Oly Wagen

I'm very happy with my new purchase - a 1973 VW 412 squareback. Purchased in Olympia from a mechanic, Randy, who got the car from a couple who had been restoring the car as a tour car for their boat. The car was transported on and off of a boat using a crane as they made trips down to San Francisco, etc. The car lost an exhaust valve and was given up on. Randy got the car after it was donated to the vocational school he taught at. No one wanted it as a project, so after a dare from the students, Randy decided to rebuild the engine. Randy is a muscle car mechanic, but with help from another vocational school teacher, it came together well. Randy only had driven the car a few hundred miles before he decided to sell it.

I've been driving the car daily for a couple weeks. It runs smooth, but has a few issues:

• Shimmies at 45 mph
• Leak near drivers side windshield
• Passenger window regulator is shot
• Clock doesn't work
• Gas heater doesn't work
• Horn doesn't work
• Rust blisters in rear quarter panels
• Master cylinder has slight leak
  

When I got it, the driver seat back was broken. I replaced the back supports on the sides with parts from my other 412.

I bought the car so I can retire my sorry Honda Accord and skip forward on the project timeline of owning a 412 wagen. I bought my first 412 a year and a half ago. It required complete overhaul. Now the old wagen is being parted out for spares. I'll upgrade the suspension and brakes on the new wagen with parts I bought for the old wagen.


It's been great driving the 412. My 10 mile commute is along country roads often times with traffic, so the car is perfect.

The restored seats are very comfortable and the interior is in great shape. The engine is clean and leak free. Next on the agenda is to replace the window regulator, rebuild the master cylinder, and fix the horn and clock.