Headlights then and now

Bruno von Rotz
03/31/2021

Scheinwerfer VW Golf LS von 1976 und VW ID.3 von 2021

In three years' time, it will be 50 years since the VW Golf blinked at us from its round eyes for the first time. A lot has happened in automotive engineering since then, and with the ID.3, the third major generation of Volkswagen is in the starting blocks, so to speak, after the Beetle and the Golf.

If you compare the first Golf and the modern ID.3, you will not only notice the completely different dimensions, but also the position and shape of the headlights. The technology behind the glass surfaces is also completely different. Whereas in 1974 a reflector and a light bulb were enough to more or less turn night into day, today a complex technology does its job in modern cars. LED lights are controlled by a computer whose computing power would probably have required a small data center the size of a living room in the days of the first Golf. Today, of course, all this takes up just a few square centimetres, but the electronic brain still controls how strong the light should be and where it should fall, depending on the surroundings, speed and driving situation. We hardly notice any of the complexity, at most we are pleased that we can see well even in the darkest night and that the lights dim automatically if a vehicle is approaching.

The first Golf still had a steering column combination lever that could be used to turn the lights on and off, while a simple toggle switch provided light or no light. To adjust the light level, you turned a screw on the headlight, when stationary of course and in front of the adjustment panel. You could still maintain and repair all this yourself, whereas today ...

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What you could do over the winter (during Corona) ...

Johann Wyss
03/30/2021

Arbeit an Uhr und Radio (Corvette C2)

In this long Corona winter, when many things were forbidden or even simply impossible, it was all the more fun to work on the car in the small, normal garage measuring just a few square meters. Although the garage is unheated and only 4 x 6 m in size, it provides the basis for working on your own sports car. It is a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2, a coupé in "Tuxedo Black", equipped with a small block 5.4 liter V8 engine, a so-called 327 with 350 HP. It's a joy to drive, even when it's stationary. And it provides a nice contrast to this never-ending pandemic.

As all classic car enthusiasts know, there is always something to do on a classic car. Here are a few small things that anyone can do themselves if they have the courage, don't have two left hands and enjoy mechanical handling enough. Of course, prior study of the relevant forums and technical literature is an advantage.

The following work was carried out over the winter:
The driver's seat had play. So both seats had to be removed, the guide cams and the springs had to be replaced for easy movement back and forth

The steering wheel had some play and the blinker no longer returned by itself, and the cables from the steering wheel were in a wretched state. Here, too, some work was necessary.

Radio in der Corvette C2

The interior was anything but optimal, the previous owner had installed a non-original radio with strange buttons, the clock no longer worked either, so a defective but original C2 radio from exactly that time was ordered in the USA, the two plates were removed and the contacts cleaned. In addition, all bulbs and contacts were changed and checked and re-soldered, contact spray and WD40 and lo and behold, the thing worked again! During the work, the missing or non-original 1966 buttons were also replaced with the correct versions.

The same had to be done with the defective C2 clock, which was beautifully integrated into the console, by removing the glove compartment you can reach the clock from the passenger side at the bottom to the top and remove it, here too the inner life was refreshed and made functional and what a miracle, this clock could also be brought back to life, at first I thought this was only short-lived, but it still works perfectly today.

Corvette C2 - Türverkleidung ersetzen

The upper inner door seals were missing and the door panels were in condition 5, so I replaced the panels and also changed the side window mechanism on one side, which was quite a "gnarling" job. Then I changed the weatherstrips and a few cranks and knobs and the doors now look completely different again and are a joy to use.

Corvette C2 - Holley-Vergaser

Despite changing the carburetor (from Edelbrock to original Holley), I was not able to completely eliminate the jerking of the C2 engine at low revs, even though the plugs (now NGK Platinum) and all ignition cables (8.5 mm diameter) were replaced. The ignition was also adjusted and the contacts on the distributor checked. Nevertheless, the result is not yet convincing, but there are still some Corvette specialists I would like to consult. Please get in touch, if there are still any!

Neuer Unterbrecher für Corvette C2

I didn't like the battery either, and it was also getting old, so I replaced it with a nice red Optima, which now starts the car up again cheerfully

The fuel tank cover was also not original for the year, so this was also replaced. The nice thing about the Corvette C2 is that it is possible to source parts perfectly, i.e. almost all parts can be bought as (expensive) originals or in many good replicas, especially from the USA. In Europe, too, there are one or two dealers/suppliers who can supply good parts for the C2 at fair prices.

The dull and sometimes unsightly chrome bumpers could be made a little more attractive again by means of intensive polishing, but they are not ideal and are therefore still on the optimization wish list.

Corvette C2 - Neuer Bremskraftverstärker

I had the brake booster and the laying of the brake lines and track settings done by a nearby Ford garage, because I don't have the necessary expertise here and brakes etc. simply have to work one hundred percent from a traffic point of view. Anything else is no good. Incidentally, the brake booster is brilliant and increases safety enormously, I can recommend it to everyone.

Of course, some minor interior work was also carried out, including cleaning the carpets and seats. In addition, the loudspeaker in the top center was reconnected, some cables in the center console were renewed and fuses replaced.

A lot of other minor maintenance work was also carried out in the engine compartment.

Chevrolet Corvette C2 von 1966

The C2 is not yet perfect and still has some potential for improvement. But it is still a great pleasure to see how this classic car slowly shines in its original splendor from a bygone era and it is nice that we classic car enthusiasts are allowed to preserve and maintain these beautiful mobile witnesses of a bygone era in their original form. Such classic cars are simply an important cultural asset from the past.

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eFuels could help save the classic car/youngtimer (question of the week)

Bruno von Rotz
03/29/2021

Frage der Woche 178 - eFuels als Rettung?

Fuels for combustion in petrol or diesel engines do not have to be extracted from the earth's oil reserves, they can also be produced in the laboratory/factory and even be CO2-neutral. These fuels obtained from CO2 and energy are called eFuels.

This means that even old cars can be driven in an environmentally friendly way without emitting climate-damaging gases in the net balance.

So far so good, but will this ensure the survival of classic cars/youngtimers with combustion engines? This is exactly what we want to know from Zwischengas readers with a " Question of the Week " and they are quite optimistic about this. A total of 325 readers gave their opinion.

53.2 percent believe that eFuels are actually an opportunity for climate-neutral operation and can ensure the survival of classic cars on the roads.

36.6 percent still believe that eFuels are an opportunity for survival, but that other problems could be greater.

Only 4.6 percent do not believe in the long-term survival of today's cars on the roads of tomorrow anyway and 5.5 percent did not answer any of the given questions.

The answers are presented graphically as follows:

Frage der Woche 178 - eFuels als Rettung? Antworten

We have already published a new "Question of the Week " for you to answer. This time, we want to know which of the six proposed classics Zwischengas readers consider to be particularly overrated.

And of course you can still look up all the answers to the previous "Questions of the Week " in a dedicated topic channel.

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Box Duck Cup?

Bruno von Rotz
03/28/2021

Citroën 2 CV Kastenenten-Cup?

What looks like a race for the delivery van version of the Citroën2 CV was actually a driver safety training course. It took place almost 60 years ago and was organized by the "AG für rationelle Betriebsverpflegung" (AG für rationelle Betriebsverpflegung) in order to ensure greater traffic discipline among its drivers, who refilled and maintained the catering machines in the companies.

It remains to be seen whether this was successful at the time. In any case, the drivers had a lot of fun on the Lignières circuit and really put their backs into the final "race", in the truest sense of the word ... (as the Automobil Revue reported in issue 40/1962 ).

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Rear window - forward and rearward development

Bruno von Rotz
03/27/2021

Heckfenster VW ID.3 versus VW Käfer 1948 (© Bruno von Rotz)

Today, the Pretzel Beetle, i.e. the one with the two-part rear window, is cult. But back when it was built, these small rear windows were soon considered extremely unfashionable. And so the rear window grew with every major Beetle facelift. Then there was the "Ovali" and variants with ever larger rear windows followed. It was even rumored that the only thing Pinin Farina wanted to change on the VW Beetle was the size of the rear window.

Heckfenster VW Golf LS (© Bruno von Rotz)

However, the real "breakthrough" came with the VW Golfin 1974, a huge rear window and generally large window areas thanks to a low waistline. In any case, the cars of the seventies and eighties were the ones with the best all-round visibility in cars, with an almost "barrier-free" view of the outside world, so to speak. And Volkswagen was probably not even among the best.

But over the next few decades, and especially in the last ten years, the rear windows shrank again and so a modern VW ID.3 (pictured above left) offers a comparatively modest view through the rear window, which is also partially covered with film. You could also see better to the rear at an angle in the past. Of course, this is compensated for in modern cars by all kinds of sensors and a reversing camera, which in turn means that drivers no longer know where to look when parking, namely at the monitor or through the rear window.

After all, it is very noticeable that drivers of modern vehicles need significantly longer to park than, for example, an oldie driver in an original Golf ...

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One, two and three strokes

Bruno von Rotz
03/26/2021

Armaturenbrett Mercedes-Benz 200 von 1982 (© Bruno von Rotz)

Imagine a modern ID.3 or Tesla driver sitting in a Mercedes-Benz 200 from the 1980s and looking at the speedometer. What are these line markings for? Roman numerals on a speedometer?

Of course, classic car drivers and people who grew up with these cars still remember them. These were the latest shift points for changing from 1st to 2nd, from 2nd to 3rd or from 3rd to 4th gear. After all, many cars didn't have a rev counter back then, so at least you had an indication that the next gear was due. Most of the time, however, you had it in your ear anyway.

But it's probably not just electric car drivers who are irritated by the dash markings, because even people who grew up in modern cars with combustion engines can hardly remember the time when four forward gears (or sometimes three) were enough to master all driving situations.

P.S. Of course, some of the dashes were also found on cars with rev counters - after all, it was cheaper to use the same speedometers for all versions ...

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The return of the drum brake

Bruno von Rotz
03/25/2021

VW Golf LS von 1976 mit Trommelbremse

When the VW Golf was presented in 1974, critics turned up their noses. In fact, the 1.1-liter model came with drum brakes all round as standard. Disc brakes were available at the front on the faster 1.5-liter 70 hp versions (picture above).

At the rear, however, many versions remained with drums until the Golf 3 in the 1990s. It was not until the Golf 4 that disc brakes were fitted at the front and rear. And it was then that the drum brakes were finally abandoned. But far from it!

VW ID3 mit Trommelbremse

Today, almost 50 years after the birth of the VW Golf, the VW ID.3, basically the Golf of the electric generation, is back with drum brakes at the rear (see picture above). Indeed!

How did they come up with this idea, which is unusual for today? Apparently, the braking performance should not suffer and drum brakes are probably cheaper to manufacture than disc brakes. Nevertheless, this equipment seems like a trip into the past. But it is actually nice that the ID.3 still has something in common with the early VW Golf, despite the rear engine, rear-wheel drive and lack of a combustion engine.

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Who won this comparison test in 1974?

Bruno von Rotz
03/24/2021

Vergleichstest "Untere Mittelklasse" 1974/1975

Six "lower mid-range" cars competed against each other in a comparative test towards the end of 1974:

Alfa Romeo Alfasud, 1186 cm3, 63 hp, DM 8490
Citroën GS 1220 Club, 1222 cm3, 58 hp, DM 9800
Fiat 128 Special 1300, 1290 cm3, 60 hp, DM 8790
Opel Kadett L 1200 S, 1196 cm3, 60 hp, DM 9472
Simca 1100 Special, 1294 cm3, 75 hp, DM 9295
VW Golf LS, 1471 cm3, 70 hp, DM 9370

A clear-cut case? Not at all!

The summary and evaluation of the various test disciplines in the auto-motor-und-sport issues 26/1974 and 1/1975 ran over 24 pages and in the end the most comfortable and safest car came out on top, but not the fastest or the most manageable.

The winner was the most expensive car of the six candidates, namely the French Citroën GS, followed by the Italian Alfasud. The first German car, the then new VW Golf, was only in third place, closely followed by the Opel Kadett, which was the only one still with rear-wheel drive. Bringing up the rear were the oldest foreign designs, the Fiat 128 and Simca 1100.

Nevertheless, the Golf won the "Engine and performance" category, not least thanks to the largest engine in the comparison. With a sprint time of 12.6 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 162.9 km/h, the Wolfsburg model clearly outpaced some of its competitors, especially as it was the lightest of the bunch with an unladen weight of 835 kg (full tank).

German car magazines are often accused of treating German suppliers better than other car manufacturers. In the comparison test at the end of 1974, this was definitely not the case ...

P.S. Here is the cover page of AMS 26/1974, of course you can read the whole issue in the Zwischengas magazine archive as well as all issues from 1947 to 2000:

Titelblatt AMS 26/1974

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Mikkola, Schmitz and Walker: Three great losses for motorsport (obituary)

Daniel Reinhard
03/23/2021

Hannu Mikkola auf Ford Escort in den Siebzigerjahren

Hannu Mikkola, the Finnish high-flyer, passed away on February 26, 2021 at the age of 78.

Walter Röhrl once said: "Before I drove rallies myself, I only knew two names: Timo Mäkinen and Hannu Mikkola. Hannu was like a god to me."

Back then, he still drove a Ford Escort (picture above).

Hannu Mikkola

"The Gentleman", as he was also known, then signed with Audi and instantly became famous in the German-speaking world.
He lived up to his nickname when, during his quattro debut, the car suddenly veered off into the rock face due to a forgotten bolt in the steering and he, in his calm and level-headed manner, ticked off the departure without comment.

His technique often failed him and Michele Mouton was almost placed above him in the media. In 1983, however, he won the title in an Audi at the age of 41. With the first victory in Sweden in 1981, he ensured the quattro breakthrough and with the last victory after six successful years, he ended the quattro chapter with the Audi 200 quattro at the Safari Rally in 1987. He was able to defeat almost everyone on four wheels, only cancer was also an unfair opponent for him.

Sabine Schmitz, the Ring queen, was the fastest and most successful woman on the Nordschleife. Two overall victories in the 24-hour classic and a VLN title speak for themselves.

No other woman drove as many laps of the Ring as she did. She circumnavigated the Eifel in the Ring Taxi several times a day in tourist traffic. She achieved international fame in 2004 during a guest appearance on "Top Gear", when she beat presenter Jeremy Clarkson in the same car on the Nordschleife by no less than 47 seconds. Her bet to beat Clarkson's time in a Jaguar with a Ford Transit was only a few seconds off the mark. Nevertheless, she won the hearts of so many TV viewers.

Now, at just 51, she has lost her battle with cancer. Between chemotherapy treatments over the past 4 years, she raced again, but on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, she was defeated for good.

Murray Walker, the voice of F1, fell silent on March 13, 2021.

Walker commentated on Formula 1 from 1976 to 2001. Everyone, not just his English colleagues in the F1 paddock, knew him, especially his voice, of course. This is how F1 commented on the death of the 97-year-old Briton: "It is immensely sad to hear that Murray Walker has passed away. His passion and love for the sport inspired millions of fans around the world. He will forever be a part of our history and will be sorely missed."

Jensen Button, 2009 World Champion: "Today we say farewell to one of the greats of our sport. Murray was the voice of F1 for many years, commentating with heart and soul. The legend will always live on in our memories but, in Murray's words, I have to stop because I have a lump in my throat." (For non-insiders: Walker said this emotionally in the middle of the live broadcast of Suzuka 1996, when Damon Hill crossed the finish line as world champion ...)

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What is the Maserati A6GCS doing in the Siffert memorial exhibition?

Daniel Reinhard
03/22/2021

The Maserati even makes Max Welti's face fall off ...

Although Jo Siffert never drove this Maserati A6GCS, it is now on display in his memorial exhibition in Givisiez. The car had great symbolic value for him, because his admiration for his idol at the time, the Fribourg Maserati driver Benoit Musy at the Bern-Bremgarten GP in 1954, inspired Seppi to paint his future helmet with the white cross and the two white stripes on a red background.

In the early 1960s, Siffert sold this Maserati A6GCS with chassis number 2087 to the uncle of the current owner.

Seppi traded in exclusive used cars early on in order to be able to continue racing with the money he earned.

The Viper Museum in Givisiez is currently hosting a memorial exhibition for Jo Siffert , who died in a racing accident at Brands Hatch around 50 years ago.

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