1968 VW Fastback Build

[Michael Hong]

I've been talking to some people while gathering parts and many say they are interested in my 68 fastback. They always tell me to bring it out to the cruises or shows, but I just feel its not ready yet. Since June, i've been slowly gathering parts to build this fastback into a reliable daily driver. Just thought i'd share with everyone the progress i'm making with slow updates on this build thread.

The first set of pictures show the car when I first bought it in June. Pretty much all stock except for it being slightly lowered (good height for me) and a slightly larger 1641cc engine that did not perform well at all.

[Michael Hong]

Over several months I started to disassemble the car in areas that were in need of attention.

1. The wiring was very questionable so a new harness was ordered.

2. The engine had a lot of things that were in need of attention. I also couldn't get the shitty Empi 34's to work well even after playing with new jets.

3. The brakes weren't up to par.

4. The transmission didn't shift too well and leaked quite a bit when jacked up and had a very slow leak when just sitting.

To improve on the driveability, I decided that Fuel Injection was the way to go. Therefore, I decided to piece my own kit together using the Megasquirt II ECU as the brains since I have good experiences in the past on other vehicles that i've owned. Because I chose this route, a lot of custom pieces were designed by me and fabricated. Not a problem since i'm a design engineer and have the resources to get things made.

Redline/Weber 45mm throttle bodies that will have 240cc injectors for this small 1641cc engine. I got this size because my original intent was to use these on a 2110cc motor that I will be building soon. Might as well work out all the bugs for the FI system on this shitty motor. HAHA

These next set of pictures show the trigger wheel and vr sensor brackets I designed and laser cut. This will be used to control the ignition and fuel injector sequence.

This is the ECU and coil system that I will be using. I already put this all together and is installed in the car as will be shown in the following pictures.

The throttle bodies and coil installed. The distributor will be removed and replaced with a plug after I remove the distributor drive. The fuel pump will also be removed in favor of an Auxiliary Air Valve that normally came on fuel injected VW's to help with increased air deliver during warm up.

Fuel Injection setup's need a lot of juice to operate so the 35amp generator isn't gonna cut it. I bought a 75amp alternator which is normally used on bugs. Had to modify the fan shroud a lot to make it fit, but well worth the effort. Looks like its made for the type 3's!

Made my own wire harness for the entire fuel injection system and routed it next to the factory wire harness for the car. Deutsch connectors in the engine compartment makes for easy engine removal when necessary. The ECU is mounted under the rear seat opposite of the battery. Still have to modify the factory harness to accept the alternator and finish up the ECU harness.

[Michael Hong]

I'm still waiting for some nylon braided fuel lines and some bulkhead connectors to finish the fueling system on the motor end of the car. I bought a walbro 255lph fuel pump for my FI system which will be installed between the front beam right next to the fuel inlet and outlet on the gas tank. A bracket was fabricated to make installation easier. This fastback originally came as a fuel injected car, but was converted to carbs somewhere down the line.

Now its time for the brakes while i'm still waiting for the Fuel Injection parts. Wilwood 4 piston calipers were purchased to help increase the braking performance and some bling factor. I am currently in the process of designing some caliper brackets that will make this a bolt on process for any type 3's that came with factory disk brakes.

Nice wilwood 4 piston calipers. For the time being, I just changed the pads and rotors (5x130) for the time being to get this up and running.

The rears were changed to disks also.

This is where I stand at the moment. Still have a lot to do before this becomes a driver. Will keep posting updates once major milestones are met.

[Michael Hong]

Alright, I was able to get a little more done over the weekend since most of the parts have arrived. Most of the fuel lines are finished, got the fuel pump and filter mounted, cleaned up the motor, and cleaned up the fuel tank. I stripped the paint from the fuel tank using KBS products. I've had a bad experience with POR15 since it is pretty humid here in the valley. Other people here in Hawaii said they've had better experiences with KBS products, which is a lot cheaper too! I purchased the Large Cycle Tank Sealer Kit, Paint Stripper, Rust Seal Kit (Grey), and Black Top Coat. I'll be using this on the pan later on to see how it comes out.

Here is the 1641cc with all its glory. Throttle Bodies, 75 amp alternator, 4 post coil, custom spark plug wires, fuel lines, and of course trigger wheel all mounted and ready to go. The three loose wires you see are for gauge sensors.


The paint stripper I used on the gas tank.

The tank right after I put the paint stripper on, literally 5 mins. The paint stripper immediately gelled up and the paint started to bubble as you see it.

This is about 30 mins later. I did use some steel wool to scrub the paint a little and then washed it off with some water and simple green. The KBS paint stripper is the best that i've used and would recommend it to anyone.

I also was able to clean out and treat the rust inside of the tank using the KBS Aqua Kleen and Rust Blast provided in the Large Cycle Tank Sealer Kit. I'm waiting for the tank to fully dry before pouring in the sealer, which I will do tonight.

I still have to take pictures of the fuel pump and how I mounted it.

[Michael Hong]

I got a chance to seal the tank tonight with the KBS tank sealer. It was very easy to use and coated really well, however you must mix it really well before pouring it in.

I also bought some new custom made braided brake lines for the front and rear. These were made by Hotrodvw on thesamba forum. The build quality is phenomenal! The fronts are the same as the OEM rubber line, but the rears I had custom made with a banjo connecting to the caliper. I did this to avoid an awkward bend from the caliper to the OEM hardline. I'll install them this weekend.

The KBS tank sealer that was used. Couldn't take a picture of the inside of the tank since it was dark and very hard to get a good picture.

Fuel pump mounted onto the front beam. I welded in some studs so that I can get a solid mounting location.

Here is the fuel filter mounted onto the other side of the beam using the same method.

The custom made brake lines by Hotrodvw.

[Michael Hong]

I finally got a chance to install the rear brake lines and they fit perfectly. I also finished installing the MSII and relay board. Now I just have to finish wiring up the main harness to the fuse box, install the fuel lines, finish up the fuel tank, and put in the motor. The end is near for driver status!

MSII, Relay Board, and all wiring almost completed.

The fuel tank with the grey KBS rust seal coating on areas with dents. KBS recommends putting on the coating before any filler is used. I let the paint dry for about 8 hours and then scuffed it up before applying the filler.

[Michael Hong]

Alright, was able to get some work done on the car. Finished the gas tank with the KBS products, rust seal and top coat. It works really well when sprayed and levels out really good. Make sure that if you use this product, you MUST apply when it isn't humid. I did it on a 60% humidity day and I still had a lot of solvent bubbles...had to sand it all over again and recoat it. Sucked but well worth it. I was able to finally install the motor into the car and should be starting her up pretty soon. Looks like this throttle body setup will be a tuning nightmare in the beginning when I try to sync them up. But once set, it'll be really nice. Maintenance will be a nightmare since the motor will have to be dropped just to change spark plugs and clean the air filters!