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Well, it does seem possible that the mileage is indeed that low, and a car will still rot if left out in the elements or is still for too long, or just plain old time. For example, suspension components will go bad if the grease is so old as to no longer act like grease, which will accelerate wear very quickly on suspension components. Springs will sag, seals will rot and leak fluid, etc. At this point, I would regrease anything that can be regreased if it's still salvageable. Replace any rubber parts that your life depends on (brake lines, fuel lines). On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 16:09:27 -0500, jmailliardfleming@verizon.net <jmailliardfleming@verizon.net> wrote: > I am not sure how to reply to a thread only to the list itself. I hope > I am doing this right. > After Toby's comments I have gone back to my friend of 15 years, who > took possession of this car when her mother died, to confirm the > odometer mileage. Sara Jane, the original owner, bought the car in > 1971 and died in 1985. She drove it for 13 years to the grocery store > and to get her hair done every week. She lived in New Jersey where the > car was garaged. I am guessing she was not such a good driver in the > last few years due the the dents and dings on most areas of the car. > Then in April 1985 the car came to live with my friend here in > Arlington VA. She parked it outside under a cover and left it. When > we took it off her hands in March of 2004 there was ivy growing in the > engine, a family of mice were in residence, the tires had rotted and > the car would not even register gauges when the key was turned. > Mechanics worked on the car to get it running but every time the car > was driven it, would die. Finally after several unsuccessful attempts > to flush out the gas tank, we just had the whole gas tank relined. > Now, the car is driving well. > The seat belts are not retractable. As far as I can tell they never > have been. The three point belts just puddle on the floor and flop > around when not being used. There is nothing to grease or repair as > there is no retracting mechanism. It seems folks think the'71 should > have retractable seat belts, is it possible this was a no frills > squareback and therefore didn't? This car does not have > air-conditioning and has an AM only radio. Nor does it have any of the > other "features" described in the original owners manual. The plate on > the door says it was built 01/71. > As far as body rust, there are pin holes in the floor (my son pulled > the carpeting up) and one larger hole in the battery compartment. There > is rust on the bottoms of the doors, luggage compartment door and rear > hatch, on the vent grill on the hood, around the wheel wells and so on. > The chrome bumpers are also dotted with rust. Don't car covers > accelerate rusting if left on for years and years? The cover actually > rotted away before it was ever removed. As a result the car was > uncovered in the snow and rain for probably the last 8 years. It had > not been started since 1990. I will take pictures on the next sunny > day we have. I am certain that the odometer reading is correct but > guess that since the car was very badly treated for the last 3 decades > it has broken down in an accelerated fashion in spite of its low > mileage. I can find no paper work showing anything but low mileage on > repair slip, dealer mileage maintenance coupons and title tranfers. > Good News...I got the windshield wiper fluid spraying today and the > drivers side door able to be locked and unlocked with the key! > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >