Not learning from history--doomed to repeat

[melville]

Howdy!

So there's this nice yellow 411 for sale identical to one we had for five years and I'm hemming and hawing about it.

Good solid car, original paint with a wee bit of rust, interior a bit of a mold factory, no idea as to mechanical condition.

Issues we had before and are hoping we can resolve with your help if we go for this one:

1. Window rubber and body seals--we couldn't get them before and in our climate we'd short out the relays regularly--no lights, horn, etc.

2. Front end shimmy--are the bits available make it right?

3. Master cylinder--they may have been available but no one would order one for us. Getting one was almost as bad as installing one (under the dash in a junkyard).

4. This one is a wagon and therefore an automatic. Is a 4-speed conversion feasible? Do I pull the parts from a sedan and just bolt them up? Can a Beetle transaxle be made to fit (big hammer)?

We really enjoyed our last one but for the problems above. If they can be solved we may go for one again.

Thank you

Mel

[wildthings]

1. Window rubber and body seals--we couldn't get them before and in our climate we'd short out the relays regularly--no lights, horn, etc.

I got a windshield gasket for a Brazilia a year ago in Mexico, I haven't installed it but it is a perfect fit on the spare glass I have. I expect it will work perfectly. I have also wondered whether you could take a bus or other windshield gasket and shorten it to fit the Type 4??? Don't know about body seals, I haven't needed them.

2. Front end shimmy--are the bits available make it right?

Parts are still a problem. Center links appears to still be available, but ball joints are rare. If the ball joints are not yet ruined buy joints for another vehicle and steal the boots off of them to use on the Type 4. You can easily make the old joints greasable so they should last and last. Struts inserts are still available on line. Most of the shimmy probably comes from the idler arm, an aftermarket bronze bushing will make this better than new.

3. Master cylinder--they may have been available but no one would order one for us. Getting one was almost as bad as installing one (under the dash in a junkyard).

Master cylinders show up frequently on eBay, plus others can be easily adapted. They are also available on line.

4. This one is a wagon and therefore an automatic. Is a 4-speed conversion feasible? Do I pull the parts from a sedan and just bolt them up? Can a Beetle transaxle be made to fit (big hammer)?

Parts for the 4 speed are rare and unfortunately the Beetle and bus transaxles can not easily be made to fit. The torque converter out of a Vanagon will give the automatic a lot more zip.

Best of luck, hope to see you back in the fold.

[ubercrap]

If you find 4 speed parts from a 2 door sedan, according to Ray Greenwood, you can pull them all and they bolt right up. A Porsche 901 transaxle may be able to be adapted, but most certainly would require some work/fabrication. Try revolks.com for the windshield/glass seals. I got brake master cylinders from autopartsgiant.com. Bronze idler arm bushings, interchangeable with late Super Beetles, are available from Mid America Motor Works, aircooled.net, and others. Center links are getting hard to track down, but there was just one on ebay, maybe the auction is still running. I don't have the cash right now, and I'm going to follow Ray's rebuild instructions anyway. I've purchased at least 4 NOS ball joints off of ebay also.

[raygreenwood]

I have written a lot about the 4 speed. The mounting points for the four speed are in all type 4's. That means that if you look closely, there is a rubber plug near the rear of the tunnel where the hydraulic clutch tube exits to teh rear. There are also welded in hold-dwon straps under teh carpet to hold down teh tube. The mounting holes for teh clutch slave are already in the pedal cluster. If you want a type 4 four speed.....you must get all of the stuff from a donor car.

Longer pedal shaft and teh clutch pedal. It also has a differnt brake pedal width than teh auto.
Clutch master
Triple outlet fluid resoivoir
clutch lines (can be fabbed...but no so easy)
clutch slave
shifter and gate
shift rod
rear coupling (totally unique to this car)
correct mounts and crossmember.
Ray

[melville]

Many thanks. I will give the wife the OK (she makes all the deals) and maybe I'll be back.

Mel

[Chris Hobbs]

About the window rubber set from Revolks.com:

I am about to put my 412 in the resto shop for a long-awaited major repainting/derusting. In anticipation of this day, last year I ordered a set of window rubber from Revolks. They offer a seal for every window (except the door windows), available American or European style, plus they have taillight to body seals. A whole set runs around $250. Two cautions:

1. Revolks does not usually keep these in stock and will order from their supplier when you order from them, so expect some delay in receiving your merchandise.
2. Be sure to spend the extra money to have them insure your shipment. They like to play this game, "What? You haven't received your box yet? Inconceivable! Let's give it another week." This added an extra 6 weeks before they finally agreed to REORDER and reship me a "second" set of rubber for free. But the next guy they might not be so nice with.

[melville]

Hey!

So I didn't buy it. But, just two days ago I drove by it again (yes, it sat on the street for a year!) and found the seller and the new owner cussing and fuming about it trying to make it go. I stopped, told my 411 story, gave the buyer the STF address, and he may be checking in already.

Later

Mel