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At this point probably not. To the best of my recollection Kirk did not keep those records and he has since retired and sold the business. That business was then moved to Arizona, went out of business, and was sold to someone else.

You MIGHT be able to have a VIN history done by the DMV to determine which years it was registered. The large gap between two particular years might tell you when it was built. Not sure if DMV still offers that service or not but you could probably search online to see if they do.

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If you post some photos of your engine compartment and interior (seats, door cards, instruments, steering wheel, etc.) we may be able to give you an idea of general time frame. The more trim details the better.

For example, is the heavy wire on the distributor a coiled, red wire? Is the steering wheel a real Nardi or a replica? Does the speedo read in miles or kilometers?Sometimes, the model of carburetor and linkage will tell a story.

We love speculating about things we don't know for certain.

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You also have a potentially very serious fire issue I just noticed on the engine picture.  The red positive wire is touching the fan shroud.  Through vibration, the red wire will wear and make contact with the grounded fan shroud.  That will start a nasty fire.  If you check the back of that red wire I bet it has wear already.  Vintage Speedsters started putting a plastic spacer and tie wrap to keep this from happening somewhere around 2004.  Here is a picture of the spacer and wrap.  Whatever you do, get this fixed before your have a fire.

-=theron

@dlearl476 posted:

Doesn't your car have an Assigned Identification Number sticker? Mines from CA, but I've seen pictures of a similar one (from  FL or AZ, IIRC.)

Seems like you could find out from the DMV when it was first titled.

I think most were registered with the VW pans chassis number (pseudo-VIN). 

MOFOCO was a big builder of T1 engines with hydraulic lifters too.

Mofoco VW Type 1 Hydraulic Kit

Troy, thank you for replying.  If I can get CA DMV on phone and give them some $, maybe they can provide title or registration info that might show when VW VIN became a REPLICA vin.....    regarding hydraulic lifters.. when attempting to set lash (and more importantly with friend’s help with A&P cert) we noticed that when pushing bottom of rocker to eliminate free play, we could get pushrod to move slightly in-out as if spring loaded or “squishy” ...this was the giveaway. I would not have figured it out alone. He’s seventy and adjusted lots of valves on all manner of VW’s and aircraft motors.

Troy wrote: "I'm not so sure your method of determining hydraulic lifters is accurate, but I really don't know. Maybe get a second opinion."

Second Opinion:

Yup.  That's how you do it.  If the lifters are stock, solid lifters and you run the valve adjuster in to zero clearance, it won't go anymore, period, because you've bottomed out the push rod and (solid) lifter.

If it has hydraulic lifters and you turn the adjuster to zero clearance at the valve stem, you can then keep turning a number of turns as the push rod makes the lifter piston collapse, then back it out 1/2 - 3/4 of the collapsed length (you have to count turns, here) and you're done.  There is a spring inside the lifter to provide the proper "rest" pressure.  The VW techs would set them at any engine temp by relieving pressure from the valve stem adjuster, then turn it back in 1 or 2 turns, no more, and they were done.  Once they're adjusted you really never have to check them again, but this group probably would!  It's important to know that hydraulic lifters give you zero clearance between the rocker arm adjuster and the valve stem at all times, hot or cold, but they automatically adjust for oil/engine temp changes, keep a pre-determined pressure against the valve stem when "closed" and a stronger pre-determined pressure against the stem when pushing it "open".  They're usually quieter running because of this.

I'm also seventy and adjusted lots of valves on all manner of VW’s (but sadly, no aircraft motors).

Last edited by Gordon Nichols
@Bubbasev posted:

Car was titled in MT when I bought it. Now titled in ID against VW pan VIN. NBS auto showroom in Milpitas, CA either represented first owner or bought car from first owner.  Reaching out to them.  Not a big deal either way.  Have a great day.  Keith

@Troy Sloan posted:

If it's still registered as a VW, then the DMV won't have any other information other than what Robert suggested, which might be a large gap between the registration renewals.

I didn’t realize the car had been registered out of state. That will reduce the chances of DMV having accurate info. Depending on when it left the state of CA the old records may have been purged already. I wouldn’t tell DMV it’s a replica though. Just tell them it’s a VW.

@Bubbasev posted:

Would be interested to see pic of firewall hole... how does this help and where does hole go? Into cabin?

the hole goes in front of the motor, and no, not into the cabin. It's a double wall there, one for the firewall, and one for the "back seat".

@majorkahuna posted:

As far as I know Type 1 motors never had hydraulic lifters. At least I have never seen one. Perhaps the later 1600 dual ports did. The type 4 motors all came with hydraulic lifters to my recollection. Again at least everyone I was ever around did. My car is a 2010 build with a 1915 and it does have the vent hole in the firewall.

As I stated somewhere else, the Vanagon Wasserboxer motors were an amalgam of VW, but basically a 76 x 94(2109) with water jacketed cylinders and watercooled heads. They had a type1 crank, but it had a type4 flywheel attachment with 5 bolts.

They also had hydraulic lifters, just like late type1 motors.

Some guys even use the engine cases for aircooled after cutting off the water jackets. The cases are made of aluminum. I think they call them "Airboxers".

I bought the last few dozen aircooled VW engines that came off the assembly line at VW Mexico plant MANY years ago, and they were all solid lifters, EFI, high discharge ignition modules, and generators.  A weird combination.  

I've worked on a few T1 hydraulic lifter motors over the  years but they were all custom built to that spec for the client.

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