It's a SUPRISE! Pt 1

[Snowcat Operations]

I get a kick everytime I revisit this thread!

 

[DAVENET]

lus:

That was a great read today!

 

[Lyndon]

Ive been loving reading all of what Lyndon has to say about all these machines & adventures, what a guy. I have had to convince the wife that this is not a dating chat site as i've never been off it since i joined!!
can someone advise please, Lyndon earlier in this thread said
"All in a 1963,(31 year old!) ST4 with the original 1192 CC "40 Horse"
i have #660 & based on brochures i have seen assumed that all ST4's came with a 1600cc? the little aluminium name plate is missing on mine but i have no reason to believe that the engine has been replaced as it has only covered 760miles (148.7 hours) which is genuine, the engine No is 122-146927 can anyone advise what that means & what capacity? thanks

A "122" is a genuine 1192 CC, 35 HP, VW Industrial. If it has it on the manifold or the block, it can't be any other engine. The manifold is smaller diameter than the later, 1300, 1500, and 1600 VW. This would be the correct original motor for a '63.
My favorite, and perhaps most original ST4 was a Red '63, #368. In order to keep it as original as possible so that at a car show only the most expert VW buff would spot the descrepancy, I used the original block, fan housing, and accessories but substituted a "Big Bore Kit"(Now obsolete) and snuck in the last year of 40 HP(1965) clean air heater boxes. So it looked original, smelled original, but was actually closer to a 1500, and would have generated closer to 45 or 50 HP.
VW came out with the 1300 in '66, followed a year later by the 1500. I don't believe there ever was a 1300 industrial, but there were 1500's. The change would have occured about 1967 or 1968 as Westermaskiner tended to buy up the end of year production making their engines a year older that the Snow Trac they were installed in. This isn't suprising as they used WAR ISSUE (1936-1945) Steering wheels, and tail lights well into the 70's.