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Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:27 pm

Splits are classics, and some are classy.
But Bays are truly practical, with a much better chassis.

Vanagons are modern, squarish, some think they're nice.
Still better than a Caravan or a van made of rice.

Though VWs, Eurovans, Caravelles, T-four, and T-five
Really don't do much to keep the mystique alive.

So now Volks has the Routan; for me, it just doesn't 'do it'.
But if YOU crave it, buy one now... it will soon be a Fiat.

Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:20 am

^--haha nice!

Wed Jun 10, 2009 4:17 am

My wife wanted a bus as a daily driver. I figured that the FI, 2.0, and disc brakes were the way to go. Plus the view from the cockpit is awesome. :wink:

Wed Jun 10, 2009 4:52 am

I had alot of extra cash that needed to be thrown at something.... and time....and a deep desire to debate the merits of EFI vs Carbs. :D

Wed Jun 10, 2009 5:43 am

Mine was definately a mid-life crisis. Supposed to be cheaper than a mistress but now I am not so sure!

Max

Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:15 am

Chick magnet!

Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:57 am

I bought my '71 about five years ago. I don't know why I suddenly became so interested in having a VW. When I was a young teenager my aunt and uncle had a bug and I always liked it. After driving a handful of cars over the years I just ended up wanting a bus. I find one not long after developing an interest and went to look at it. My wife and I both really liked it so that was that. About a year later we had our son and it worked great for carrying baby stuff. We've had it and loved it ever since. Now it's a homemade camper since we have the double cab.

I bought the '69 in February. It was a combination of needing some wheels while the '71 was dismantled (for interior work, body work and paint) and having always been fascinated by double cabs. We like having my son right behind us (instead of having to yell in the bus) and it's really useful. I went through a brief few days of convincing myself I needed to sell it but I soon realized the error of my ways. :lol:

Bays are so fun, useful and economical. I've considered working into a split someday but I hear a lot of arguments against it. If I ever get one it will probably be an extra or project because my bays are so easy to maintain and drive.

Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:19 am

Bought mine cause it was FREE. That's the best kind. I recommend everyone find a children's book author/original hardcore hippy, who lives in England and needed to find a home for her bus back in the states. Befriend her daughter, and several months later you will be offered a free 68 camper. And she'll even pay for the transport to get it where you need it...

I just would recommend not towing it on the back of a Uhaul trailer on the BQE in Queens. That was tough.

www.campermobile.blogspot.com

Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:49 am

Because I am a busaholic and I can't stop. I'm so bad off that I even have a Vanagon or two. These are just in the front yard.

Fri Sep 18, 2009 2:16 pm

I bought the Muir Book when I was 16, didn't even own a car, had never worked on cars...and then was able to buy a 36hp, 23 window samba, sunroof gone, but all the windows there. Put a hole in the engine case(blown engine). With the help of some local vw auto part/repair shop, I was able to rebuild the engine myself(40hp block), and was introduced into the aircooled world. That was about 50 vws ago, bugs and splitties. My wife got tired of the splitties..."doesn't this cold bother you"..."Don't talk,your foggin up the windshield." So,she said if I found a newer one,that I liked, as in westy,she'd afford it. So not to far from here, and on craigslist...1972 Sierra Gold Westy...drove it home,worked on for about 2yrs, and is now daily driver, daily camper...sold all my splitties :cry: but I really like the big picture window of the bays, and the good brakes, and the mo' power/ better trans, and the HEAT.. We were just sitting around talking and realized that the 72 is the FIRST car I bought that ran, as in start up, and drive...all the way home. at this time I have a 1945 chevy 1.5ton truck, 2 1982 subaru brats, and the 72 vw, I also have 2 morris minors and hope to have one back together, eventually

Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:14 pm

I'm pleading temporary insanity.

A Bay because they are cool and definitely VW yet cheaper and more practical than a split windshield.

Vanagons are even better as vehicles but are kind of boring and modern, plus they have too much electrical stuff to go wrong.

Of course any modern front drive mini van is ten times as good. So, what the hell I'm nuts.

Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:02 pm

1994, A College buddy had a Sage 76 Westfalia[which later in life caught fire!]. It was the neatest thing I'd ever seen. Such a practical vehicle, I always envied his rig. I had always been a VW guy; Scirroco, Dasher[w/ webber carb, damn that sucker was fast, it was scary, last time I saw it in Ashland, OR it had gold flames painted on the sides] and the reliable Rabbit which at the time was my daily. Step ahead to 1996 Graduation, folks gave me 2500 for grad present. I'd rebuilt the front end of the Rabbit, and done it's head gasket so I was slightly mechanically schooled, that and watching/helping Dad. I was looking at an Isuzu Trooper on a lot in Grants Pass.... then I saw it... the DreamBoat... Sitting in the back of the lot was a sage 78. They wanted 2k, but I talked the dude down to 1750, as it had a crazy oil leak that they tried, and could not fix. In my eyes she was a beauty though, and in my minds eye I saw myself on road trips and camping out, ...it must be done. Brought it home and pretty much immediately made plans for war on the oil leak. Took no less than five engine removals/installs to find and fix the squirrley oil leak. By that time I had engine drops down to 45mins, could almost do them by myself. fyi the oil leak was a galley plug on the back side by the clutch. Once fixed, I drove it as my dailey, moved from Medford to LA, to Alberquerque, Medford Again, and then Portland, all in the bus. Had many adventures, close calls with danger, and raucous good times in the bus.
Then the career started, got a company car, and didn't need to daily it any longer, so it sat. We'd use it for the occasional outing, but over the next 5 years, Bus is pretty much garaged. Then moved to WA state a few years ago, meanwhile the bus was garaged down in Ptown. A couple years ago I get a wild hair that bus adventures need to be undertaken up here. It had been 2 years with no bus whatsoever. So I Trailered it up here, as it developed a bad cam lobe, valve issue, and got the new engine installed. Jump ahead to earlier this year, met VWMike76, up on Widbey Is. Where he mentioned TheSamba. Hmm never heard of it, whats that? He described it, sounded interesting. So about 6mo's ago I had been dealing with an ongoing annoyance [bucking], and I think; I'll try that samba thing out. Since then I've fixed and upgraded so much stuff on my rig. Some stuff I would have never known how to diagnose without the knowledge here. Thanks Samba!!
So that's full circle from the beginning to the present, my fingers hurt aloha! and cheers! :D

Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:54 pm

Economy was really kicking into overdrive with the unemployment rates going up, and having losing my own job, I needed something I could possibly live in if I had to.
I posted an ad in craigslist for my '61 Falcon. I was looking to either sell it for $2500, or trade it straight across for a small motorhome.

Lo and behold, I get an email from a guy who said he's got a '72 campmobile he'd trade straight across. I went to look at it, and, although a little rough, it started, drove, and stopped. It's got a bed, a sink, and a coolerbox. I've lived in worse places before. I was happy that it was a VW, mainly because they're hard to find, and they run forever. So, why did I get my bus? Because it will give me someplace to live if I can't afford to pay my rent anymore.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:41 am

this:

Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:40 pm

I bought my latest bay because now the children are that bit older i`m able to spend some time restoring vw`s again, my first car was a 73 bay, i had one or two there after but i`ve always been obsessed with bays. My twin brother has a sweet 1960 split panal that he imported from Jackson Tenn. to England as a rolling shell now his is on the road he can help me with mine. He always says that his previous van which was a 72 bay was much easier to drive.

Sat Sep 19, 2009 2:59 pm

I bought my 2nd Bay Window because my wife said I could! :shock:

Sat Sep 19, 2009 3:53 pm

It all started for me 40 years ago. I was 13 and a couple at church bought a strange Volkswagen with a sink and a stove in it. I am not sure if it was the possibilities of camping in it or the technology involved with getting all that stuff in the bus (I like small stuff) but I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

Jump ahead 20 years, and I am going to be leading a large construction job in Crescent City, CA (12-hour drive from Fresno). So my wife suggests that I get a Westy to make it easier to go back and forth (I can sleep in it if I get tired driving). I jump on it and find a good-used 70 with a “newly rebuilt motor” for $1500. Managed to take a few camping trips with the family before going to Crescent City and we had a blast in it! Drove it up to CC and that is when things went south on me. The clutch stopped working on the way there, and by the time I figured out it was a bad diaphragm on the pressure plate causing the throw out bearing to die I had pulled the motor so many times that I could do it in 45 minutes at night on the side of the road. :x

Unfortunately, I had a very bad error in judgment coming home one night. I had not been home for several months and though I was very tired, I was going to sleep in my own bed with my own wife. I made 11 of the 12 hours but fell asleep. When I woke up, I was doing 50ish and about 50feet from a highway mileage sign, and heading straight for it. I jerked the wheel and missed the sign but managed to turn the bus over first on to the passenger side, then back over the wheels to the driver’s side grinding both down pretty good. I got towed back to Los Banos and ended up sleeping in the bus anyways. I kept that bus for nearly a year more, but when it started having severe engine trouble I let it go, as there was too much body damage to justify a new motor. :oops:

Jump ahead another 20 years and my wife and I start thinking about getting another camper of some sort (we had a ‘62 12 ft. Aljo for a while). We saw this big ugly Ford conversion van at a campground this year, and it all just clicked. The wife mentioned that we should get another Westy as a project and two months later her I am, the proud owner of a 69 Westy project.

Why a Bay window? Is there another kind of a bus?

Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:30 pm

I've had three splits and this is my first bay window. I targeted a 68-71 bay window for a few reasons. Never had one before but admired them. Had a really cool trip in one once and like to camp. Always partial to red and white and that is what I got. Also like the upright engine but would have liked one with disc brakes as well. But that can be another project! My bus and I are very happy now....

Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:03 pm

In 1993 somebody gave me a Super Beetle that was in 'ok' shape, but needed a motor.

I looke around, and the cheapest verifiably running engine I could find was actually a '68 bus. The whole bus, heh. It had leprosy, but it ran.

Got it home and decided it was WAY cooler than the Super Beetle. I've been hooked since.

DJ Roberts

Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:11 am

My first car was a 1968 beetle. I was 18 and drove the crap out of that car. It was the first of string of blue bugs I owned and either totaled or had stolen and stripped in the '80s.

I totaled the last bug in '87 - a really cool baja - and decided to build a cal bug with my parts and stay on the roads. I bought a rusty body and put my motor in it. I never saw rust on a car and didn't even know to look for it. I was so discouraged, I gave up on VWs for decades.

In 2008 I bought a blue '69 vert- only color bug I ever owned for some reason - and started looking on craigslist for parts. I kept seeing buses, and got to thinking it would be nice to have a camper.

In June I saw an ad for a VW camper for $500. No picture or description in the ad. Turned out to be a complete 1975 deluxe with no rust. I piad a tow truck driver $90 to drag it out of the seller's back yard. The motor failed a leak down test by blowing the cap off the oil filler and then shooting oil out all over everything. I bought a running used motor for $400 off craigslist

Now 3 months and almost $3k later, I got the motor running for the first time to find the carb leaks gas from everywhere. I should be able to actually drive it for the first time later this month.

I've had so much fun working on the bus - I'm already looking for the next one. Whatever cheap, but nice looking project turns up will be the next one.

Terry