Introducing the 1972 Volkswagen Variant I

It has been no secret for people close to me that I’m passionate about cars since forever. However, for years I avoided getting deeper into the hobby and buying one myself due to the liabilities that might come with it.

Well, this year I decided to gift myself something nice¹ and bought a 1972 Volkswagen Variant I. Some people asked me the reason behind such choice and being honest, the best I could say was: “Why not?”.

This car’s history is that of a 44 year old family possession. It was quite close to meet the family’s fourth generation since bought. The owner sold it because he had plans to invest on his business. A mix of not having time to take care of the car and needing money.

He started restoring the car a few years ago and took great care of its interior. The only thing not working is the fuel indicator, but that’s a common problem with these cars. The only thing that currently bothers me is the dashboards being covered with a wood-like vinyl adhesive. I intend to change it to the original leather one.

This is a small detail considering that the car has a brand new transmission and a quite new engine. I just need to properly maintain it and everything should be fine.

The only thing that is kind of worrying me: a small water infiltration on the driver’s door. A friend of mine recommended making a small drain under the door for the water and also take a look at the rust that might have formed from it.

Currently, it is equipped with adjustable coilovers. Although I’m not into stanced cars, I do like the looks of what we call here “social height”. Leaving one or two fingers of space between the tires and the chassis.

I don’t have big plans other than to restore its interior the closest to its original shape. Maybe buy a set of Fuchs wheels? Perhaps turn it into an electric car in the coming year? I don’t know, so many options! I’ll enjoy the car a little more until I start spending more money than I should on it.

Also, if you live near São Paulo, have an Air-cooled Volkswagen like myself and need a mechanic for it. Consider calling Mecânica Trolezi, as the time of writing, it’s located at Rua Governador Mangabeira, 76 - Jardim Presidente Dutra - CEP 07173-060.