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19super73 Hardcore Stock Nazi
Joined: October 18, 2007 Posts: 4351 Location: Cité Soleil
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:42 am Post subject: Fun find-1970 411 LE Variant |
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Occasionally you find some interesting (by North American standards) cars laying around. Here in Canada, we were offered a wider range of models from VW along with more of the European brands during the 50's to the '70's, such as Vauxhall, European Fords, Austin's, Opel's, Renault's, Citroen's etc. Also, due to having NATO countries having their armed services members training at our bases, vehicles were imported by these members or by Canadian Armed Forces personnel returning from Europe. That leads me to this car that I have chased off and on for about 3 years, simply to add to my parts supply and because it has a good windshield.
It's a 1970 411LE Variant. Lots of little things are different about it vs. what was imported and for sale to us in North America. First off, we didn't get them till 1971. The front seats are the later style, (different than the 1971 types), the headlight doors have chrome around the edges, the front signal lights resemble the 412's than the 411's, and it has the side marker lights on the front fenders. What's fun about it is that it was tarted up quite a bit but was still a 4 speed manual transaxle. All Type 4's except the 2 door version were automatics in the USA, but here in Canada, you find about a 50/50 split between manual and automatic transaxles. Emden radio, Westfalia tow hitch and a sunroof. I've never seen a Type 4 with a sunroof. Once I loaded it up and took a look at it, I will feel a little bad about pulling it apart. The body is actually pretty good for a Type 4. One hole in the trunk but the strut supports are good, the fenders are really good, but of course the front hood is bad like my others. They all rot out in the same places.
_________________ 1970 Campmobile [url=https://www.vw-mplate.com/mplate-47260.png]Click to view image[/URL]
1970 Fastback 1600 TL
1971 Doka [url=https://www.vw-mplate.com/mplate-14845.png]Click to view image[/URL]
1973 Super Beetle
1973 Westfalia [url=https://www.vw-mplate.com/mplate-31892.png]Click to view image[/URL]
1974 412 Variant
1975 La Grande Bug
1984 Vanagon |
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21474 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:05 am Post subject: Re: Fun find-1970 411 LE Variant |
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Nice!....but you have to do what you have to do. I came to this conclusion long ago.
I have come across numerous 411/412 over the years that were pretty nice and straight and good candidates for a drive-able restoration.
But you have to stand back and inspect the reality. One or more of these usually impacts the timeline:
1. If you brought it home today...on a trailer usually....do you have the room to store it, money to put into it and the time and severe effort it takes to make it run and drive again? Or is it better the one you have and you are willing to swap?
If not.... you are just delaying the inevitable...either selling it or parting it out....usually in worse condition than it was when you found it. Buyers are rarely waiting in the wings in fast enough time to prevent parting out or scrapping when things get tight.
2. If you can't do any of the above....and the owner has to move it...its in the way of life, construction, farming or the city is pushing to scrap it.....even if its in great shape....sometimes the only option to save anything at all is to part it out and take what you can on the spot.
3. Many 411/412 finds at this age are at risk of being nothing at all when they are sitting out in the open like that. They are leaking, rusting, rotting, animals living in them, trees and vines growing through them and getting shot at by rednecks. Sometimes they are at enough risk that its faster to cut losses and take what you can get.
At this point in time.....unless you have the space, money or know a buyer looking....its better to help save what few viable rollers there are on the road by adding cars like the one you found...into the parts pipeline. Ray |
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19super73 Hardcore Stock Nazi
Joined: October 18, 2007 Posts: 4351 Location: Cité Soleil
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raygreenwood Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008 Posts: 21474 Location: Oklahoma City
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:39 am Post subject: Re: Fun find-1970 411 LE Variant |
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19super73 wrote: |
It's going to be pulled apart for parts. I have no illusions that I will be "saving" it from a fate different from that. Like I said, I just feel a little bad about pulling apart what is by our standards a rather rare car and one that isn't terribly bad. The engine is already gone anyway, the interior is in pretty bad shape etc, so this will be a donor car. I would love to be able to use the Westfalia hitch on my '74, but with the differences in bumpers, I don't think it will work. |
Yep....and as I noted....if all of us tried to save every wreck we found....it would so dilute the already small time, effort and funding resources we collectively have....and jeopardize the rest of the small fleet of truly viable cars we are trying to get and keep on the road.
I think I mentioned last week....that if I won the lottery....I would probably build a big, cheap metal building with a concrete slab on a piece of land....and start acquiring and storing some of these just as a resource. Ray |
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