So I bought my first Kombi, it a 1976 camper. Was originally from western qld and then has been sitting in a shed for 6 years in nsw. Not running at the moment, I don't know much about vw's at the moment but it's an automatic and by the look of the engine it is a 1600.
Been a western car it's reasonably clean, has a rusty battery tray, but all the floors look good and rust can bee seen on the inside around one of the side windows, but other than that can't see any rust or any sign of bog.
It hasn't been started since it was parked but can't wait to give it a go once I change oil and all that stuff.
What do you think are the chances of it starting?
Will post some photos when it arrives at its new home in the mid north coast of nsw

Well done mate. Welcome to the air-cooled club. Throw up some photos for us to see.

Been waiting for this moment for a while.
It's in a shed at the moment and is a very tight squeeze around it so no good photos can be taken, but I will be sure to post some up once its in my yard early next week.
I certainly will be taking all safety precautions before trying to start it up.
Thanks for the tips

So being a 1976 1600 automatic, would this be its original engine? as I have been told the 1976 model didn't have 1600 engine

If it's been out in the red dirt country for a while i would also highly consider pulling the engine and removing the tinware and giving it a good water blasting as more than likely it will have a fair amount of red dirt mixed with grass blocking up most of the air passages around the cylinders and heads etc , plus it's way easier to work on removed and you can also replace the rear main seal too if it's leaking or even if it's not because after sitting for some time it's sure to be dry and gunna leak any minute anyway .

Andrew

Oh and being a 76 , it should have either an 1800 or 2lt Type 4 Engine !!!

Okay thanks, yeah that's what I'm thinking.
I will post a photo of the engine when it arrives but from what I've found out it looks like it's the type 2 1600. Which from what else I've found out it shouldn't have an engine hatch in the back which it has.
Haven't had a decent look yet so will wait and see.
So can a 1800 or 2lt engine be hooked up to the automatic transmission that's already there?
Thanks for the info guys.

The sure way to tell is the presence of an access hatch above the engine in the back cargo area. If it has a hatch there's a good chance it was either 1800 or 2litre and has been downgraded. No hatch and is likely a factory 1600. My 75 van has no hatch and 1600 donk and I believe they had this as an option up until 79 in the t2 and then in the early t3 as well. Unusual to pair a 1600 with an auto on a camper though. Autos are sluggish at the best of times even with a 2 litre motor. Driving a 1600 auto camper would be like weighing down a 3 legged elephant with a tonne of lead then expecting it to come first in the Melbourne cup

Yes the 2litre should fit up to the trans if it was originally that. As per the above analogy, you would want a 2litre or at least a performance 1600. Personally I like 1600s. Nice engines. Can do a lot with them plus cheaper on parts.

The 1600 is like a beetle motor with upright fan housing by the way. Maybe post the engine number?

As far as it starting, my second VW was a 62 type 3. Had been in a yard since 79 and hadn't run. I bought it in 1990 and all I did was give it a jump start with some fresh fuel in it and it fired up beautifully. So unless it was shedded for a failure of some sort, chances are good.

Yeah it's got the engine hatch so it's definitely being downgraded at some stage.
Yeah I'm expecting it to be sluggish.
So what would be better making the 1600 that's in it a performance engine or just putting a 2lt in it?
Yeah I' will try to get the engine number today, If not I will just wait to it arrive sometime this week.
Well that's good to hear, let's hope it dac dacs like it should haha

Quote:

Originally posted by pfillery Driving a 1600 auto camper would be like weighing down a 3 legged elephant with a tonne of lead then expecting it to come first in the Melbourne cup

Here are some photos

As I said I like the 1600 type one motor in a kombi.

You can get more bang for buck with a 1600 than a type 4 2 litre.

There are those who like each type and a lot of people will no doubt chime in with an opinion. I've had/driven a 2 litre manual kombi, a 2 litre automatic kombi, a 1600 single carby manual kombi and currently have a 1600 twin carb manual. The difference between the 1600 twin carb (kadrons) and the 2 litre is not super noticeable except that the 1600 is less thirsty on fuel. Plus you can up the capacity of a type one up to nearly 2 litres anyway if you want to.

The auto is the unknown, if it's faulty it could be pricey to repair and hard to replace.

Looks ok. I guess it all hinges on what you want to do with it, what it cost you and what your budget is. A 2 litre motor could set you back between $1000 for a runner of unknown origins up to $5000 for a rebuilt one. In comparison even assuming a full rebuild and upgrade on the 1600 could be a couple of grand depending whats needed.

Some people say cc's is everything. Although with the early holden motors, a 186 is infinitely better than a 202, less cc's but a better motor even though essentially the same.

Check the poptop area for rust, although if its been shedded for a few years its not likely to have much.

A battery tray is pretty easy, you could even fibreglass it if you didn't want the expense and hassle of using a welder ie if you want to try and keep the OG paint intact (looks like a really good cut and buff would bring it up nicely). I've done battery trays in bugs like that and its usually under $40 in materials to do. Plus it will never rust.

Yeah is pretty neat, I don't want to go to deep in the pocket on this one.
The engine number is N840490P so unfortunately looks like its a 1500 what should I do?

What's 100cc between friends

May have been up rated to bigger, possibly just the case that is 1500. Looks like proper kombi tinware at the back. Get it running and see how it goes. Probably try to do the minimum to it in case it's cactus. If it goes well, maybe a freshen up and full servicing. If it's like trying to ride a dead sloth across a frozen wasteland then maybe it's time then to look at options. At least its twin port so more options there.

it isnt a 1500

It is a twin port - you can see the cast ends

Has to be a 1600

That engine is a Police Number - so i would guess the motor may not be too flogged out
What is the end play like?

Yep is definitely a twin port.
Okay thanks for that, well that's good news
Thanks for the info
How do I test the end play?

Grab hold of the crank pulley and push and shove as hard as you can.

You should have 4-7 (ish) thou of an inch movement
Like just over .1mm

You should be able to hear it but not see it

No up and down movement.

Okay thanks I will do that today.
And let you know how I go, being raining so I haven't had a good chance to get out and have a go at getting the engine ready to start.

Tested for end play, no movement at all so that's good, drained oil and fuel and made sure the crank turned, so that's all good. Hopefully will get a chance to do some more work on it soon.

So she's turning over but not firing up. What's the first point of call?

Another observation is that it's not turning over every time the key is turnt, not sure if this could specify anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

could be a heap of things but a few to check
* dodgy solenoid in starter.
* shot bushing in bell housing for starter
* dodgy key

Do the lights dim when you try to start
Try tapping the starter motor solenoid with hammer
jiggle key when starting - do the 2 lights come on?

Okay thanks, it's definitely a dodgy key cause it's hard to get in the ignition and any of the doors.
Could be the solenoid cause there's a clicking noise every time it goes to start.
I have a red battery light and another red oil light come on.
Will check for dimming of lights

Another thing is that it is winding over fairly slow