# diesel Dasher wagon



## neverthesamecar (Dec 2, 2006)

I'm a long-time vw owner, but I've never had a Dasher. My grandfather has a diesel wagon that he parked back in '95... there was nothing wrong with it, and I'm not quite sure why it got taken off the road. I've talked to him about buying it from him before, and he always just laughs, but recently I've got a strong itch to dig it out of the shed it's in and breathe some life back into it. I'm gonna see if I can convince him that I'll make better use of it than he has for the last 15 years. Any advice for a B1 noob??

teaser pic:









I've only done a little bit of research, but is it really that hard to lower these cars????


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

neverthesamecar said:


> Any advice for a B1 noob??


Seriously nice find! you know the previous owner, car looks solid! (under the dirt at least :sly: )

All depends on how "low" you want to go... They take creativity to lower them... if they are a late model year (81, maybe 80 too?) they changed the springs on the front suspension. if its not the "late model year" suspension, you can use front lowering springs from a A1 or A2 chassis.... rears you either need to cut or find donors from another car (not sure about the wagon rear springs, but I have Volvo rears in mine but its a sedan).

Be prepared for some work ahead of you if you do buy it... a LOT of stuff is no longer available, but there is a lot of cross-compatible parts from newer/different models, or sometimes just being creative with what ever you can find.


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## SCarGo02 (Mar 26, 2004)

The wagons tend to be a little harder to lower than the sedans due to the rear suspension setup, but Greg on the http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...ear-Lowering&daysprune=100]Vintage Audi forum cut the springs and used a stiffer (Koni) shock on his Audi Fox wagon.

He expanded more on what he did on DOG, but unfortunately the site has been down the past few days, otherwise it's the holy grail for B1 enthusiasts and information! 

*EDIT* Southcross above has started a Facebook group for DOG members (in his sig) which is worth joining if you get serious about the Dasher!


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

I am actually working on a few solutions... I have found a few cars with similar size springs, and a company that makes springs for circle track racing. I'm just waiting for some parts to install my new front springs, then I'll do the rears to match (height wise) and do a writeup of what I find


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## SCarGo02 (Mar 26, 2004)

Edward -- are the rear springs on your B1 like the Fox sedan coil-over-spring setup or the wagon where they're separate?

If they're like the sedan type I'd love to know which springs you've found which might work!


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

SCarGo02 said:


> Edward -- are the rear springs on your B1 like the Fox sedan coil-over-spring setup or the wagon where they're separate?
> 
> If they're like the sedan type I'd love to know which springs you've found which might work!


 separate shock and spring... I'm 90% sure all the B1 (Dasher and Audi Fox) have the same suspensions in the rear... the Wagons being heavier had (I think...) stronger springs, but are still too soft IMHO. 

I haven't tried the springs I have yet (they will need to have their pigtail cut off and finally cut to length, they are about 400lb/inch travel and off a **** *******


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## SCarGo02 (Mar 26, 2004)

Interesting that the Dasher sedans got the same suspension as the wagons yet the Fox sedans got the more traditional (at least in the Audi world) coil-over-shock setup (like B2/B3/B4/BX cars).


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## Southcross (Jul 2, 2004)

Well, the BX chassis is more of a fork of the B# line of chassis versions... kind of a bastard child actually LOL


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## SCarGo02 (Mar 26, 2004)

Southcross said:


> Well, the BX chassis is more of a fork of the B# line of chassis versions... kind of a bastard child actually LOL


LOL...baster child or not...I didn't want to leave it out!


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## MrQship (Jan 1, 2010)

I had an 81 diesel wagon years ago. It was the slowest car on the road ( for real), but I still enjoyed 42 mpg. I put a nice set of early 80's ( not the original ones) scirocco alloys on it, Bilstein shocks and struts, and was able to get up enough speed on the entrance ramps to enter the highway at a decent speed. 

If I ever came across a car like yours, I would start with a TDI engine swap to get the torque needed to get out of your own way. First time you let out the clutch, you will realize this thing has NO power at all. 

Good luck with it, and be sure to give it a good undercoating before taking it out. The ones still on the road were undercoated at the dealers with a wax type undercoating.


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## devils_darning_needle (Jun 6, 2006)

Nice Dasher Wagon! There are ways of tweeking them ie 5 spd trans w/ correct ratios or a TD swap either way you will be visiting the fuel pump far less


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## greggearhead (Jul 28, 2002)

I condensed my build thread of my Audi Fox wagon here in the Dasher section. 

It really is not that hard to lower them - cutting springs is easy. To lower them and stiffen them significantly, it takes a bit more work. I used Volvo 740 rear springs on the rear of Southcross's Dasher when I built it years ago. I used E24 BMW 633CSI springs in the rear of my wagon now. 

The thing to realize with B1 chassis stuff is that you may have to "roll your own" a bit more, as there aren't as many off the shelf solutions. Its more like true hot-rodding in my opinion! 

And a diesel like yours - great base to start with. I owned Diesel Rabbits and Caddys in College and after - the easiest/best solution to the power issue would be finding a Quantum 1.6 Turbo Diesel engine and trans and swapping that in, while adding an intercooler and a better exhaust. OK power (about the same as a mild gas engine) and great mileage! Good luck and keep us informed.


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## _drtydub_ (May 3, 2010)

i have some advice, convince him to sell it to me :laugh: i have a 5cyl TD looking for a nice home


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## neverthesamecar (Dec 2, 2006)

update: I made a deal with grandpa and will be taking delivery of the car as soon as we can find the time to get to a notary... even got the family discount.


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## neverthesamecar (Dec 2, 2006)

Bump. I'm back in town for turkey day, and looks like I'll be dragging the car out of the barn tomorrow. Pics to follow...


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## neverthesamecar (Dec 2, 2006)

After some cleaning:









It hadn't been started in 16 years. Changed the oil, put a new battery in, and she fired right up.


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## dasherinoz (May 19, 2011)

> she fired right up.


Hahah excellent!


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## hussdog426 (Nov 20, 2011)

nice


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