New owner - 1965 912 in London, United Kingdom

[mohitos]

What distributor do you think you have? From the photos it looks like maybe a VW 009? If so that would be the first thing I would change.

Now identified as a Bosch JFR 4. What do you think about that? I know it's not 'correct', but will it work ok?

[Timo]

Its quite important to get the correct type distributor fitted, the advance on a VW distributor will be completely wrong and you will not be getting the best power or efficiency from your engine. There are several different options to consider such as:

Original 912 (022 or 031 from memory?) difficult to get hold of in good condition but perfect if you can find one
Bosch 050 - Not quite as perfect as original type but very close advance curve to original and much easier to source, maybe a couple of degrees less total advance.
RSR0012 - an aftermarket replacement specifically for 912, it is based on a bosch 009 (VW dizzy) but recurved to suit 912

Something to think about.

[mohitos]

OK, the plot thickens!

I just discovered this is a box of parts with the car. Removed from the old engine.
Is this the correct 022, and should I put it back on the car?
No idea if it actually works or is serviceable yet.


https://flic.kr/p/ZqWMBi

[Timo]

Looks like the right one yeah, question is why was it removed? It may need to be refurbished before being refitted but it’s great news that you have the original unit at least.

[mohitos]

In 2012 the original engine was removed and Strasse fitted a customer supplied engine. From looking at what parts are in the boxes with the car, it looks like a new engine was probably fitted with all new ancillaries in place. So it might be that the distributor is fine, just no way of knowing.

Still a good idea to have it serviced / refurbed, I’d say.
I’ve found a few specialists in the US for this, but so far none in the UK. Any recommendations here appreciated.

ETA - have now found somebody who can refurbish the distributor, and also convert it to electronic. So off it goes.

[mohitos]

One more update - a stainless Sebring exhaust has been purchased from another forum member. Should tidy up the appearance a bit, and as the car is far from original anyway, I don't think it matters too much.

[mohitos]

Carbs have been identified as Weber 40 IDF. Any thoughts on this - presumably, not original either!

[Timo]

Not original but absolutely fine, most likely fitted as a replacement for the tired old original solex versions. Weber’s 40 idfs work really well on a 912 (as long as they are jetted correctly and set up well) they are also less maintenance than the original solex, which are prone to spindle wear and also a bit more fiddly to set up than webers.