1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

I'm starting this thread to have a place to document my "restoration" of the 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder I purchased 9 months ago.

To be honest, most of what I have done to date is "systematic deconstruction" and familiarization.. since this is my first Hafi.

It is 40F today in my part of the globe, practically beach weather. I dismantled a bit more today (rear bumper, rear "tow bar" assm.
image.jpg
Things I have done to date;
Rebuilt my carb, removed the engine for cleaning and resealing of oil leaks(still in progress)

Got my hands on some missing parts;
New Bosch ignition and keys, since my Hafi came with a broken key.

High beam switch
image.jpg
Washer bottle and pump
image.jpg
The vehicle needs some corrosion repair, and a good quality paint respray.

I still need quite a few parts, and those will be ordered as I have time/funds.
Specifically needed (off the "top of my head")

-a couple of OEM fuses (breakers)
-Wiper arms and blades
-Replacement turn signal switch
-Seat belts
-Replacement rear seat hatch doors (both mine are badly rusted)
-Tires (will likely be 145R12 Yokohama Y828s Super Diggers, as Mayola/clones are impossible to get in the USA)
-Replacement Lucas marker and brake indicator lamps in the rear.
-Replacement windshield rubber gaskets
-Replacement right rear brake cylinder
-Rubber "boot" connecting the fan house shroud and the hard mounted vent.
-Replacement Bosch tow plug for the rear
-New rear (and maybe front) seat upholstery.

..and I'm sure more issues will necessitate more parts..

So. There you have it.
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
Julian B
Posts: 872
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:07 pm
Location: W Sussex, UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by Julian B »

Good luck with the project, Mike. I'm almost at the end of my restoration and have loved every minute of it. Learnt a lot along the way too!

Keep us updated with photos etc,
Julian B
W Sussex, UK

| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
User avatar
heinkeljb
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:49 pm
Location: Lewes, East Sussex - UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by heinkeljb »

As long as you started with what was a virtually complete Haflinger and have taken photo's / notes of things you have taken off / taken apart - you should be alright.

Most of what you have put down in your post should be straight forward enough to put back together again.

It appears that the most troublesome bits are the drive train from the gearbox at the back to the front. I know I had a fair number of issues with the front hubs and I haven't delved any deeper than the Rzepper (Universal) joint on the front shafts!

Still, there are a fair number of people who frequent this forum who along with the repair manual should be able to help out with any specific problems you run into.

Take heart from Julian's experience of doing a "restoration". I know he didn't go the whole "nut and bolt" restoration some people might have attempted, but I think he did the right thing for his skills and pocket. He outsourced the painting as to do a good job with that requires skill and equipment.

John
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !

Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

Today's temperature is 82F.. too bad I have to work today. Spring has "sprung," but in 36 hours we expect it to be 22F and snowing.

As an update, I have purchased 1 correct Lucas reflector for the rear, the VW rear view mirror and base, the rectangular (clamp-on) side view mirrors, and the Bosch trailer socket (to arrive from Europe in about a week).
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

Quick update;
New or refurbished lights and reflectors are purchased. New Bosch trailer plug also in hand.
Eberspacher removed and stowed (that is a project in itself)
Last of the electric components removed, but for the dash mounted bits.

My Hafi lived its whole life in the Utah desert, and it shows. The harness is so dusty, I can't see the wire colors without wiping them down with a mild solvent on a rag!

The harness is a bit daunting. I don't want to screw it up, but it's gotta come apart for the sheet metal repair and refinish.
image.jpg
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
heinkeljb
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:49 pm
Location: Lewes, East Sussex - UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by heinkeljb »

As I said to Julian when he was dismantling his Hafi, label everything! Buy your self one of those "label makers" machines.

You can put wire colour, connection number and even a description of where the wire attaches on the label, Clean the wire and stick the label on before you undo the connection. That way you can approach the wiring harness one circuit at a time which will make it easier to follow.

Julian went the whole hog and made a new wiring loom with modern wire - I think he had a bit of trouble with some of the wire colours, but as long as they are labeled, you could use the same wire colour through out....

Don't be at all surprised if you can't match the wiring you take out from your Hafilinger to a wiring diagram in the repair manual - mine doesn't match any of them! There is a two fuse box wiring diagram in the repair manual, Lurch has two fuse boxes - must be that one.... No... Lurch has discrepancies / additions / alterations which look like factory rather than something which was done later.

Good luck!

John
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !

Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
User avatar
Julian B
Posts: 872
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:07 pm
Location: W Sussex, UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by Julian B »

As John mentionned, I recently made up a completely new wiring loom for my Haf. Because I found the wiring diagram so small in the Repair Manual I went for a slightly more basic approach by labelling each end of every wire with a number (001 through to around 100) and stuck them on with Sellotape. I then kept a list of what went where, i.e.
  • 001, terminal 1 of fuse box (top left)
    002, starter button centre terminal
    etc, along with a note of the wire colour & thickness
Whilst a bit amateur it worked almost perfectly, with only a couple of minor mis-wires in the rear lights which were easily resolved. I was able to buy same-colour and same thickness wire online and the vast majority of the wiring conforms to the Repair Manual, and used the old loom as a template for wire lengths & where to put the black plastic conduits etc.

If I was doing it again I would try to find a better way of identifying & cross referencing the two ends of a single wire; the way I did it made it really quite hard to know what number was on the other end of, say, 015 :oops: :shock: . My method was quick during the strip down, but a bit of a pain during the re-build. I also used heat shrink numbered tags (using the numbering system that I had used during the strip down) during the re-build, but this was quite a slow process and would only be useful if a full de-wire was done in the future. (To cover that eventuality I have kept the notes I made during the re-build).

FWIW what I also did was to lay two extra wires from the engine bay through to behind the dashboard; I knew that I wanted to use one for a tacho feed, and will possibly one day use the second for an oil temperature feed. Far easier to lay these wires during the rebuild than at a later date!
Julian B
W Sussex, UK

| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

Slowly moving along..
I am a firm believer in the idea that adding deadlines to personal projects makes the car you own end up owning you.

..that, and I work in a body repair and restoration facility, so pressure and deadlines make the whole thing feel too much like "work."
image.jpg
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

Spending time labeling and removing the harness from my Hafi,and noticed that the upper left ant right corners of the engine bay (where it meets the floor area) were packed with debris.

After the wires were removed, I stuck a screw driver into it and found two REALLY BIG mud dauber nests!

These nests were complete with big old larvae and dead spiders.. And what appeared to be bits of scorpions.. Ick.

My Hafi spent its whole life on the Range Creek Ranch in Utah, and sat for many years before making it to me, so I'm sure I'll find a bit more "habitat and home" in in before sandblasting starts..
image.jpg
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
heinkeljb
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:49 pm
Location: Lewes, East Sussex - UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by heinkeljb »

Lucky they weren't alive or they might have taken their frustration out on you! Next time, spray it is insecticide before you poke it with a screwdriver!

Check under the side rails, bound to be more there!

John
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !

Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

Rear "jump seat" lids and frames reviewed today..
These things were removed from my truck many, MANY years ago and appear to have been thrown in a pile, on the ground, in dirt. Frankly, I'm lucky I have them at all.

The good;
Although a bit rusty and weather-warn, the seat frames are still tough and easily salvageable.
image.jpg
The bad;
The lids have really "had the radish."
image.jpg
image.jpg
It took me an hour to get the frames/lids apart, due mostly to the pesky welded nuts spinning in the lids.

So, I'm very happy that I was able to save the seat frames, as there was a good possibility that they would be junk, but I'm at a crossroads.

I looked into replacement lids through Haflinger Technik, and they would cost me almost $1000, after duty and shipping. Since my Hafi has seen more damage from neglect than damage from use, and some of the sheet metal damage has already been repaired/replaced in very creative (non S-D-P) ways, I won't feel too terribly bad by continuing the trend.

4 options are-
Replace with HT sheet metal for the perfect fit -$$$$
Replace with approx copies made at metal fabricator-$$$
Replace with plate, cut to shape allowing for seat frame-$$
Mount frames directly to bed- $

I know some purists are bristling at the notion of anything but SDP duplicate metal, but I want to lay all the possibilities on the table.

Money is not the problem, but spending more for perfection on a truck that already bares the mark of "creative craftsmanship" seems potentially wasteful. It offends the Old Yankee spendthrift in me.

So, what say you, people of the internet? What pitfalls may I face with the options presented?
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
AustHaflinger
Posts: 2459
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by AustHaflinger »

Following with interest as my rear frames look a lot like yours - gotta start on mine but I will see how you go.

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
User avatar
Julian B
Posts: 872
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 4:07 pm
Location: W Sussex, UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by Julian B »

Mounting the frames directly to the rear bed seems a shame, as you will lose the ability to instantly convert it to a flatbed "truck".
Julian B
W Sussex, UK

| '62 Early Series I SWB | '72 Series II LWB |
| '56 Citroën Traction Avant |
User avatar
heinkeljb
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:49 pm
Location: Lewes, East Sussex - UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by heinkeljb »

My "Dickie" seat covers look like yours - obviously they had less anti rust treatment than other part of the vehicle.

Like you, I looked at those options. (Still haven't actually done anything about them :cry: ).

I decide that I will have a go at repairing the lids as I can always "buy" better replacements via Haflinger-Technik. I was looking at buying some thick strip metal and making a pair of molds for the rib shape and then getting a bench press to "press" my own repair panels.

Size of repair panels would probably only be about 6 inches square. The straight ribs should not be too much of a problem. Trying to make a repair patch for the ribs which are at right angles to each other is probably gong to be the trickiest :?

So like a lot of people, this thread is going to be of interest :lol:

John
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !

Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
User avatar
StuartR
Posts: 102
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:58 am
Location: Northampton

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by StuartR »

John

I have cut off the whole platform top and have A large box of sections that may yield the ribbing you require to repair the lids

Any use?
Best Regards

Stuart

Northampton
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

I've been on a veritable "go slow" with the work on my Haflinger. I figured I had "all the time in the world" and didn't want to set any deadlines. It's just a hobby car.

I have dismantled it down to the deck, and even took the time to "make good" with my state and pay the purchase tax and get it registered (so it actually has license plates now).

The day after I registered the Hafi, at the end of July, I was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer.. and the last 4 weeks have been a mess.

I have put the bigger bits back together, and called in a favor to have the Hafi towed into the shop where I work. I have incredibly talented co-workers who are going to strip, weld, patch and paint the body of my truck as I start my cancer treatment. They have been very supportive.

I have been told that I will be doing 6 months of chemotherapy, followed by surgery to remove the cancer from my colon and liver, after the chemo hopefully shrinks it down to a manageable size. My goal is to be in remission some time next year, and during this "treatment interlude" I'm going to do what I can on the truck with the strength I can muster. Heavier reassembly will have to wait till then.

In the meantime, I'm on this forum (lurking or not) every day.. and that won't change.
I'll update the Hafi progress as it comes along and I have the time.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1441063139.165543.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1441064203.289376.jpg
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
User avatar
AustHaflinger
Posts: 2459
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:27 am
Location: Canberra Australia

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by AustHaflinger »

Mike - sorry to here about your diagnosis however you seem to be incredibly positive about it all and that has to count for a lot.

It is great that you will progress work on the Haffie and it should provide a positive diversion from you health issues though I am not sure working on your Haffie will be less stressful - they are very frustrating vehicles.

I look forward to watching progress on all fronts and seeing pics of you driving your fully restored Haffie next year.

Good luck with it all and get well soon.

Garry
Haflinger 700AP (73)
Range Rover Sport TDV6 (07)
Landrover FC 101 (77)
Landrover Series 1 SWB Station Wagon (57)
Landrover Series 1 SWB (57)
Jaguar E-type Roadster V12 (71)
Jaguar XJ12C (76)
User avatar
heinkeljb
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:49 pm
Location: Lewes, East Sussex - UK

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by heinkeljb »

Shame about your health, does make doing anythng more of an act of will power than physical ability. Make use of your friends! That's why they are called friends... Take on small sections of the Haf to work on, say things you can do at a bench.
Good luck with the Chemo and things.

John
Last edited by heinkeljb on Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Haflinger 703AP LWB 1973 - (Once owned by Lady Sutherland & Sons.) Now called "Lurch" !

Have you hit the "DONATE" button at the bottom of the page after reading this post? Many thanks if you have!!
jhon
Posts: 201
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:25 am
Location: Inverness, Scotland

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by jhon »

cascade.king wrote: The day after I registered the Hafi, at the end of July, I was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer.. and the last 4 weeks have been a mess.
Ah...so sorry to hear.. best of luck with your treatment.

Best wishes.
User avatar
cascade.king
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Vermont, USA

Re: 1971 Haflinger Pathfinder restoration.

Post by cascade.king »

Removing bedliner, even with a sandblasted, is ridiculous.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1441930866.724072.jpg
Mike
1971 North American 700AP Haflinger Pathfinder
Post Reply