Vokswagon 412 wagon - what is this?

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/2083277006.html

can't find much info on this. Appears to be rear-engine? If so, must be a TON of cargo room under that large bonnet. Any case, never seen one before, figured I'd share.

Is that a flat 4? Needs a WRX swap.

Kinda like this, but a little boxier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3RD-hG4nbc

Square Back - Dasher thingy?

Replacement for the 311/312 (fastback/squareback) and precursor to the Dasher/Passat iirc. Never very popular, it uses the 914/late Bus pancake engine.

Weber conversion=EPIC FAIL

Red-headed stepchild of air cooled VW's.

Some would say same motor as Porsche 914 - close but not exactly, from what I recall. Neat cars plagued with fugly looks and overachieving aspirations.

The 412 is and always was a ginormous POS. It was twice the trouble and half as good as the Type 3 it replaced.

There's a reason so few survived.

http://www.type4.org/history

Unlike a lot of watercooled VW guys, I love the aircooled cars. And even I don't like the Type 4.

"Car & Track" Road Test of 1973 VW 412

Oh, and it's volkswagEn.

It was VW's attempt to have a "move up" model. It was also the first VW sold in the US with 4 doors and the only air cooled VW ever sold here with 4 doors.

People hate them for the same reason they hate super beetles. VW tried to fixl the terrible suspension on the early cars. For some reason aircooled folk hate that. IRS rear suspension, Mac strut front. Pretty much a rear engined Porsche 924.

They are a lot nicer to drive than type 3's. Ugly but they also had decent for the time fuel injection (another thing aircooled guys don't like)

I love em. They look good modified too.

I had one. It was a total POS but it was still fun. I would have another in a heartbeat. That thing was unstoppable in the snow.

Didn't Jennifer Aniston drive one in Rockstar or was that a Type 3?

In reply to jrw1621:

What about the Thing? 4 doors and air cooled.

The Type IV was pretty much a bust. Its best attributes: it was the basic engine donor for the 914 (Porsche fiddled with it a bit before using it) and the 1.8 motor is a quick ~100 HP upgrade for a Type I. Otherwise, not a lot to recommend it.

It's a shame that they pushed the 412 on us, but wouldn't let us have the SP2.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_SP2

From Type 4.org:

"Auto, Motor und Sport" ... tested the 411L in their February '69-issue against five competitors (Fiat 125, Renault 16, Audi 80L, Ford 17M and Opel Rekord 1700L). The Volkswagen ended dead last...

Dead last to a Fiat, a Renault, and Audi 80 (Fox), an Opel Rekord and a Euro Ford we never got. It sucked so bad OTHER automotive failures kicked its ass.

mmosbey wrote: In reply to jrw1621: What about the Thing? 4 doors and air cooled.

And a Transporter has 2 front doors, a side door, and a tailgate, for a total of four doors. Unless it's an early model with swing-out doors on the side, then it's a five-door :)

mmosbey wrote: In reply to jrw1621: What about the Thing? 4 doors and air cooled.

4 door sedan

In reply to Woody:

the taillight lenses look like early 911 pieces turned upside down

Is this when i say canoe? Im honestly asking. Although it looks like in the last 3 seconds it has been addressed..

Yup, that's when you holler 'CANOE'.

Woody wrote: It's a shame that they pushed the 412 on us, but wouldn't let us have the SP2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_SP2

Weird thing...I was scoping out the Hot Wheels selection in our Kroger last week, and actually spent a dollar on a new issue SP2.

Not mine, but just because I don't wanna drag the camera out.

mmosbey wrote: In reply to jrw1621: What about the Thing? 4 doors and air cooled.

Type 181. I suspect that since they got their own "Type" number, the platform was unique. Gotta admit, don't know which engine/driveline was used. They're still cool, tho.

The Thing (181) platform wasn't totally unique, it used a Karmann Ghia floorpan (although one of them had two bolt holes the other didn't, but can't remember which was which), and Type 1 engine and transmission. Hence the reason it was still labeled a type 1. All the different types had their own number. The Beetle sedan was a 113, the Karmann Ghia was a 14 (I think), the Fastback was a 311, the Notchback was a 315, the Squareback was a 361, etc.

The 411 and 412.....when just owning an air-cooled VW isn't weird enough.

VW's first and ONLY air-cooled 4 door SEDAN had a 2 door wagon "companion" model....if I remember correctly.

Entered production in 1968, ended production in 1974/75?

Same basic engine, when injected, as used in the 914 1.7/1.8 models.

These cars, when treated reasonably, felt like a cross between a Beetle and a very smallish Mercedes sedan. (Well, built like a Mercedes, drives like a Beetle.) Only 355,000 were built versus 2.5 MILLION Type 3s.