First post and an Introduction to my 1968 510

[ifixvws]

Hey all,

 

I've been a lurker here for over a year and half. But i've been searching and thinking about a 2dr 510 for longer than that.

The only problem is I have been a Watercooled VW guy for 25 years. My last project was a 1978 VW rabbit with 1.8t motor swapped into it.

I bought the Rabbit above as a bare shell too. It took about 3 years to finish it and when done it had a T3/4 with a 50 trim and made 320hp at the wheels.

 

The 68 510 I picked up is a little rough but not to bad. From what I've read here it has the standard problems. The floor(drivers and pass sides),

the lower right rear quarter has a couple of spots. The roof is trashed but it came with a spare. But the trunk, the engine compartment and

the rear wheel arches are mint.

 

The shell and I do mean shell is already stripped and blasted. I have a just about all of the 1968 trim peices, Grille, headlight trims, tailights and trim,

window trim and steel pillar vents. The bad deal is I have absolutley no interior. No dash, wiring, seats(front or back), door panels or center console.

 

The other thing it has no motor or trans(this is where this part comes into play). http://prestoliteweb...NPDS_RM4082.pdf. It will allow me to bolt a T5

to the back of a VW 1.8t. I have plenty of those around the shop and with a bigger turbo and Haltec the 275-325hp I want shouldn't be a problem.

 

Seeing that the car is far from mint and a museum piece, my plan shouldn't make the purist's cringe to much.

 

 

 

Any way I just wanted to post up a hello and introduce myself.

[freekwonder]

Welcome aboard, nice VW. I've gotten bored with all the KA/SR swaps, so it will be nice to see something a little different.

[Tristin]

Clean Rabbit... Always a fan of older VWs, but I hate FWD so I've never owned one. That's bell housing adapter could change my mind though.

 

Anyway, welcome to the site and can't wait to see what you do with the shell. Thank you for saving it.

[darc510]

Love that color on that rabbit! :thumbup:

What are you thinking for color on the 510?

considering you have no preexisting interior that should give you a wide range of options for a real creative look.

look forward to watching this one come along :)

[sedition88]

I love older Volkswagens. Really good looking Golf, I would like to see more pictures of it. I'll be watching this project for sure :thumbup:

[datzenmike]

Forget he T-5, they're too big and heavy. You'll have to cut the floor. Instead get an FS5W71C from a 240sx or D-21 Hardbody. Swap a front case on from an L series 71B transmission.

[BJW's FiveTen's]

T-5 weighs about the same as a nissan 5 speed and im sure there is not a bellhousing adapter to go from VW to nissan.

 

Also Im sure hes talking about the GM or ford T-5 not the nissan bastard child one.

 

Cool idea Id love to see it with a 1.8t and T-5

[yenpit]

Hey, welcome to the forum! I know Greg and his 67 Mini Cooper S, and Adam from the vintage racing scene, and I heard they had this 68 shell available. Nice!!

[FiveSeventyZee]

Welcome aboard, nice VW. I've gotten bored with all the KA/SR swaps, so it will be nice to see something a little different.

 

don't you have a KA? :P but really...the uncommon engine swap will be badass. I'm a fan of builds that break molds.

 

oh and that golf is awesome, always love those but like many others can't bring myself to buy a fwd car

[ifixvws]

Great talking to you Tj. Should be able to send you a list of parts needed by the end of the week.

 

 

 

T-5 weighs about the same as a nissan 5 speed and im sure there is not a bellhousing adapter to go from VW to nissan.

 

Exactly. I mentioned to a friend about what I wanted to do and he sent me the link to the bell housing. The T5 trans I will use is from a Mustang GT.

I hope to be abe to move the motor around enough to not have to cut or mod the stock shifter opening.

[ifixvws]

I love older Volkswagens. Really good looking Golf, I would like to see more pictures of it. I'll be watching this project for sure :thumbup:

 

I can do that.

 

Sorry if they are to big.

 

[yenpit]

I wouldn't worry about maintaining the stock shifter opening, as most L-series 5 speed swaps require relocating it, so lots of cars have already had it done. Depending on how tall you are, you might want the shifter further back anyway!

[yenpit]

Mama freakin' mia, that color combo is killer!! What year is the Rabbit?

[ifixvws]

Here is a video that was made after the feature was done. http://vimeo.com/6936718

 

I miss the car a bunch but after I changed out the turbo. The front drive was killing me.

The torque steer was horrible. The Car would jump across a full lane of traffic when the boost hit!!!!

 

Very happy to have a new project for the winter and jazzed its rear wheel drive.

[ifixvws]

Mama freakin' mia, that color combo is killer!! What year is the Rabbit?

 

It's a 1978 Rabbit with a 2001 GTI 1.8t motor and trans. The seats and the door cards have Factory Westfalia camper plaid material inset. The paint is bali green.

 

I have 5 more yards of this fabric so I may be painting the 510 Bali green and doing the interior to match my old Rabbit.

 

It's either that or paint it Chrome yellow(porsche color) and use some orange factory plaid material i have.

[freekwonder]

don't you have a KA? :P but really...the uncommon engine swap will be badass. I'm a fan of builds that break molds.

 

oh and that golf is awesome, always love those but like many others can't bring myself to buy a fwd car

 

Yup, and if I'm doing something, you know it's boring and played out :w00t:

 

 

LOVE the rabbit man, just a great combo.

[philcas1987]

i will hate on it. sounds like a bad idea. but you should take my negative criticism and turn it in to motivation. haters going to hate. fuck vw

[Ranman72]

welcome to Ratsun

love the color scheme on that vw

nice score on a 68 cant wait to see what you do to it with it

the only thing I was thinking about on that video is you cant hear the motor and then the end came good save

[FiveSeventyZee]

i will hate on it. sounds like a bad idea. but you should take my negative criticism and turn it in to motivation. haters going to hate. fuck vw

 

I like where this is going...

[Z chopper]

The seats and the door cards have Factory Westfalia camper plaid material inset. The paint is bali green.

 

I have 5 more yards of this fabric so I may be painting the 510 Bali green and doing the interior to match my old Rabbit.

 

I like this idea :thumbup: , screw the haters

[yenpit]

I almost bought a pair of black cloth Recaro's, likely from the 1980's, with orange inserts, kinda similar to the Westfalia pattern, but not as "busy". The insert pattern was horizontal, and basically faded from bright orange to a dark burnt orange. They were cool seats, and would have looked killer in my Hugger Orange 510, but I didn't buy them...........

 

What about a deep orange color for the car, and use the Westfalia orange material?

 

I think your idea is cool as hell! B)

[ifixvws]

Chrome yellow is kind of a cool orange/yellow.

 

I shouldn't say the paint and the fabric is set in stone. I'm just leaning that way. After watching the against all odds video again

about the Trans am series, I just don't know what I want to do color wise. The Blue they used on the number 2 car is cool too.

 

 

The Recaro autumn fade is a classic. I have a set of the Recaros seats from a 88 GLI jetta. They look great and will with basic mounts fit in anything. The sides are black and the centers can be whatever you want.

 

These are from the last project car I had.

 

As you can see I like the O.E factory plaids fronm the '70s.

 

Here is Chrome yellow. Porsche and VW used it in the '70s.

[hobbes_the_cat]

I don't like yellow dimes but the name of that color is decieving. Looks like a nice orange to me.

[yenpit]

Nice, is that your Scirocco? I've got a buddy here in town that has a drop dead beautiful first gen Scirocco.........

[ifixvws]

It was my old Scirocco. It had a 1.8t swap. Sold it before I even finished it.

 

 

Car is done and on the east coast now.