kmead
Old enough to know better
There are some good threads in BOX for new owners to read. It covers many of the issues you want to start chasing down along with some upgrades. https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?tags/box-new-owner-info/There's some things I want to make sure are checked out before I attempt any more long distance driving with it. Today's heat of over 100 and heavy stop and go traffic really taxed the cooling system. I talked to Tdskip about it and he had never experienced the issue before. I figure I'll add the extra fan he supplied me with, and make sure the cooling system is functioning with the modified toggle switch to kick in the fans that is installed but disconnected at the moment. Since the car is new to me, I really want to get to know the ins and outs of the whole thing, including any systemic weak points, to insure that I don't break my new toy.
That being said, I hope to be able to address at least some of those issues before November.
Did it in fact overheat or just appear to get hot?
Personally I would not do a switch to run the fan, I would add an alternative thermostatic switch to the radiator which has two temp outputs, this has been covered a number of times. The part is a VW part which fits perfectly and comes in versions which start running at a lower temperature. I am good with a little fan overkill particularly in a hot climate. An overheating car is not a fun car.
As this car has a 1500 conversion, did he change the alternator and the wiring to the later alternator system? The early cars had a very low amperage alternator which is a pain point, you might want to talk with @tvmaster about this issue.
Congrats on your purchase. It looked like a nice car.