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Hello- I am approximately as non-purist as it comes. Modification is welcomed... so long as it is an _improvement_. There are two types of modifying: improving (even in the broadest definition of good taste) and rigging. At the Ypsilanti, MI, show, I met a gentleman with a 2-door 411 Fastback. For those who don't know, these are EXTREMELY rare, ESPECIALLY in the US. It was the best-looking of all the T4's, and was intended to recieve a 901 5-speed transmission and 6-cylinder engine as an option (a la 914-6, only a 411-6). Porsche and VW decided to eliminate that option from the drawingboard at the last minute. There were ~100 that were imported here via special programs (they were never on showroom floors), and that's it. He had it restored pretty danged well. He even had an original Type 4 4-speed manual transmission that still functioned as new. And, he was proud of the Weber progressive carb conversion he did to replace that "stock FI stuff." D'oh!!! Now, I would accept Webers on a "stock 411" engine if they happened to be a pair of IDA3C's! :-) Seriously, want to modify the engine as an improvement? How about doing what Porsche intended? No joke - there were 411-6's running around the test tracks circa 1965-68. Prototypes existed. Ever see a T4 manual tranny? Look at the nosecone location... then look at a 901 5-speed... coincidence? Ever see how huge and open a T4 Fastback engine bay is (there's no trunk like a T3 Fastback)... coincidence? The problem is that the 411 was overbudget and overweight, and the little 2.0 901 engine had to wind up too high to be effective. While that's fine for a sports car, it was bothersome in this "family/luxury" car. Take care, Shad Laws LN Engineering - Aircooled Precision Performance http://www.lnengineering.com > Let me tell you about a friend of mine... > (this is your cue, Jim, Keith, et. al to do some breathing exercises, fix a drink, or whatever you do to relax ;-) > My friend is very stubborn. He is also a highly opinionated VW purist. He rags on me for having a '68 3 band Blau & a chrome > stock shifter (dropped in '70) in my '71. He hates anything custom almost as much as a H2O cooled car...you know the type. > Anyway...he has a '69 Fasty automatic, which HAD FI. Thing is, it sat for years & he added a Pertronix w/o really trying to get it running...Then the dreaded "FI" problems started (yea, right). I volunteered my help, but my PITA friend was never available when I could help him. He came up with his own solution that there was NO talking him out of: convert to a single sidedraft carb from a 1500N motor that's been outside for years, using a modified dual port manifold from a T1 & a Bugpack electric fuel pump. Guess what? It runs, but awful & I refuse to help. I tried to explain to him what a bad mistake he was making, but to no avail. He thinks with some "tweeks" he will have a super reliable year round driver. I tell him time & again, I had a super reliable year round driver in a '72 Square...with STOCK FI! I am preaching to the choir here, I know... > I will be at the next Invasion in Hershey, no problem...will there be a single carbed auto '69 Fasty behind me? I doubt it. > > Later, > Eric H. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org > > >