To Whom it may concern, I am thinking about adding another ACVW to my stable. I have seen an ad for a 1971 Squareback and I was wondering what I should look for when I inspect the car. They only want $1,800.00 for it, that sounds like a deal. It is described as, "running, in good condition". The pictures in the ad show the body and interior are in pretty good shape. Are there any major pitfalls with this car? I do not know whether it is an automatic or manual transmission yet, which is more dependable? Is the 1600 cc pancake engine an expensive proposition for parts like my air cooled Vanagon? Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
"Paul Broadway" wrote in message news:RQ2Ye.2098$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
The Squarebacks of that era (69-72) were awesome little cars. Check for the same stuff you would on a bug--cancer under the RR seat, etc. It will probably be fuel injected. Don't let that scare you; the Bosch FI on the Type IIIs was pretty good. I talked to a guy once who worked with the factory VW techs. People would send the electronic control units (which are tucked into the left rear fender well) in as defective. He said they tested them, and almost never actually found a bad one. The problem was almost always dirty ground connections. The carbureted versions had a dual-carb setup that also performed well when in good shape. If the carbs are worn out, they'll give you double trouble until you get them fixed. Other than that, the pancake engines are great. Just be sure all the rubber seals are present and working for good cooling. The other major difference between the bugs and Type IIIs is front brakes. The squarebacks had front disks, and the calipers had a reputation for being cantankerous. They'd freeze up if the rig was left sitting for long periods, and were difficult to bleed if you didn't have a power bleeder. When working right, they were, of course, superior to the drum brakes on the bugs. The automatic trannys they put in the type IIIs were surprisingly good. They were not the same clutchless-shift tranny that the auto bugs had, but a regular 3-speed auto. The AT Type IIIs aren't generally considered as desirable as the 4-speed rigs, but if you don't mind an automatic, they're fine.
Lately I've seen several Squarebacks with a single 2bbl carburetor scabbed in where the throttle body for the fuel injection used to be. To do this they have to cut a hole in the engine cover and build a box around the carb which sticks up into the rear cargo area. If this one's been butchered this way, knock off $600 from the asking price, and if they don't take it, walk away whistling. Use the money you saved to put it back stock, either carb or FI.
I've owned several Squarebacks, and loved them. They're a bit roomier than the bugs, haul an incredible amount of stuff, and are just all around cool little rigs.
A US market Type 3 would be FI, but this is a very good FI system and if taken care of will give excellent service. There is a rubber "overflow" hose under the RF fender which is always cracked, and this lets water into the gas tank, creating problems. This will need to be fixed, and the water gotten out of the system. Just hope that it hasn't sat in there for a long time.
'71 is one of the very best years for overall build quality in type
3s. I have one in the garage now, and have had 2 other '71s in the past.
If the FI has been switched to carbs, then this is likely to be a problem, because few of the conversions were actually very good. A conversion to the OE stock Solex dual carbs could be done well, but most of the aftermarket carb setups just never seem to get everything quite right.
The brakes will need work. I rebuild the calipers, etc., if you need help.
Watch out for rust. It won't be obvious from the outside, but any rust that has penetrated to the inside is deadly. Look under the back seat and under the carpet at the outer front corners of the front seat footwells. Also check inside the trunk, the left inside fender wall.
By FAR, your best bet for advise and parts is the Type 3 email list. Go to
formatting link
and sign up. It's free, and totally non- commercial.
Buy a Bentley manual:
Volkswagen Official Service Manual Type 3 Fastback and Squareback 1968-1973 published by Robert Bentley, Cambridge, Mass, 1974 ISBN 0-8376-0057-X / LPV 997 383 / VSQU (excellent book, complete and well written)
These are still in print for about $40 but older copies, with wiring diagrams in color, can often be picked up at swap meets or ebay.
Other than the 3 '71 squarebacks, I've owned and loved 7 other squarebacks over the last 37 years, from '66 to '73. I currently own 5 of them, 3 of which could be driven on short notice.
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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA
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