Anyone want to buy my VW Variant before I rat it ?

OMG.

When I was about 13, a friend of the family in Tuxford wanted to sell me one just like that (but the injected model, IIRC) for £50. I wanted to restore it for when I passed my test. Same colour and everything.

I was told I couldn't have it, because we were going to move.

(In Tuxford, I had friends who would have taught me how to weld, helped source bits and so forth).

But, that's a lot of rot for two years since restoration :/

(Also, it's not a Variant. The Variant is the station wagon. It's a VW Type 3 Fastback).

Richard

MM, I've seen them called Variant/Fastback Fastback and just Variant. I know the square back is also a Variant but you might be right there.

Thanks

Does it need much doing. Is it a manual with a T shift or an Auto? What seats are they? What you asking? Where is it?

--=20 Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

That's a manual shift, I recognise the lockout on it. And the post has the price, at the top ;)

Richard (please, buy and save it. I really like Type 3 fastbacks...)

It's a Skat Shift on it,

The seats are not original. I can't remember what there from now, dam.

It needs work to the rust spots you see, the bonnet. 2 new sills and 2 smallish plates doing on the inner sills.

There is a small home in the floor pan as well.

Nothing major

The gear linkage needs sorting out as it jumps out of reverse.

But after a talk tonight I'm thinking of keeping it and putting a rebuilt fully dressed 1600 lump in it and doing the welding.

It won't be painted nice when I have done it and I'll be blocking up them vents behind the rear side windows to stop the wet getting in and rotting it away again, week spot that.

Matt Black with a big IRON cross on the door, mmm now where have I seen that before :)

Look at my Profile on the RatRodz site for location mate.

Yeah, I'm stupid and a little bit Golam. Got attracted by the pretty pictures to see the words.

I would say keep it. But just a thought, try Satin rather than pure flat black, I have a feeling that it completley change the finsished car, without making it any less rat.

If I was you, keep it, weld it, rat it. Don't scrap it.

Look like Mk 2/3 (later interior) Polo to me, but maybe too much curve on the front.

"They all do that sir" (sure it's not the gearbox mounting?).

Don't. Don't block them up. DO NOT RUIN THIS CAR. If you want to rat something in a manner which ruins it, then go find a Mk 3 Escort or something equally common. RHD Type 3s are rare enough, be they notch, fast or squareback. If you really feel the vents are an issue and don't want to properly repair the channels and rustproof to allow them to function as designed, then put some bolt-on covers/deflectors on them.

If I had a garage and wasn't restricting myself to two cars, I'd buy this just to prevent it being trashed. It doesn't look very bad at all by Type 3 standards.

I know it's a mods group, but you can mod it without ruining the shell. The engines are not a big deal at all, there's little enough interior that you can have fun with it. Please don't ensure another Type 3 ends up being worthy of nothing but scrap in a couple of years.

Richard

I think the gas axe will be out to play soon.

Your loss, as well as wrecking a rare car, if you're implying what I think you are.

Rat = £1500 at most. Resto = £4-6K.

Do what you want, but don't say you weren't warned when you're a doddering old fart looking at one of the last RHD Type 3s selling at auction for £40K and thinking "I had one of those".

Richard (have you seen Karmann Ghia prices? Type 3 Razoredges are £10K these days; my parents scrapped one in the late 70s because the steering box jammed and the panels were a bit rusty).

I'd love to restore it but I just don't have the money or the workshop to do it. I have to work by the road side or a field.

I do appreciate what you are saying but I have no chance of doing what it deserves really.

That's why it was put up for sale. I would love to see it go to a good home that would do it up and use it. I think they are a nice looking car and I always wanted one, now I have one I can't do anything with it :(

Just having a look round, and went to the Krispy Kreme bit. Is it just me, or are all the wonky photos really irritating? It's a shame, because the stuff they're photographing is quite cool enough already.

cheers, clive

Not my shout on them though. I think the same, some of them are nice pictures but a bit lop sided. The person taken them takes the responsibility for that I'm afraid :)

But I cant knock it, at least someone did contribute to the site for free which is always a good thing.

Yeah, but you can rat it without trashing it - fold aluminium to make deflectors and fold brackets to screw them over the vents, paint it satin black, fill the bonnet (it's not structural and it's pretty manky anyway), fit J-tubes to avoid being gassed...

I can see the appeal of ratting a car, totally. I've done some horrid things to cars - but you can do it in a way that staves off death and can be reversed, and then maybe the car can be restored in the future.

Honestly, if I had the space to store it under cover I would have it (well, and if I had some wheels for it). If I had the space and no cash, I'd be offering gadgets or whatever!

Richard