Re: Early engine mount bracket needed

["Melissa & Jim" <jadney@vwtype3.org>]

On  6 Dec 97, Steven Ayres wrote:

> A deserving member and dependable sponsor of my club has a '68 
> vinyl-roof fastback undergoing restoration. In what must be one of the 
> most puzzling examples of PO dunderheadedness I've seen, the car is 
> missing its rear engine mount bracket, the part that's spot-welded to 
> the body and holds the rear mount donut. The owner is considering 
> installing a late-type engine mount bar instead, but I've convinced him 
> to wait a couple of weeks to see what I could come up with.

I don't remember what part is spotwelded.  I think it is fair to say 
that it is clear that this rear mount was NEVER called upon to do 
much.  The rubber donut was loose after only a couple years of use.

Up thru 68 the engine was supported by the wishbone rear subframe the 
same as T1s, and I believe that the -68 rear support was only there 
to provide some additional support to keep things from undergoing 
excessive relative motion.  To add the late rear engine mounts would 
require changing to the late subframe and the IRS tranny to do a 
corract job.  This is probably more than your friend wants to do as 
well as an unnecessary modification of a nice old car.  Better he 
should spend his time removing the 70s vinyl roof mod.

I would be very worried that if the rear engine mounts were added 
while leaving the old wishbone in place you would find that the 
engine/transmission/body were now unable to flex in their normal way 
and something would break.

> This is an excellent example of the breed, with clean, dry sheet metal 
> all around and the roof in excellent shape. It would really bug me to 
> see the engine compartment bunged up, and I hope it would also bug someone 
> else here enough to help me find a donor. The part we need is something 
> that's usually still good even on a badly rusted-out car, so I figure 
> there's hope. 

This is a fair and reasonable approach.  Your friend has plenty of 
time.  There ineed be no hurry.

Jim
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
       Melissa Kepner                                    Jim Adney
                             Laura Kepner-Adney
                         jadney@vwtype3.org      
                             Madison, Wisconsin
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------