Help! Need information about T3

[notch_it]

Hi everyone!
first of all, excuse me: I'm italian and my English is awful!
I hope you can give me some suggestions about VW type 3.
Actually I'm going to buy a 1970's T3 notchback, dual carb w/ automatic gearbox. Here in Italy this kind of car is extremely rare, also because of the high price of petrol!, therefore it's impossible for me neither to get information about it, nor to have a look to other cars to compare them.
I'm not expert at all with aircooled VW, I just read something on the internet, so I'm posting here some (too many?) questions:

1. Which are critical points for rust?
2. Is it automatic transmission reliable?
3. Is it heater system safe for eventual CO (ossido di carbonio, in italian) leaks?
4. Is it possible to inspect heater exchangers without taking the engine apart? How can I estimate their conditions? What is an heater channel? Where is it?
5. Which kind of ATF oil can I use for transmission lubrication? Is the ATF change the only maintenance operation required to preserve automatic transmission from damages?
6. What about performances? Max speed, average consumption of petrol and oil?
7. I ignore the functions of many dashboard knobs, excluding lights switch, and there isn't in the car any owner's manual. There are also two small levers to sides of e-brake: what do they do?


Thanks in advance and many smiles from Italy
ciao

[Bobnotch]

Well I'll try to answer some of these.
1)The common points of rust are the tops of the front fenders (behind the tires and around the headlight bucket)and the rear edge(last 2"of it), the inside fender well,the lower rockers, and where you put your feet inside(left side for LHD and right side for RHD), the battery tray area(very common to ALL VWs), the sunroof drains, on later models VW used foam inside the "C" pillars and this causes rust to happen there, the lower 4" of the rear fenders, the bottom edges of both front and rear trunk lids, and probably a couple more places that I forgot.
2)Yes the Auto tranny is very stong and durable. In fact most of the parts are still being used in todays current VWs and Audis. You can also get rebuild kits for these.
3)This depends on your definition of safe, usually if you have a problem with them its because the heat exchangers are shot, and need replacement (this is how you tell that).
4a)I don't know of a way to do that myself. You can remove them from the engine without too much work. b)Inspect the outer tin and see if it still has its covering,and look at the condition of the tins that are exposed (look for rust). c) the heater channel is basically the rockers, the heater channel runs inside the inner and outer rocker.
5)The Auto tranny uses Dextron fluid, commonly available at your Friendly Local Auto Parts Store (FLAPS). Yes this needs to be done semi regularly to keep it in good operational condition.
6)Performance is a little slow with the Automatic compared to the Manual trans. But you can make the engine larger or do a type4 conversion to it. Max speed is I believe about 90 MPH (YMMV), average fuel consumption is dependent on how you drive,I get 24mpg with my wife's car but she only gets 21.5, I think she has a lead foot .Oil is not bad once you seal all the leaks, as I only have to top up a little between oil changes.
7)Well the dash only has lights, wipers, 4way flasher,fresh air vent controls,and maybe a radio. The 2 levers next to the E-brake control the heater function, the lever on the right turns the heat on and off, and the lever on the left mixes the heat front to back.
Just a thought for you, the late Type3 Notchbacks are very scarce in any part of the world, and getting one with Automatic puts it into an even rarer group, as most of Europe prefers a manual trans. I hope I helped you out, and I also hope you buy that car and save another old rare car from the crusher/junk yard.

Bob 65 Notch S
70 Fastback AT
69 Squareback AT

[fud2468]

Thanks for asking these questions, because the reply you received will help me to restore my Type 3 Squareback.
Congratulations! Your English is excellent!
Ray McDonald in northern California.

[Travis]

As is often said, there is NO stupid question. Everyone has a first time, about the only semi-exception to this is a request to search the archives here first as they are quite extensive.

Congratulations on your find and good luck with it's restoration (both of you )

Travis

------------------
Keedyweb
A proud member of Club LAVA & The Scenic City Volksfolks

[Bobnotch]

Hey, I'll try to answer any question if I can. I've done a few Type3 resorations, and I've had them alot further apart than I probably should (I Aint Skeeered). I don't really have any experience with the very early cars,or type34s, or with FI, as my cars are carbed. I currently own a 65 Notch and a 69 Squareback, and work on my wife's 70 Fastback. I've seen the differences between the models, and have a pretty good idea of what will interchange and what won't. So, if you get stuck, ask here or at http//www.vwtype3.org and we'll see if we can answer you question, or give you a possible solution.I hope this helps.

Bob 65 Notch S w/Sunroof
69 Square AT- the baby suburban

[Nailbomb]

Bob what you say about the later model notchbacks is so true. It's weird that there are more early models than late models around now days. I have a 64, and have had another 64 and a 63, but have never found one newer than a 65 in my area. It seems like the opposite would be true.

[This message has been edited by Nailbomb (edited 12-27-2002).]

[Bonotch]

I think the big reason that thjere are less late Notchs is because of the Fastback. Up until 66 you could only get a Notch or a Square, but then in 66 VW introduced the Fastback, and that cut into the sales of the Notch. I only know of (seen photos of) a few late Notchs, but it seems like there is a lot of 65 and earlier Notchs out there, and some of them are for sale. The late Notchs were mainly built for Europe, while the Fastback was built for everywhere else. When I was looking for my Notch there weren't too many for sale, and I felt lucky to get the one I did.

Bob 65 Notch S

[73notch]

lucky me.i own a late model notchback. 1973, last year.