The DAF 66 (Volvo) Is a Small Car with Quirky Engineering

[@TwinCam]

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[@cedriclynch]

Earlier models the Daffodil and then the DAF 33 became very popular with UK driving schools in the 1960s. They had advertisements on them saying "Pass your test automatically with DAF". Then the government changed the rules so that if you passed the driving test in a car with automatic transmission you got a full licence that only covered cars with automatic transmission. The driving school DAFs quickly disappeared.

[@marcusfranconium3392]

A bit late but here we go , The DAF cars also where famous for driving as fast backward as they could go forward . There was a whole event on a Dutch TV show with backwards racing at zandvoort. Some how the DAF cars always won . The 100- 110 Km hr speed of the car was based on the dutch trafic rules of the time and the maximum speed was 100 km/h . That is where the slow reputation came from . That Daf 66 or Volvo failed was the belt drives where not up for the increased weight of the cars .

[@tiagogomes2857]

I can see him working as a presenter for a tv car show.... Very professional and well put together presentation

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Tiago, that’s very kind ☺️

[@nerd_in_norway]

Yes, I got that same immediate feeling as well. Fast forward 10 years: he's stuck on a tandem bike with Richard Hammond in Cambodia, dressed as a chicken, wondering what happened.

[@TwinCam]

That’s an image I’m not gonna be able to get out of my head 😂😂

[@alloycrow917]

Completely agree, for a moment he made me think of Jeremy Clarkson.

[@samuelyoung1]

@@alloycrow917 but calmer

[@timothyokane9710]

The one amazing thing about the transmission is it can go just as fast in reverse, as it does going forward,that's the magic of a CVT.

[@tomhannah6795]

Before Volvo provided the PRND type automatic lever in the later 66's Daf had a forward or back lever with no true neutral position, in fact you had to move the lever fully forward or back and stick your foot on the brake before you started it as you couldn't select any gear otherwise, you moved it from forward to reverse when stationary with the engine running though. The later volvo 66's used a conventional type clutch, the daf 55's (and maybe the early 66's) used what appeared to be 4 complete brake shoes, cut in half and pivoted at the ends and mounted behind the flywheel. These had a large brake drum type housing and was connected to the propshaft which went to the cones and belts at the rear(or a single belt on a 46). Very interesting channel. Well done.

[@genius1a]

@@tomhannah6795 All DAF 66 had a neutral Position - and could be shifted deliberately forward, neutral or backward in Idle. The issue and soulution you are describing, comes from an engaged starting carburretor (yoke), or a too fast idle speed adjustment of the engine. In fact you had to start in the neutral position for the cold engine start process! Just holding the car with the brakes in the forward position with too high idle speed would have meant a constantly engaging clutch against a tightly stopped car. The late Volvo 66 with the PRND Type Levers were basically the same, but had a little electric switch that neutralized the action of the centrifugal weights for a little longer in the Neutral and the Parking Position. It engaged a Suction controlled actuator that acted as if someone had stepped on a manual clutch pedal a little bit. But it started closing the clutch at about 1500 RPM anyways (Compared to 800 RPM normal) and still closed it completely tight at about 3000 RPM (compared to 1700 normal). Higher Revs to get the engine warm in Parking (P) Position caused a massive smoking clutch in a few seconds. I speak out of vivid memory, before I knew how this all worked together. As I think of it now, it could very well have been a wrong adjusted Suction actuator, that didn't move all the way it was designed to completely neutralize the centrifugal weight action. In that case it could have been started and reved freely in Neutral and in Parking Position. I only had one car with that system and don't have it anymore. For the neutral position thing - I owned several DAF 66 and Volvo 66, much of the time I drove with a 1972 hatchback (6633 with the bone type automatic lever). I had learned to control the engine speed so perfectly aligned to the gearbox speed on the engine side, that I could disengage into Neutral position easily to let the car roll with the engine going back to silent idle and then after some Minutes, as the car speed decreases, pull the revs back up to the perfect matching speed to engage the forward position again without any gear scratching and drive on. Very delicate, because it doesn't have any synchronisation and is not designed to do that. My little quirk I loved to use ^^

[@robertmcclean1273]

Haha yes! This was my party trick with my Daf 33 (air-cooled 750cc flat twin). I also tweaked the vacuum control of the ratios so that if you eased off a tiny bit at ~33mph it moved the ratio to "top gear" and dropped the revs rather than moving towards a lower gear ratio and slowing you down by raising the revs. A bit more peaceful in town! Another point was that the belt drive acted like a limited-slip diff. You could easily get the inside rear wheel hopping and skipping in a gravelly carpark. Great review @TwinCam, thanks!

[@andrewhubbard4044]

The daf was a great little car the 33 and 44 were air cooled two cylinder engines, my old mum god bless her had all four models over the years lovely memories

[@Grant0610]

Quite ironic, hill descent function on a Dutch car! 😝😂😂😂

[@doktoruzo]

lol...good point!

[@TwinCam]

Hahahahaha

[@MultiArrie]

the highest hill is 300 meter above sealevel, and we share it with Gemany and Begium as well, generous as we are.

[@doktoruzo]

@@MultiArrie .Ha...thanks. That is actually quite high...1000 feet.

[@Bruce-1956]

@@MultiArrieofficially it's 322 m.

[@JacGoudsmit]

I grew up in Eindhoven, home town of DAF and Philips. My grandpa worked at DAF but though I know he was a mechanic, I don't know what his job was. I emigrated to the USA in 2000 and I now drive a Nissan Quest minivan, which has a CVT transmission made by Bosch in the Netherlands, which is what became of Van Doorne (the D in DAF) Transmission systems as far as I understand. I love it! It's so smooth and it seems to be so much more powerful than a regular automatic. None of that sloshing fluid around in the torque converter rubbish. Oh one more thing: DAF did well with CVT's in race cars, but the CVT gave the cars so much advantage that they were banned in racing... Thanks for posting! And if you're ever in Eindhoven, visit the DAF museum!

[@doktoruzo]

Thanks for your comment. Yes, I plan on going to the DAF museum sometime...might even go there in the 66..lol!

[@robertmcclean1273]

"DAF did well with CVT's in race cars, but the CVT gave the cars so much advantage that they were banned in racing" - Ah yes, I'd forgotten that! I still remember my Daf 33 fondly.

[@WyrdStar]

I don't normally watch car videos, but I used to own a Volvo 66 and couldn't resist! Brought back memories...

[@PieterKuijk]

I remember those. You don't see a lot of them around anymore, even not here in the Netherlands. Some of them were wrecked in a crazy car race that involved cars driving in reverse the whole course called achteruitracen. They were popular because the CVT allowed the cars to reach the same top speed in reverse as it would in forward gear

[@stevensarson482]

As a teenager I had a friend who drove a ‘Daffodil’ with its belt drive and rubber mats. He was the local vicars son and we would use it to get around the various youth clubs in our area. One of several interesting cars in the late 60s/early 70s. The ‘variomatic’ system sounded like something straight out of a Hotpoint of the same era.

[@Stars_Falling_93]

You've done the legacy of DAF justice...by driving a Volvo. Job well done!

[@TwinCam]

Thank you mate :) DAF really interests me. I do hope to one day get to the DAF Museum in Eindhoven.

[@wimleurink220]

This car was 100% DAF only the name was changed in Volvo. Talking about well done. lol

[@solentbum]

I owned a DAF 44 for several years, an 850 cc air-cooled boxer engine. Top speed just over 80mph,45 mpg. It would tow my boat easily. Same body as the 66. Being one of the DAFs without a rear diff, it had two separate drive belts, one to each wheel, it was magic in snow. I had a tyre blowout on the motorway at 70 mph, the car was rock solid on the road and I was able to drive to the next interchange safely. In traffic it was a fraction slow for the first 20 yards then it left all its similar sized competitors standing. (BLMC Mini, etc) For my wife it was idea for putting our young son in, with a very early safety car seat in centre rear, plus the pushchair in the boot. In the UK DAFs suffered from the name of the earliest model which was called the 'Daffodil', later renamed the '33'. At one stage DAF produced the fastest automatic in the world , a full blown rally car. In the video you forgot to mention that it goes as fast backwards as forwards! I rate the 44 DAF as the second best car I have owned only surpassed by my current LEAF. (and I have owned somewhere around 40 different cars of varying types)

[@TwinCam]

I didn’t mention it because I’m very careful in these videos to give critical opinion while not upsetting the owners, like I’d never mention Top Gear in a Morris Marina video. I decided to steer clear of mentioning that and the reverse racing in case it upset anyone that so many DAFs were destroyed that way.

[@solentbum]

@@TwinCam Please never mention Top Gear in any serious context.

[@captainswoop8722]

My dad used the engine brake button quite a bit. He was helping to restore a steam locomotive at Grosmont on the NYMR (he did his apprenticeship in the 50s in an engine shed) He was going three times a week down very steep hills in to the Esk Valley up from Whitby. The DAF died on the way to work in Middlesbrough when one of the belts broke.

[@Trevessa24]

I Bought my Daff from an elderly lady, she had one arm and a knob on the steering wheel.. The engine was like a sewing machine. 1300 version, thick bodywork and 3000 miles. It was amazing to drive .. Built your character up too , because the piss taking was something else ! I roared around London, Bath and Cornwall in the mid eighties, Rugby kit bag and all my tools.. Some great stories as well.. It came into its own on the m5/m4, smooth acceleration and cruised beautifully at 90. With your foot lifting off the throttle and the speedometer still rising, it took a bit of thinking about !! One time, zooming past Taunton, ladders on top, kit loaded on the back seat and vacuum strapped in on the passenger side, I passed the salesman's choice of the era , a cavalier, at 90+ The driver, clearly bruised, sat up, dropped a cog and just had to get me back.. What a hoot.. I eventually moved onto a BMW 2000 Touring, that's another story...

[@doktoruzo]

ha,ha...great memories...thanks for sharing. Yes, these things can shift with your foot planted down.

[@isallah1kafir196]

*Greetings* any idea if the engine (even though mentioned it was from Renault) was the same as was used in the *Renault R4* which were also popular at that time. Also was Renault R4 even sold in the UK?

[@doktoruzo]

@@isallah1kafir196 ..Yes, the Renault R4 was sold in the UK. I remember a neighbour had a couple of them back in the 70's. Not sure if the engine was the same as the DAF though.

[@TwinCam]

As has already been said, yes the R4 was available in the UK, and yes, the engine was the same! I think that the R4 had a few different engines in its time though, so Googling the Cléon Fonte engine will probably tell you everything about it. What I do know is that it was used all the way up to the Mk1 Twingo.

[@isallah1kafir196]

@@TwinCam I had a friend in the 1970 who had one R4. What I remember most about the R4 was its *Revolver Gear-Shift* lever with the very long ways to shift gears.. Thanks for your response.

[@eeedelli]

Well that certainly brought back some memories! As a family, we had DAFs from about 1970 to about 1990, starting with a 46, then a 55 estate, a 66 saloon and finally a Volvo 66GL estate. One of the reasons you don’t see many preserved is because they just used to disintegrate! Rust control wasn’t what it is today but they were fantastic little cars while they lasted. Since you didn’t have to take the power off to change gear, they could easily out-accelerate a BMW … up to about 30mph … when the cones started to swap over to high ratio. (Above that, acceleration was ‘basic’.) I was never a ‘boy racer’ but there were one or two occasions when I remember seeing astonishment on the face of other drivers who all too often associated them (incorrectly) with ‘little old ladies driving to church at 15mph’. That was because the 2-stroke DAF 33s tended to be used for that. The Renault engines gave them ‘pocket rocket’ performance though, strangely, the performance of the DAF 55 & 66 (1100) seemed far better than the Volvo 66 (1300). I never could work out why. One thing that did let them down a bit (apart from the rust!) was the vacuum diaphragm in the primary units of the transmission. They always seemed to tear and spring a leak relatively quickly (within a couple of years of being fitted) and, as there were two primary units, it always seemed to be in the garage getting one or the other replaced - and it wasn’t a small job, as I recall. Also, as they were so unlike anything else on the road, mechanics (other than DAF-trained ones) were largely clueless, never having had to deal with switchable vacuum valves, diaphragms and variable cone adjustments to deal with in transmissions, so tended to steer clear of them or ask stupid amounts of money to make you go and find some other mug to get the work done! (Luckily for us, there was a former DAF service station only a couple of miles away which kept looking after ours for years after DAF had been taken over by Volvo.) If you’d been standing where you were in this video about 30 -40 years ago (a clever trick, in your case!), you might well have seen one of our DAFs in that very car park, as we often used to head along the M57 and East Lancs for a trip out to Makro for the business.

[@doktoruzo]

Great information. Thanks for your input. You recognised the location...ha,ha.

[@peebee143]

The 66 and it's Daf predecessors were brilliant little cars. Great for round town or short distance. Would drive at motorway speeds but noisy for long periods. Daf used to say about the models Forward to go forward, back to go back.

[@EA-58]

As a Dutch guy...love this.

[@robertwillis4061]

My Mother had a hatchback version back in late 80's. Very quick up to 35mph, then a brick wall. My father and I replaced the centrifugal clutch shoes as the car struggled up hills, with the clutch slipping. Turned out one of the shoes ( there was 3 of them ) had seized on its pivot, so there was a loss of power transmission.

[@samthehotdog]

I remember this car from my childhood. My mother bought a Volvo DAF 66 DL back in the middle of the 80´s, and can confirm that it only had 2 lights in the front. It was in a red colour, sadly she sold it due to gearbox issues. Made my day to see this car again :)

[@hayamburuk]

I had a DAF 66. I drove it from the UK to Hungary. Brilliant in the snow

[@doktoruzo]

wow, that's some going to drive an old DAF all that way...lol

[@PeteCswampy]

PROFESSIONAL, makings of something special here. well researched and accurate

[@TwinCam]

Thanks again Pete, that's very kind :)

[@sebastiend.5335]

My grandmother used to pick me and my brother up from school. First in a DAF badged one and later in a Volvo. She also used to floor the accelerator, because she was awesome! And so was the car!

[@johnstephens67]

I remember seeing the 'Variomatic' badge on one of these and pondering what it might mean...I asked my dad and he said it was about the transmission. I had no idea what that meant but it shut me up! Loved this review - a really novel car that deserves a higher profile.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks John :)

[@therealcrazygentleman]

I recently bought one as my first car. 1973 DAF 66. Still gives me joy every time I drive it. Funny enough it does go quite fast driving away from traffic lights. Hopefully I will never have to get rid of it. Thank you for the video!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, hope you keep enjoying it! ☺️

[@christiansommer390]

My mother used to have a bright yellow DAF 66. Great little car, especially in Amsterdam where we lived, it was fast and nimble. I drove it several times and loved it.❤️

[@alanr1062]

I had a Volvo 343 in the 80s. It had the variomatic. I don't remember it having a 'P' on the selector. The selector beeped when moved, and it lit up. One of it's quirks was, it could go the same speed in reverse as forward. Which I tried in an empty car park. My uncle had the 66, in the early 70s but it was DAF badged. He needed automatics because of a false left leg and they weren't common in those days. He always said it was the best car he had ever driven.

[@doktoruzo]

Great Ed...well done. You did your homework on the history. She looks fab. Also known as the Little 'Noddy' car, 'the flying brick' and the 'custard cream'. Thanks for reviewing my car, it was a pleasure to meet you.

[@unbalancedcrank]

Jealous!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, it’s a fab little car and it was great to have a chat ☺️

[@alangodsman338]

Extremely jealous of that car. There are less than 10 left in the UK.

[@doktoruzo]

@@alangodsman338 .Thanks for your comment. Yes, they are quite a rare sight, not many left. The old boy who owned it had it for 40 years, bought it when it was 2 years old. It has been serviced, wax-oiled and under-sealed religiously every year and been looked after. I have every single receipt, service history and MOT certificate...a huge folder of carefully chronologically ordered documents. Quite remarkable.

[@theablanca17]

Called Rem-Johan here in Sweden. Translated it would be like Belt-John. Just a little random knowledge, you might already know that of course :)

[@earth2006]

I had a 66 DAF while in stationed in the UK, tiny 2 cylinder engine, what amounted to a rubber band transmission, got fantastic MPG, fun to drive, thanks for posting, thanks for the memories.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Rick

[@geetee7154]

I remember these cars very well,i used to work for a Volvo dealer in the '70's when the 66 came along,to start off they were generally bought by elderly women!! but when they brought out the 1300cc engine it had a twin choke carb & was actually quite quick from stand still,we used to have a lot of fun doing traffic light races with other cars,the process was switch on the low ratio hold,pulled the choke a bit,set the revs so the centrifugal clutch was just on it's biting point wait for the green light & blast off,could guarantee the 66 would beat any other car up to about 40mph,the 66 was tremendous fun,happy days

[@silvestrostileitalia]

Sorry for the question... Why would you pull the choke a bit? To enrich fuel mixture and get more power?

[@MSavageEsq]

Brilliant! A family friend had one when I was a kid. They kept it at the caravan site we used to regularly visit in Essex and towed their speed boat to and from the boat ramp. The owner used to let me drive it under supervision around the site, despite my tender years at the time. Needless to say, I wasn't towing at the time.

[@hugobloemers4425]

This is a real treat of a video put well together and if I am not wrong the first one in which Ed drives. Being from Holland I have some memories of this car that was quite a normal sight on the roads. First of all when I grew up, DAF (van Doorn's Automobiel Fabriek) cars where hated among many young (boys/males) because they where your aunties car and I was guilty as charged. Add to this that because of the Variomatic and the absence of nanny state wokeness the DAF could go backwards as fast as forwards, they where very popular in a Dutch variant of demolition derby aka reverse racing. That is literally how many DAFs met their end. The rubber belts would break eventually if you would not replace them in time. But it was not an expensive fix and the car can drive with one belt which results in a one wheel drive car and it pulling very hard to the left or right depending on the belt that was broken.

[@doktoruzo]

lol, yes...they even said in an advert in Holland that it was a car 'your Auntie could drive'! Ed mentioned that in the review. I haven't tried going too fast in reverse...yet!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Hugo :) Hardly think cars not doing 70 mph in reverse is 'nanny state wokeness' though hahahaha

[@dalpro29]

My Mum had one of these in the early 1980s. I recall it being fun to drive. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@plym1969]

Having watched your channel since the beginning Ed, ( thanks Hubnut and the KZbin algorithm) I've enjoyed your development and seeing you get more and more confident as much as the actual content. Today's video is fantastic. A very niche car, superb information brilliantly presented. I really, really enjoyed it 😊

[@TwinCam]

Aww thanks Phillip, that's very kind! (as always) :) If there's anything you'd like to see on the channel, or see me do differently, then please say!

[@arlandaplanespotting]

My grandparents had a white Volvo 66 and I have so many memories from ride along in the back seat as a child.

[@alexandersometsby5284]

I enjoy very much your movies, your enthusiasm and love for cars of this era shows through. I grew up with these cars and every one of your posts is very nostalgic. I particularly like that you look at the everyday cars of the period and not just the super cars like some TV shows. Keep up the good work look forward to seeing you on your own TV show one day.

[@TwinCam]

Thank you mate, that's very kind :)

[@walhalladome5227]

This car is simply amazing. You got still some of these running around in the Netherlands by the real lovers.🇳🇱🇬🇧🇸🇪

[@doktoruzo]

Yes, you do still see a number of them in the Netherlands...always a funny sight. Little Dafje. Of course they were way more popular in NL,Bel, D, F as they were made there and better marketed in Continental Europe.

[@unbalancedcrank]

Terrific! A great score, to get this cat to use. You’ve out-hubnutted the HubNut! Your writing and presentation has become very professional now, and this was a very tidy production. Well done.

[@TwinCam]

Hahaha you’re probably right! This is very very HubNut. Thank you so much mate, that means a lot ☺️

[@wijk89]

Twin-Cam q

[@petertroth3830]

Way back l went to DAF in High Wykeham for a Variomatic training course. One of the highlights being a burn down the road at 110mph in a DAF 66 Marathon. Fantastic cars, reliable, good looking. Pity they ver caught on

[@MTSVW]

These really seem like the perfect car for their era. This transmission design seems so much simpler and better than anything else that was available then. Really wish we had gotten these in the USA-I would love to have one.

[@pcgamer6]

Daf 600 model up through the Daf 44 was indeed officially imported into the US!

[@m__r1100]

We had one of these for a couple of years. I remember bouncing around on the back seat with brother and a couple of neighbours kids to go to school reach day in rural Lincolnshire. It was even this colour!

[@tomb7976]

This is rather nostalgic for me as my late mum had 2 Daf 44's and 2 Volvo 66's. Great cars and underestimated. Shame there are not many of them left. Great review, so thanks very much :-)

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Tom :)

[@gromit3315]

@Tom, at the end of the 70's there were "Reverse Races" in the Netherlands with Dafjes (little Daf’s). Just for fun, but very spectacular because a Daf could drive backwards as fast as forward. Hundreds of Dafjes were crashed then. Now you can hardly find one.

[@doktoruzo]

@@gromit3315 .yes, it was a shame so many got destroyed but they were kind of looked down upon then...now they are becoming quite interesting again and people want to preserve them. Lang leve Dafjes!

[@78ZV]

Great presentation. Brings back fond memories of my Daf 44 given to me by my Dad. Always amazed me that they could go as fast in reverse as they could forward. A combine harvester mechanic was our go to guy as they used a similar belt drive system. Many converted the Air cooled 44's to a Renault 4 engine.

[@denishoulan1491]

One of my teachers had a DAF 55, I believe, in the early seventies. One day on our way to school on the bus, we saw her having been pulled over by the police, having been caught in a speed trap. How we laughed. Never thought it could go fast.

[@doktoruzo]

lol ..they can fly off from standstill due to the variomatic...

[@diegohuijbregtsgarcia5102]

80 forwards, 80 backwards!

[@bmjhversteeg]

I have a DAF 55 coupé and I still beat most modern cars when pulling off from a traffic light

[@harveyneedleman817]

Great review. In the early 80s i had a granada 3.0 ghia which i crashed and it was on 3rd party insurance. While i saved up to have it repaired i drove a daf 66 coupe. It was great fun. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@stevelanghorn1407]

I love quirky cars & you can't get much quirkier than that little gem! Thanks for a great history & tour.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Steve ☺️

[@daveb1433]

Great to see the Volvo 66. My first car was a second half 1972 Daf 44. which I bought from an elderly lady in 1976. It was Yellow with black vinyl interior. The gear lever was a 7 shaped handle and had Forward, Reverse and Neutral. No Park. You had to remember to put on the handbrake!!! That car broke my heart, I couldn’t wait to get rid of it.

[@Richard-Bullock]

I never thought for even a moment that this would be the car in this video. Genuinely cannot remember the last time I saw a Volvo/DAF 66 on the road. I used to have a Nissan Micra K11 with a CVT transmission. Really rather liked it. I wish I could give this video a double thumbs up. This is my most favourite of your car reviews. I really like rare and unusual cars that are not some fragile exotic sports car. I really hope you have more of cars like this to come.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks so much Richard, that means a lot ☺️ CVTs really are great, but people just don’t like their characteristics.

[@Richard-Bullock]

@@TwinCam I found a CVT strange at first. My previous experiences with automatic cars were with a mk2 Carlton, a mk3 Astra, and an Impreza. All conventional torque converter 4 speed automatic transmissions. I kinda miss having an automatic when I'm stuck in traffic.

[@jmbrowning6688]

@@TwinCam cvt is the most evil thing to happen to cars, well except tesla ( i refuse to ever work on one again) what a POS

[@TwinCam]

Why do you hate CVTs? They’re more efficient and smoother than any other form of transmission.

[@Richard-Bullock]

@@TwinCam JM Browning has a point. Early CVT's (apart from DAF's Variomatic) were absolute garbage. JatCo CVT's still are.

[@Tony-hx2fj]

I really like this guy's style, thank you

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Tony ☺️

[@LoftechUK]

new watcher and subscriber. great video and superb coverage. really enjoyed it, thank you

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Andrew! Hope you enjoy my channel :)

[@trevormattocks4428]

I had the estate version. When I bought it, the transmission needed a bit of work, a mate who is a mechanic fixed it, with parts from a local scrap car yard from a Daff 66. I had a radio in mine, but you couldn't really hear it, because the car was quite noisy with the transmission. Made the mistake of going on a long trip. Ended up feeling really nauseated with a terrible headache! Ended up installing some sound deadening material which helped a bit. Great around town on short trips though. That button I knew as the low ratio hold for the hills. All in all I found the 66 quite a querky little car. Thanks for a great video on this car.

[@andrewstones2921]

So happy to see the DAF 66 in a review. I used to get a lift to work in a DAF and came to appreciate the DAF for the amazing car that it is. These cars do the same speed in reverse that they do in forward, I know this for sure from experience! The earlier cars had no fuel gauge only three lights, so it’s no surprise to see a lack of temp gauge in favour of a warning light. The earlier cars are air cooled and more interesting to me, but the 66 Couple would be irresistible to me if if I ever found one. The Variomatic transmission was superb, it’s mechanical simplicity and reliability are legendary. Those belts need regular adjustment, but it’s an easy job. I guess modern belts may last even longer.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks again Andrew :) I love DAFs. They're just such a great nosedive into quirky engineering that not many people really remember. I'm more surprised to see that there is a battery gauge but no temperature gauge!

[@AndYourPointWasWhat]

Yup, I had a lime-green Volvo 66 Estate with a full-length fabric sunroof - just as fast in reverse as forward but a million times scarier as the car becomes rear-wheel steer! For forklift drivers only...

[@stevenclarke5606]

In the 1970’s a lady in my road, had one of these , and we called it the washing machine car!

[@milanaero]

If you look closer, you will see the transmission is actually two transmissions, one for each wheel. That means there is no differential and the function of differential is done by the transmission changing ratios as you go round the corner. And as a side effect, it acts like a sort of a diff lock all the time :)

[@FilipGereg]

Why exactly is nobody else using this?

[@milanaero]

@@FilipGereg My guess is that 1) people weren't used to the way the car sounded and 2) it may not have worked terribly well for all sorts of cars, since the differential operates at any rpm with almost immediate response. Whereas cvt needs some rotations to let the belts slide around nicely, so the slower you go, the slower will it react to eg. a sudden turn.

[@TheStefanskoglund1]

@@FilipGereg One reason was that they were a bit thirsty, how that small car could be that ...

[@TheHandyroo]

Actually there is a differential and the dafl 66 was the first daf to have one. All the previous models, the daffodil, daf 33, 44 and 55 did not have a diff and relied on slip on the belts to absorb the difference in turning radius which actually added a limited slip differential effect This however caused higher belt wear which is why it was changed in the 66.

[@TheHandyroo]

You're correct saying there was no differential with the daffodil, 33,44 and 55, but the Daf and Volvo 66 had a differential to save on belt wear. The lack of limited slip diff effect, did make the 66 less fun to drive and less able to cope with slippery conditions like snow and ice.

[@davidfarrar1038]

My dad used to get one of these as a courtesy car when his Volvo was in for service at Olaf Olsen, Newmillerdam, Wakefield in the late 1970's.

[@Mancozeb100]

Ed, a big, big well done. Love your delivery style, information, and research. And in this video, somethings happened ... and it’s good. Really good. Like you’ve really settled into the role. Agree with someone else’s comment about coming across as very professional in this one.. and yeah, I’ll second that! It’s really Hubnut, Harry, Jonny and you, that I look forward to. Seriously. Take a bow, man. And to do all of that with a Volvo-Daf 66! Brilliant. As a young feller, I remember clearly reading about these in Autocar, Car, and Motor. We didn’t get Daf in Ireland, until Volvo took over. Think a few 66s may have come in, but it was the 340 that sold in any kind of numbers. The early ones with the CVT were a real novelty here! Yes, Would also like to hit the DAF museum too. Intriguing little company. Fingers crossed, that’ll happen when things have settled a bit with virus front. All best, man. Looking forward to your next vid ! Thank you, and again, Well done! 👍🏻

[@doktoruzo]

I am maybe a bit biased as it's my car, but that aside, I think Ed really shone in this review. He did a really nice presentation and nailed all the facts. My only slight 'niggle', if you can call it that, was the different film quality between the two cameras. But yes, fully concur with you that Ed hit the sweet spot here.

[@TwinCam]

Aww thank you mate, that really is very kind. I'm back in lockdown as of tomorrow so all filming opportunities are out of the window for now! I have a few ready to go though. Hopefully they can see me through.

[@TwinCam]

Yes, my GoPro seems to be playing up somewhat. I need to have a play with it.

[@michaelarcher6278]

Well done. My family had two of these little gems, not the 66 model, but the 44 estate. A two cylinder air cooled 844 cc engine. It was the only car you could leave unlocked at night. You needed to be an expert in choke procedure to get them started and keep running until warmed up. So nice to see an old Daf on your channel. Thank you, you brought back many lovely memories to an old 70s teenager

[@TwinCam]

Thank you Michael ☺️ As they get older, they get more and more interesting!

[@jorgrademaker]

Some extra information from a previous Volvo 66 owner: - The rev counter is aftermarket, as far as I know - Volvo did another changes to the Volvo 66, as compared to the Daf 66: they installed a mechanical clutch: with the Daf the revs had to be very low to be able to put the gear into forward/backward, with the Volvo the gear handle also controls the clutch - You're correct: the DL didn't have the fog lights. You got the very expensive version :) - The temperature gauge isn't factory standard either - The Daf 77 was launched as the 343. The 340/345/360 were later variants

[@Dutch2go]

My older cousin and his wife had one of these in sporty red. I remember sitting in the back seat as they took me on a scenic drive in Friesland. 👍

[@LogiForce86]

DAF being slow? The variomatic (first ever CVT) transmission was the reason why it won against Porsche's off of the line. I know because my grandfather did a lot of pulls against them. :p Naturally it couldn't keep up at higher speeds but the acceleration was unmatched.

[@fryfrysk]

And it could go as fast backwards as forewards due to the CVT. At that time even backward races were held in the NL.

[@genius1a]

I can approve that. I had a VOLVO 66 Marathon for some years (like the one in the Video) and up to 35 mph (ca 50 km/h) I smoked practically every car from the line. Effortless, I just had to step on the accelerator as the traffic light was switching green and wait. That car was everything but slow. I remember even provoking a young driver of a VW G60 once at the traffic light. That was the Super Golf II at the time with 160 hp! Against a tiny car with 56 hp. What could go wrong... I was ahead till 35 mph (60 km/h) while I heard his engine screaming behind me. I think this guy remembers that as well ;-)

[@randiricci5620]

CVT ftw!!

[@LogiForce86]

@@genius1a What you are also telling is exactly the reason why I came to love sleepers and underdogs. Cars that don't look the part but will leave many people looking stupid in their more fancy cars.

[@martinkop8075]

Me gras me gras ...

[@Lizzard-t]

Thank you for a fantastic trip into my past . I had a Daf 66 it was bright yellow with a webasto roof . Mine had a problem with the gear selector solenoid, where I could start it even when in gear .and it would launch itself into things ,that's how I wrote it off . And back in the 1980's I worked for a Volvo dealer ,and I remember changing the belts on the vairomatic ,every 20.000 miles , where you used a Volvo special tool which was an over sized G-clamp ,and a long feeler gauge . The only thing with the vairomatic ,was that you never started it when the gear selector was in the park position,or else you would burn the clutch out ! Thank you for the video !

[@andrewthemis451]

Ed, hats off to you. Well researched, natural delivery, interesting content. Well done, spot on video. I bought a new 340GL back in the day, wish I'd kept it. Look forward to the next video.

[@TwinCam]

Aww thank you Andrew, that's very kind! :)

[@LIEGELEAF1]

I had a 340, did not get on with it, poor mpg and expensive servicing. Now have a CVT Toyota C-HR, so slight link there.

[@philpaxton2078]

Love the Daf in its many guises. I've had a couple of cars with CVT and consider it to be very underrated. One of my 'fleet' of 3 cars was made at the Nedcar factory, it's a Smart ForFour. Keep up the good work, great video.

[@stevechambers500V8]

My parents had a DAF 55 in the early-70’s (LLG647L, bought new from Howarth Motors in Warrington which at the time was an Audi, NSU and DAF franchise). It towed a caravan down to Spain and back, no doubt the hill descent button was used! Replaced in January 1974 by a new Audi 80 (XMA506M) from the same dealership.

[@TwinCam]

Fantastic! That’s a good range for a car dealer too, with the Variomatic DAFs and rotary NSUs!

[@TwinCam]

...not necessarily good for profits though 😂

[@stevechambers500V8]

Twin-Cam probably not although plenty of warranty work!

[@doktoruzo]

That's very impressive Steve, going to Spain and back in a DAF and towing a caravan too..lol! They were fairly reliable though to be fair.

[@rose-ey6ct]

Have owned around 10 of them, and still have one in my shed. Built a rally version once. 1100cc, 240bhp, turbocharged. 750kg complete with full tank of fuel and spare wheel. 1.5 turns lock to lock on steering. Transmission was a little delicate for this. Started 43 events, failed to finish 42. You obviously did not drive one hard, or you would have discovered the fabulous handling, which was why I built it. Best speed for a reverse flip: 45mph.

[@gegwen7440]

I can remember a Dutch lad called Jan De Roy (?) who used to race one in the 60's at Lydon Hill Kent and the thing flew, the likes of Keith Rip (Ripspeed) in his Cooper S would go head to head with the Daf.

[@grayfool]

A car very ahead of it's time. CVT gearboxes have become far more common in the lsat decade or so but the DAF was pretty much unique in the seventies. The strange way the engine revved when driving put a lot of people off. It was so very different from the old slush box autos we were used to. Shame, they were a nice car and much better built than most other manufacturers offerings at the time. Good to see one again. Thanks

[@TwinCam]

Even more so in the 50s! CVTs are great, it’s just a shame people feel they’re too weird.

[@alangodsman338]

The beauty of a CVT is you can outrun from the lights most cars on the road. My one litre civic is a joy to deny the bmw and Audi brigade the get away from the lights dash

[@donkmeister]

I used to be fascinated by the little DAFs as a kid. I remember my dad explaining they had "giant rubber bands" in the gearbox 😁 Two facts I remember him telling me about them: 1) when the car tops out with your foot hard on the floor, if you lift off slightly then it will go a bit faster. Presumably something about the way the CVT works on engine load 2) top speed can be achieved in forwards AND in reverse... Fun!

[@mumblbeebee6546]

I can’t believe he did not go in reverse for a bit!!! :)

[@harveysmith100]

Great research, content and presentation. You knowledge of cars really helps with the content. The reference to the Dolomite was spot on. Going to Sub and this is the first video of yours I have watched.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Harvey, that’s very kind ☺️ Hope you enjoy my channel!

[@j.r.arnolli9734]

Having had several DAF's (Volvo's) I always used, going downhill, the 'mountain-brake' (berg-rem/engine brake button), preventing going 'downhill'.

[@jpofgwynedd3878]

What a stunning video. Sharp editing and continuity, magnificent delivery and a superb script/set of facts... Backed up with onscreen enthusiasm for the car herself and therefore the whole 'car thing'.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, that’s very kind ☺️

[@buddymack9606]

Splendid review of a neat little car. Thanks very much for posting this video.

[@MJ-nn1ox]

When I was an apprentice in Kingston in 1981 I worked with a guy who had a little orange DAF. It had been converted to run on propane and had a large gas cylinder in the "boot" space.

[@petewilliams1237]

Another great video. I love your appreciation for the cars I grew up with. Thank you so much!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Pete :)

[@trancematics]

That was a great video. Well presented and informative. This a car I saw about quite a lot way back when but never deemed it interesting enough to warrant me finding anything out about it. Now I actually know more about it (and I'm older and wiser) I really like it; quirky and full of character.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Mark :) Without knowing a bit, they can just fade away into irrelevance, but the engineering is really interesting! You just wouldn't expect it all from looking at the exterior.

[@michaelloach9461]

It's a love or hate car! I had a '76 on a 'P' which my Grandfather gave to me & it was my first car. It didn't have a rev counter but the revs drove me nuts on the Motorway. You are a young chap & many people will take the piss, just remember that your car is original & is rarer than what they have! It's probably worth more aswell! Look after it. I hate to love love them! All the best...............

[@TwinCam]

This isn’t my car! I’ve very kindly been lent it for the video.

[@Jupiter__001_]

This is the first video I have seen from you, and I have subscribed because of the well-researched, knowledgeable presentation by a fellow young EDM classic enthusiast. Will have to watch some more of your stuff.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate ☺️

[@neoquest2012]

My old dear had a Daf 55 back in the 70s think it was a 1100, bright orange, I remember it being quick off the line, and tail happy in the wet, and one of the belts broke coming back from the south coast, we crawled home at 15mph!

[@MBBHD]

All correct except two minor things: 1. The fan is actually continuously variable, too! From far left to middle setting gradually opens the air intake. Then the further you move the level to the right the faster the fan runs. 2. The "hill descent switch" is actually a "hill ascent switch", even the 1975 Volvo manual got it wrong... When you activate this switch vacuum is sent to the downshift side of the rubber membranes in the gearbox. But, this also happens when you press the brakes and the brake lights turn on. You can actually see the little lamp inside the switch turn off when you press the brakes. This lamp actually has its ground connected to the positive side of the brake lights, a smart way to save on cables! So, whenever you brake the gearbox will always shift down. When you go down a steep mountain road, all you have to do is press the brakes and the engine will do all the braking for you. A nice feature as even a Dutchman would get down safely without overheated brakes... When you press the accelerator pedal vacuum is sent to the up-shift side of the gearbox membranes. If you are driving up steep hairpin curves and have to release the gas some in the turns the gearbox will shift up leaving you in a too high gear to get enough power from the engine after the curve. This is when the low gear switch has to be activated so vacuum goes to both sides of the membranes to stop the gearbox from shifting up! On a very steep ascent you might actually not be able to get up at all with it off, because of the centrifugal clutch. (Yes I have been driving a 47 hp DAF in the Norwegian alps. Works perfectly as long as you don't stop on a steep ascent, also because of the centrifugal clutch.)

[@doktoruzo]

Thanks for your detailed information...very knowledgeable. ...'as even a Dutchman would get down safely without overheated brakes...' lol!

[@adriangroeneveld9341]

Klopt helemaal! My mum drove a Volvo Daf 55 in Sweden back in the late 70's and I remember she used the hill ascent switch now and again. Before we moved to Sweden she had a Citroen 2CV but we had to "upgrade"to the Daf as the 2CV was not allowed on Swedish roads 😂.

[@doktoruzo]

@@adriangroeneveld9341 ..ha,ha..they didn't allow 2CV on Swedish roads!!

[@adriangroeneveld9341]

@@doktoruzo True. The 2CV was rejected by the Swedish road & transport authority. It didn't pass the crash and safety tests.

[@doktoruzo]

@@adriangroeneveld9341 .Ah, ok. I thought that might be the reason. The Swedes are far more safety conscious than some other nations. Thanks for your information.

[@merlinch4256]

Watching your video has remembered me of my grand-mother's cars, which have been 2 DAFs, 33 and 55, plus one same as yours, a Volvo 66 1.1 Litre. I drove this one, and it was very special :-) As I remember, these cars had no differential, which made one of the tyres scratch the ground in curves, especially in winter, as she used spikes tyres. Astonishing... As I watched your video, I recognized the commands and lights (hill descent function, for instance). No radio, it was sort of a four-wheeled umbrella with an engine, quite rustic, but efficient. My grand-mother drove about 300'000 km in 20 years and had no problem with them. Have fun with yours, and thank you for this good work :-)

[@peterriggall8409]

Great test of a very rare and interesting car. A beautiful example as well. Thanks Ed.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Peter :)

[@jnathanj883]

Thank you so much for this presentation. Nerdy, geeky, anorak-y, but quite fun and delivered in a spritely tone. Sitting on the macadam while detailing the details? That's a move I haven't seen before. . .

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Jonathan.

[@pcmmulders]

The CVT was later further developed into a pushing chain by an assistant engineer of Hub van Doorne (co-founder DAF). This factory was acquired by Bosch and still develops the CVT ea the Multitronic for Audi today.

[@Treviscoe]

Thanks for that info; I was wondering what happened to the Variomatic transmission.

[@c00kie84]

My second car at 18 was a DAF 66 with a blown head gasket bought off my Mum's hairdresser for £10. After fixing it I had to test out the comment I'd heard that these things went as fast backwards as they did forwards. They may do if you have the bottle but what I hadn't thought about was that there were drum brakes on the rear wheels and discs on the front. I came within inches of hitting a very new and shiny Jag... It was great fun to drive and thanks for bringing the memories back!

[@keithb6250]

Had a Daf 66 estate years ago. Great in the snow. Remember passing a lot of cars on a snow covered hill. I also fitted a switch to stop it changing down to soon. It was a bit like an overdrive.

[@chrisbradley1629]

I remember that excellent snow ability, particularly useful for me as I was working in Germany and it got very cold and icy. It was extremely surefooted.

[@MrEpsilonEagle]

My neighbours in the 80s used to have a Volvo 66. I still like the looks of it today. Nice to learn more about it.

[@jbenekeorr]

Ed - your reviews just get better and better. I’m glued to the whole thing. Great and varied camera work, just the right balance of info and entertainment. Top work sir.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks James, that's very kind :) I need to sort out the quality of my GoPro next. It seems to be a bit dodgy!

[@Andromahlius]

My grandma had one of those Daf originals, I have fond childhood memories of those. You could do 200-300km trips in them provided you were ok with driving at 70 km/h.

[@MVO884]

DAF was started as a trailer company. DAF means, Doorne Aanhanger Fabriek. Van Doorne was the family name, Aanhanger means trailer, and fabriek, means Factory. In the same time the had a company making one of the firts automatic transmissions. The variomatic. It drives at the same speed backwords as forwords.

[@mattw8332]

What a lovely example. 😍 Growing up in the 1980s, a neighbour owned a white 66 estate. I think it had the black side stripes too. An unusual car compared to the rusty rammel parked along the same road.

[@aloni1969]

You need TV Show , very professional , well done young man .

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, that's very kind :)

[@stevep7950]

That Rev counter has been fitted by a previous owner. I remember when they sold those at Halfords.

[@christianbenvenuto6921]

Practical and nice car all in all with the continuously variable automatic transmission did its job. Nice video that recalls how the daf 66 was, it was also on Ruoteclassiche. Keep it up, thanks!

[@arvidsklava9281]

Interesting video, never knew that DAF was making (designing) small passenger cars.

[@jfv65]

My 1st car was a 340 variomatic panel van. Yes, you could get those as a van to profit from the low tax rate for commercial vehicles. This video brings back lots of memories. Nice video, well done!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate ☺️ I wasn’t aware of the van, but then again it would make perfect sense for them to produce one...

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Many North American cars had the fuel filler behind the rear licence plate in the 1960's and 1970's.

[@richardrichard5409]

So did my Corsairs

[@TwinCam]

Indeed they did, some trucks until the 90s. In Europe it had become very uncommon for a new car to have it by 1972, that’s why it’s noteworthy.

[@grayfox7671]

Cracking Video. My first car was a 73 DAF 66 Marathon Coupe. And being 18, I imagined it was a DAF 555 rally car, and drove it hard. It was also the first car that I got a ticket in! For its time it was quite expensive compared to other small cars. I loved the variomatic transmission. The secret was to accelerate up to the speed you wanted, and then back off the gas so the revs dropped but the CVT pulleys stayed in the equivalent of a high gear. That low ratio hold button was also handy for a quick getaway at the lights. The transmission used centrifugal bob weights and engine vacuum to alter the pulleys. The switch switches off the vacuum valve, keeping in the equivalent of low box. I miss my DAF!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Gary :)

[@joshuamck123]

Great video. Really enjoy the presentation style and the well researched information.

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Joshua :)

[@chrisaskin6144]

I used to be in the RAF and in the late 70s I was based in Germany and stationed near to it's border with the Netherlands. During summer there used to be a programme on Dutch TV called something like "The Land, the Sea and in the Air show", which we were able to receive where we were based in Germany. It comprised of a series of events, challenges and stunts carried out by members of the public on land, water or in the air often with a Heath-Robinson contraption they'd cobbled together in a shed. In one such challenge, there was a 'race' around a track by Joe Public, all of them in their DAF cars travelling in reverse. I seem to recall one poor unfortunate competing in the race and losing control, culminating in a number of rolls which didn't leave the car looking - shall we say - in the best of shape. Fortunately the driver emerged pretty much unscathed from the wreck. In the subsequent interview by the commentator, it transpired (as best as I could understand) that this guy had just borrowed the car from his mother-in-law for the weekend, giving her some cock and bull story as to why he wanted to borrow it. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall as he was trying to explain to his mother-in-law about the demise of her beloved DAF.

[@TwinCam]

Flippin heck! 😬 While those old reverse races looked incredible fun, I can’t help but feel sorry for all the little DAFs that were destroyed 🥺

[@doktoruzo]

funny story

[@martinda7446]

The car with a moped drive train. My first gf's dad owned one. We thought they were highly humorous even then. Little did I know though that my then cherished Vitesse convertible was penned by the same designer...Didn't know till now.

[@peterhofker7291]

It's the other way around, the mopeds have a van Doorne design (DAF) transmission!

[@martinda7446]

@@peterhofker7291 Aha wow! That is cool.

[@martinda7446]

@@peterhofker7291 Yet again...Little did I know...We should all take note...

[@martinda7446]

@Brin Jenkins Michelotti was a prolific designer and all of the Triumphs post 1958 were his up till the introduction of the acclaim which was a Honda of course. I like the 1300 and 2000 a lot. They looked very modern next to an Austin Cambridge...

[@davebicker8618]

Very, very impressive vid. Answered all the questions I was asking myself as I watched. I'm obliged to have a nose through the rest of the archive. So many presenters could watch and learn, brilliant stuff!

[@TwinCam]

Aww thank you Dave, that’s very kind ☺️

[@adarbs6384]

Brilliant! I actually thought these were all rear engine 😁 great vid Ed, in your usual smooth, easy listening style

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate :)

[@mikemidulster]

A well researched and presented review! I had a 340 with this transmission which I eventually converted to a manual. A very good car except for the carburettor icing up. 'Analogue indicator relay'. Actually relays produce a square waveform either '0' or '1', so they're really digital.:)

[@TwinCam]

Thanks Michael