Speedster Bahamas

The pan has a serial number underneath the rear seat area most times unless it was removed.  pict below.  I looks like a Vintage motors from the dash but I am not an expert on that model.  What kind of axles?  Swing arms or IRS?

Swing Axles above

Hi Ray,

it seems to be a swing axle.

The Vin # punched in at the above described location is : 5753136

W.

The engine is missing sheet metal to seal the engine compartment for proper engine cooling...  you should not be able to see the ground and your registration should show the same vin. #

@Wolf U  That may be a Bahamian serial number.  The original VW VIN should be 10 or 11 digits long, starting with a "1" like 1141048084

Ray mentions where the original VW VIN number is stamped on top of the central tunnel, but it may be hard to see.  You may have to lift the front edge of the rear seat and peel back the carpet to find it, and sanding off the top of the tunnel with sandpaper should make the numbers more visible.  When looking towards the rear of the car, the VW VIN should read left to right across the tunnel.

So now I have a Speedster guy to visit in Nassau!  We usually get down there a couple of times a year on a Disney cruise and have seen a lot of the island.  

Welcome to this Madness of Speedster Ownership!

Oh, and one more thing - Engine serial number:  Look at the bottom of the pedestal that holds up the generator.  There should be a flat place in the engine case right below the generator stand with the serial number stamped into it.

Welcome to the Madness.  Beautiful car!A couple of thoughts from your pictures.

- you may want to consider having the various tie rods replaced. All the ones picture appear to have tears in the rubber.   Here is a link to one of many sources with a useful parts diagram ( with links to the parts available for sale) for the front end.  https://www2.cip1.com/c24-133-415-303/ .  My recommendation to be to procure German parts when available… quaility is  bette.

- you are missing your engine seal.  Attached link for a source/part# that will work https://www.vintagemotorcarsin...product/engine-seal/. It’s a big H foam seal…. You can likely source this, and the above parts at a local VW/auto shop.

- from the pictures your car looks like it could have been built ~2012 _2013 by Vintage Speedsters in California (now closed)… I say this because that is the time period when they started to transition to using those door cards, and still used the curly red alternator wire.  Also has the typical Vintage dashboard vinyl cut line near the doors.  I does look like previous owners played with the car ( removed the external oil filter/ capped it (likely removed the engine.. and when they left off the seal, you can see the lighter color around the tin where the seal was once installed) replaced the shifter & knob.  

—— Vintage Motorcars ( one of the links above) took over their space in CA and builds amazing cars.  He also sources some of the replica speedster unique parts https://www.vintagemotorcarsin...-category/speedster/ … great customer support!!!

- looks like you found the cars vin, not the beetle pan vin. ( likely stamped by local authorities when it was registered there/imported)).  It should match your title.   The VW # is traditionally stamped where you describe, under the carpet flap. Pictured.  This is wehere all beetle pan based speedsters will have their vin…. It’s the original stamped # from the donor beetle

hope this helps,  welcome to the madness… it comes with miles of smiles and thumbs ups!!

Correction- John T is likely right about the ViN..l I was thinking of the later 11# vins.. sorry

From the Samba…(I think he has enough digits in his chassis number, no?)

@Lfepardo posted:

Welcome to the Madness.  Beautiful car!   A couple of thoughts from your pictures...                - you may want to consider having the various tie rods replaced. All the ones picture appear to have tears in the rubber...

    I does look like previous owners played with the car ( removed the external oil filter/ capped it (likely removed the engine.

Yes, Welcome to the Madness, and as said, great looking car!  A couple of things-             As mentioned, there needs to be a rear engine seal so the spent cooling air/heat from the exhaust can't be recycled back into the engine compartment.  This will ensure the engine lasts longer.  One of those rubber tears (the 1 in front) is the top ball joint- it connects the trailing arm to the steering knuckle. That will let dust/dirt in, accelerate wear and eventually will need a new ball joint pressed in.  And I don't think this engine ever had an exterior full flow filter- there's a stock oil pump cover and the hose hanging down on the right is just an extension of the breather tube.  Do you see something I don't?

Hope this helps.  Al

PS- as @Jon T showed in the vin # chart, looks like this Speedster was built with a '63 or 64 model year floor pan.

Happy Motoring!

@Gordon Nichols posted:

@Wolf U  That may be a Bahamian serial number.  The original VW VIN should be 10 or 11 digits long, starting with a "1" like 1141048084

Ray mentions where the original VW VIN number is stamped on top of the central tunnel, but it may be hard to see.  You may have to lift the front edge of the rear seat and peel back the carpet to find it, and sanding off the top of the tunnel with sandpaper should make the numbers more visible.  When looking towards the rear of the car, the VW VIN should read left to right across the tunnel.

So now I have a Speedster guy to visit in Nassau!  We usually get down there a couple of times a year on a Disney cruise and have seen a lot of the island.  

Welcome to this Madness of Speedster Ownership!

Oh, and one more thing - Engine serial number:  Look at the bottom of the pedestal that holds up the generator.  There should be a flat place in the engine case right below the generator stand with the serial number stamped into it.

It has enough digits Gordo. My chassis was a 1960 and it only had 7 numbers. His chassis number is also seven numbers which indicates it's an older pan, possibly a 1964 as his registration indicates.

Wow, i'm blown away already with the knowledge about these vehicles. Ive clearly come to the right place!

I will definitely attempt to get my hand on the various ball joints and the engine seal.

Question, when driving the car, I must say, it's not very comfortable. Is that just state of the art or would it benefit from some upgraded suspension parts to help make it more comfortable?

Also the doors rattle and make a bunch of noise which ads to the overall negative driving experience though I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, the car is truly a beauty and fun to drive non the less.

Re Engine #, I've looked at the exact spot mentioned by Gordon however it looks blank, ive cleaned it and brushed it but its just blank ?!

I'm assuming that this is simply a basic 1600cc ?

Best,

W

The generator/alternator stand often gets replaced, like when doing a generator-to-alternator change.  Then, you would lose the engine number.

Question, when driving the car, I must say, it's not very comfortable. Is that just state of the art or would it benefit from some upgraded suspension parts to help make it more comfortable?

Could you describe that a bit more?  They are very light cars and tend to show every crack in the road, but with the right shock absorbers they should smooth out quite a bit - Any idea how many miles are on it?  

Also, most new owners pump up the tires and run them in the mid to upper twenty PSI range and that is WAY too hard.  Try running the tires at 18psi front, and 20-22psi rear.  That should help a lot.

Also the doors rattle and make a bunch of noise which ads to the overall negative driving experience though I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, the car is truly a beauty and fun to drive non the less.

The trick there is to install weather stripping around the doors, either on the door or on the body so it will make contact when the door is closed.  The rubber will then form a cushion to keep the doors from rattling.  Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/D-Shape...dExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Re Engine #, I've looked at the exact spot mentioned by Gordon however it looks blank, ive cleaned it and brushed it but its just blank ?!

I'm assuming that this is simply a basic 1600cc ?

Most likely.  It looks like the typical Vintage engine with a pair of Kadron, single-throat carbs.  It is almost impossible to tell the size (displacement) of the engine without taking it apart to measure stuff, but, just for the heck of it, put a mirror on the back side of the engine's fan housing and look around the back  - Someone may have written the engine size in grease pencil on the back of the fan shroud.  Many Vinttage cars had this (and many not, too, I'm afraid).

Many of us (like me) have engines with "new cases" and those won't have a number stamped where I mentioned.  I don't own a Vintage Speedster like you appear to have, but there are many on here and those owners can chime in with what Kurt was installing for engines back then.

Most people will have to go through the whole car area by area to see what is normal and what can be made better or at least more to their liking.

Door rattles will drive you crazy and can be reduced but there is an education on what 50 year old technology feels like.   Some things are just that 50 year old tech.
Btw, driving an old beetle with a 36hp engine is not the most thrilling ride either . But around town it could be enjoyable.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

The generator/alternator stand often gets replaced, like when doing a generator-to-alternator change.  Then, you would lose the engine number.

Engine number is on the case, the firing order is on gen/alt stand..

Yeah, after posting I thought I got it wrong.  It is good that you corrected my misinformation.

Gee all this time I  tHOUGH the firing order 1432 was just a known default

I'll chime in and agree, that certainly looks like a early 2010s Vintage Speedster (California) built car.  Based on the interior and they were the only ones that used the positive alternator cable with the plastic zip tie holder on the fan shroud.  I can't see from the pictures, but just below where that cable passes through the firewall there should be a fairly large hole drilled to let in fresh air.

Like everyone else has said, get those engine tins installed, especially in Bahama heat.

Like Gordon said, you can fix the door rattles very inexpensively with new weather stripping.
-=theron

@Theron posted:

I'll chime in and agree, that certainly looks like a early 2010s Vintage Speedster (California) built car.  Based on the interior and they were the only ones that used the positive alternator cable with the plastic zip tie holder on the fan shroud.  I can't see from the pictures, but just below where that cable passes through the firewall there should be a fairly large hole drilled to let in fresh air.

Like everyone else has said, get those engine tins installed, especially in Bahama heat.

Like Gordon said, you can fix the door rattles very inexpensively with new weather stripping.
-=theron

Pretty sure the hole only went in the 1915's. When I got my early Vintage I thought it had a 1915 but there was no hole in the firewall. After I sold the motor I was told it was a 1776, hence, no hole in the firewall.

On the door rattle query, one quick thing to consider is removing  the door card and taking a peak in the door… a couple years after owning my VS a rattle started up and it turned out a screw and washer had come loose and was rattling around the bottom of the door.  I took the opportunity to make sure any nut/bolt I could access from the inside was tight/ had locktite , and install some Dynomatt or generic brand, the heaviest you can find ( adhesive back)— to add some weight to the doors.  

Adding some sound deadening in the doors does three things: it makes the door feel more solid, it squelches noises and vibration, and the door will close better with some  extra weight.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

The generator/alternator stand often gets replaced, like when doing a generator-to-alternator change.  Then, you would lose the engine number.

Not really; the OEM engine case numbers were stamped under the removable alternator/generator stand. What's inscribed in the stand is the firing order or Zundfolge 1432.

To add to the enlightening posts before me; the car is definitely a Vintage Speedster; I have a 2004 and it has the same features. You only need the foam seal as used on '72 - on Type 2 Volkswagen Buses with the larger Type IV motors. Those tend to disintegrate after a few years. I coated mine with black Flex Seal and it is holding up better. You will need to cut it but I suggest saving the remnant because you can use Permaseal gray sealant and fuse it with another piece in the future; I have.

This is the replacement:

https://www.westcoastmetric.co...2967624-411-225.html

The air filters on those carbs look like those on dual 34mm Solex style carburetors. The ones on dual Kadron Solex 40s are bigger. Because of this I would venture to guess the motor displacement is more modest; possibly a basic 1600 cc.

Hello fellas!

sorry for the delay in communicating my progress. I've been really busy at work but finally had a chance to take the engine out of the speedster. It truly is a piece of cake especially when there's already a bolt missing LOL

As Gordon Nichols already mentioned, someone had written the engine size on the cowling, so i've solved that mystery. I took care of some rust spots and in the coming weeks I'll re-seal the engine and get it running nicely.

I've come across a massive amount of rust in the fuel tank, will most likely require a replacement

I will also add the soundproofing in the doors, that's a great tip!

All the best,

W

Here some pictures:

Don’t replace your tank. Pull it out, put about 3 gallons of white cider vinegar in it along with a length of dime store lamp chain. Seal it and swish it around every couple of hours for a couple of days then drain it out. Rinse it good and let it dry.

Put it back in with a new fuel filter.

Any white vinegar should work IMO, to remove the rust POR-15 has a tank treatment but you might be able to get a cheap tank from CIP

Eastwood makes a gas tank cleaner and sealer.  Unless you get a large capacity (12.6 gal) tank, you'll need to relocate the filler by welding.  Unless it is rusted through and leaking ,it may be able to be saved.  Probably don't need larger tank for the Bahamas!

Tire pressure greatly impacts road comfort/handling on a Speedster, 20-22 F and 22-24 PSI R will make a big ride difference. 

Your engine case is a universal replacement - it has 2 extra bolt threads for a possible rear VW bus mount (1 either side of the oil pump cover).

You can buy replacement rubber boots for the tie rod ends.  It's an easy change -- but tire rod ends are not expensive in US.

A dead easy way to get rid of the rust is thru the electrolysis process. Recipe on youtube and remember to use washing soda, not baking soda. I miss sailing out of Marsh Harbour.

Nice; as I suspected this is a 1600 cc. Everything looks to be in good shape.

It is rare that I get adamant about much of anything, but a rusty gas tank either sealed, coated or blessed by the Pope will eventually cause issues that will result in frustrations and an unreliable car.  We all know all it takes is a speck of dirt in the carb to cause issues that may leave you on the side of the road. Any speedster that I have found having a questionable fuel tank got a new one along with a thoroughly flushed out or replaced hard line, new fuel hoses, two... NAPA gold metal fuel filters ( one at the tank outlet and the other at the carb (s) a carb cleaning, rebuild or replacement, fuel pump. Doing so, will allow you to have a clean trouble-free fuel delivery system..... Just my .02

EDIT  https://youtu.be/T-gF0kksEU8

Thank you Master Merklin for bringing us the real reason why an old tank should be junked….

A 24 gallon rubber fuel bladder will eliminate the rust problem nicely. It will fit easily in the front with the old tank gone by conforming to that space plus provide more than twice the fuel range, doesn't require an atmospheric vent, filler neck is highly adaptable, no sloshing is ever heard, no fuel gauge needed because the bag deflates as fuel is used so you can see how much fuel you have left, and in the event of a front end collision it will blow out thru the hood all over the the other car or object you hit !

Bruce

@Lfepardo posted:

install some Dynomatt or generic brand, the heaviest you can find ( adhesive back)— to add some weight to the doors.  

First drill holes in the Dynamatt to lower the weight though

@Wolf U Since you probably live within, say, twelve feet of salt water and the summer can be pretty soupy from humidity, it really isn't a surprise that there is rust in the gas tank.  If it had been sitting for an extended period only partially full, the rust inside the tank could be extensive.

I used to live on the water (the brackish delta of the Broad River in South Carolina) and things like home appliances (washer, dryer, etc) would last less than ten years because of rust.  Everyone in the local car club knew that they had to keep the gas tank of their classic cars full to avoid rusting inside.

I'm with @Alan Merklin on this one, especially where you live, and I haven't had stellar luck with internal tank coatings in the past - Maybe one of your local mechanics has some Marine tank treatment that they've had good luck with, so ask around - You can't be the first Bahamian to see this.

Otherwise, pull the tank and get a new one, flush the gas line end to end and then add a good gas filter under the (new) tank and another one just before the carbs.  Please don't get those cheap clear plastic filters - They're junk.  I use a NAPA Gold 3031 filter just below the tank and before the electric fuel pump (up front).  It has 1/4" hose fittings.  You could add another one between the rear firewall and the carbs, to be extra safe.

How did you make out with lower tire pressures?  Is it riding/handling better or are you concentrating on getting things fixed?

@Wolf U

Oh, and on the rattling doors, don't know if this has been mentioned, but "D" shaped tubular weather strip for automobiles, properly applied where you think it makes solid contact between the door and the body, will do wonders to reduce rattling and make the doors "thunk" when you close them.

Look at the gaps where you think weather strip should go and decide on the thickness.  Usually something between 3/8" - 1/2" will do the trick.....  And it's inexpensive.

Here are a bunch of them:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=D-s...5&ref=nb_sb_noss

Some of the D hollow weather stripping has a wall thickness that is too thick and will not compress enough. McMaster Carr has the right 3M adhesive backed thin wall D weather strip.