@GolfBavaria If you run across the chrome/aluminum? surround for the tail lights of a 72 Bavaria, PM me. One of the NH guys is looking.
'73 Golf Bavaria Build Thread
- Thread starter GolfBavaria
- Start date
-
- Tags
- restoration list
OK
Hi GolfBavaria,
Thank you! I appreciate your time! As I recall it does not take an extreme wheel or much lowering to give the car a nicer and slightly more aggressive stance. FYI-the wheel dimension and offset should be cast on the center part of each wheel and readable from the stud side of each wheel. If you do not mind, please take and send a picture?
Regards,
Bill P.
Thank you! I appreciate your time! As I recall it does not take an extreme wheel or much lowering to give the car a nicer and slightly more aggressive stance. FYI-the wheel dimension and offset should be cast on the center part of each wheel and readable from the stud side of each wheel. If you do not mind, please take and send a picture?
Regards,
Bill P.
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
Bill,
Not sure how helpful this is, but I still recall my wheel fitment details from 1984 for some odd reason. I did all sorts of measuring on my slightly lowered 1972 Bavaria in order to fit the widest wheels/tires I could without doing any modifications to the body. I tracked and autocrossed the car a lot. This was right when Rial wheels started being imported in 16" sizes, and discovered their 8" wheel had ET11 offset. This was perfect, and I never had an issue with them over the following 10 years. I used 225/50-16 tires on them which were thought of as "huge" at the time.
Regards,
Chuck
Thank you Chuck!
That is a nice look and certainly not too 'huge'. I agree; the E3 does not need much lowering; it has a nice mellow stock stance. I will also use a online circumference calculator to conform tire sizes compared to stock.
Regards
Bill P.
That is a nice look and certainly not too 'huge'. I agree; the E3 does not need much lowering; it has a nice mellow stock stance. I will also use a online circumference calculator to conform tire sizes compared to stock.
Regards
Bill P.
Car has gone under the knife and will reemerge soon....looking forward to sharing what has been going on. Maybe another week.
Looking forward to see what you’ve done!
Where did you get your front spoiler from?
Where did you get your front spoiler from?
Finally got the air dam fixed for the N-teenth time. I call it my $10K air dam. It's been repaired so many times, luckily my neighbor comes to the house and fixes it most of the time, he had to take this one back to his shop it was so bad. Oh and it was the second day after getting it back completely repaired from previous damage. Yeah, not kidding. After and before pics. Had to screenshot the After as it was a video he sent.
By now you'd think I would learn not to drive fast on crappy back roads or realize curbs are higher than my air dam. Anyhow, will be installing today and once on, I will update the thread with the engine bay respray and new 3.5L motor (although super stealth as still running Zeniths), headers, 9-blade fan, clutch fan, new engine bay stickers, new (rebuilt and painted) brake booster, w/ Chris Macha (repair artist) and Andrew Wilson's (kind donation) redone boot tool kit...hmmmm, what else....oh, most important next to the motor, new A/C with red lines and all.
By now you'd think I would learn not to drive fast on crappy back roads or realize curbs are higher than my air dam. Anyhow, will be installing today and once on, I will update the thread with the engine bay respray and new 3.5L motor (although super stealth as still running Zeniths), headers, 9-blade fan, clutch fan, new engine bay stickers, new (rebuilt and painted) brake booster, w/ Chris Macha (repair artist) and Andrew Wilson's (kind donation) redone boot tool kit...hmmmm, what else....oh, most important next to the motor, new A/C with red lines and all.
Yes, my air dam is the single most expensive part on my Coupe. Highly recommend buying a second one & having Xpel® applied to both. I have 2 identical air dams with Xpel®.
In 2019 after Legend of the Autobahn we drove to the High Sierras & drove on dirt roads no air dammed Coupe or Bavaria should ever see. I even plowed dirt with the air dam! Cindy held back branches from scratching the car all while guiding me around rocks & avoid deep ruts. Still running the same air dam & it still looks new!
In 2019 after Legend of the Autobahn we drove to the High Sierras & drove on dirt roads no air dammed Coupe or Bavaria should ever see. I even plowed dirt with the air dam! Cindy held back branches from scratching the car all while guiding me around rocks & avoid deep ruts. Still running the same air dam & it still looks new!
Are you using old red ac lines or did you find a source for new?
If we told you we would have to.......
build from steel?
I like the Xpel idea. should have done that while it was off, but just a few screws but always easier said than done, always something to goof you up. High Sierras is a great drive, dirt plowing and all!
I would buy another one, however these are very hard to find, Alpina air dam, repro or not. Anyone have a source. You can still see the Alpina on the bottom of mine, it is a re-pop molded from an original, but they did a great job. No longer making them the guy I got it from and I'm a little torn, I've already spent so much money on air dams, but another one....arghhhhhh.
Last edited:
What Chris said........I was sworn to secrecy. Not original no. Not NOS either. Sorry not more help but have to keep my word. I'll post some pics in a minute.
Last edited:
Here we go......3.5L stealth (running Zeniths) new motor w/ mild cam. Injection down the road, waiting on a custom one that is going to take a little time. Still in skunkworks phase, can't say what it is unfortunately. Replica hand made STAHL Headers that my car was used for fitment, so, obviously they fit perfect. New gaskets and such around shifter, noise deadening material around tunnel shifter area, made a big difference. New engine mounts, red 9-blade fan, clutch fan (wow what a difference that makes), no more turbine whine. I liked it and I didn't like that whine. It was fine as long as you weren't talking to anyone in the car. A/C all new, Sanden pump, custom bracket etc., no more Ice Chest fan A/C. I felt like the Clampet's. Have you guys seen those coolers that are A/C units basically for tents? Plugs into lighter. Used it once on drive up to 2019 Legend of the Autobahn and that was that. LOL, water sloshing around in back seat when ice melts. Luckily never had to hit brakes hard, that would have sucked. New engine bay paint, new stickers and the last pic was some bubbling from gas collecting in back license plate area, bubbled the paint, that is all painted now and drying at the moment. What else? Painted the brake booster and had it rebuilt.....basically another $15K+ or more down the tubes. Not looking at receipts anymore. Keeping them, just not adding them up.... depressing. Worth it for a Coupe, never will recoup (pun intended) any of those costs on a Bav. That bird flew the coop (pun intended again) long ago! Kept original numbers match motor of course, just had the valve cover for that refurbished. I need to fix the slight dip in the front bumper from an idiot girl hit and run backing into the car and causing that to bend a bit. She got busted at least, of course CA, nothing happened to her after a year in court, even after pleading guilty. At least Hagerty took care of the slight damage with no deductible. Love those guys/gals, shout out there. Like a new car, nothing left to do really. Install the flip up sun roof deflector is about it I guess.
Just awesome!!!
I had to read that 5 times slowly to fully comprehend all that you've accomplished. Fantastic work!! Well done.
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
Fantastic! Looks stunning. What a treat. I really appreciate reading about and seeing the outcome of all the effort needed to refresh E3s here on this board especially this Golf example and Dick's as new example.