Another new guy

[JimmyACT]

Hi,
James from Canberra here. Just doing my first post. I found this forum through a link that someone in the aussieveedubbers forum had posted. I have owned a couple of mid 70s Audi Foxes and several mid 70's Passats. I saw Peter Jones' B1 Passat resto thread and thought I'd join the forum. I currently don't have any watercooled VWs, but am about to get a 70 Beetle (I know - wrong forum!). I do have 2 Lancias and 3 older Peugeots in various states of repair so the watercooled Euro car thing is still happening for me - just no VWs at present.

I still have some old Passat bits so thought I'd post a note against Peter's resto thread, but had to join the forum first. I have to figure out what bits I have now.

Great forum by the way!

James

[76Passat]

howdy and welcome - hopefully we can talk you into a watercooled VW soon! Although some of the older Peugeots are nice. Which ones are you doing up? We've got a 306 in the family and a friend has a 607 and a 406 coupe (he looooves Peugeots for some reason, has owned a 504, 405 MI16 and a 605 before the current two). They've got some great qualities (the 306 is real fun to toss around) but I think they're all let down by build quality. Our 306's brakes fail about every 12 months with some new and fatal leak in the hydraulics.... something my '76 B1 Passat has NEVER done and we've owned it since the late 70s. Anyway good luck with it and catch the VW fever.

[JimmyACT]

Thanks Mike,

I have an '83 505 sedan which I am rebuilding and two 405 SRIs. I've also had plenty of 504s and 505s over the years. The 405s do have build quality issues - electrical and trim, but are great to drive. Bummer about the 306 brakes - pretty strange actually.

Amazing that you've had the Passat for so long. I'll have to hunt around the forum to see if I can find any photos of it. I am sure that you would have posted some over time. Obviously it is great car for you to have hung onto it for so long.

If I get bored with the Peugeots (and Lancias), maybe I'll get a non air-cooled VW again! I do miss the short stubby gearshift lever in my old Passat wagon actually.

I bought a 75 Audi Fox in 1990 from a guy who used to work for VW Australia and he had a silver 2 door Passat hatch. Quite rare in Australia I think.

See you around,
James

[GoLfMan]

welcome!

sounds like a rich VAG history you have there, welcome back to the darkside

[Lima]

Old skool RESTECP.

[JimmyACT]

Thanks guys,

Not quite back in the watercooled VW fold yet but the wife now wants a newer smaller car to replace the Tarago (she is sick of a big car and the oldest child is driving now), so maybe I'll start looking at more recent Golfs and Passats soon. You never know - I might end up with one.

James

[evorobin]

Welcome James. I have an 89 golf GTI - 89 Audi 90Q that are heaps more fun than modern cars so here's hoping you see the light