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It's been nearly 100 degrees in Mississippi all summer. We're looking forward to Fall and some cooler temperatures, but the high today will be 96 with high humidity. It's HOT.

I think I may have a cooling issue with my car. I have a 2110 engine with a 911 shroud ( I know Raby's shroud is better but this is what I have). Normally the the temp will be about mid gauge. It has never overheated (into the red), according to the Porsche 914 temp gauge, but the needle will go to the far right of the gauge. Has never been in the white, but near there. I use the Speedster for kids football and home coming parades. That's where the issue first reared it's ugly head.

I took it out a couple of weeks ago and thrashed it for half an hour and the temp rose to about 3/4 of the gauge. I'd really like the temp to stay about middle of the gauge.

So, not being satisfied with the amount of oil on my garage floor I pulled the rockers and push rod tubes, again, and had a look at the cylinder tin. exist_tin

This is what's there now.

Cylinder_tin [1)

This is what I have bought.

Is anyone using this tin on a type one engine?

Does it help the cooling?

Is my engine running too hot for the temperatures we're experiencing?

Am I fixing something that doesn't need fixing?

 

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I don't think the new tin is recommended for your type one. That tin is for a type three and used to be called "super tin".  Time has shown that it doesn't improve anything on a type one. Definitely use the existing tin. It sounds like you had a sudden change in your engine cooling. This could be because it was hotter. It could mean that your temp gauge or sender are failing too. Drive the car hard on a cold morning and check it then. Remove your gauge and sending unit and suspend your sender in a pot of boiling water to see if your gauge reads 212 f. (you'll need a 12 v battery for a power source) If it checks out pretty close then start looking for other sources of overheating.

Hope this helps...........Bruce

Personally, I wouldn't do anything until you check the real temperature of the oil with a dipstick thermometer.  A candy thermometer from Amazon with a probe roughly the same length as the bottom of your oil dipstick will do, and for $20 or less you can get a digital one from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=can...p;ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_6

Bruce had a good suggestion that we can expand upon:  

"Remove your gauge and sending unit and suspend your sender in a pot of boiling water to see if your gauge reads 212 f."

 I would take a slightly different tack:  Remove the sender.  Re-attach the sender wire and add a ground wire from the sender housing to a good ground point on the engine (almost anywhere will do).  

Heat a cup of water in your microwave until it's boiling and then scoot out to the car (don't get any hot water onya!) and place the threaded end of the sender into that cup of water.  (If you're cool you can also put the candy thermometer in there to watch the water temp drop).  Turn on your ignition to activate the gauge and see what it reads (give it a few seconds to stabilize).  

Calibrate your dash gauge with what the candy thermometer tells you or simply note that where the gauge needle is, is probably around 200º F by the time it settles.  THEN you'll know if it is actually getting too hot or not.  Just note where the needle is - It may show 190 when it's really seeing 200.  That difference is important and all you have to remember is the difference and apply it in the future.

While you're messing in the engine bay, make sure there is nothing blocking the fan inlet (John Estes caught a rag in his on a trip to Carlisle one year).

Don't bother messing with the type 3 cooling tins- the original type 1 pieces work better. Remember the fan configuration- on type 1 the air is coming down through the cylinders and heads while with the type 3 the fan is behind the engine and blowing air across. There is a thread on this subject on the Samba (although I can't find it right now) and there is even a VW technical bulletin advising not to install type 3 lower cylinder tins on type 1 engines.

And your engine needs sled tins and either heater boxes or industrial tins to send the spent cooling air out behind the engine so the heat doesn't get re-ingested by the fan and carbs (and drive temps up higher). I think this would be more important especially if you're doing constant slow (parade) driving.  Al

I cut 11 Ga. aluminum plate to closely fit the shape of the rear engine tin.   Then I used a '67-'74 Bug engine seal to close the gap.  The aluminum is in three pieces to help with installation/removal.  It overlaps the bottom of the 2" x 2" square tubing frame and is screwed into the frame with self-tapping screws.  It has worked very well and is tight.    https://www.jbugs.com/product/111-705D.html

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James

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Last edited by James

My heat shields are installed under the frame rails as well.  I have one big horse shoe shaped one under the rails that comes up under the engine tins and is sealed with a similar seal as the VW Bug.  

Then, I have another shield on top of the rear portion of the frame rail that seals that area between the rail and the rear inside of the body.  That piece has a kip-up at each end to seal just beyond the tail lights.  The two, together, are pretty effective.

Last edited by Gordon Nichols
Gordon Nichols posted:

...

Then, I have another shield on top of the rear portion of the frame rail that seals that area between the rail and the rear inside of the body.  That piece has a kip-up at each end to seal just beyond the tail lights.  The two, together, are pretty effective.

Yes Gordon, I forgot to mention that one!  It is important because it sits just above the muffler on a conventional style exhaust system and blocks a lot of heat.

Jim, I made aluminum sled tins that slip inside the 911 shroud and angle to the rear of the car. I had to cut a large hole for the J-tubes that run under the pushrods. Secured the head side with a set of old valve cover bails as I have bolt-on valve covers. Case side has aluminum tabs that attach to 6mm holes in case. Lowered oil temp by 10 degrees F, and cylinder head temp the same 10 degrees. Mine is on a Spyder so no separating top/bottom air. 911 shroud faces forward and tins exit rearward.

I don't know if it would do as much on a Speedster with tins as you already have intake/exhaust separation. But it wasn't expensive to do.

Here's what long time repected parts supplier JBugs says about them -

 Though the tins are an essential part of the cooling system in the Type 3 platform, they provide no additional cooling when used on stock Type 1 engines (found in Bug, Super Beetle, Karman Ghia, and Thing models).

The Type 3 is a totally different engine cooling design.

Image result for vw t3 engine cooling tin

Last edited by WOLFGANG
Impala posted:

Re the Type 3 cooling tins; I follow this VW mechanic on Youtube, username Mike Fn Garage. He recommends them. He says that they give him great results. About the Service Bulletin by VW his theory is that the factory didn't want to admit a design error in the original design of the tins so as to prevent replacing engines in warranty.

Was looking for something else and found this thread. The guys says they give great results- did he put a set on, found the engine still ran with them so his backyard expertise consists of "Yup- they run reeel good!" or does he present data (head, air, oil temps) to substantiate his claim? 

I know I sound like a sceptic, but you know how it is- look hard enough and some idiot on the internet will tell you anything you want. The type 1 cooling system worked on millions (literally MILLIONS) of stock engines and continues to work on I don't know how many thousands of modified engines to this day. There are a few who have claimed good results with using the type 3 pieces (with modifications) in place of the type 1 cylinder bottom and sled tins when the sled tins interfere with an exhaust's primary tubes. The spent cooling air aims straight down and exits right under the engine, though (not out the back of the car like the sled tins do) and the preheated air can then be re-ingested by the engine in slow/stop and go traffic. It's not the perfect solution.

Last edited by ALB
ALB posted:
Impala posted:

Re the Type 3 cooling tins; I follow this VW mechanic on Youtube, username Mike Fn Garage. He recommends them. He says that they give him great results. About the Service Bulletin by VW his theory is that the factory didn't want to admit a design error in the original design of the tins so as to prevent replacing engines in warranty.

Was looking for something else and found this thread. The guys says they give great results- did he put a set on, found the engine still ran with them so his backyard expertise consists of "Yup- they run reeel good!" or does he present data (head, air, oil temps) to substantiate his claim? 

I know I sound like a sceptic, but you know how it is- look hard enough and some idiot on the internet will tell you anything you want. The type 1 cooling system worked on millions (literally MILLIONS) of stock engines and continues to work on I don't know how many thousands of modified engines to this day. There are a few who have claimed good results with using the type 3 pieces (with modifications) in place of the type 1 cylinder bottom and sled tins when the sled tins interfere with an exhaust's primary tubes. The spent cooling air aims straight down and exits right under the engine, though (not out the back of the car like the sled tins do) and the preheated air can then be re-ingested by the engine in slow/stop and go traffic. It's not the perfect solution.

Great info there. Like I said I don’t know the guy personally but it seems he has many years’ experience with VWs and seems to know what he’s doing. You can check it out for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/user/farnhamassoc

 

James posted:

I cut 11 Ga. aluminum plate to closely fit the shape of the rear engine tin.   Then I used a '67-'74 Bug engine seal to close the gap.  The aluminum is in three pieces to help with installation/removal.  It overlaps the bottom of the 2" x 2" square tubing frame and is screwed into the frame with self-tapping screws.  It has worked very well and is tight.    https://www.jbugs.com/product/111-705D.html

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James

Hi

Do you have any pics of the tin from under the engine?

i need to replace my tin, my mechanic removed the engine and destroyed the tin now the car is overheating and I can’t drive the car.

can you use stainless steel instead of aluminium?

Cheers

aircooled posted:

I don't think the new tin is recommended for your type one. That tin is for a type three and used to be called "super tin".  Time has shown that it doesn't improve anything on a type one. Definitely use the existing tin. It sounds like you had a sudden change in your engine cooling. This could be because it was hotter. It could mean that your temp gauge or sender are failing too. Drive the car hard on a cold morning and check it then. Remove your gauge and sending unit and suspend your sender in a pot of boiling water to see if your gauge reads 212 f. (you'll need a 12 v battery for a power source) If it checks out pretty close then start looking for other sources of overheating.

Hope this helps...........Bruce

Hi Bruce

i also have issues with my engine tin and the engine is constantly overheating.

can you buy a complete engine tin set or does it need to be custom made?

i have a Type 1 engine 

 

Cheers

I used common HVAC galvanized sheetmetal when I made my heat shields.  I have a set of full-size templates, but they were copied for a CMC and you have an intermeccanica, do you not?  I'm not sure if they are the same.

Regardless, I first made a paper template from heavy wrapping paper and traced it out onto the HVAC air duct metal and cut it out.  The CMC has a square, horse shoe shaped frame member around the engine so I just screwed it right to that.  You can use a VW bus "H" gasket between the heat shields and the engine specific tins to seal up that  gap, too.  Seems pretty effective for the past 20 years or so.

Hope this helps.

@Highlander356 wrote- "Great info there. Like I said I don’t know the guy personally but it seems he has many years’ experience with VWs and seems to know what he’s doing. You can check it out for yourself:"

Couldn't find the video about using type 3 cooling tin. I did watch his 15 minute video about camshafts (it was one of his shorter videos) and from what I saw I wouldn't trust or believe anything he said. There wasn't 1 bit of solid information in the whole video. All I see is a guy posting videos to get enough subscribers to make money off of Youtube.

@Jim Gilbert - Madison, Mississippi wrote- "I think I may have a cooling issue with my car. I have a 2110 engine with a 911 shroud.  I use the Speedster for kids football and home coming parades. That's where the issue first reared it's ugly head."

I'm guessing that at parade speeds the engine is re-ingesting a lot of spent cooling air. The air is coming down through the cylinders, hitting the ground and hanging out around the engine where it just gets sucked back in to the fan and carbs again (and again and...). The air needs to be directed around the lower parts of the cylinders/heads to cool them properly and then directed out the back so at least the bulk of it doesn't end up back in the engine compartment. I would try modifying sled tins to attach to the 911 shroud. A remote thermometer in the engine compartment will tell you how high above the temperature outside the car and if your efforts are doing any good. 

If the parade thing is really important, maybe a fan of some sort on the firewall bringing in fresh air from forward of the engine compartment? I believe there are 12 volt bilge pump fans that are fairly compact and move a lot of air.

Hope this helps. Al

 

Last edited by ALB

I'm cross-posting this from my Spyder build thread in hopes of generating some knowledge and advice.

Has anyone here incorporated a Beetle thermostat and flaps into their cooling system?

It's a serious question that arises naturally from my rear underpan effort. Since we're doing the full "hot-side-hot-cool-side-cool" treatment the question arises first of what to do about the oil cooler air (ducted out the back of the Raby DTM), which I've solved pretty much, and second what to do for warm-up since, if this all works as designed, I'll have a car that ducts virtually all the hot cylinder air and exhaust pipe heat down and out and behind the vehicle, leaving little or none to recirculate through the fan.

—all of which should be a very good thing ... once the cylinder heads get to 250 F and the oil temp reaches 180 or so.

But when might that happen??

So, yes. I'm pondering ideas and studying old Beetle thermostats and flaps.

No one here uses them, or anything like them, on anything? 

 

I did this many years ago; seems to help; whenever we change the oil it is absolutely free of particles. As Gene Berg’s studies said he experienced 12% less wear on the motors with the thermostat and flap system as compared to those without in the warm climate of South Ca. I’ve always lived in tropical places and use conventional 40W oil.

In my case I use an OEM fan and engine tin; in your case with a DTM system everything might vary.

Last edited by Impala

"I'll have a car that ducts virtually all the hot cylinder air and exhaust pipe heat down and out and behind the vehicle, leaving little or none to recirculate through the fan."

Well, that's what I have, too, and it seems to work.

I have the VW thermostat bellows under the 1-2 heads linked to the air vanes inside of the (1971-ish, flat-top) shroud.  The air coming from the oil cooling tower exits out the back of the engine, below the heat shields, down and then caught in the air stream.  The engine tins direct the hot air down and then to the rear and out the back (I have the sled tins, too).

My engine compartment is completely sealed to insulate the exhaust heat from the fan inlet/carbs.  I also have an oil flow switch that shuts off oil flow to the external cooler under 180F coming from the filter.

All that said, the time it takes to get to 180F depends greatly on the outside ambient temp.  70+F ambient and it warms up in about ten minutes of neighborhood driving.  Take it on a turnpike and it'll rise up to 200-ish and sit there with the external cooler fan running all the time.

Outside temps below 40F means it'll take twice that long to warm up (20-30 minutes) and turnpike speeds bring it up to 190-ish and it sits there.  The external cooler fan may or may not come on, depending on how low the outside temp is.

Did I answer your question?

Gordon Nichols posted:

 

All that said, the time it takes to get to 180F depends greatly on the outside ambient temp.  70+F ambient and it warms up in about ten minutes of neighborhood driving.  Take it on a turnpike and it'll rise up to 200-ish and sit there with the external cooler fan running all the time.

I answered on the Spyder thread, but this statement ( highlighted) confirms my own "seat of the pants" observations.

I know all about what Gene Berg said about pretty much everything, and I don't doubt that he was right-- with a perfectly functioning thermostat/flap set-up, I'll bet the engine last longer.

How much longer is just pure speculation on Gene's part. 12%? 25%? 100%? Gene didn't do a double blind test to come up with that number. He either climbed up Mt. Baldy and had the Commandments of the Type 1 handed to him from the God of Air-Cooled Engines himself, or he just "guestimated". I'm going with the latter, and yet everything the man said is quoted chapter and verse. Regardless, most of what he recommended (super-low CR, this, etc.) was based on the idea of getting 100k mi out of a build, very often at the expense of power and fun.

Nobody cares about that anymore, because VWs aren't anybody's daily driver (Jim Ignacio excluded). I've got the full-meal-Gene Berg approved-cooling-deal on my bus 2110, and it's a whole lot of this-'n-that for something with a very limited effect (as Gordon notes above). It's nowhere near like having a water-cooled car with a thermostat. My oil is just fine on my DTM 2276.

I'd also note that if a flaps-n'-stats engine ever approached 100k mi with all of the Rube Goldberg apparatus installed, something would hang up or break in that amount of time. If the flaps stick closed, any benefit you might have seen is out the window.

I know the Sainted German Engineers designed this, and that Gene Berg approved it, but perhaps the net/net might not be as awesome as we've all been led to believe. I'll use it all on a vehicle I will try to drive in the winter, and would not consider it for something without even a top. It's worth noting that Porsche did away with all that nonsense with the air-cooled 911, and those engines last nearly forever.

That's my opinion, and my opinion and a dollar will buy you a coffee at most McDonalds in my part of the world.

Yeah, totally agreed Stan. All that Gene Berg stuff at this point in time should be considered anecdotal. Semi-hemi heads and 7.5:1 compression? Please stop...

And going back to what Jim Gilbert is asking, yes, sled tins of your own making can help with a 911 shrouded type1. 10 degrees less on CHT and peak oil temp.

And please stop with the type3 cool tins. They are NOT going to help an upright-cooled motor.

Last edited by DannyP

Talking about metal work and engine tin.

My mechanic a ‘so - called air cooled VW/Porsche expert’, removed my engine to place a new clutch kit and a new alternator.

He cut the tin / metal in the engine and didn’t even replace it. I have been driving the vehicle for 12 months with recirculated air. No wonder the engine is completely destroyed.

You should see the pictures of the metal / tin work, this mechanic needs to be reported to some Global VW / Porsche safety authority department.

 

Highlander356 posted:

Talking about metal work and engine tin.

My mechanic a ‘so - called air cooled VW/Porsche expert’, removed my engine to place a new clutch kit and a new alternator.

He cut the tin / metal in the engine and didn’t even replace it. I have been driving the vehicle for 12 months with recirculated air. No wonder the engine is completely destroyed.

You should see the pictures of the metal / tin work, this mechanic needs to be reported to some Global VW / Porsche safety authority department.

 

Let's see pics...

ALB posted:
Highlander356 posted:

Talking about metal work and engine tin.

My mechanic a ‘so - called air cooled VW/Porsche expert’, removed my engine to place a new clutch kit and a new alternator.

He cut the tin / metal in the engine and didn’t even replace it. I have been driving the vehicle for 12 months with recirculated air. No wonder the engine is completely destroyed.

You should see the pictures of the metal / tin work, this mechanic needs to be reported to some Global VW / Porsche safety authority department.

 

Let's see pics...

Check this out...!

From a ‘so-called VW/Porsche’ expert.

FD086309-DDF0-445C-A5E0-5BEC10EDBBC193B44D08-06FC-4A00-8DDB-71B08601A1702509B016-5027-4787-B5C0-9E9C6F05E181

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ALB posted:

Sorry, @Highlander356 (first name?), I don't see any 'damage'- could you highlight it? All I see is slightly flattened shroud to heater box tubes in the 3rd and nothing obvious in the 1st or 2nd. Al

PS- I noticed your car does have a camber compensator (the leaf spring thingy that keeps the axles from tucking too far in)- did you put that on?

Hi Al

what are you ‘sorry’ about?

You can run a ruler in between the metal.

The metal pieces are not welded together.

This area needs to be completely air tight to avoid air recirculation.

Anyway Porsche have already assessed it and deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive.

No need to stutter (repeat response).  Surely there are air-cooled dune buggy or motorcycle shops.  Even Subaru mechanics since their engine is based on the VW one.  The car is simple - buy a couple VW manuals and you can maintain.  Idiots Guide to Air-cooled VW is good start followed by the Bentley manual.  You can get lots of help from here - there are other replica Speedster owners down under too.

The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.  Yes, the VW air-cooled engine is related BUT the 356 has a 3 piece case vs VW's 2 piece case. Nothing is interchangeable on the engine - except perhaps some metric bolts. On the rest of the car - may be the windshield is Porsche and I think link pins (or tie rod ends) are interchangeable.  So really just the PORSCHE scripts are originals - building vendors won't put them on (due to PORSCHE AG lawyers).

I can't see how even not having the engine open to the air is dangerous - it just shortens the engine life. When it "cooks" - replace it with a Subaru engine.

Last edited by WOLFGANG
Highlander356 posted:
ALB posted:

I agree with Danny- why did you take it to a Porsche dealer? 

You two must be related.

The original Porsche engine was based on the VW engine.

The intermeccanica 356 body is assembled with top quality components, many from original restoration suppliers.

Who else should I take it to? 

 

Well, Danny and I are brothers from another mother, but that's a whole other thing (we do like to drink a beer or 2 together, give each other a hard time and share the odd laugh at Carlisle!)  

The reason I (and Danny) wondered why you're taking the thing to a P dealer- although, yes, the original 356 engine was based on the VW  engine of the time, a Porsche mechanic, even if he had experience with 356/912 engines, wouldn't know what to time it at and probably wouldn't know what the valve/rocker clearance should be. And I'm not surprised the P dealer told you it shouldn't be on the road- the official stance of Porsche has always been these cars are abominations and they'd love for all of our cars to just disappear.

I'll say it again- look for an aircooled VW guy to take care of your car. It'll be a little work to find him but you'll be much better off with someone more intimately familiar with VW aircooled performance (and the platform in general).

If I'm off base please tell me so, but I have to say this- I get the feeling you really want to part of "that" world. What you own is a replica, considered a fiberglass or plastic abortion by the Porsche organization (and a lot of P owners), and the sooner you come to terms with it the better off you'll be. Some of us won't run original P badging for that reason- it's not an original car and don't wish to lead people on. It's not an original Speedster and will never be, and for most Porsche owners and clubs it's end of discussion. I said it in the other thread- get out, drive your car and feel the wind in your hair- that's what it's about with these things!

If acceptance into the P fold is what it's about, a different car is the ticket in. Al

Last edited by ALB

I call BS on that "no experienced VW mechanics". There are plenty of aircooled guys left the world over. The numbers are dwindling but they are out there.

Try thesamba.com

I own a Vintage Spyder, it is aircooled. I work on a bunch of guys cars near me in the US. I build engines and transmissions and rebuild and tune carbs as well as fabrication.

P.S.: Al is buying all the beer this year LOL!

DannyP posted:

I call BS on that "no experienced VW mechanics". There are plenty of aircooled guys left the world over. The numbers are dwindling but they are out there.

Try thesamba.com

I own a Vintage Spyder, it is aircooled. I work on a bunch of guys cars near me in the US. I build engines and transmissions and rebuild and tune carbs as well as fabrication.

P.S.: Al is buying all the beer this year LOL!

Ok

Al is buying all the beer... no argument from this end.

There are no experienced air cooled mechanics in Australia.

If I was in the United States I would not be in this situation.

@highlander356 ‘Most people on this site have issues’...

Really? Because in the myriad threads you have contributed to with tales of how someone else destroyed your engine, I’ve seen nothing but courteous and helpful responses. You’ve provided little or no background on your car or what actually happened or how long you’ve owned it or how it is ‘destroyed’. 
People on this and any other site can only help with opinions and advice, and from what I can see, you’ve been offered plenty of both.

 

 

Last edited by Tonyvan
Highlander356 posted:

Do any of you own an original Porsche Speedster or an Intermeccanica Porsche Speedster replica?

I own an Intermeccanica, and mine's a Vancouver tube-framed car with roll-up windows. My car is nice, but it's fundamentally no different than anybody else's replica. It's a beautiful car with VW running gear. It's a nicer purse made from the same sow's ear.

Intermeccanica builds a really nice replica, but it isn't (and will never be) a Porsche, or even anything very special to anybody outside of a very few people who dig pretty deeply into this hobby. I know you are hung up on this, but the company that built your car is pretty much irrelevant.

At any rate, at this point I can pretty much guarantee that the engine in your car is not the engine put back there 45 years ago. And here's something else to chew on-- for at least 25 years, Intermeccanica has used engines from CB Performance for Type 1 Speedsters and Convertible Ds, so there isn't anything unique or special about the engine in one of their newer cars either. 

It's a popular sport in service businesses to tell people that the last people who worked on anything (your electric panel, your furnace, or your car) were idiots who didn't know their backsides from a hole in the ground. Sometimes that is true. Sometimes it is not.

I would never take a Speedster replica (of any make) or any air-cooled Porsche to a Porsche dealer, because Porsche dealer service departments are equipped and trained to work on Porsche models in (or just out of) warranty. They're not equipped, trained, or experienced in any vehicle for which there is no longer factory support-- which is to say, no vehicle older than about the 10 most recent model years.

It's the same at a Mercedes, or Volkswagen, or Honda, or Toyota, or Ford dealership. At some point, independent shops take over, and at some point after that, it's straight-up vintage enthusiasts and a smattering of shops catering to the various hobbies.

I wouldn't take a modified '32 Ford with a 351 Windsor to a Ford dealer and expect decent service. I wouldn't take a '69 Camaro with a blown small-block to a Chevy store and expect they would know what they were doing.

The Porsche mechanic may know less than the guy who changed your clutch. Your engine may indeed be ruined-- but it may not be. It's super-hard to see what the problem is from your pictures.

I know what it is like to feel like there aren't any people in your city or area or time-zone who know what they are doing. I felt like that for a long time as well. But after going it pretty much alone for 15+ years, I began to figure out that there were other people in my part of the world who knew a lot about air-cooled cars.

I can guarantee it's the same in Australia. 

Last edited by Stan Galat

 

@Highlander356 , your profile shows that you're only about 25 miles from Melbourne, home of the Volkswagen Club of Victoria, which, according to their website is...

"Australia’s oldest and largest Volkswagen Club...In existence since 1954..."

And...

"...we are one of the oldest Volkswagen Clubs in the world. The aim of the club is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of all models of Volkswagen, including Beetles, both old and new..."

This sounds like the perfect starting place to find local air-cooled VW mechanics and hobbyists who will probably be more than willing to help you out. Unlike most Porsche clubs, VW clubs are usually enthusiastic about our cars.

Also, through the wonders of the Google, I've just learned that Melbourne is where the Australian VW factory was located, so there must be hundreds of grizzled old VW mechanics in the area.

A six-pack of anything but Fosters may be all you need to get back on the road.

Here's the link to the VW Club of Victoria.

 

PS: Here's a shot from their annual event in 2016. Maybe you can take a trophy next year!

AussieSpeedy

 

 

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Last edited by Sacto Mitch
Sacto Mitch posted:

 

@Highlander356 , your profile shows that you're only about 25 miles from Melbourne, home of the Volkswagen Club of Victoria, which, according to their website is...

"Australia’s oldest and largest Volkswagen Club...In existence since 1954..."

And...

"...we are one of the oldest Volkswagen Clubs in the world. The aim of the club is to promote the enjoyment and preservation of all models of Volkswagen, including Beetles, both old and new..."

This sounds like the perfect starting place to find local air-cooled VW mechanics and hobbyists who will probably be more than willing to help you out. Unlike most Porsche clubs, VW clubs are usually enthusiastic about our cars.

Also, through the wonders of the Google, I've just learned that Melbourne is where the Australian VW factory was located, so there must be hundreds of grizzled old VW mechanics in the area.

A six-pack of anything but Fosters may be all you need to get back on the road.

Here's the link to the VW Club of Victoria.

 

PS: Here's a shot from their annual event in 2016. Maybe you can take a trophy next year!

AussieSpeedy

 

 

Thanks for the information.

i will contact them for further information.

i am considering installing an electric battery and a new engine to complement the electric battery.

i am not interested in winning trophies, I just want to drive and enjoy my vehicle without risking my life.

Cheers

But $17k for an electric conversion!  Then finding someone who can tweak and fix it?  I can see electric speedster may be for local commuting (in a warm climate with the sun out).  It would be perfect on a small island where gas is costly - like Hawaii or Puerto Rico.  Could set up your own solar panels to charge it.  

You could do a dependable Subaru conversion for 2/3s that cost!  

 

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