Seals, clutches, and other fiascos (extremely longwinded version)

[WALTEE <WALTEE@prodigy.net>]

Bill Niles wrote:
> 
> Speaking of door seals.........
> 
> I'm fairly new to the list so apologize if this type of thing has been
> covered.
> 
> I have a '64 notch and need to start looking for door and deck lid
> seals. Since I'm finding it difficult to find parts I've wondered about
> interchangeability between mine and other type 3's. Will door seals from
> a squareback fit on mine? What about the rubber seals on the front and
> back lids?
> 
> Is it possible to get window rubber for type 3's and is this
> interchangeable?
> 
> Thanks,
> Bill
 
Hello everyone, again;
Sheesh, I go away to work for a couple of days, and all kinds to things
happen. My son broke his collar bone at karate the other day, so I 've
sort of been preoccupied with that, and then work raised it's ugly head
again, so I was there for 24 hours. When I get home, my wife tells me
that there is this soap opera taking place on the internet, and it's
much more interesting than talking about car parts (call it -" As The
Stomach Turns", perhaps?). I wonder how totally screwed this guy's life
must be to get so torqued at something as silly as getting posts from an
e-mail list. Smoke a Valium or something, Ivor, criminy it's only VW's
we're discussing here, not the New World Order. What a wanker.
 Any way, Bill Niles was asking about seals for notches. You can find
them at WCM, of course or RMMW's as well. If you ask them, they'll tell
you that seals are *not* interchangeble, Notch window seals don't fit
Fastbacks, etc. A little experimenting and a little vulcanizing glue can
go a long way to furthering a project. Couple that with the vast amount
of experience available to any of us for the asking from the folks on
this list (kudos to Greg Merrit, again!) and I don't think there is any 
problem that can't be fixed (just witness the FI hell that some folks
are still going through). Bill and Steve's in Bellflower, CA and Type 3
Detectives in England also can get alot of *obselete* parts, all you
have to do is call. Speaking of Type 3 Detectives, my order of
replacement rocker panels and Euro tail light lenses  for my '73 came in
today at 7:30 am while I was still on duty and my wife was still asleep.
My six year old son (broken collar bone, and all) answered the door,
paid the C.O.D. out of his piggy bank, and signed for the package all by
himself, bless his heart. That's my boy! 
As for what makes a valuable car worth buying, a wise man once told me
that it takes at least two people to make any car a classic, if only one
person thinks it's a classic, then it's just a pile of junk to everyone
else. There are three reasons to buy a car, and fix it up yourself,
rather than buying one finished already: One-some people don't trust any
work but their own. If you did the work yourself, then you've only
yourself to blame for mistakes. Second-some folks pay as they go. You
may not be able to afford a finished car, but you may be able to drive
the car and work on it as budget allows. And third-there are those that
simply enjoy the work.  They get the most pleasure out of sandblasting a
frame, or scraping old gaskets off heads, and these are the people that
don't keep track of the hours spent on their cars. The universal truth
is that fixing up a project car doesn't have to make sense-financially
or otherwise. They simply have to fit into an owner's spiritual balance
sheet (with thanks to Keith Martin @ Sports Car Market Magazine).
Thanks.
David "It's not just a project, it's an obsession" Walters
'73 1600 Notch
S. FL, USA
P.S. For ToM and Roland, you guys are lucky. It usually takes me a day
or so just to make up my mind to work on my car.