Give me info on DAF Variomatics!

Ok you asked ready yourself for my epistle on DAFs.

The car above is a 1976 DAF 66 coupe. Don't be fooled that particular car is not a marathon despite it's having the body stripe and marathon wheels. True Marathons have twin headlights, subtly different trim and quad head lights. It is also fairly well known in DAF circles and seems to be doing the rounds and has been sold several times recently. I would bare that in mind, as those that know the car personally will tell you it does need a fair amount of money spent on it and is advertised for strong money. Saying that you are unlikely to find another coupe for sale.

Okay information on the car in general. The body shell from the A pillar back is the same as the earlier 55 coupe. The engine is a Renault sourced 1100cc or 1300cc and as such parts are relatively easily attainable. Unlike a conventional automatic the DAF features a centrifugal clutch rather than a torque converter as such it will not creep and will even roll backwards whilst in gear. This leads to another interesting quirk DAFs are designed to be started in gear and neutral is for servicing purposes only! This is rather important as forcing the car into gear with the engine running can cause transmission damage.

Suspension wise the 66 is probably the best DAF at the front it has torsion bars and the back is a leaf sprung de-dion axle which gives a vast improvement in handling over the older swing axle models. Variomatic cars are supremely easy to drive just press go.

The variomatic itself is well engineered and generally reliable. The main issues that come up are excessive belt wear, blown vacuum diaphragms, rusted pulley faces and seized bob weights. The first of these is not much of a problem, belts are available new and will last 40k if tensioned regularly. Diaphragms and bob weights will give the same symptoms, the car will be very reluctant to change up. The former is an easy check disconnect the two vacuum lines that run under the car from the engine bay and blow down one if you can feel air coming out of the other then the diaphragm has gone.
Rust wise like all seventies cars they do rot. Check the trailing edges of the front wings sills and floor pans.

My profile picture is a DAF Variomatic so have a look if you are interested. Oh and last little bit a DAF will go just as fast backwards as it will forwards!

Let me know if there is anything else you want to know as I know these cars inside out as I have never not had one since I turned 18.

Mum and dad had a Daf 32, 33, 46 and later a 66 like the one above. I had much later a Daf/Volvo 66 sedan.
They all were very reliable and fairly comfortable to drive.
I have 2 brothers and 1 sister + mum and dad. We all (somehow) fitted in all of these things and would go for family visits and day out's in the Daf.

I know that they are as fast forward as back wards. They are easy to service and cheap to run. The variomatic
has never given us any trouble. I understand the belts last a very long time and can be still bought new.

If you can get one for a decent price I would get one.

So has anybody fitted one with a Renault 5 or 11 Turbo engine. Would the belts still last 40k?

Regarding the reverse speeds attainable, YouTube has video of Dutch reverse gear racing.

It has been done but I don't think it's an easy swap. Mainly as variomatic relies on inlet manifold vacuum to assist ratio change.

dafcars.proboards.com/thread/3078/gordon-express-dolvo

That one has a Gordini turbo under the bonnet.

Everyone else has covered most things, but did you know they made a 4WD one-off for rallycross with a doubled up CVT system (I think also with the engine in the cab, sitting next to the driver). linky



Started with a 120hp Gordini engine, and then progressed to a 180hp Ford FVC. Thanks to the design of the CVT it essentially had a limited slip diff at each end which made it really rather successful.

To get around the manifold vacuum issue with a turbo setup you could add a vacuum pump. I know there's one on the nose of BMW M47/M57 engines, and I expect there's plenty of others on turbodiesels of various varieties to run the brake servos.

if you are ever in Eindhoven ,Netherlands home of the DAF factory take some time out to visit the museum in town

a good afternoon can be wasted looking at all sorts of DAF vehicles from racing trucks ,dakar trucks racing cars , military vehicles

very interesting

What are they like to drive on the Motorway? Can they do 70 easily?

Are the volvo derivatives the same?

What years were air cooled?

Is there anything you don't like about them? Are parts becoming an issue