# Dasher 16V build



## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Been working on this car for a little bit, So, I figured it was time to finally make a build thread.

Some of you may know me already. My name's Chris, and I'm a founding member of DOG (Dasher Owners Group). 
The original one. That one evolved into a newer one, and I'm sorry to say I've just not been as active with it as I'd like to be. Life gets in the way, much like with my Dasher.
I've been working on this particular car since 1998. About 23 year as of this writing.
My car has seen a lot of changes from the original form, and a lot of changes from my original vision of what I wanted.
And it's seen a LOT of down time sitting in the garage for years at a time untouched.
Those days are over.
I'm very much back on this car, and I've had very good momentum in the last year.

This car's story started out with a part search for my first Dasher, also a 1976 3 door 4 speed. I was starting the teardown of my first one, shortly after someone decided to do a U-turn right next to me. The car was pretty banged up.
SO, off to the junkyard I went, looking for a fender, maybe a couple good doors, maybe the whole front end.
I stumbled on my current car, sitting there in all it's glory. 
It's doors were good, had no rust in the rain gutters, was real straight, except for a ding in the fender.
Bryan Wilson of Bry's Auto Wrecking would sell me the two doors for $200, or, the whole car for $300.
I drove the car home, no exhaust and a brake caliper dangling from a coat hanger, and started over.
That was the only time I've ever driven this car, 23 years ago.

The only pic I took of this car before the teardown. Yes, the Dasher wagon next to it was my daily driver.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

It's funny how us car guys get swept into thinking that the little gem we just found is better than it really is.
This car had it's fair share of rust. All the usual places. Rain tray, under the hood was rotten. Left fender had the standard rust coming thru from the back side (part of the inside bracing touches the outer skin on that side - they all rust). Right rear lower section behind the rear wheel was rotten.
Long story short, this car was sandblasted to raw steel. Every inch of the outside. The underside was completely stripped of it's undercoating, and suspect areas were taken to metal.
This is basically a rotisserie restoration without the rotisserie.

There is no drain in this spot. There is on the Left side.









I added a drain, same style as the rocker drains. 
The holes were used to shoot paint from a syringe from the backside after welding,
to make sure it doesn't ever do this again.



























Rust on roof skin, above the supports


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Not sure what I was thinking, but I wanted the underside just as clean as the outside.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Then the mods began.
All the holes that came on the car have been filled with welded steel.
Side markers, trim holes, and rust holes.
And the engine bay got some attention too.
The engine of choice for this car is a 16V.
I originally took it from an '86 Scirocco. More on that later.
I needed to remove the battery tray, as the distributor of the 16V comes off the end of the head, and would hit.

Since I removed it, I took the opportunity to add back a brace.
I stole one from my 1st Dasher, and changed the curve and straight edges to match the right side of the car.


















The battery tray is now a box behind the firewall.
I thought long and hard where to put it. If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably go with the trunk. Back when I started, I had it in my mind to preserve the utilitarian nature of the hatchback. Lol.

I built a little box of steel and added it to the right hand drive version's brake servo location.
this will be for the battery cables to come out. It has a matching oval hole to the heater core hole, and will use the same double hole grommet.










Transmission Tunnel.
Going with a 5 speed, tunnel just doesn't allow this.
Circles are areas that hit.




































All better.












It's always fun when you move in the middle of a car restoration.
And that's a big reason the car sat so many years in this current stripped down but painted state.
Winter, 2002.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

I will be honest, one of the things that sort of kept me from working on the car as much as I wanted to was the paint. I had some issues with the clear coat. This is my first paint job I've ever done, and no amount of reading books or studying prepares you for hands on experience.
I was very happy with the silver, but the clear coat had heavy orange peel. When I got to the new house, and was color sanding the clear, I broke through into the silver in a couple places.
One of the most dis-heartening experiences I've ever had. I was just sick.
So, I continued to sand down the clear, and repainted those areas I cut through, and re shot the clear over the whole car. Much better luck the second time. This was about 2003 or so?

Then it basically sat, while I played with other cars, boats, built a treehouse for 5 years, and raised 2 amazing boys, all while continuing to collect lots of NOS parts.
I never lost interest in the car, just had other stuff going on.

Fast forward to 2019/2020, and I finished color sanding and buffing, got some clear overspray out of the door jambs and engine bay, and finally started on other areas of the car.




























Made a big decision to do away with the CIS unit mounting bracket. It will not be needed any longer. I didn't have to, but it will certainly clean up the bay. No turning back now.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Suspension.

The rear axle I'm using is from a newer Dasher, I believe it was a 1981.
The trailing arms of the 1976 are 3mm thick, and the newer style is 5mm.
The rumor is that the torque tube inside the horseshoe shaped beam is also thicker.
Also, the new one has more negative camber built in.
This was bought back when you would see a Dasher in the junkyard every once in a while.
Those days are long gone.









I sandblasted the axle, and then shot it with semi-gloss POR. Nice tough stuff.
For some odd reason, I don't have a finished pic of the rear beam. I'll update later.


















Someone decided at some point that it was a good idea to use a stainless steel strap around the outer sway bar bushing, instead of just get a new clamp from the yard. This lovely piece of "engineering" cut it's way into the control arm. "Get-'er done".









This was welded up and ground down to original shape.









The control arms and subframe were in pretty decent shape really, so I sort of documented how the original factory markings are, in case I ever decide to go all "Pebble Beach" and put them back. I probably won't, but at least now I can.
Any scratches and dents in the subframe were fixed before painting.



























All cleaned up.
April 2020



























Lots more to come with the suspension.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Engine.

As can be seen from the above pics and description, the car is getting a 16V.
Can't recall the year, but sometime around 2000 perhaps I brought home a 1986 Scirocco from the junkyard to pull everything I needed. I pulled the engine, left the trans. Pulled all (ALL) wiring. Every inch of it. I originally intended to use everything straight from the S2. Intake manifold and all. I was in for a surprise. The hood sat one full inch high after throwing the engine in the car for mockup.

Where it hit (red arrow)









So I had this nifty little number shipped from England.
Audi 80 16V manifold.










That one was way better, the hood would sit flush, but of course that's not good enough.
I found some lower motor mounts. But like things always do, that led to other issues.
Now I would have to notch the subframe, and maybe even the hood bracing. I wasn't a big fan of either really. So, this is the point where the car basically sat for over a decade with almost nothing done to it.

Somewhere along the line, I acquired a 2.0 complete block. It was in very good shape.
I had the deck cleaned up, and rehoned. 
I also took the 1.8 head to Steve Hannaford in Tacoma WA for a Port/Polish job, and new valve grind and seals etc.

I started day dreaming about a different direction for induction, and in 2017, decided to abandon the Fuel Injection idea altogether and bought a set of Weber 45 DCOE's.
Talk about opening a can of worms. (I guess I really like worms).









The hood fitment issue was now a thing of the past. But it's still the 10 pounds of "stuff" in a 5 pound bag problem.

This seems like a good place to insert my engine build thread.
I won't go into a huge amount of detail here about the engine, but If anyone is interested, here's the link. 
B1 16V Build, or something slightly different | VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum 
I'll stick to stuff here that mostly pertain to putting this beast into a B1.

I managed to find a super rare alternator mount from a QTD with no AC or PS. Who knew?









In order to use this particular 16V 2.0 Longitudinally, this boss needs to be tapped.


















The Audi 80 16V (maybe others also?) uses a strut that goes from a different mount, up to the top of the block. Seemed like a good idea, so I built one. This motor will have just a little bit more power than stock.










I was fortunate to find another rare as hen's teeth piece to the puzzle.
Audi 80 B1 GT or GTE aluminum oil pan. 
Of course I wanted to use a windage tray (OEM VW item, from MK3 I believe?)
The tray needed some mods.









The 16V has a few more senders than the B1.
I sourced this from an Audi 4000 if I recall correctly. 
Has more holes.









My belt routing. I don't know if this will give me trouble or not.
There is no tension adjustment for the water pump.
I tried several belts until I got what feels right.
If I have issues, I will come up with a small tensioner pulley and needed brackets.
We'll see.









Modified snubber mount, to fit around the QTD alternator bracket.









I decided to go mad scientist on this project and tackle something that's been on my mind for years. What to do with all the bolts and brackets with yellow chromate finsih?
I bought a power source, and all the supplies, and started a zinc plating operation.
After zinc plating, the parts get dipped into yellow chromate, or black oxide solution.
I'm loving it!
I don't get 100% same quality as OEM, but it's way better than sending them out, and better than painting parts that aren't supposed to be.

Original









Plated































































Fiat 124 motor mounts.
Much more firm than stock B1. 
Now that I'm going with carbs, we're back to stock height mounts.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

All mounted up to the subframe.


















This header is from an Audi V8.
This story is far from over. It does not dump in the right spot.
I'm trying to decide whether to just massage this one to get the car running, or, actually start over from scratch and build a header. Ultimately I will be doing that, but I'm leaning towards just adjusting this one for now.


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## vwsportruck (Sep 30, 2002)

Loving this thread!

-=Mark
'80 Dasher Wagon
'81 Rabbit Sportruck
'90 VSE JackRabbit
'11 Jetta Sportwagen SE


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

vwsportruck said:


> Loving this thread!
> 
> -=Mark
> '80 Dasher Wagon
> ...


Thank you! Long overdue. At this point obviously I'm just trying to catch up. Eventually it will be more of an update as I go thing like your thread. I'm looking forward to that.
I can never make up my mind whether I want to do the "save multiple pages and update later" thing or not. lol. Sort of annoying when people do that, but here I am doing that.
For now I'll fill in the ones I made, and when I run out, I'll just add on to the end I think.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Transmission.

This is a Quantum Turbo Diesel (QTD) 5 speed transmission. Code 3M.
Should be pretty lively behind the 16V, considering the 3M is about the 2nd most low geared (sporty ) trannies available for the B1. I happened to just get an amazing deal on a brand new, NOS VW Fox transmisstion, a PSA. Yes, brand new. That one will be slightly taller geared, and is my backup if this QTD blows up. Or, I might swap them if I go on a long road trip.

So, the story behind this QTD still amazes me to this day. Back in the 1900's (lol, too funny), I was at my favorite junkyard, and spotted a Dasher wagon. Being rare, even back then, and always looking for interesting parts, I was checking out the interior. I spotted a 5-speed gear knob. My first thought was, what a tool - who would swap over a 5 speed knob on a 4 speed car. So, I rowed thru the gears, and much to my shock, it was a 5 speed. WOW!
The code on these transmissions is impossible to see when installed in the car. I asked a guy working at the yard about it, and he said come back tomorrow, he'd have the engine and trans separated from the car. I came back, and much to my shock, it was the 3M. The exact ratio I was looking for! What are the chances of that? Couple that with the fact that it was already in a B1, so the mounting was all figured out for me.
So, now I've gotten the car, the engine, the tranny all from the same yard.

Here she is in all her raw beauty. Along with modified mount.


















I replaced all the seals, and got it cleaned up real nice.
Then I noticed this. And oil stain that was new, inside the bell housing.
Turns out there was what I have to assume was a casting flaw - maybe an air bubble.
It broke thru, and was leaking. Makes me wonder a LOT of things. Like, was it always leaking? (didn't appear to be).
Are there other flaws that will expose themselves later? All the more reason to have bought the Fox tranny.
So, I fixed the hole. I drilled it out, tapped for an NPT pipe fitting, ordered an aluminum plug with Allen head, and inserted it with some oil proof gasket maker. I'm confident that at least THIS hole is no longer a concern.



















Now on to the fun stuff. Linkage. The original floppy rubber stuff was disintegrating.
Time for something a bit more sporting. 
I took it apart, and welded in mounting holes for spherical bearings. Everything is now a bearing. 
The part that has the pin slide back and forth is now a solid piece of Delrin hard plastic. I milled it out.
All the bearing were purchased on Amazon or eBay. Fun project. It's too bad all this will be hidden.






















































While I was at it, I relocated the lower strut location to the bottom for a shorter shifter throw, and replaced the rubber mounts with rod ends.









I filled the original wet noodle transmission mount with Polyurethane, but didn't get a pic. It's very solid now. Similar to the Fiat engine mounts and the VW Motorsports front snubber.

Lightened flywheel. From an Audi 4000/Quantum.


















Stock VW Fox clutch


















MAJOR milestone. 
April 2021. Transmission mated to the engine. First time for this block and transmission combo. After 23 years, you can imagine how amazing this felt to me.


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

What a great read and what a fantastic project, hats off!


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Thank you! You inspire me.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Progress is great, but a major milestone, that's what really makes me happy.
May 2021.
The engine is IN the car!

I built a wooden cradle to hold the engine/tranny assembly.
The cradle needed to be tall enough to get the engine crane under it all. This meant the car had to be about 35 inches from the ground to the lower edge of the fascia. A bit sketchy, but done very carefully and not in a hurry.
This was a belt AND suspenders sort of deal.



















It's IN! I'm just super excited.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)




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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

As I mentioned before, using carbs meant that I no longer have hood fitment issues, and I get to use stock height motor mounts. But the carbs still present a LOT of challenges..
Here's one of many - BRAKES.

Stock booster and Master Cylinder.


















So, If I didn't plan to use any kind of filter on the trumpets, this might be adequate. But that's just not my style.

I thought I'd try throwing on a Golf Mk2 M/C that I had laying around, to see what that looks like.
Problem solved?









Essentially, yes. The overall problem is solved. Of course using that M/C and booster brings up more issues.
I will go into this more later, with pictures, but here's the basic writeup.
The Golf/Jetta/Corrado M/C is nice and short, which is great, but it is NOT compatible with the B1 Booster. The M/C will not go all the way into the Booster. So, I'm forced to have to use the booster from Golf.
What's wrong with the Golf booster? For one, the back side is not completely compatible for mounting to the car. The linkage on the Golf unit is not adjustable for length like on a B1.
And the overall diameter is slightly larger. That larger diameter is now partially blocking the hole in the firewall for the accelerator cable.
The fun continues....


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## 32B (Aug 29, 2019)

B1-16V said:


> As I mentioned before, using carbs meant that I no longer have hood fitment issues, and I get to use stock height motor mounts. But the carbs still present a LOT of challenges..
> Here's one of many - BRAKES.
> 
> Stock booster and Master Cylinder.
> ...


Try to find brake booster from an Audi 80 b4. Will fit on your car. It's a little bit thinner but larger in diameter (than stock audi b2/passat/quantum). Maybe could solve your issue. I fitted it on my b2 for better vacuum. Also it has adjustable rod that goes to your brake pedal.


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## 32B (Aug 29, 2019)

Ill measure tomorrow distance from firewall to the end of the mc and post you an update.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Thank you, I appreciate that. My trouble now is that the diameter is larger on the Mk2 booster. I do not have an issue with the length anymore, with the Mk2 MC being shorter. The larger diameter is getting very close to the accelerator cable. I will find the cable and install that, and see if it's a problem or not.


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

☕


B1-16V said:


> Here's one of many - BRAKES.


Great work! Boy do I know about Weber Vs Brake MC battles!


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## alaincopter (Oct 2, 2007)

Wow, amazing build!! Great momentum lately... glad you’re sharing this journey with us.


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## 32B (Aug 29, 2019)

B1-16V said:


> Thank you, I appreciate that. My trouble now is that the diameter is larger on the Mk2 booster. I do not have an issue with the length anymore, with the Mk2 MC being shorter. The larger diameter is getting very close to the accelerator cable. I will find the cable and install that, and see if it's a problem or not.


Although you resolved your issue, maybe this will be helpful to someone. Best i could measure is 24-25cm from firewall to the end of the mc. So audi 80 b4 brake booster and audi 100 c3/passat b2 mc.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Here is where I am at with the brakes so far. Is. I restored a MK2 Golf booster that was pretty nasty and rusty. But it still had great vacuum and it worked last time the car was driven. If I need to send it out later for an internal rebuild then that's fine but for now I will use this.
The MK2 booster mounts differently in that car than it does a B1. It was actually very easy. I installed some nuts on the 4 studs on the back to act as spacers. Screwing them all the way down tight was the correct depth. I then added the standard B1's backing mount that goes to the car. Fortunately all of the bolt patterns all lineup so this makes it very easy to do.
As for the linkage, the mk2 shaft is not adjustable.
The shaft is also slightly larger diameter.
So I shaved down the diameter a little bit and then used a die to put threads on that match the B1 pushrod.
I bought a long threaded nut, and some threaded rod, and just put it all together. (M10x1.5 btw).

The overall length from firewall to end of MC is 23cm
Length from back of booster to end of MC is 20cm.

Still a long road ahead with the brakes. But this is in the right direction.









































































Throttle cable now partially blocked by larger diameter booster.









Angle is too much for comfort. Will cause friction on cable, and mar up the booster.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Throttle cable issue all fixed.
Always fun drilling, welding, and painting an already done engine bay. 
Probably won't be the last time.

Checking carefully on the back side, for clearance with the heater box, out came the drill.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Fun with starters.

Several years ago, maybe even 10 years ago, I bought a Bosch rebuilt starter. I was pretty thrilled, because it said is was rebuilt by Bosch, and came in a Bosch box. I figured it would be about the finest quality I could get for being rebuilt. So, it of course sat on a shelf all this time. I took it out of the box, after a long rest, and was displeased to see the paint/finish was not factory. They painted the whole thing black. Just wrong. You don't paint cast aluminum black! (the one pictured isn't mine, just a photo I found)
Well, I was even more frustrated when I learned it was not the right one. It is too long. I'm guessing it's for a Quantum or 4000 or something. Has the correct bolt pattern, (3, unlike 2 on a Golf/Jetta).
It is much too long to fit with the Dasher right side motor mount.

Notice the length, where the solenoid sits compared to the end of the mid section.
This bigger one might be nice with a high compression motor, in fact, many of you may already know, maybe it's for a diesel. Do they use different motor mount?
Anyway, if anyone is reading this later on, and you're shopping for a starter, be sure you know what one you're buying..









So, I searched around, and found the correct one.
Much better.



















And newly restored bracket.


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## Willi-The-Red13 (Nov 12, 2011)

IDK if I mentioned it but the shot of your Daily Driver in your firt posting reminds me of my Dasher wagon that I sold in a fit of STUPIDITY..


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Willi-The-Red13 said:


> IDK if I mentioned it but the shot of your Daily Driver in your firt posting reminds me of my Dasher wagon that I sold in a fit of STUPIDITY..


I hate it when that happens! Ya, I really like the wagons. Maybe more rare than the coupe? Not sure. Never see any of them anymore. I really liked that car too. I may someday do something with it again.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Radiator.

I knew this was going to be a big issue. I finally jumped in. Like so many things with this car, I'm in pretty much uncharted territory. I've only heard of a couple people across the globe that have done this same combination of 16V with Webers. Possibly none with 16V, Webers, and GTE aluminum oil pan.

I searched a bit for a suitable aftermarket radiator that would fit with both the Webers and the oil pan's extra width.
Just couldn't find anything. Most of the smallish radiators out there are for a Civic, and are still too wide for this car.
I considered one from an Austin Mini, if I recall, but was concerned it was just too small.

I inquired with a couple radiator shops to see about a custom made deal. I was quoted $700-$1100.

Ultimately I stuck with the NOS Diesel radiator I've had for over 10 years. It is just too nice to pass up.
I really like the diesel radiator because it has no cap, and it is slightly taller than a gas radiator. Extra capacity with no pesky cap. Back in the day, when doing body work on the car, I replaced the lower welded in support with one from a diesel. It sits lower for the extra height. Had I known then what issues I was going to have, I probably would have left out the lower bracket and just waited.

Since radiator is rotated so much the front hose fitting just will not do, . Front fitting would put the lower hose basically outside of the body sheet metal.
So, I picked a radiator shop, and they moved my lower hose fitting to the rear. They were pretty impressed with that radiator. It's a thing of beautiful quality. One hour of labor charged for what they said was a bit more than an hour.
$112 is better than $1000.

With the radiator rotated like it is, that required a new lower bracket and a new side bracket and of course a new front top bracket. 


Modded radiator, lower spout moved from front to back.
Also showing the new lower mount I fabbed up. Uses 3 bolt in attachment points. Did not want the weight of the radiator to push down and distort just one single hole. This will do.









Lower mount in use.









Front/Lower view









Side Mount









In use


















Front Mount









It's new home









Now on to the next adventure, the shroud and fans.
Original isn't even close to working.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Why yes, yes I do. At least my radiator does.

In the middle of the shroud build.
Yes, that is a Nordicware cooking sheet. 

I made the holes slightly smaller than the fan opening size, and then rolled the lip over for a velocity stack effect.

Next step is making some hinged flaps to let air flow through when car is moving. Prevents the air from having to go only through fans.
But the flaps close so the air doesn't bypass the fans when car is sitting still with fans on.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Fan shroud is done.
I will likely wait to do the front shroud when the headlights are in.

At this point, I think next on the list is the steering rack. 
So much else depends on the rack being there. 
Rack position is certainly not open for debate like fuel and wiring and cooling hoses.



















Got some filters. Not ideal, being so shallow, but I have an idea up my sleeve about that later on. This will do for now. 



















Looking forward to building some spoilers to cover up the radiator.


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

@B1-16V really great work!


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

foreststu said:


> @B1-16V really great work!


Thank you. It's killing me to be taking a break from the car. I'll be back at it hopefully by end of September.


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## gearheadgreg (Jun 3, 2021)

Gorgeous. Nice work. That neat oil pan is baffled for cooling, not cornering control, so it's a good idea to make some holes to let the oil get to the pickup easier.


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## CharlotteHoffman (Aug 25, 2021)

This is pretty cool!
How you all have put it
You must be really enjoying


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

B1-16V said:


> Thank you. It's killing me to be taking a break from the car. I'll be back at it hopefully by end of September.


@B1-16V Hope you had a good break? ... yeah sure. Now get back to work.

...please 😆


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

foreststu said:


> @B1-16V Hope you had a good break? ... yeah sure. Now get back to work.
> 
> ...please 😆


Thank you for the encouragement. 
I will be back at it very soon. 
Between lots of camping trips and helping family members, it's been a very busy "season". 
Got me ducks in a row. Almost.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

B1-16V said:


> Been working on this car for a little bit, So, I figured it was time to finally make a build thread.
> 
> Some of you may know me already. My name's Chris, and I'm a founding member of DOG (Dasher Owners Group).
> The original one. That one evolved into a newer one, and I'm sorry to say I've just not been as active with it as I'd like to be. Life gets in the way, much like with my Dasher.
> ...


I may have purchased one of the last things ever sold from Bry's second yard. An Mk2 hood. 😃 Man, I haven't heard anybody mention that place in years. Thanks for mentioning it. Lots of good memories from the original yard.👍


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

91JET16V said:


> I may have purchased one of the last things ever sold from Bry's second yard. An Mk2 hood. 😃 Man, I haven't heard anybody mention that place in years. Thanks for mentioning it. Lots of good memories from the original yard.👍


I loved both those places, but the first one was certainly the most fun.
So many good memories and uncanny coincidences with timing there.
My very first memory was 1992 when I bought my first Dasher.
It had no reverse or 1st.
An employee helped me install a 4 speed VW Fox shifter, problem solved.
I didn't have a clue about working on cars, but I was hooked. Loved that junky car.

Bry is on eBay now, and is in New Mexico if I recall.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

I just couldn't resist a mockup shot. First time seeing these wheels actually under the car. I'm in love.
It's been a very rough 6 months. Couple health issues, aging parents needs skyrocketing, both my boys' cars, and property issues have kept me away from the Dasher progress. But I'm back at it.
Currently working on steering rack and column, then it's on to modified strut housings. All this so I can dive into header build, which is all dependent on the previous items mentioned being installed.


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## vwsportruck (Sep 30, 2002)

I know how busy life can get. Those wheels look sweet under the car! 

-=Mark
'80 Dasher Wagon
'81 Rabbit Sportruck
'90 VSE JackRabbit
'11 Jetta Sportwagen SE


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

vwsportruck said:


> I know how busy life can get. Those wheels look sweet under the car!
> 
> -=Mark
> '80 Dasher Wagon
> ...


Thank you! Wish I had hundreds of hours of vacation, I want to play in the garage.


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## vwsportruck (Sep 30, 2002)

I feel the same way!

-=Mark
'80 Dasher Wagon
'81 Rabbit Sportruck
'90 VSE JackRabbit
'11 Jetta Sportwagen SE


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

B1-16V said:


> I just couldn't resist a mockup shot.


Love the look of the ATS Cups and fitment looks great! 

Hope life settles and you can enjoy getting this further towards the road!


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Steering rack.
Nice one week project. 
Bit of clean up, and of course a bit of modification. In anticipation of the wider than stock tires, and lower than stock ride height, I decided to incorporate some adjustable end stops in the rack. Hopefully preventing tire rub on the fenders.
I'm not worried about turning circle size increase, I'm not planning to go grocery shopping with this car.
Also, I'm going to be shortening the steering arms to quicken the steering ratio (less turns of the steering wheel lock to lock). So, by doing that, the tires could travel into the fenders even easier. So, limiters on the rack were called for.

The rack in it's stock form had some sort of rubber end stoppers in each end in the rack tube. They have turned to crumbled greasy dust. Quite disgusting really. After cleaning those out, I made new ones out of Polyurethane. I made a mold, and poured them. I embedded a washer in the outer ends for an M8 bolt to push against, the bolt being the adjustable end limiter. Each end of the rack was tapped for the bolt to go in. The passenger side needs a hole drilled through the car body in the wheel well, but the drivers side the end of the rack protrudes into the wheel well, so that side was easy. This is something I can go into more if anyone reading this actually wants to go down this path.

Another challenge was the foam rubber gasket that mounts into the firewall for the steering shaft to go through. It was quite worn, with the hole being much larger than the shaft. I really didn't want to be breathing engine fumes too much. I actually want my wife to ride in the car with me once in a while.
They are available NOS on ebay from Latvia, but for $40, seemed like a lot of money for a piece of foam. 
Out came the Polyurethane to the rescue. I found a metal pipe that was the same diameter as the steering shaft, coated it with petroleum jelly, and inserted it in the foam gasket. Centered it with push pins, then poured in the poly. I coat the bottom of the foam with silicone sealant, and set on a piece of glass. Silicone is to keep the poly from leaking out underneath, and dries slower than the poly, so it cleans up well after removing from the glass. Worked quite nicely, the huge gap has been taken care of.

SO, with an NOS rubber boot, as well as a new steering damper, as well as restored bolts and nuts and grease, the rack is in!
Another little milestone that is so crucial to so many other things. Need the rack installed to be able to work on the modified strut tubes, and need those, with the axle in, to know where to route the exhaust header. Exciting to have this done.
Thanks for reading!

One end stop. It's very rough on the sides because the mold I used was a foam tube.









The rack in all it's un-restored filthy glory. 
I could not move this rack back and forth by hand just spinning the input shaft.
But after cleanup, I now can.









Some very cool engineering went into these racks. This spring puts tension on these wedges which takes slop out of the rack.









The gap in the foam gasket. I can just smell the engine fumes.









Getting ready to pour the poly









All cleaned up.









I would love to know the purpose of this angled flange spot welded to this nut. Can't think of anything it does.
Now stripped and zinc coated, and dipped in yellow chromate.


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

B1-16V said:


> I would love to know the purpose of this angled flange spot welded to this nut. Can't think of anything it does.


From the look I'd say dust guard. Just checked on ETKA and it doesn't show it so who knows! 

Awesome work again... "what's that, custom moulding your own parts?!... here just take the trophy." 😂


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

B1-16V said:


> I loved both those places, but the first one was certainly the most fun.
> So many good memories and uncanny coincidences with timing there.
> My very first memory was 1992 when I bought my first Dasher.
> It had no reverse or 1st.
> ...





B1-16V said:


> Been working on this car for a little bit, So, I figured it was time to finally make a build thread.
> 
> Some of you may know me already. My name's Chris, and I'm a founding member of DOG (Dasher Owners Group).
> The original one. That one evolved into a newer one, and I'm sorry to say I've just not been as active with it as I'd like to be. Life gets in the way, much like with my Dasher.
> ...





B1-16V said:


> Been working on this car for a little bit, So, I figured it was time to finally make a build thread.
> 
> Some of you may know me already. My name's Chris, and I'm a founding member of DOG (Dasher Owners Group).
> The original one. That one evolved into a newer one, and I'm sorry to say I've just not been as active with it as I'd like to be. Life gets in the way, much like with my Dasher.
> ...


Lol, oh man, that's funny about Bry. 😆 I went the other way on a Squareback at his West Seattle yard, pulling parts off a nicer car than what I was patching up. Oh, I think I found him on Ebay without really trying, he looks to be in Oklahoma. Bought a Mk2 16v engine control unit off him.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Oklahoma. Yes, you are right. Do you still have the Squareback?


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

B1-16V said:


> Oklahoma. Yes, you are right. Do you still have the Squareback?


Nope. Gave it to my brother-in-law many moons ago. Actually a very similar story to yours, in some ways, bought the '72 fuel injection orange Squareback in Seattle, from a co-worker, drove it to my parents house, the only time I ever drove it, started working on it, had a freak accident where it decided to roll backwards in the middle of the night down my parents driveway, and flipped on it's side. 🤦 Cracked the windshield, damaged the A pillar, messed up the drivers fender and door. A previously straight car that just needed some rear brakes and floor panels, turned into something out of a demolition derby. Still makes me sick to think about it. For some dumb reason I didn't have wheel chocks behind any wheels. If I could have got the rear brake nut off the drums the new pads would have gone on, the e brake would have worked and the whole thing would not have happened. These days I'm resurrecting my '91 Jetta GLI that has been waiting patiently for 7 years, in my shop, for its next life. So yeah, I can honestly relate to a lot of what you have posted.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Wow, that is awful. Poor car. Well, hopefully the GLI comes along for you soon. I had a 90 GLI, loved that car.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Front Suspension

Wow. Big project. Still not done, but thought I'd get this subject started.

I figured this was "Scope Creep" but really, was all part of the plan years ago.
I just make things more difficult than they need to be. I know it's very hard to go back and do things the way you want later on. I have to balance that with the fact I'm not getting any younger, and I've been working on this car for 1/2 of my lifetime.

This all started with the fact that good struts for a Dasher are hard to find. In fact my favorite strut, Bilstein B6/B8 are impossible to find. The strut inserts from a Mk2 Golf/Jetta are shorter in the body length by 29mm.

Short story is that the strut tubes from Dasher need to be 29mm shorter.
Long story is where to take that 29mm from?

You could take it all from below the steering arm to give 29mm of "free" lowering, before you even change springs.
But that causes problems. The steering arm will now hit the tires.
You can rotate the arms inward, but that will mess up the Ackerman Geometry.
Ackerman does not affect the car when driving straight, only at sharper steering angles. Easy option is to take out the 29mm from below the arms, and rotate the arms inward. Just wasn't an option to me personally.
So it’s necessary to take some from below the arm, and above.

Couple more things being modded here are the steering arms themselves.
I didn’t like the way the factory put the outside curve of the steering arm towards the tire.
Not a problem stock, but when taking a section out of the tube below the arm, it makes a tire issue. Also, having the nut on top of the arm is a real problem in that you can’t get an impact driver on the nut when it’s on top. Solution is to flip the arms. This is where it gets very difficult to figure out where to cut the strut tubes. While I did all that, I also took ½ inch out of the length of steering arm to give the steering a quicker ratio. (This now explains the need mentioned a few posts back to put travel limiters on the steering rack).

I was warned that the steering arms can be rusty inside. I am very glad I took the arms apart because of course there was deep rust. Factory didn’t paint inside the hollow arms. Also, any moisture or dirt will stay in there due to the Caster angle. Interesting to note that the pitted rust was on the bottom surface inside, but not the top surface.
I soaked the arms in phosphorus acid rust remover, cleaned with wire brush, rinsed, repeat. Finally got them nice and rust free. I’m not concerned about the pitting, these are thick metal, and the outer edges are what gives it the most strength, not the top and bottom sheet metal areas. (some fancy steering arms are just simple rods that wrap around the strut tube and connect at the fitting for the ball joint, eliminating the top/bottom sheet metal area anyway)
I will coat these on the inside really well, but I also drilled a drain hole in the new bottom of the arms.

I am going with coilover sleeves. That called for the original spring seat to be jettisoned. I was able to remove its welded section instead of grinding off the weld area. So, back to that 29mm removed length – some was removed from the top, some from the bottom. I’m including pictures of where I cut.

As for retaining the steering arm angle in rellation to the hub, that is very critical. Take measurements in a way that can be repeated after the sections are cut.

And the final mod for the arms – Roll Center correction. Lowering a car raises the outer end of the lower control arm. Raising the outer end lowers the roll center, allowing the center of gravity to have a longer leverage arm strength, causing the car to lean more. Lowering the outer end of the arms at the ball joint pivot location will restore the factory's higher roll center. I took this as an opportunity to also use the larger 17mm ball joints from the Facelift Dasher and early Audi 4000. Pre-facelift B1’s use a 15mm ball joint.

I bought some 1x1 steel bar and fabbed up the new mounting points for the ball joints. Now with 17mm holes and larger retaining bolts. I am very happy with how this part came out. It all may be Scope Creep, but I’m glad to have it done, and not have to worry about this later on.

_** I wanted to throw an edit in here on this subject. I realized I might have done this a bit differently for a better outcome. Maybe. If anyone is actually reading this, and is actually considering doing this mod, think it over really well. The problem is that in putting the 1x1 blocks directly below the existing ball joint holes, that is actually putting the ball joint OUT further than original, or, putting the hub IN more than original. This ends up being an issue for wheel alignment down the road. The alignment now has too much positive camber at the most extreme ball joint slide adjustment. I had to turn my ball joint holes into ovals to get them out enough. I realize some ball joints (Fox?) have oval slots already. I also realize that some lower arms are longer (B2 or B3? Info is here on Vortex in a thread) and that may be PERFECT for this situation. All in all, my car will be fine. The OEM alignment specs for the Dasher are actually POSITIVE CAMBER! Ya. No. I don't think so Tim. This isn't the 1920's.
I can now, with elongated holes in ball joints, get "point 4" degree of NEGATIVE camber, just like the Scirocco 16V called for. So, I can live with that. Extreme of adjustment, but it will work. Keep in mind, the top pivot (strut mount) hasn't changed. So, alignment is alignment is alignment. Doesn't really matter in this case how it gets there. The wheel is not pushed out or in any more or less than original. What is different is the ball joint location in regards to the strut IS different, it is now OUT more than original, but by such a tiny amount, I do not feel it will affect the NEGATIVE ROLL RADIUS that this car was originally know for in the 70's that was advertised as being so much more safe in wet or blow-out conditions. Maybe could affect torque steer, but with wider than original tires, offsetting outward, this actually might help with that issue, putting less leverage on the outside of the tire. But, if you bring the new blocks in more than the original, be aware that the new ball joint has to go a tiny bit beyond the new block, and will bottom out hitting the old location. You will have to relieve that area. **_

Pic showing how close the un-modded steering arms are to 195 tires.









Taking very little out of the strut tube below the steering arm puts the tire right into it. The banana shape of the arms is weird to me. Just not needed.









Pre measurements before surgery.


















Pitted Rust inside arms. Not pretty. Also not a concern once removed with acid.









This is what used to be the top of the arm - just minor surface rust.









Arms welded back up, only shorter.









Drain hole









Now with more tire clearance. This outer end of the flange was shaved down a bit later and welded up for just a bit more space away from tire.









Measurements of the cuts I made.
Remember, this steering arm is now flipped.













































The original 15mm ball joint setup.


















And the new.









See my edit above about this location of the new block.
Your mileage may vary.




























Next up, coilover springs...


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

Wow! That's a lot of work! It also shows me I have never seen how the front suspension of a Dasher works? Lol


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

91JET16V said:


> Wow! That's a lot of work! It also shows me I have never seen how the front suspension of a Dasher works? Lol


Ya, they are pretty simple. Big advantage is it's all steel, so, easy to modify (compared to the iron of "A" cars).
But the big disadvantage is it's harder to get more camber adjustment if that's needed. "B" cars can't have the crazy negative camber that some are into. But as you can see, if that was needed, that's just a cutting wheel and welder away from "sick stance bruh".


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

I received a very special package from Germany yesterday. I am embarrassed to mention how much money I have in to this single part. 
I originally bought 4 pieces of front nose trim from Brazil - re-pops, brand new non OEM. They looked gorgeous in the pictures. They are garbage. Absolute trash for fitment. So, that was some coin down the drain. I'll make a wall hanging out of them someday. 
Then, I bought a used but original part from a friend in Australia. Shipping from AUS to USA is a lot for such a thin part.
I knew it was used, I knew it wasn't perfect, but I bought with the intention of re-chroming after straightening it out, but with hopes of still finding NOS.
Well, the day has come. I found one, and it arrived! I'm beyond thrilled. This was the missing link for my Euro grill/lights transformation. The Icing on the Cake! I now have NOS corner trim and one for the top also.


Behold it's Hen's Tooth glory...


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

👍 It definitely can be a challenge coming up with parts for these older cars. I had to order a one-way valve for the cis-e system of my 91 Jetta, it came out of Latvia and I have been on German EBay looking for other things too. I have to laugh when I read old posts in Mk2 related forums, guys saying stuff like "I'll have to swing by the wrecking yard on thw way home and pick one up." Yeah, those days are long gone, at least where I live.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Yep, getting really hard to find parts. It's been hard to find B1 stuff for 20 years. 
I'm now in the mode of buying spare parts for this car, stuff I can't live without in another 20 years. Like oil pumps from Latvia lol.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

Boy, I bet. That stuff wasn't common back when Bry had his first yard. Maybe you should do a 412 next? 😃

I'm probably putting a new oil pump on my 9a, since it was nearly at the top of the tolerance range. I was pretty sure you could get them somewhat locally? At least in the US? Are those Latvian ones special or something?


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

I'm just seeing that everyone, and I mean everyone, (that I checked, and I check a lot) here in the states listed their 9a pumps as "backorder" or "NLA". The writing is on the wall for me. VW has ZERO love for their older cars. This is why people become Ford guys. At least Ford gets the whole "take care of classic car enthusiasts". VW is shameful in this regard. Things that are very specific to these engines and cars should be collected for those of us that intend to keep these cars and pass them on to our kids or anyone else.
I often hear stories of people with pre-war cars that have to build their own bearings and valves and endless parts like that. I just don't want to be in that mode in my lifetime with this car.

The pump that I just bought was cheap insurance, not knowing if the one in my engine is going to be good or not. Of course I took it apart, as I did with everything on this build, but it's just not easily tested like an alternator until you actually fire it up. The pump is Topran brand, is new, and is German made. I avoid chinese anything if at all possible.

I do really like the 411/412. Maybe someday.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Some more suspension work.
Still a work in progress, but getting there.

With the spring perches being cut off to make way for coilover sleeves, I had to add back a mini perch for the sleeve to sit on. I got lucky and found some steel rings online that were almost perfect inside diameter to the strut tubes. Just had to use a small drum sander to take a bit off and they slid right on. I used a sleeve to set them against to tack weld them so they were squared up, then welded all the way around. I then filed a bit of a flat ledge on top of the rings for a more positive seat. I imagine some brands of sleeves may be a tighter or looser fit, but these work fine.
Somehow I missed getting a picture of them, but I will add that later.
They are from Allstar Performance. The sleeves had to be cut to length. And VERY precisely at that.
I added a tab on the tubes that lock into a notch cut in the sleeves to keep them from turning.
I also put a few tacks at the base to take up slack inside the sleeve to keep it from shifting. That's what the random ugly dots are.




























I installed brand new hubs. That felt SO good to put those in after SO many years of them in storage.
Really another "turning point" for a car that has dragged on so long.
But I really hate rusty hubs, even though you don't see them, except when changing rotors.
So I did the zinc electroplate treatment with yellow chromate. Sad to see the almost chrome finish of the raw machined steel go away, but at least these will stay nice.










When ordering a coilover kit, you must specify what struts you are using. These are made for Bilstein with their huge diameter shaft. The stock Dasher cup washer was retained to let the strut bearing housing still rotate above the top spring seat.










The threaded collar is retained, and fits into the bearing housing just like original. It is the perfect length to allow the top cap (in the engine bay) to still rotate above the nylon ring.










Ancient historical part here. Autotech Rabbit strut bushing. I've had these in another Dasher, and they were a huge improvement. Another part I was excited to be installing finally.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

I have the same kind of HD (heavy duty) Bilstein's on my Jetta. Pretty impressive everything you are fabricating. Half the time I'm lucky if I have time to replace parts with store bought parts, let alone scratch build stuff.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Thanks! I love building stuff, but I sure enjoy just bolting stuff on too. I'm just happy to be making progress either way.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

What do dog toys and VW's have in common? Well, a lot actually.

I decided I wanted to add some extra bump stop to the front end. Main motive is to spare my fender lips from the tires. Hoping to prevent excessive vertical travel. I realize Bilsteins have them built in, but jacking up the tire into the wheel well without the spring in place I realized that at it's extreme, the tire will still hit when the wheels are turned.
Kong dog toys.
I first tried the light blue one (Bilstein color, so, it would be perfect, right?) but that one is for puppies, and is too soft. So, I used some "extreme" black ones. They are much harder. Medium size btw.
Have you ever tried to enlarge a hole in a chunk of rubber? It's not for the faint of heart, or, someone in a hurry. What a pain.
It's really amazing how well these fit, inside the upper spring perch and inside the springs.

Did they work? Well, they are compressing a bit when installed without springs, and the suspension jacked up. They are not the definitive lone solution, but the strut does not travel as far as without them. I feel that with the springs, and with sway bar installed, I will have the protection I need for pulling in and out of the more extreme parking lots and driveways like gas stations. It's just insurance.




















The springs btw, are Vogtland brand. They are made in Germany. I happen to like that. 
And, they are much more affordable than many others. I also like that they come in 11", which is sort of uncommon. The 11" allows my spring perches to be all the way down unloaded. 
I'm currently using 175# units. I have done all the number crunching from the online spring calculators, but that's all just guessing since I really don't have an exact weight for this car, let alone front to rear difference. But, being less than $100 for a pair of these, I just decided to try the 175's.
First mockup with them in place, the car is sitting too high, yet, about STOCK Dasher height. But I have nothing in this car other than the engine and trans really. SO much more weight to go.
I'm just not stressing it. Being that these are coilovers, they are pretty easy to take out, without worrying about taking out the axles or ball joints or any other nonsense. The springs will actually fit through the shock towers once the strut bearing assy is removed.
If they are too stiff, I'll just get another rate spring.



















And my strut bearing assemblies. The large D shape washers are originally yellow chromate, but the bearing housing and top ring are originally black. I think I'm pretty happy with the yellow chromate look for all of it. Just something different for a something different kind of car.










Hope you enjoy, let me know your thoughts.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

I can think of funner things then enlarging an existing hole in a dog toy. We have a pit mix and I'm very familiar with the hardness of the size large red Kong chew toy. They're made out of some pretty tough stuff. The one you used looks right at home on that strut. I think if I had to make that hole bigger I would try and use a deep hole saw and go in from both ends. Just out of curiosity how did you do it?


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Trouble with hole saws is they are not self centering unless you start with a tiny hole.
I used rotary files in a drill press. I've got an assortment of them. Trouble is they are made for metal, and they do a lot of burning rather than filing away the rubber. There are much better ways to cut them I'm sure.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

B1-16V said:


> Trouble with hole saws is they are not self centering unless you start with a tiny hole.
> I used rotary files in a drill press. I've got an assortment of them. Trouble is they are made for metal, and they do a lot of burning rather than filing away the rubber. There are much better ways to cut them I'm sure.


We use carbide tipped Rotobroaches, also known as annular cutters, to cut holes through even fairly thick carbon and stainless steel plate. Holding the workpiece in a vise in a milling machine we don't have to worry about self centering. If you could build a fixture to hold the dog toy, you could probably do it with a lathe as well. I like them because of the low tool pressure. We have to lathe turn rubber parts once in awhile so we get some experience with it occasionally. But yeah, generally it's a pain.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Steering Tie Rods

I built these tie rods about 25+ years ago. They're a great solution to the silliness that came stock on a Dasher/Audi Fox, with their fixed length passenger side rod, which is of course obsolete since about 5 years after the car was new.
These are made from VW Fox outers (4000 also IIRC). I am having a hard time remembering every detail, but part of the issue is the inner joint is unique to a B1 with it's straight shape with a kink in it. VW Fox has a bent inner end. So, to use 2 driver side inners, you have to get a reverse thread tap for the rod/tube. At the time, there was no internet, no Amazon, and not much taps from China, so, I paid $50 something for a metric reverse special order tap. The tubes were too long, so I had to cut them anyway.
Ended up being a great setup. The only issue is the tube is not used for adjustment, since it has reverse thread on BOTH ends, being that the threads into the tie rod end are normal threads. So, you sort of pre-set the inner end, and you're done with it, adjusting just the outer turnbuckle style rod.
I did not do anything fancy with the inner bushings, they're in perfect shape for being so old. They were a very hard rubber from new.


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

I clicked your username to see if I could discern its origin, and now I know!

Fantastic workmanship


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

echassin said:


> I clicked your username to see if I could discern its origin, and now I know!
> 
> Fantastic workmanship


Thank you! As you can see, I like your signature quote. We have that in common. 
The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Brake Calipers

Dusted off the cobwebs that 2 decades can produce. At least off the front ones.
I have had a set of front calipers from an Audi 4000 (Girling 54, 10.1" rotors) for 20 years.
The rear Scirocco even longer. I cleaned up the fronts, with all new piston seals and bolts and boots.
The rear ones I decided to take a different route. I studied how they would go on and decided I liked some of the details of the Audi 80/90/100 rear calipers better (specifically the location of the brake hose inlet). I scored a brand new, supposedly NOS, not rebuilt calipers for a price I couldn't resist. 
My plan is to mount the rears opposite of the normal position. They will go in front of the hub, instead of the standard rear spot. This means the right will go to the left, to keep the bleeder at the top. Only issue I see with this is the E-brake cable might not reach, since it will have to go under the axle beam and forward to the caliper. I really like the idea of the weight of the caliper being closer to the trailing arm pivot point. We'll see how it goes. Might need longer cables. 

So, for color. Hard decision. I have thought for years I'd do them red, like everyone else, and like 3 other cars in our fleet, but I just decided to do something a bit different. This is VHT brand "Nu-Cast" with VHT clear coat. I am very pleased with the color. Maybe I'll get bored of it after a while, not sure, but for now, I'm happy. 
My chosen wheels are not very "open", so, don't really show off brakes much, so, maybe that's more reason I should have gone with red, but we'll see.

The rear look darker, not really sure why, just funny lighting I guess. They're all the same. Left (front ones) are closer to a different color shop light I think?


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## ejeffrey (Apr 7, 2008)

Those calipers look awesome. I just refurbed the same ones (off of a Corrado VR6) and painted them satin black, turned out nice. But this is an uncommon color to paint calipers and a great choice.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

ejeffrey said:


> Those calipers look awesome. I just refurbed the same ones (off of a Corrado VR6) and painted them satin black, turned out nice. But this is an uncommon color to paint calipers and a great choice.


Thank you. Looks like Mercedes has been doing the gray for a while now, thought they looked classy. Should look good with the silver.
I did the calipers on my TT in gloss black. I like them, but they sure don't have the eye catching wow factor of a red caliper. Honestly I go back and forth in my mind about red calipers. Some days I feel that only aftermarket (Brembo, Wilwood etc...) should be red, but then other days I am a firm believer in people should do to their car what makes them happy.


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

@B1-16V you have been busy doing some fantastic work! Bravo, creative and top quality. Very impressive 🏆


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

foreststu said:


> @B1-16V you have been busy doing some fantastic work! Bravo, creative and top quality. Very impressive 🏆


Thank you my friend. Taking another break from the car for a bit, hopefully only a few weeks.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

I was at a car show and swap meet the other day, and I scored a nice set of Lynx Filters. 
These are just what I need to get a bit more clearance with my radiator. And they look cool.
They will work well for both "show car stuff" and actually driving the car. I can put foam in them for driving, and very easily take it out for show. Looks kinda neat with the velocity stacks showing. 
The backs were trashed. Poorly modified to fit a set of Air Cooled carbs. But these screens fit right into the stainless steel cheap Amazon specials I bought with the traditional filter elements.
I was thrilled to find these, they're pretty pricey brand new.

Here's the cheap Amazon filters. They will work, but still pretty close to the radiator.









And the swap meet score...
Way more room, and these are using the stainless steel cheap Amazon back plates, instead of the hacked up chrome ones they came with.
(only one velocity stack is in place in this pic)


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

B1-16V said:


> And the swap meet score...


Oh these look so good!


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Thanks! I'm just vibrating with frustration not working on my car, I'm in one of my all too familiar breaks from progress, but I am working another non-auto project, so that's still fun. Can't wait to start wrenching again.


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

I am so impressed and inspired by your beautiful work and the perseverance you've shown over many years in keeping your project alive. This is super high quality stuff! I will stay tuned for further developments!

A friend had given me the heads up on this thread, as he knows how much I miss my '76 Dasher wagon. I had owned it for about 10 years (1980-1990?) when my former wife sold it out from under me to a friend of hers while I was off on a work trip. I had purchased a new Golf in '87. She had somehow figured that I no longer needed two cars?


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## echassin (Dec 28, 2005)

^^^ Truth. I admit I've never paid enough attention to Dashers, I'm mainly here to enjoy the workmanship.


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## Jettaboy1884 (Jan 20, 2004)

Really nice work, and I love how you've been so resourceful through the process. Stuff like the baking sheet radiator shroud, and Kong bump stop are great.

Is your radiator fan setup going to be a two stage (one fan kicks on at lower temp, and both at higher temp), or is it going to be both at the same time, with speeds? Just curious.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

echassin said:


> ^^^ Truth. I admit I've never paid enough attention to Dashers, I'm mainly here to enjoy the workmanship.


Thank you! Following your build, that means a lot to me.




desertsage said:


> I am so impressed and inspired by your beautiful work and the perseverance you've shown over many years in keeping your project alive. This is super high quality stuff! I will stay tuned for further developments!
> 
> A friend had given me the heads up on this thread, as he knows how much I miss my '76 Dasher wagon. I had owned it for about 10 years (1980-1990?) when my former wife sold it out from under me to a friend of hers while I was off on a work trip. I had purchased a new Golf in '87. She had somehow figured that I no longer needed two cars?


Wow, how awful! Of course you need two cars. I had a 1989 Golf that was 11 years old when I got it, and was very low miles. LOVED that car. Legitimate "owned by a little old lady driven to the grocery store" story. I miss it.
Thanks for the kind words. Yep, I never got bored with this project, have always had a passion for it, but life gets busy.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Jettaboy1884 said:


> Really nice work, and I love how you've been so resourceful through the process. Stuff like the baking sheet radiator shroud, and Kong bump stop are great.
> 
> Is your radiator fan setup going to be a two stage (one fan kicks on at lower temp, and both at higher temp), or is it going to be both at the same time, with speeds? Just curious.


Thank you!
That is a very good question about the fans. And I don't have a solid answer for that right now.
I think at this point I will likely just use the stock system, with them wired together. I haven't driven a Dasher (different one) since 2006, so honestly I'm trying to remember if the stock system had two speeds or one? Sort of embarrassed to admit that. If the stock wiring/system doesn't work out, I might do a stand alone system, but I never had any issues driving 2 Dashers from ~1992ish to 2006, other than leaky radiators and just general worn out stuff.
It would probably be nice to have a low speed setting, as I've gotten used to that on my more modern cars.


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## 32B (Aug 29, 2019)

Hey man, awesome work as always. One question about the front brake calipers. Did it come originally with 48mm calipers? And did you have any issues fitting 54mm brake calipers regarding disc clearance etc? Thanks


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

32B said:


> Hey man, awesome work as always. One question about the front brake calipers. Did it come originally with 48mm calipers? And did you have any issues fitting 54mm brake calipers regarding disc clearance etc? Thanks


Nope, the 54mm are a direct bolt on, as long as you have the Scirocco carriers.
No issue with the 10.1" discs.
I can't recall what the stock ones were.
The 9.4" (stock diameter but solid) are easily changed to the 9.4" vented with the matching calipers. I used ones from a 4 cyl. Quantum back in the 90's. That was a wonderful upgrade from stock being the vented discs and much larger brake pads.


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## 32B (Aug 29, 2019)

Stock calipers with allen head sliders? What about central hub. Ive searched and it seems that 54mm calipers use discs with 3mm bigger hub (by this i mean on difference between size of hub hole between small and bigger discs)


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

32B said:


> Stock calipers with allen head sliders? What about central hub. Ive searched and it seems that 54mm calipers use discs with 3mm bigger hub (by this i mean on difference between size of hub hole between small and bigger discs)


The Scirocco 16V 10.1 rotor goes directly on the Dasher hub.
The calipers I'm using are either Scirocco or Audi 4000 from the 80's. They are not the Allen head sliders. 
This style is what my calipers use.


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## Charllow (May 18, 2017)

Sub'd


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Charllow said:


> Sub'd


Likewise!


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

For anyone interested (32B?) I have a set of Girling G54 calipers with carriers that I'd removed from a '88 Audi 90 (FWD). I'd be happy to send them for the cost of postage, if they would help with someone's project. They would fit in a medium or large flat rate box. I also have the 256mm rotors to go with them. They are barely worn but are rusty on the non-wearing surfaces. 4x108 pattern, though.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

desertsage said:


> For anyone interested (32B?) I have a set of Girling G54


Welcome to forumming.. Normally you will have best results selling something in a new for sale thread, as opposed to posting in someone's build thread. 

As for your carriers, if I'm not mistaken, carriers from a 90 or 5000 have a wider spacing than a B1 or Scirocco.


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

B1-16V said:


> Welcome to forumming.. Normally you will have best results selling something in a new for sale thread, as opposed to posting in someone's build thread.
> 
> As for your carriers, if I'm not mistaken, carriers from a 90 or 5000 have a wider spacing than a B1 or Scirocco.


My apologies for cluttering up your great build thread! I'm not actively trying to sell the calipers. I saw the interest in them and thought I would give them away if they could keep someone's project alive. 

Shoot, can I delete my comment? I'll give it a go.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

desertsage said:


> My apologies for cluttering up your great build thread! I'm not actively trying to sell the calipers. I saw the interest in them and thought I would give them away if they could keep someone's project alive.
> 
> Shoot, can I delete my comment? I'll give it a go.


No worries at all. 
I know text doesn't always convey feelings or tone.
I was just concerned that you are reaching a smaller audience within a thread. 
I'm more than happy to have the conversation about the bolt spacing if it helps someone down the road. 
Can you measure your carriers/mounting brackets?


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

B1-16V said:


> No worries at all.
> I know text doesn't always convey feelings or tone.
> I was just concerned that you are reaching a smaller audience within a thread.
> I'm more than happy to have the conversation about the bolt spacing if it helps someone down the road.
> Can you measure your carriers/mounting brackets?


N

No problem! The carrier mounting bolt holes are approximately 93mm, center to center.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

After a typical for me long break, I am about to jump into the Dasher again. Man I miss working on this car when pulled other directions.

I decided to spend a couple months and finish a much smaller project that I started before I was officially back on the Dasher. 4 years ago I started this outboard motor custom hood. Then, I got sort of discouraged with it, and jumped full into the Dasher. But the outboard was calling me to finish, because a pretty boat needs a pretty motor.
Boat is a 1956 Crestliner Viking Deluxe. 14'. Motor is a 1972 Evinrude 50hp.
Motors from the 70's don't match boats from the 50's. I changed that.

Enjoy this short distraction from the Dasher progress...
(any questions about the boat or motor, just ask).

*As it looked for several years...*









*And now...*


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

So, in other news, I FINALLY have tires on the ATS Cup wheels that I've had in boxes for 18 years. Yes, since 2004.
In my typical fashion, I way over thought this issue. Car is not drivable yet, and we all know that it won't be for at least a year really. But I know that this size tire is NOT getting easier to find, and, I need to move on to the rear suspension and be sure everything is going to fit without rubbing. So, I decided to get the rubber now.
Also, I will freely admit that my choice was based on vanity as much as practicality - I absolutely despise a LOT of modern tires with their swoops and weird style patterns on the sidewalls. That's fine for a modern car, but I can't stand it on a classic. The tires I chose have none of that nonsense pattern stuff on them.
I saw very few reviews for a tire that is not brand new.. Weird. They have a very high tread life number, which I'm not happy about, since the rate that this car will be driven, they'll wear out when I wear out. And they'll be cracking before worn. Which means they might not be the most sticky tire available. Time will tell. They look cool.

So far, very happy with the fit. The front needs to come down a bit, and it will when there's more weight in the car. Pretty empty still. LOTS of room on the back side, especially since I modded the steering arm. They seem to be pretty flush with the fender lip, which will certainly limit lowering. But I never intended to slam the car. I will probably have to roll the lips a bit.

I was concerned the 195's would look "stretched" on these 15x7's, a look I'm not fond of, but I think they are fine. Especially since these and so many modern tires have the rim protection which makes them seem wider.

Falken ZIEX ZE960 in 195/50R15


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## Jettaboy1884 (Jan 20, 2004)

Man, that boat and motor are absolutely beautiful! Very nice work.

And the ATS cups look great too.


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

Thanks for the update! I am very much enjoying your build thread. We are cheering you on!

I love the clean silver-on-silver look of your Dasher/wheels combo. It's a classic appearance.


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## michaeljukeson (Jul 6, 2014)

<3


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## foreststu (Mar 13, 2008)

Awesome!


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## Beetspeed (Mar 8, 2011)

Those 7" rims look like a perfect match with the 195 tire! 
What ET are the ATS? Front and rear equal?


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Beetspeed said:


> Those 7" rims look like a perfect match with the 195 tire!
> What ET are the ATS? Front and rear equal?


Yes, front and rear are equal. I'll have to look at the wheels, I can't recall exactly, but I'm thinking they are 28?
Ya, they fit the tires well. I'd prefer a wider tire to wheel ratio, but at least these aren't stretched.
I know the B1 won't tolerate a 205, especially this offset.


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## Phaeton4me (Jul 24, 2017)

Good Lord! I just read your thread and am stunned by this project! My first car was an early production 74 B1 2 door with trunk and sunroof. Marina Blau. I got the family car when a new '78 3 door was purchased. Recognize a lot of the parts and pieces as I learned to wrench on that car. Everthing wrong that VW overlooked in a rush to market with new vs. old was in that car. 1st water cooled and FWD VW. I loved that car. I would break it then fix it until I broke it again. She would spin the 155SR-13 tires in 2nd gear if you got them spinning good to begin with. Would smooth out and go silent at 100....warp speed. Started my VW journey through several B2 TD, A3 GTI VR6, T4 Weekender, A4 golf and Jetta, A6 Golf, A7 golf, 3 D1's. This thread really brought me back to how much I loved that Dasher. Damn good little car. And I remember how much I lusted for a set of those ATS wheels! Very nice! I feel unworthy after looking at everything you have done. 
mark


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Thank you for the kind words Mark. I really appreciate your story. 
I did not start driving until about 1985/86, so by the time I got my first VW, a Dasher as mentioned, in about '92/'93, it was a very haggard abused car. I sure wish I could have experienced them when they were shiny and new.
I'm getting close to jumping back on the progress here. It's killing me to set it aside for so long like I often have to do. This time a front porch rebuild is keeping me away, but that's going well, and will be done soon.
I just start vibrating with excitement when I think of finally getting done with most of the engineering and rebuilding stuff and transition into putting the icing on the cake - bumpers, lights, mirrors, shiny stuff lol. Soon.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Allright. Back at it. After over half a year. Again.
I'm diving into the rear suspension.
Car is currently sitting on its original 1976 rear axle, but all those bolts are just pretty much finger tight. I restored a 1981 rear axle here, in post 6, about 1.5 years ago. The 1981 is a bit more beefy and has more negative camber. More on that in a bit.
I'm just about to drop in new trailing arm bushings. I'm a bit perplexed by them though.
The bushings have a small gap in the rubber 180* apart. The Bentley manual says to put the gap at the front and back of the arm when inserting. It would seem that they would allow more fore and aft "play" by having that gap.
Part of me wants to mount them 90* to what Bentley says, and another part of me wants to fill the gaps with Urethane and call it good.

Well, here's a later in the day update.
Bushings are in, just like original.


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## Phaeton4me (Jul 24, 2017)

That is to provide bump/shock compliance to the rear wheel/axle assembly. The Quantum (B2) had axle steering bushings as part if a suspension upgrade. Side loads would steer the rear wheels against the thrust forces. 
Mark


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Fun with Parking Brakes.

I'm adding disk brakes to the rear, to a platform that never had them. 
Sometimes the Lego principal doesn't always work with this car. 
The good news is that the caliper and spindle for a caliper goes right on a B1, just like any other car. 
Only challenge is the handle and the cable.
As far as I know, there is no handle that just plugs in to the B1, but I could be wrong.
I was disappointed to find out I had not kept the base to the parking brake handle of the Scirocco, just the lever itself.
I can't even recall if the base is removable like a B1's? They're all gone from the wrecking yards now, so, I didn't feel like trying to get a base even if they did exist. I have an '89 Golf parts car, and that handle and base are completely different.
So, I do what I always do. Mod to fit.
I grafted the Scirocco handle to the Dasher base.
It now works very well and is much more strong/solid feeling than original.
The ratchet plate has a different fulcrum between the two. I wanted to just use the Dasher ratchet, but it just didn't seem I could get it to work the way I wanted. When all is said and done, the pawl in the handle has to be in the same arc as the ratchet, or else you will risk not having the correct tension on the pawl. I have a sloped driveway, and a Dasher that has had many times more invested in it than it was originally bought for, so, e-brake is just a bit important to me.
Out came the grinder, cutoff wheel, and welder.

Next will be showing what I did with the parking brake cable. More to come.

Original Dasher - note there is not "axle" going through the sheet metal. The "axle" is behind the sheet metal in the thick steel plate that is sandwiched between the sheet metal halves, held with rivets.









Bottom of the Dasher setup, the lever pulls on a single rod, not cables.









Scirocco setup, showing the axle that gets circlips to its original base.









Dasher ratchet base. This includes the hole for axle, and holes for rivets to the shell.









Scirocco ratchet laid over the Dasher ratchet. The Scirocco pivot/axle location does not line up with the pivot from Dasher.


















Joined together.









I welded on these washers so that the axle from the Scirocco handle had something solid to go to.
Now it rides on the thick plate inside, AND the sheet metal shell. Belt and Suspenders.
Note the clearancing that had to be made in the base for the cables to go through.









All done. Yes, the handle is bare steel, and I clear coated it. Wanted the low buck chrome look.
If the clear doesn't work out, I'll either paint it later on, or, have it chromed. Easy enough to take back apart.
I like the bling look. Looks classic to me.


















Here it is with the Scirocco plastic base. I will likely NOT use that, as I don't really like the way it rises up with the handle. Seems cheesy to me. And it doesn't cover the base. Obviously, I have missing parts to that assembly.
I will make a leather gaiter later on. Future project. As always, just focusing on the mechanical now.









Loosely installed.


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

Good job! That came out nicely. Your resourcefulness and skills had come in handy, once again! 

And, I love that you are upgrading to rear disc brakes on this car.


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## Schillingfranz (Jun 5, 2013)

I really like the project and the write up. I will steal some ideas for my B1 Audi.


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## B1-16V (Aug 5, 2002)

Schillingfranz said:


> I really like the project and the write up. I will steal some ideas for my B1 Audi.


Thank you! I would be honored if you did. 
Do you have a thread for your Audi 80?


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## Schillingfranz (Jun 5, 2013)

B1-16V said:


> Thank you! I would be honored if you did.
> Do you have a thread for your Audi 80?


No, it is a dormant project that has not started yet (except for exchanging the chassis eg. the basis of the project three times).

Will let you know when it happens


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## desertsage (May 26, 2021)

Hey B1-16V! I have you to thank for the inspiration for the fan mod I did on my '91 Audi 90q 20v (7A engine). I "borrowed" your cookie sheet fan shroud idea and adapted to the Derale 14" 2-speed fan that I'd purchased. I had a tough time finding a cookie sheet in the correct dimensions, so bought one that is the right width and just cut it in the center and splicing it at both sides with aluminum bar stock to obtain the correct height.


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