Aug 72 - Aug 73 late bay discussion. 73 model year.

It is a proper bummer that the very early latebays had the early steering box. They are like rocking horse poo and expansive to recon. Even then it appears that no one really reconditions them properly, unless anyone knows otherwise. BTW my bay is July 72 so it must have been the very last of the early steering boxes.

 

My rear quarters have a hole on either side near the bumper ( VW design NOT rust ! ), always wondered what they were for.
Wipers only have the one speed....or two if you count off !

 

My 03/01/73 had a late box.
Luckily it's reasonably straightforward to swap to one of these later boxes and well worth it.

 

'73 front panels are one year only, as they have the early headlight bowls.

 

That would be the way to go should mine fail. how big a job is it? is there thread on this? Seem to remember seeing one a long time ago.

 

Hi mine is a 74 van (M plate) but has all the things you talk about, the 3 screw lights, lock in slider handle, fuel flap, early column, grey speedo. No built in spreader bar though, in fact it has late backing plates with no holes for the fixing of the shoes and uses later shoes and drums. Late steering box too I think but jot really checked this.

I should really use the m plate decoder thing to see when built rather than the registration but I think it was late 73.

It's a real pain ordering bits though as more often than not they don't fit!

 

You need to enlarge the hole in the chassis, making it a different shape as well, then move the two rear fixings and batter the inner valance to make room for it if you have early style valance/bumpers. I did my 68 in about 6 hours but I had a template ready for marking out the holes on the chassis and a have die grinder and nice bits to avoid making a mess with an angle grinder. It's possible to make a real hash of it, then need to add stengthening plates - I've seen it done!
But my steering wheel is now 90 degs out and I can't get the fecker off the splines!

 

I just found out what the two blue levers were for the fresh air. One lever was attached to each vent behind the grill so you could open just the drivers side or passengers side.
Wonder why that was discontinued?

 

probably cheaper to do it as one, only one lever 1 set of hinges 1 pressed plate? must admit i liked my old landy with 2, my van one is blocked off.

 

Almost all the changes were for legislation or cost saving. For the last couple of years they got rid of the mechanism for opening the cold air flaps completely and the lever was directly connected to one flap and the two flaps were joined together at the front so they both opened at the same time.

 

77/78

The flaps have a plastic link between them!!

 

earlies have 4 maybe it's just another xover thing to add to your list

 

That's the one Paul it's quite a neat solution. The left hole in back of the airbox is blanked.

My '72 has got 4 levers by the way

 

aliens!