| [ Total Views: 2235 | Total Replies: 19 | Thread Id: 88995 ] |
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 Trav Elec
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| posted on February 27th, 2011 at 07:52 PM |
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Squareback for Work
Ok guys
I'm new to the forum and also to VW's
I'm looking at using a fleet of squarebacks for my electrical business
What are everyones thoughts.
I'll be carrying around 450kgs+ per vehicle
Suggestions on: Engine mods, practicality, economy, etc
Serious answers and I really dont want the why dont you buy a new car answer lol!
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 Bizarre
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| posted on February 27th, 2011 at 07:58 PM |
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a Type 3 carrying 450kgs?? as a regular daily used work vehicle???
"Serious answers and I really dont want the why dont you buy a new car answer lol!"
You would kill it in the first week I reckon
Add a driver and your payload is WELL over 50% of the car
A well built refurbished kombi MAY be ok but you have 40 year old safety
I just think your pay load is way too much to expect an old car to deliver
barry
Futue te ipsum!!!
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zocstar
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| posted on February 27th, 2011 at 08:02 PM |
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Why? Don't get me wrong, I love mine , but why for work just cause they look sweet? If they are broken down at all you will be loosing money x2
fixing it and not getting the job done.
Thats just imo
Good luck with it.
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whathaveidone
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| posted on February 27th, 2011 at 08:06 PM |
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make sure you have plenty of $ put aways for maintenance and upkeep. Cool idea though, if you do get a fleet together i want to see a photo
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lou0060
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| posted on February 27th, 2011 at 09:49 PM |
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great idea! I have a T5 TDI and a Caddy TDI for our business but have a dream of a type 3 panel with electric power for local deliveries.
A couple of things to consider.
1. to find one rust free, let alone a fleet, of squarebacks is hard enough.
2. once you find them how much are you willing to invest in them? if you bought a van you'd be up for 20 to 30k min so you could look at investing
this into say 2 or 3 sqb's.
3. you would want to upgrade the motor to add reliability and performance so maybe a na subi motor.
4. upgraded brakes
5. blanked out rear windows like a panel type 3
6. new seats
7. air con (easy with a subi transplant)
8. maybe gas shocks on the rear or bigger torsion bars, but the type 3 wagon ones are pretty big to start with
my boys and have a notch under restoration and also a sqb half stripped and being ready for full custom build, (apart from the 2 door golf project and
the racecar build!!!)
I say go for it, join the rest of us sicko's on the vw project treadmill.........
1971 karmann ghia Cabrio - Cruising 
1963 beetle Sunroof - gathering dust 
1968 race beetle - twin turbo Subaru - stress relief 
1960 beetle - old school low & slow  |
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Klaus
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| posted on February 28th, 2011 at 07:45 AM |
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ring your insurance mob first it took me ages to find someone who would comprehensively insure my 62 split panel for work use and then they would only
cover it for 10grand.
I used my 68 type 3 for my locksmith business for a couple of years but it only had a ej20t fitted  so was pretty reliable , but i had replaced everything mechanically and brake wise.
do the workers know your plans not everyone enjoys driving old vw's on a daily basis with no aircon and boosted brakes.
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Trav Elec
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| posted on February 28th, 2011 at 11:29 AM |
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Thanks Guys
Since I live in Tas I'm not really fussed about A/C too much we didnt even get a summer this year.....
I've already got one squareback. I know of two others plus a fastback for spares. All of them are fairly rust free.
As for the motor conversion to a subi, would it be easier to spend that money on the internals of the existing or just get a subi in it? Considering
that I will need the space.
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Phil74Camper
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| posted on February 28th, 2011 at 11:33 AM |
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This is a great idea in theory, but unfortunately reality intrudes.
If you're new to VWs (welcome!) then we need to tell you that the Type 3 squareback was sold in Australia from 1963 to 1973. Apart from the first six
months or so, all of them were made in Clayton, Melbourne (no, not in Germany). The NEWEST ones you'll find, therefore, are now 38 years old and most
of them are a lot older than that. Most of them will have already done 150,000 km or more. VW Australia did once make 'panel van' Type 3 squarebacks
in the mid '60s, with no side windows and a plywood rear floor, but they are all long worn out - I haven't seen one in years.
The reality is they are OLD cars, and as the guys above have mentioned, they have unboosted drum brakes (only late '60s on had front discs); tired
seats, no air con, no power steering, smelly heaters (if they work), weak demisters, no airbags, no cupholders, no radios and other modern
conveniences that working drivers expect. Any example you find is likely to have worn out ball joints and CVs, a tired engine and gearbox and a rusty
body. 450 kg is like carrying 7 passengers; more than they were designed for when they were new! You're asking a lot of a 40+ year old car. Also
don't forget that the engine is under the rear cargo area floor. If it breaks down you have to unload the rear to get at the engine.
Even when they were new, a 1600 Type 3 produced just 37 kW and consumed around 11-12 L/100 km in town, the auto closer to 15. You're looking at big
petrol bills on top of everything else.
I don't want to burst your bubble either, but that's the reality.
If you're still super keen on the idea, why not get ONE Type 3 wagon as your 'showpiece' vehicle - rebuild/restore it properly and signwright your
business on it - but run a fleet of VW Caddys as your 'everyday' vehicles.
If you want more information on what is required to maintain a fleet of air-cooled VW work vehicles, ring Adrian Corvisy at Powertune (Sydney) - 02
9816 5938. In the early 1970s he maintained the fleet of Beetles that Pacific Film used to use. Many of them accumulated over 200,000 miles in just a
couple of years - but of course they were new then.
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Hutcho
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| posted on February 28th, 2011 at 07:24 PM |
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Mate, in theory it sounds like the coolest idea ever....
I'm also a sparky and have had a couple of Squares over the years. I think about building one up all the time to use for business but as has already
been said, it'd be very difficult. You'd have to spend circa $15k to be able to use it for what you need.
As has also been suggested, I just went and bought a TDI Caddy. That was a much better choice and I love it!!
Good luck.
Hutcho
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waveman1500
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| posted on February 28th, 2011 at 07:54 PM |
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This is a very crazy idea, however I think that it's crazy in a good way.
If I was going to do such a thing, here's what I would do to the cars, bearing in mind that the budget which you might otherwise have to spend on a
new work van is $20k to $40k:
-Reinforce the rear engine mounts. It's an inherent design flaw and every squareback I have seen has cracked engine mounts.
-Subaru EJ20 or EJ25 conversion, naturally aspirated. Leave the engines stock.
-Complete new wiring loom for every car.
-Complete rebuild and overhaul of brakes and suspension.
-Air conditioning and front disc brakes.
-Paint job and signwriting
With all of that, there should be no reliability or performance issues. There is still somewhat of an issue of space though! As I'm sure you realise,
a Type 3 square has a lot less load space than a van, and it's quite hard to access some of it. Maybe slide-out racks and drawers would be a good
idea to make tools and supplies easy to reach?
Most of all, if you're really keen then I would start with building just one and see how it performs. If everything goes well then build the rest.
Edit: Oh, and widened 14" rims with light truck (van) tyres might be a good idea too! Keeps the load rating up and the tyres are cheap.
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ragtopp
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| posted on March 1st, 2011 at 07:01 PM |
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One problem with everything today is a new one is easier.
I work from old buses everyday, and as a sparkie.
I make sure i always service it well and use good parts and oils. I also have a spare kombi ute for the times when im busy and need to keep the show
on the road and dont have time to fix something.
Type three's dont need power steer, they produce plenty of power, you may need to revise 450kgs of payload and spread of load from front to the
rear.
I've dragged stacks of stuff in type threes, worked as a sparkie out a 71 notch for six odd months till young dude begged me to sell it.
You got to see what works for you, newer aint always the answer, and making sure you can do stuff yourself is very important, if you rely on a
mechanic then forget it, you need to be able to fix little things as they pop up.
Great idea hope it works, youll have great advertising being they so unique.
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jev7337
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| posted on March 3rd, 2011 at 09:58 AM |
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Amarok. It may not be what you're after but it's an sweet looking Ute and able to carry the weight.
http://www.carcorner.com.au/20-wv-amarok/content.html |
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Trav Elec
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| posted on April 16th, 2011 at 01:09 PM |
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Hey guys just an update...
Making two out of three.... First one should be registered on the road before easter. If i can get the caliper piston return far enough to accept the
new pads!!!
Next one should be about one month away.
Amaroks are new and I really dont want a new car. If you like them go and get a loan and buy one. Repayments on one with a 30% residual balloon would
be around the $1100 per month based on an average of 8.0% p.a equating to roughly an extra $6.25 per hour I will need to charge to COVER the cost of
the loan. Once the 5 years are over I will still not own the vehicle and be out of pocket if I choose to sell the vehicle GST will kill me.
I would rather save that money away and pour into my home or into a savings account and accrue interest from the principle or even the stock
market.
I see new cars as a waste of money and I'm only 25 so many tradespeople and business owners get caught in the trap of purchasing new vehicles for
taxation purposes. Why should someone pay money to LOWER their personal taxable income. It doesn't make sense.
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waveman1500
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| posted on April 16th, 2011 at 01:40 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Trav Elec
Hey guys just an update...
Making two out of three.... First one should be registered on the road before easter. If i can get the caliper piston return far enough to accept the
new pads!!!
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I had this problem when fitting new pads to my bug calipers. The new pads are extremely big. I would recommend putting one in at a time, with the
caliper mounted in place. You need to push back the pistons gently with a screwdriver or prybar, without putting too much load onto the disc. If you
have to then it would not be a bad thing to file a bit of material off the face of each pad. As I said, they are massively thick and will last for
ages anyway.
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bugsandoil
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| posted on April 16th, 2011 at 02:52 PM |
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My First car in 1994 was a 1966 Square 1500s. Bought it for $300- repainted it myself, had the engine rebuilt stock by a reputable engine builder and
it ran without a problem other than a service every 3000 miles until I sold it 5 years later to 'upgrade' to a bay kombi panel.
I'm a chippy, we carry alot more weight than a Sparky.
So,..
 with new.
 with old.
That's my experience for what it's worth.
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Trav Elec
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| posted on April 20th, 2011 at 03:17 PM |
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Thanks for the help with the pads took them to ABS as I dont really trust myself to get them flat without ruining to new rotors
Should have them back before and on before Easter.
Will post Pics when it is nearly finished also I should take this to a build section post???
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Thinker
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| posted on April 20th, 2011 at 07:56 PM |
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I like it !
They worked as work vehicles when they were new so there is no reason why they would not work today if not better and I know my beetle is lot cheaper
to service than my falcon and the falcon is cheaper the the Subaru
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lou0060
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| posted on April 20th, 2011 at 09:40 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Trav Elec
Hey guys just an update...
Making two out of three.... First one should be registered on the road before easter. If i can get the caliper piston return far enough to accept the
new pads!!!
Next one should be about one month away.
Amaroks are new and I really dont want a new car. If you like them go and get a loan and buy one. Repayments on one with a 30% residual balloon would
be around the $1100 per month based on an average of 8.0% p.a equating to roughly an extra $6.25 per hour I will need to charge to COVER the cost of
the loan. Once the 5 years are over I will still not own the vehicle and be out of pocket if I choose to sell the vehicle GST will kill me.
I would rather save that money away and pour into my home or into a savings account and accrue interest from the principle or even the stock
market.
I see new cars as a waste of money and I'm only 25 so many tradespeople and business owners get caught in the trap of purchasing new vehicles for
taxation purposes. Why should someone pay money to LOWER their personal taxable income. It doesn't make sense.
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Excellent! can't wait to see the photos. And wow a tradie who knows about money mangment - very rare!! and only 25! Man, it took me a lot longer to
learn those same lessons..... good on ya sparkie.....
1971 karmann ghia Cabrio - Cruising
1963 beetle Sunroof - gathering dust
1968 race beetle - twin turbo Subaru - stress relief
1960 beetle - old school low & slow |
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Hutcho
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| posted on April 23rd, 2011 at 05:48 PM |
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Good on ya for having a go mate.
You've got bigger balls than I have, that's for sure!!
I'm with you, I wouldn't buy new either. Just not worth it I feel... I bought the Caddy TDI from a guy who was "liquidating" his business. I
calculated that the loan repayments and fuel were less than just the fuel I was using in the Mazda (sh#t box) van I was driving.
Good luck with the Squareback idea. Running a trades business is bloody hard and time consuming. You don't want to spend any time on your cars when
you could be making $200 per hour working what you're good at..
Yes, put pics up in the build thread.
If you haven't already, head over to http://www.phased.com.au It's a SPARKYS ONLY
forum that you'll learn an absolute heap from!
Cheers,
Steve
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Trav Elec
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| posted on April 23rd, 2011 at 07:33 PM |
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Thanks Guys
Been pretty hectic lately my wife and I just opened up a shop in North Hobart called the Eco Nook and have been trying to get her 65 Beetle on the
Road
If anyone is down in Tasmania and after Eco friendly home wares, gifts or clothing either come into 307 Elizabeth Street or visit
econook.wordpress.com to see what Bek and I have been up to other than running Trav Elec
Hutcho I thank you for the advice wish that i was in sydney to charge $200 per hour thats decent coin. 
Having problems uploading photos???? Whats the maximum size available?
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