# The cost of resurrection?



## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

So, I need to do something with the Dasher. It's essentially a good shell, a little bit of surface rust without major cancers, and of the interior the seats seem to be in serviceable condition.
Needs an engine, transmission (missing 4spd linkage parts, plus NLA bushing hell), suspension and brakes.
I'm considering blitz-building it into a daily driver over early summer, as a more thrifty method of getting around for my father. His present daily driver is a 16mpg diesel F250, and he just doesn't need that kind of capacity right now.
He's willing to finance the build, but he needs to know up front approximately how much it's going to cost. I've already priced out the price of a "kit" rebuild package from VWdieselparts, which is about the most reasonably priced thing I've found and far more equitable than the full of himself engine machinist I've found locally. $220 per shop-hour my back end! His equipment is all completely paid for, and he's _not_ hurting for work.
This leaves me with the uknowns of suspension and brakes.
I have all the the brake components from the four corners of the QTD I just had crushed. The drums need a light turning to take away surface rust and some new wheel cylinders, while I'll probably just use the calipers as-is. New rotors, pads and shoes... say ~$200 for the brakes.
Suspension is the one that I'm unsure of. I know I need shocks and struts, strut mounts, ball joints, tie rod ends and _especially_ subframe and control arm bushings. The lattermost two are completely and totally rotted out, but I can't for the life of me find them anywhere.
Any help on prices and suppliers for stock-ish suspension components? Prefer gas-charged over oil charged inserts and shocks, but I'm not looking for high performance or super responsiveness.
I suppose if I'm considering going PSA for the transmission, I need to look at how much to swap from 90mm to 100mm CV joints, at least the inners. New boots, too.


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## Longitudinal (Nov 13, 2004)

*Re: The cost of resurrection? (turbinepowered)*

Kurt, 
Those 90mm cups bolt right in to the 5-speeds. Piece of cake.


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

*FV-QR*

engine:
Comb local and Vortex forums for engines from a Mk1 or Mk2
I got my replacement from Craig's List
suspension:
(other than upper strut mounts they are Dasher and early Mk1 specific)
Struts, shocks, ball joints, control arms, springs, sway bar from a VW Fox or Audi 4000 (some other Audis also?)
I too need to find a solid sub-frame, salvage company most likely
Quantum Brakes are a direct bolt on, fronts I think are even an upgrade
PSA is a perfect fit to a Dasher, you only need to clearance the trans tunnel to fit it.
Sounds like an excellent summer project


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## Longitudinal (Nov 13, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (Southcross)*

I have two very clean B1 subframes, gent. Shipping to CO will cause about as much suffering as being forced through a fine mesh screen.


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

Hip-bump.
Starting to move forward on this. Probably looking at removing the biggest expense by porting the 1.5 over from the Fox into the Dasher, then building the 1.6 for the Fox. Bam, instant $1k savings and halved the project cost.
Rear shocks for the Dasher are proving hard to find, at least -as such-. Are the rear shocks for an Audi 4k compatible?
If I can find a good line on some decent gas-charged rear shocks for the wagon, it'll probably be at least partial steam ahead.
JP, may just be inquiring after one of those B1 subframes... poor thing's bushings are _rotted_. I'm really surprised this car still rolls straight, as little rubber as has survived the years.


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

*FV-QR*

Search on eBay Motors http://www.motors.ebay.com for "Dasher"
Scroll through all the pages (4?) and if need be, click "Show Buy-it-Now from eBay Stores" at the bottom... you should find several eBay stores with shocks.... I have seen KYB and other aftermarket brands that way. I think you can even get Monroe shocks (what is on my Dasher) from NAPA.


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *Longitudinal* »_I have two very clean B1 subframes, gent. Shipping to CO will cause about as much suffering as being forced through a fine mesh screen. 


I've been thinking about it... I don't _need_ a new subframe, its just more cosmetic with the big smack mark where I hit the Crub. If I feel like making the underside of the car "show ready" (i.e. put those gay mirrors under my car to show off the shiny underside like the Mk4 guys do)... I'll Krylon paint the underside metal-flake


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## Longitudinal (Nov 13, 2004)

*Re: (turbinepowered)*

Kurt,
The bushings in both subframes are fine, so you can install it as it is. The bushings are cheap and are still available from the stealer. Putting them in, on the other hand, is not fun at all.
Did you check classicgarage.com for shocks? Last I checked, they still had the Koni Reds cheap.


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

*Re: (Longitudinal)*

Hadn't checked there. So subframe bushings are a stealership availability and fairly cheap; control arm bushings the same?
I'll add classicgarage to my list of usual vendors to get checked.


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

*FV-QR*

Control arm bushings are quickly becoming NLA (when I bought 4, there were only 16 in the States according to VW), and not cheap... BUT! as I discovered, you can use brand new VW Fox control arms (for the same cost as the bushings), and they come WITH the bushings already installed


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

*Re: FV-QR (Southcross)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Southcross* »_Control arm bushings are quickly becoming NLA (when I bought 4, there were only 16 in the States according to VW), and not cheap... BUT! as I discovered, you can use brand new VW Fox control arms (for the same cost as the bushings), and they come WITH the bushings already installed









Local dealer has Quantum control arm bushings in stock, and _lots_ of them if I'm understanding him correctly; are they cross compatible?


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## Longitudinal (Nov 13, 2004)

*Re: FV-QR (Southcross)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Southcross* »_Control arm bushings are quickly becoming NLA (when I bought 4, there were only 16 in the States according to VW), and not cheap... BUT! as I discovered, you can use brand new VW Fox control arms (for the same cost as the bushings), and they come WITH the bushings already installed









Yup, but there is a small difference in the Fox control arms where the BJ goes. The Fox arm will require some notching there.


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

Are Quantum control arm bushings compatible with the Dasher, or are they like the Dasher strut bearings and Dasher-specific?
Also, Classic Garage has Konis for the Dasher, but only listed for the Sedan. They won't fit a wagon, will they?


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

*FV-QR*

AFAIK they are Dasher specific... with maybe the exception of the Quantum Turbo Diesel Arms, the 4-Cyl Q arm can be used on the Dasher so I "think" its the same bushing


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

*FV-QR*


_Quote, originally posted by *Longitudinal* »_
Yup, but there is a small difference in the Fox control arms where the BJ goes. The Fox arm will require some notching there. 


actually no, you don't need to clearance the Fox arm, the Dasher arm has extra "material" that sits on either side of the BJ... that design was omitted on the Fox arm


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

Rockin. So, the same two part numbers exist for both the Sedan and Estate versions of the '80 Dasher in ETKA, so they interchange. Problem solved there.
Doesn't look like Quantum control arm bushings will swap over, but I'm willing to try Fox bushings.


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