Joining the fold

adam412 · Post by **adam412** » Thu Jan 03, 2002 10:39 pm

Just bought my first aircooled VW, a 1974 412 wagon. I purchased it from the original owners, who even gave me the bill of sale from when it was delivered on 12/22/74. It was built on May 17, 1974, so it was close to the end of the run. It's in pretty nifty shape, the most significant problems are a broken driver's seat and some small water leaks. It's missing a little trim here and there, but is for the most part intact, and has very little rust. The engine was rebuilt about 2500 miles ago... in 1992.

This is my second VW; when I was a teen, I had a '76 Rabbit, and my last car was a '73 Volvo P1800ES... so i am no stranger to 2 door wagons.

Anyway, I live in San Francisco, and this certainly won't be the last time you hear from me. I am really in love with my 412!

adam412 · Post by **adam412** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 2:28 am

more pics.... If you see me around SF, say hi!

ray greenwood · Post by **ray greenwood** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 7:04 am

Very nice! Alaska blue metallic! One of my favorite colors. Ray

nick sparrow · Post by **nick sparrow** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 10:08 pm

Really nice car. Hope that it gives you as much pleasure as I have got from my 412LS (1974). They are such a practical car to own, for so many reasons. I have had mine now for about 5 years. I will try and attach some pics if I can work it out.

Nick

nick sparrow · Post by **nick sparrow** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 10:10 pm

Ok I will try again, although that was a find it was a 1970 411 found having been stored for some 20 years. They are out there.
mine is the red 412....here we go again.

nick

nick sparrow · Post by **nick sparrow** » Fri Jan 04, 2002 10:12 pm

ok here is a general question. what do you need to do if you want to load up more than the 3 images to post here?......anyone?

nick.

adam412 · Post by **adam412** » Sat Jan 05, 2002 12:43 am

hey Nick- I love the red dashboard and the wheels you have on your wagon, they look great! I visited NZ back in 1989, but I don't remember seeing your car...

for now, i am just trying to take care of all the basics to make my wagon a daily driver... I am not rolling in cash at the moment, so sprucing up the car will have to wait a bit in favor of necessities. Eventually I am thinking of getting chrome wheels or maybe EMPIs, but that is a ways off-- I need a couple Michelins for the front wheels right now more than I need new wheels. Then I have a whole other laundry list of parts that I need, but I have a couple emails out searching for them...

Ray- I love the color too- it was actually repainted once, with the factory color, and it needs a little touching up in places. How difficult/easy is it to get a pint or quart of Alaska Blue Metallic, anyway?

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m504specs · Post by **m504specs** » Wed Jan 30, 2002 11:34 pm

Oh, sweet. It's a way cool car. I love the red color. My baby was metalic blue, until my ex got ahold of a can of primer paint. Now it's just a hideous primer grey. Windows, trim, whole thing. We are working to get ready to strip for paint this month and next. Got to fix a fuel leak first though.

Sara

ray greenwood · Post by **ray greenwood** » Thu Jan 31, 2002 11:04 pm

Adam 412...sorry I did not get back to you. Its actually pretty easy. What you really get depends on whose brand you use. If you go with a straight dupont crossmatch for the formula (if you can still find it on file) its pretty close but a little light. Find a paint dealer who uses a Dupont/X-rite paint spectro-...a little handheld unit that will read an undisturbed patch in your car...say in the trunk....and spit out a much closer to original formula. Just remember. These cars were clear coated. You will have to strip it completely to be able to paint. You cannot paint over clear. Ray

adam412 · Post by **adam412** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 3:37 pm

Actually, it has been repainted once with the factory color. They did a pretty good job-- when I check new vs old paint, it's pretty much spot on.

What i need actually is some touchup paint for areas where the paint has been chipped or whatever, especially on the driver's door. And, with a tip of the hat to the gentleman from New Zealand, I think my dashboard would look better blue than wood-grained.

I might have found some touchup paint from someone, but I am always on the lookout for multiple sources... I don't want to get caught short.

Since people have been asking about 2-door sedans, I have a couple photos of an all-original European 2-door from 1973, with my blue '74 wagon and another '73 wagon (originally gold), from when I went to visit Erich Kosych of Type IV Connection.

[This message has been edited by adam412 (edited 02-01-2002).]

ray greenwood · Post by **ray greenwood** » Fri Feb 01, 2002 5:20 pm

Sweeet line-up! Ray