fastback from yesteryear

[nicolas]

OK i dug in some old mails and i found one from Gregory Lhoest witht pictures of my car taken at DDD, now 10 years ago… talk about a flashback. i can't really say it is that long and judging by the kms on the clock it really doesn't seem to be driven THAT much, although. i have tons of good memories and stories from this car. it starts somewhere when these pictures are taken. they are just a month after it's completion of the car and are taken at the first real outing of it.
and i may have told this years ago, but i did manage to win a trophy that day, but i broke my engine also. i didn't know, but found out only on the way back home. it wouldn't run, more specific, it wouldn't accellerate above 90km/h. so i steadily and with minimum trottle rolled home and it was the end of my 1641cc engine. i killed it most likely by overrevving it at my first attempts at drag racing (i lost all races that day). but nothing, really nothing could wipe the smile of my face if i could bring my car with trophy on the back seat home, no matter how slow the car went.
between the bad experiences, expensive lessons, various do's and don'ts i have fun! a lot of it, i do all sorts of trips, have learned a lot about my car, engines, machining and what not. up to the point that it has made me the person i am today, not only the car has made me, but it is a part of me and i like it.

 

[wolfswest]

Well, maybe it's trip down memory lane day.  I was having the same thoughts today.  I own my beetle for 15 years and like you said it contributed a bit to the person I'm today.  For good or bad...  that's not my call.
Hope to enjoy it many more hot summers.  Hope spring is here soon!

[Nico86]

Always looking great! 

[j-f]

I often thought about that too.

I travel a lot and quite far with my bug. UK, Norway, France, Holland, Germany. A lot's of place I would never thought to go to if it wasn't for this hobby. I wonder what I would have done instead...  I miss those longs road trips a lot.

It's a bit on a back burner now but I keep the flame, whatever. It's part of me and my family 

[flatfire]

What a lovely looking Fastback. The colour and the wheel combination perfect.
Do you still have it ?

[nicolas]

What a lovely looking Fastback. The colour and the wheel combination perfect.
Do you still have it ?

yep still have it. i went to work with it yesterday. i am thinking about actually getting it out to take some better pictures of it again. just as a back then / now comparison. it has changed so much over the years, but nothing too obvious or that would not fit the original 'concept'

[jamiep_jamiep]

Great post and a beautiful car I'd love to see a few more pictures?

[vwcab]

Today we, Nicolas and I, went to the Freddyfiles with the Fastback. This car has it ALL, the "look", handling, torque and power. You have built the ultimate sleeper Nicolas.
Thx for the roadtrip and up to the next.See you later.

P.S.I'm in love with that car  

[vwcab]

 

[vwcab]

 

[Zach Gomulka]

Nice car man! That's the look I was yearning for when I was still playing with fastbacks.

[Nico86]

Always so beautiful 

[nicolas]

thanks for the very nice comments.
i just try my best to make it my car. i have learned a lot like i said before and more and more the car drives and handles better. i have learned that horsepower figures and this and that gizmo part will not lead to the 'best' car. little by little this car becomes a driver and yes, maybe a bit of a 'soft sleeper', something to get the adrenalin flowing once in a while or just not be overtaken by some sportier more modern car whos driver seems to look upon our humble VW's as they were speed bumps on the road.

so, saturday i had the option of taking out the fastback for a longer trip then usual (270 or so kms in the end) or the daily. the sun was out and the desicion was quickly made. i washed it, gave it a good once over and all i took with me was a spare battery. mine has drained a few times, but otherwise no real toolbox or spare parts. i usually stack a ton of parts, just in case, they are old cars mind you. maybe i should, but i thought what the heck, i don't do that in any other car. i called up Peter to take him along and maybe, just maybe, have a plan B if the car would not perform well.
on our sunday escaped, i did not need plan B, Peters wife had the car for the day and we, we cruised at 115 - 120 km/h to Ninove without a hiccup. 
on our way back we had some trafic jams, but the car held its cool and i think everything went well.
of course there are things that don't make this a modern car, but it sure makes a fun car and that is what it is all about, not?

happiness

[Stevo_L]

love it
one of the best looking type 3s out there

[Nico86]

That's what I'm always telling people who think I'm crazy or stupid to drive an almost 50 year-old car daily and everywhere I need to go. First, what do they think, people have been doing that with similar cars (and cars far less reliable than old VWs!) during decades. Second, I laugh when their car has something electronic going wrong and it puts itself in security, and the only thing they can do is call to be towed and pay from the begining hundreds bucks just for this!

I have a friend driving an Alfa 147 and I'm watching it falling apart more and more with every year. All I would do if I was given one is sell it as fast as possible and invest in another air-cooled VW and parts.

[speedwell]

last sunday a tthe freddy files

[RichardinNZ]

I think my wife is always cross that I sold my '66 Fastback as it remains her favourite car that I have owned.  It was made worse that the Square I sold it to buy was a dog! 

Yours is a great looking car.

Richard

[nicolas]

BTW, those pictures really are outdated   
it has a completely different exhaust now 

i also will reposition the foglight and delete the backup light. i had to reposition the oilcooler as well and i am making progress on the popping sound i have. the carbs are a candidate for a thorough checkup.

but that said, yesterday our youngest 'lost' the keys of the daily (i could post a picture, but if you have had a similar experience, you most certainly know how they look, cute, but lethal  ), so i had to rush it a bit to fit the new goodies, but like Nico stated, these cars will work and you can fix them yourself. so today she went to work with the fastback, i bet the faces of the kids at school are priceless as well.

[peejke]

still remember the day we went to check it out the first time. It was a real weedeater back then. Just a very rough project car. You made a hell of a car out of it.

[nicolas]

well it maybe time to have a small update again.

i have fitted the CSP exhaust which was in the car when Fabs took the picture, but not installed. 
i have fitted a cone to it because initially it wasn't performing in the way i wanted it to.
i have replaced the rubber hose that was the fuelline in the tunnel with a stainless steel 8mmx1mm tube all the way to the carbs, only the last 3 inches are still rubber and the hose from the tank and pump (which have been checked in the process)
i did one thing that wasn't the most esthetical change and that was fitting seatbelts for the back seat… it isn't beautiful nor too ugly, it just keeps kids protected if anything must happen…

yep it is a driver.

BTW the car is just shy of ten years on the road 

[nicolas]

hey hey update update!

not that you care, but maybe just maybe some one gets sparked and gets in the garage as well… apologies in advance for the rambling 

i have been driving the car quite a bit this summer after i rebuild the engine again earlier this year. and yet there seems to be a list of things that need attention. almost an endless list if you want… so no major issues, but things that make it all that harder.
one of those things was a battery that slowly drained so i thought. but after getting my voltmeter to finally work (another of those 'things') i noticed i never got above 12V. so when i got home after EBI and the holiday that followed the car wouldn't start with the kids in… not exactly fun as, but no hassle except for a push start. i ran it like this for two months and now i had enough of it. so i dug into the electric whirlpool and found a dead regulator. nothing major, but so glad i fixed it. i also went to the yearly MOT and the guys there found my original lights not bright enough, so i had to order new ones. these seem to be the flatter type H4 hellas. cool, but a bit of a bummer since i switched from flat lenses back to the curved original style two years ago after a similar complaint from them. i liked the curved ones… but the hellas still look a lot better then the no name ones i had before.
the stitching on the doorpocket did come lose the other day… so i guess it is 2-3 things of the list and another thing on. 

[j-f]

Do you still have the variant?

[nicolas]

Do you still have the variant?

yes.

[j-f]

Do you still have the variant?

yes.

Cool car, and with a good story 

[Glauco]

I realy love this car, it is by far the best looking fastback! time flies, I still remember the year you got the trofy.
It made me doubt about my collor choice and almost painted the karmann brown as well..
one of the cars we will still be talking about 30 years from now 

glauco

[nicolas]

I realy love this car, it is by far the best looking fastback! time flies, I still remember the year you got the trofy.
It made me doubt about my collor choice and almost painted the karmann brown as well..
one of the cars we will still be talking about 30 years from now 

glauco

wow! that is a lot more credit then i or the car deserve… but thank you. that trophy was this month 10 years ago…