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Type 3's are fairly rare these days, especially when compared to bugs and busses.
Like all cars they've got their weak spots so the guide below should help you avoid getting a wreck.
This guide isn't based on any particular model year. The yellow car in the pics
was a '72 and the white one a '68 (the main difference between the two being
wings, bonnet & lights. you'll find they are some similarities between t3 and
beetle construction - both have separate body & chassis and have bolt on wings and heater channels.
However, it is worth noting that many parts such as floorpans and repair panels are scarce and can command a premium when they surface. With this in mind, the best thing to do is look at a few before deciding - unless
you're a welder looking for a project.
Body
Heater channels
Many UK t3's will have some rot or repair in their heater channels. These are
similar to beetle ones and run the length of the car. However, unlike beetles,
replacement channels are not readily available. The wings should bolt onto the
heater channel/ outer sill and the body is bolted to the chassis (like on a beetle).
However, a common, often MOT bodge, is to weld the bottom of the wings to the floorpan, thus there are no body/chassis bolts to bee seen & a lot of rot lurking behind the bodge.
This bodge is also used when the bottom of the wings are rotten (pic1 below)
As The front and rear wings cover most of the heater channel the only bit you can check without crawling under it is below the doors. These usually rot underneath from
muck being kicked up by the wheels.
Another common channel rot spot is the footwells, just in front of the door A
pillar (2nd pic below) where the channel curves inwards.
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Look around this area for rot and bodges that have welded the body to the
floorpan.
The 3rd pic above shows the back corner of the heater channel (the square shaped
box section in the bottom of the pic) under the rear seat. as with beetles, this
is a common area to find rot or repairs.
Air box
Heading towards the front of the car now -
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This is another very common rust spot on type 3's - the air box beneath the vents in the scuttle panel. Crud gets caught in the box and blocks the drain holes and water collects.
Warning signs for this can be seen from inside the boot at the top of the box (pic 1 above) or from underneath the dash (pic2 above - you can see where the bottom of the
air box has disintegrated). Although not impossible to repair (well, nothing is)
it's a real pain, so try and avoid if possible.
Front inner wings
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Another common area is the front inner wings. Look carefully around these areas as they are generally hidden by the front wings.
The first pic shows the inner wing strengthening sections (look behind the dash and to the side). As you can see these ones are fairly shot (been plated on the outside).
The second pic shows probably the most common rust spot on t3's - top of the inner wing. In this pic the dash has been cut out. Where it usually is is represented by the red line. As you can see - it's a difficult area to see - take a torch.
the third pic shows the inner wings from inside the boot area. It's quite a
difficult area to repair invisibly due to the molding.
Windscreen corners
This is what can lurk under rubbers of any old car, so be on the lookout for rust in the window corners
Front and Rear Valances
These rust around the bottom edges (especially in the case of the rear) and where the panels joins the wings. Replacements are hard to come by.
Front Bumper Mounts
Another rot area is the front bumper mounts. Take out the spare wheel and
examine these from the inside and see if any rust has come through. They also
rot around the edges where the bumper mount lives in the inners wings
Good news is a top quality repair panel for front bumper mounts is now
available, at a very good price, from Mike Dempster: MDempster@BARf1.com
Rear Engine Mounts
Another hidden area is where the rear
engine bar joins to the body on either side of the engine. The mounts are bolt
in ones but the hangars they sit on and the area around them can rot quite
badly.
