1966 VW Fastback

One of the first things I noticed were some puddles on the interior after it had been raining. Pretty much every window has old and cracked looking seals. I watched water drip in through the rear pop-out windows, the rear window and puddle down by the battery tray. The front windshield seal looks pretty ancient and cracked too.

I replaced the rear window seal and was really surprised to see all the metal in such good shape, clean unrusty metal. A little POR 15 on some edges to some areas the paint was worn off. I messed up the headliner a little bit when putting in the new seal, it’s not tucked into the seal like it should.

I have been looking for an air-cooled vw project for a few years and finally found one that was in good condition and running well enough to drive it home. A 1966 Type 3 VW Fastback. This car has been shepherded along it’s 53+ years of life and has come through relatively unchanged. The PO’s kept it pretty nice and did not change (much) to make it more of a modern car.

It’s still 6 volt, has original seats and interior, original ‘Perlweiss’ paint, no speaker holes cut into door panels or the rear package tray, and both trunks have original cardboard liners. Rust is minimal, the two front fenders will need replacing as the headlight areas are beginning to rust through. The floorpans are original and only surface rusted. A ‘pan-off’ restoration is actually not necessary.

The restoration process is just beginning and my plan is to drive it for a while saving up funds, developing a punch list for items needing replacement. First steps really are getting all weather leaks sealed, new tires for safety, and figure out a solution for air cleaners on the dual weber 34’s.