[T3] Engine production numbers was Weird Idle Dips

[Dave Hall]

Just checked that bung - it's dark so I took a torch with me (thought that
would get a laugh!).

It's not threaded, and I'm sure they batch-built back then - they probably
still do for some markets so they can be transported to the same port for
shipping. Three versions of the front beam seems likely.   

A story I've told before may put other things in context.

I've had three 1971 Variants, two marina blue, one was obtained part
stripped to salvage bits, one we used from 1976 until around 1990, when it
was dismantled for parts, and the current Elm green one, bought 1991 and
still in use.

The plates on the body and the VIN numbers read  18-1-4323, 361 2199964;
18-2-3799, 361 2201332;  18-3-3645, 361 2200959 (Elm green).

I believe that means the bodies were made on Monday (-1-), Tuesday (-2-) and
Wednesday (-3-) in week 18 of 1971.

However, the chassis numbers are not in that sequence.  I believe the
Tuesday body was assembled to the chassis AFTER the Wednesday car, as it has
a later chassis number.

Why would that be?   I think I have a reasonable explanation:-

When I was repairing the driver's door on the 'Tuesday' car, I found below
the (apparently) factory-applied Marina blue paint (which had matched the
rest of the car perfectly all its life) that it was actually Elm green.  If
the body had not been passed by the VW inspectors after the paint stage,
maybe because the door was damaged, it would have missed the production line
for that day and been delayed while a door was painted to suit.  It would
have then been married to a later chassis number, as seems to have happened.
I didn't notice any other parts with the same under paint, so I think it was
possible that they had repainted a green door. 

I guess if I stumped up the money for a birth certificate for the latest
chassis number, I could clarify the mystery, but it seems an unnecessary
expense for a car I no longer have - well, only parts!

So, Right-hand drive were made in batches for the UK anyway - probably a
ship-load of various models at a time, to be stored at Ramsgate until
distributed to dealers.

The same would almost certainly be true of USA production, but with LHD and
their special specifications of sealed beam, and all FI, etc.


It was fascinating when visiting Wolfsburg in 2002 that there was quite a
mix of LHD and RHD special edition VWs mixed together on the line -
computerised parts system sent the right parts as the cars were being
assembled.


Dave.
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================



-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Jim Adney
Sent: 06 March 2012 15:47
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] Engine production numbers was Weird Idle Dips

On 5 Mar 2012 at 22:58, Bobsnotch at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 3/5/2012 8:07:08 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
> dave at hallvw.clara.co.uk writes:
> 
> Wasn't  the Type 34 built on a Type 3 chassis?  I've assumed they are 
> within the sequence, but someone will put me right if not.
> 
> I'm  pretty sure the chassis numbers weren't stamped on until final 
> assembly as  that's the only explanation for one of my 3 consecutive 
> Squarebacks dated and painted body plate being out of sequence with 
> chassis  numbers.

> Yes, they were. I'm thinking that batches of pans went to Karmann 
> though, rather than VW sending them 1 at a time. The reason I say 
> that, is batches would make sense, in that the steering box has to be 
> reset, the KG seat tracks  welded to the floor, and the KG rear kick 
> plate (yes it's different from
>  standard) welded in, and all of that welding repainted (or just painted).

> These  items would take time, and I'd think they would be done at 
> Karmann rather than  at Wolfsburg. Plus, the standard pieces would be 
> left off at VW, making it a  little easier for the Karmann workers. I 
> don't know IF that's how it worked  though.

I agree that it would make the most sense for whoever made the pans to set
up to make an occasional batch of slightly different pans for a day or a
week. That would allow them to weld in the different parts required and
paint the finished pans just once. Yes, the VINs were stamped in later, as
we can see by the fact that they are stamped thru the paint, not painted
over. I suspect this was done very early on the assembly line and that a
packet containing the alum VIN plate for the trunk, the decal for the
doorframe, and for later years, the dashpad ID plate, was dropped onto the
pan at the same time, thus assuring VIN consistency.

Locks and keys would have been done the same way: It's likely that steering
column came with locks installed and with a packet containing matching door
handles and keys. Once the column was installed in the car, the packet
contents would be mounted as the doors were assembled and mounted, further
down the line.

Note that the front axle beams were probably assembled, including the
steering gearbox, somewhere else and mated to the pans during final
assembly. Those beams would have been built up specifically for particular
needs, like LHD vs RHD and T3 vs T34.

I had always noticed that each front beam had an extra hole, a mirror image
of the hole for mounting the stationary end of the steering damper. That
hole always has a little plastic plug in it. Last summer I parted out a '72
beam and discovered to my surprise that there was no threaded bushing under
that "spare" hole. In other words, it was not a universal LHD/RHD beam, as I
had always assumed. It was made up of the standard stampings, but they had
left out that one little welded insert before welding the front and rear
beam halves together.

My guess is that VW had 3 different versions of the front beams made: 
LHD & RHD for assembly line installation, and universal LHD/RHD beams as
replacement parts. It's possible that RHD cars were a small enough part of
their production that they used RHD/LHD beams on the assembly line. Maybe
Dave can tell us whether there are threads under his little plastic plug.

-- 
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************

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