonders. Here it is chomping away.

Image

I got a little carried away as it started to take shape, but I welded the cured lip on to the base and then welded in the one short straight section. After couple of minutes in the sane blaster it took this form.

Image

Once its had a trim and a few light whacks with a hammer then i think V2.0 Will be fit for use!
Last edited by broady_6 on 30th June 2017 - 3:59pm, edited 2 times in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 18th May 2017 - 12:01am

I'm amazed you're spending so much care re-creating the part when it will never be seen! That area is a prime candidate for fibreglass technology. In fact, it deserves a complete tray being produced in plastic or GRP.
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 18th May 2017 - 7:55am

But it has been seen, the photos will show what its like inside. Over the years as my skills have improved so has my desire for detail. Along with the fact I went through the car to seal every rotten hole i could find, and water still kept getting in. The reason I ended up parking the car was because it would rain when ever i took it out and start filling up. Iwas sick of it trying to rot out the repairs id made. It was much later reading a thread on here that I saw the airbox and realised what had happened. I immediately understood where the water was getting in. As a result, "ill fix you good" I supposed it more out of spite than anything. good ole inanimate objects
Last edited by broady_6 on 20th May 2017 - 5:34pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 19th May 2017 - 4:30pm

Very commendable. I'm sure Henry Royce would have approved of such an attitude, and no doubt Ferdinand Porsche, too.
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 19th May 2017 - 7:15pm

Oh my ego!

The nature of my job has slowly instilled such an attitude, bodgery is quickly remarked upon
Last edited by broady_6 on 20th May 2017 - 5:12pm, edited 1 time in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 20th May 2017 - 1:19am

But sanity is much under-rated in today's frantic existence. ;-)
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 22nd May 2017 - 9:04pm

Maybe selling one of the Porsche's will bring me a dose of sanity. While im still temporally insane I have continued my quest.

I was hoping to include some photos but as photobucket has crashed im buggered
The sultan of swing

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 23rd May 2017 - 6:54pm

A night off tonight, a very busy day so I'm sat in the garden, blistering sunshine and a number of tins of beer with a laptop. What could go wrong?

With the water shield its self made, I needed to repair the remainder of the panel. This piece had a tiny channel pressed into it to coerce the water down the drain tube.

Image

Bravely I sliced it out and attempted a repair and tempted to copy it, crudely creating the channel with a ball peen and a vice.

Image

The other side was much less challenging. I left plenty of meat on the bone for profiling.

Image

To give the panel its shape I fastened it to the airbox.

Image

The next step was a bit more tricky than I had anticipated, the front lip needed to take the profile of the under bonnet area and also have a groove for the foam seal. Using the press brake and folder and work on Monday evening I made this rough profile.

Image

After a lot of time timing and fettling I got it to this stage

Image

Welded in

Image

I offered this up to the car and its about bang on, so tonight ill order some foam seal. I then made a template to fill in the centre of the panel. itll be later in the week before I can get back to this, but its coming on quite well.
Last edited by broady_6 on 30th June 2017 - 3:46pm, edited 2 times in total.
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Tight yorkie mick
Posts: 131
Joined: 24th February 2015 - 12:09am
Location: rotherham

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Tight yorkie mick » 23rd May 2017 - 7:45pm

Looks a really smart repair

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 24th May 2017 - 7:51am

Very kind good sir
The sultan of swing

User avatar
Editor
Posts: 5515
Joined: 10th October 2004 - 8:52pm
Location: Pensford, Bristol
Contact:

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by Editor » 24th May 2017 - 12:29pm

What we need is for someone to find a stash of 311 819 707 Deflector Plate, fresh air. That seems to be the whole tray for the 71-on airbox. Fat chance of finding one now!
Dave.

User avatar
broady_6
Posts: 2904
Joined: 13th January 2009 - 8:55pm

Re: 1971 VW Type 3 Fastback

Post by broady_6 » 24th May 2017 - 9:22pm

Many months ago id have agreed! But now ive gone to all this effort, id get annoyed if someone did haha
The sultan of swing


Post Reply