Introduction

[Schmitt@aerovironment.com (Schmitt, Frank)]

I just signed on to this list yesterday, and I have to see if I can deal
with the flood of messages, in addition to the flood I already have from
another list.

For the past six months I have been sort of looking for another project car.
Last October, while driving around the streets of Upland, CA, I came upon a
somewhat-the-worse-for-wear fastback. As I later found out, it was a
European-spec '66 model (does anyone know where I can get those nifty fender
lights for a US car?). The asking price was a bit high, and so I hesitated,
and it was sold to someone else.

For quite a while I didn't do much looking, save for an adventure up in the
backwoods of the Mojave desert to look at a $75 project car. Finally, a few
weeks ago, I saw and ad for a "'71 VW fastback, complete and original, not
running $0 4250". I figured it was either free or $4250, neither of which is
a very reasonable price for a non-running 70's VW. I called and it was, in
fact, $250.

I bought it, trailered it home, and registered it, and thus am "in it" to
the tune of $550. It's rust free except for the battery tray (completely
shot) and the rear-most pillar just above the fenders (blistering a bit).
The front center panel of the body is a bit mangled. The interior is a bit
moldy. As for the engine, when I got it, the starter and fuel injectors (of
all things) were taken out and sitting in the rear trunk. The engine oil is
VERY full and smells like gasoline. I think it might be a blown fuel pump
diaphragm. I'd like to hear other people's suspicions on this.

 -Frank

'71 Fastback, '73 914 2.0