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Hermann, I have a copy of a late1977 Brazilian motoring magazine "Auto Esporte" which has a detailed review and test of the then newly announced VW Variant II. >From the Portuguese text and the detailed photos, the car has a floorpan, torsion bar/CV-joint rear and McPherson strut front suspension - a combination similar to the Type 13 Beetles. However, despite the CV-joint or IRS rear, the engine (with twin carbs and alternator) has a rear mount to the body at the back of the engine bay similar to that found on the swing axle Type 3s. I think this would have been especially sensible for the comparatively rough road conditions of Brazil. (In rough conditions cracks can occur at the points on either side of the engine bay where the engine carrier bar is attached to the body on CV-joint or IRS Type 3s.) With its floorpan or platform chassis with central tunnel or backbone, the Brazilian Volkswagen Variant II is significant as it was last Volkswagen model to be designed and built on the principles espoused by Ferdinand Porsche when he produced the first Beetles in the late 1930s. Not having had the pleasure of climbing underneatth a VW Variant II, I can only assume that it has a frame head built onto the front of its wide Type 3 floorpan in the same manner as that found on Type 13 McPherson strut Beetles. Regards, Simon Glen Toowoomba, Australia. Herman Haustein wrote: > Simon wrote: > > >The VW Variant II is a much > > later Brazilian development of the Type 3. It was made in Brazil from > > November1977 to December 1981. It had a normal pancake 1584cc twin-carb > Type > > 3 motor, a Type 3 floorpan with CV-joint torsion bar rear suspension but > it > > had McPherson strut front suspension and rack and pinion steering (like > the > > 1975 German 1303 Beetle > > I was wondering how did they mate a McPherson strut front to the T3 IRS pan > ? > Has anyone else tried this ? - the 1303 is fairly common. > > Herman ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitch in! Send your pledge of support! mailto:support@vwtype3.org