Keeth Colton's 1968 Fastback

Photos Chadly Johnson

"The '55 Oval is the one I cut my teeth on during the teardown and rebuild process. As time went on, and as almost every VW enthusiast can agree, you can't have just one VW. I progressed through several Beetles, Bajas, a '69 Squareback, a '73 Fastback, and a couple of Meyers Manx buggies.

"In my early twenties, I found myself around a new group of American hot rodders. I went through a handful of American muscle cars, classic '50s and pre-war cars. During this time, there was still a desire for another VW — but not just any VW. It would need to be an early pre-1970 Type 3 Fastback. I searched classifieds here and there just to see if anything popped up. It wasn't until my longtime friend and fellow VW junkie Chadly Johnson moved out to Oregon from Wisconsin that my addiction took hold again. After the sale of my 1940 Plymouth Business Coupe, the search for an early Fastback commenced.

"One day, in conversation with another VW friend, Tracy McGee, who resides in Arizona, I mentioned my search for a Fasty. I asked Tracy to let me know if he ever ran across a nice dry project. Without hesitation, he thought he may know of one. The next day, a return phone call prompted the purchase and relocation plan of the "Desert Rat", a fuel-injected 1968 Fastback sporting what was left of its original Lotus White paint and Indy Red interior.

"Fast forward three months and I was faced with the challenge of bringing the '68 back to roadworthy status — first assessing why it left the roadways in the first place. The sun had taken its toll on anything that wasn't metal. The interior was like sitting on burnt bacon, the window rubber was fossilized, and any engine oil leaks had become sealed in their own tomb of tar. The engine cooling fan had been removed and was lying in the housing, while the fuel injection components were strung throughout the car. The dormant fuel system had turned into putrid varnish, and brakes were nonexistent. The first task was to see if the engine would even run before any other system was touched.

"I started with thread reading and research on Thesamba.com, purchased a Bentley manual, and talked to key leaders in-the-know of D-Jetronic fuel injection. The following weeks consisted of cleaning, testing injectors and grounds, fuel pump mysteries, replacing 26 feet of fuel hose, gas tank dipping, and new filters. The first attempt to start the dormant engine was made, and after a cycle of engine cranking, the engine lit off... The rat runs! OK, so it ran, but not well. A quick diagnosis showed that it was only running on two cylinders. With a diagnostic hunch, I sought out to replace the computer, which I located through fellow Type 3 enthusiast Mike Fisher in the neighboring town. I couldn't get it fast enough, and that afternoon the desert rat came to life running on all four cylinders like a sewing machine.

"Now that new life seemed possible, I moved on to the brake system. I started by stripping everything off and moved from the master cylinder out to the wheels with all-new components. Once the rat could stop, I focused on the stance. I performed a two-spline drop on the front beam, which brought the nose down to a nice stance, then added new replica Porsche 2-liter-style wheels.

"The next challenge was the exterior window rubber and interior soft goods. I literally took a chisel and hammer to remove the rubber chunk by chunk with each hit mindful not to break glass or destroy the inlay trim. I continued with a full TMI interior kit, and a replacement carpet kit, which finished off the interior. I sourced a used dash pad that wasn't perfect, but was certainly better than what the Fastback had initially. The original gauges were cleaned and received some added color-accent touches. Finally, new window rubber was installed all around retaining the original trim.

"The most recent change to the '68 has been the new lower and aggressive stance consisting of 4-inch drop plates in the rear and 2-inch dropped spindles up front, combined with a spline drop and 1-inch narrowed arms to tuck the tires in a bit more. After all when it comes to stance, low is good, but lower is, hmmm, "gooder", right?"

CAPTIONS

Exterior

Picture # 8020 or #8116:

The Fastback's great stance is achieved with dropped spindles and 3-inch dropped plates.

# 8023:

The Type 3's perfect patina was achieved by decades of exposure in the Arizona sun.

#8029 or #8162:

The '68's profile is perfection due to its stance, and the choice of wheels and accessories.

#8039:

The car's stance paired with Keeth's 6-ft-6-in frame make for an almost humorous combo.

#8127:

With rebuilt fuel injection and a slammed stance, the Fastback is ready for long distance cruising.

#8147:

The EMPI 914-style wheels look perfect with just the right amount of camber.

#8187:

The Fasty wears Unity fog lights that came off of Keeth's grandfather's Buick.

#8195 or #8200:

An original Auzie mesh sunvisor and luggage rack set the Fastback apart from the masses.

Interior:

Picture #8050:

The interior once resembled crispy bacon from cooking in the Arizona sun!

#8065:

Keeth's dad purchased the Personal brand wood steering wheel in the 1960s in Germany.

#8077:

The highly detailed pedal assembly is surrounded by an ocean of bright red ISP West carpet.

#8084:

Keeth disassembled the factory gauges for cleaning and added a perfect red accent ring.

#8098:

Keeth worked his fingers raw with a hog ring tool to install the red ISP West interior kit.

Engine:

#8106:

Keeth rebuilt the D-Jetronic fuel injection with an old manual and help from internet forums.