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Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:10 am

I'd bad mouthed VW bus' for 20 yrs before buying mine. I thought they were ill designed, underpowered, and destined to cook Cyl 3 as every bus I had ever seen had a dead 3. Well my neighbhor came over one day and asked me if I could make his VW bus run. I didn't even know he had one, it had been hiding in his garage for the past 6 yrs. He bought it, stuck a fresh rebuilt engine in it and it had carb problems, so he let it sit for 6 yrs. As I'm looking at it he asks if I know anyone who wants to buy it for the $900 he has in it. I said sure, thinking I was gonna flip it.

After agreeing to buy it, I started learning about them, and found out it was incompetent owners, not bad engineering with cyl 3. So I fixed mine up and and took it on a month long 6000 mile cross country trip and grew to love it.

Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:01 pm

I have always wanted a bus, since at least High school, but ended up tinkering wth vespas and lambrettas instead (cheaper). After seeing my freinds 72 bus,....and riding in it i got the bug.

I really, really like the look of the split windows, but they are expensive, if they can be found. As this is my first bus, selling the wife on the more expensive version wasnt an option. And im not that good of a metal smith

The vanagons IMO are ugly as hell, the just scream 80's. The sloped front and all the plastic just makes it lose its appeal.

The bay, still looks cool, and can be easily found with out breaking the bank. Its a good bus.

Thats pretty much why I chose a bay, vintage look, fit the budget, and stronger engine, with out losing the bus look like the later vanagons.

The reason i wanted a bus in general is probably the same reason I liked scooters. Easy tinkering (i am a crappy mechanic), Both have their own interesting culture, fun to drive, and I wanted something I could camp in but, not some over done, excessiv motor home, personality. My wife let me get one because she thinks ill quit bugging her about a new Vespa project, LOL right hehe.

Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:25 am

I bought my '71 Doublecab because it was on an acreage and had been sitting for over 20 years. I stumbled across it by accident and spent the next 3 years coaxing it out of the owner. Luckily I was finally successful because 10 months after I trailered it away he lost control of the property it was sitting on and a scrap metal dealer moved in and crushed everything sitting on the 10 acres. I managed to save 5 ACVW's and a tonne of parts. I can't wait to start working on it. It was nearly complete, only missing the air cleaner housing, rear apron and bumper and I have gathered all of those parts up. It's in pretty bad shape but worth saving to me.

Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:06 am

I had a band back in 1996-1998 and I drove a type III at the time thinking that a bus would fit the bill to haul the band and the instruments. Isnt there an ad like that? So I was working as a mechanic at an exxon station and was on a road test and there happened to be a 1977 Bus (non-camper) sitting next to a house. I stopped in to look at it and talk to the (original) owner. It had been sitting since 1988, but I knew I could get it running. So he said, "give me $200 for it" A $35 tow to the shop and it was mine. I still have the bus and the tow bill, but not the band. That bus did everything I knew it could. Now I am in the process of reviving it once again, the bus, that is.

Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:15 am

I have a thing for saving bays is the reason I bought the 69. It was in a junkyard, and I just couldn't see it crushed.

As Found:

Now:

I wanted a late westy camper bad, and I could afford it is the reason I bought the 78.

So I have the best of both worlds in my opinion, and couldn't be happier. Do we really need a reason?

Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:22 am

i did it for the chicks, nuff said

............ :lol: :roll:

Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:50 pm

We bought ours from a dude. A really kewl dude, but a dude none-the-less.

Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:51 pm

We bought ours from a dude. A really kewl dude, but a dude none-the-less.

Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:18 pm

Back East where I'm from I never saw any VW Buses growing up only a Vanagon or two.

In college I knew two friends who had Bays... a red one and a blue one. I really liked them a lot and swore to get one someday. I moved to Europe and forgot about it. When I got to Kalifornia the opportunity to get a "free" VW Bus from the State was too good to pass up so I took it.

Only after I had my Bus and read a few VW magazines did I learn of the existence of the Splitties. Seriously. I love the look of the Splitties but no way I'd want to own one based on ergonomics, features, etc.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:59 am

after fixing up 2 beetles and a super for the older kids, i bought a splittie for my youngest son. my girlfriend then says she wants a ghia, we get a ghia. so now my turn, i want a camper. i saw my friend at busses and balloons this year and told him i what i was looking for. what do you know, he has one for sale!!

now the bus is at the house and i am starting to piece her together. i love vw's

Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:28 am

My first VW was a '63 bug in the late 70's. I've been into them, more or less, since. Frankly, I got back into busses a few years back because I thought hydraulic lifters would save me crawling under the engine every 3K. Also, I like the disk brakes as the old busses were dangerously too hard to stop.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:31 am

I bought my bay because it was local and only 400 bucks...I really have wanted a bus for a long time tho. The day I brought it home, only about a month ago.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:12 am

Bought my first Bay, a 68, back in 1979. I like the way they ride better then the Split. Been hooked on them ever since. Currently restoring a 68 Westphalia, which is going to be our camping unit. Not much into the later Bays though I have owned a few. Personally they feel narrower to me, but that is just me.
My current project.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:47 pm

In '75 my folks bought a '73 transporter. They hauled my 2 brothers and I all over the place. We'd start wrestling and my mom was free to get to the back and let us have it for making my pop nervous while driving. Good times, great memories. They sold it in the late 80s after my brothers and I each had a turn at having it for a while and enjoying ourselves.

I got a bus again because of the good times that we had. Such a neat vehicle to have.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:45 pm

Cheap and easy to come by. I bought a 68 Crewcab 1100 miles from my house off Ebay. Flew to Omaha and drove it home for $1,200. I have always wanted a split window double cab but did not have the 5k to 7k for a descent one. I now have a fully restored 69 deluxe bus that I originally paid $1,800 for. I like the bay and get thumbs up every where I go, but I still long for the split. I bought a 1965 patina church bus for $800. It was cheap and easy to come by, but will be years before it runs. I find bays once a month for $1,200 that run and look ok. No such thing with the split variety.

Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:38 am

After attending a few of these events, I decided I was going to build a dune buggy and take it to the shows.

http://www.starlitecarcruise.com/

When I looked into just how to do that, I found out that I don't have the 'right stuff' needed to put that all together so I abandoned the idea. It was suggested that I get a beetle instead, but the idea didn't move me much. Then my wife asked, "Why don't you just get a bus".

I don't know about the rest of you guys out there, but when my wife says something like that... I do that, and soon!

So I did. I found that they were scarce (see my location), the 'Splitties' were pricey (and scarce) and every one of them (save for a precious few) were going to need lots of TLC. Then, a guy from WV advertised a couple Bays that he had for sale. I knew little (still know little), but I felt up to the challenge. 2 1/2 years later, she is still in the garage.

Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:12 am

I purchased my bus as I was looking to travel round spain and Italy and wanted something I could cook and sleep in and though "oh those funny Volkswagen ones look cool"

So i starte to look around and my siste spotted one for sale near her home in Dorking (stop sniggering you guys in the usa!) So I drove over and had s niff around it it was red over white and had my initials in the number plate. It had a funny roof and the cooker was behind the passenger seat.

So we took it for a test drive I felt heat comming through from the front vents and assumed the heater channels were ok ( I know now busses dont have these!)

It was brick slow and a nice bouncy ride it stopped it pulled away and funny things happened when you went round corners (stuff fell out the cupboards) getting reverse I was told was a nack get it wrong and the grear lever swung round in a big arc! ( I got this sorted after a lot of swearing and the bolts were duly tightened to the cab floor)

A deal was struck, as i ;ater found out not such a good deal but hell i had fallen in love with it.

I learnt a lot pretty quick and got some great guys at bettle link get her ready for the trip, suddenly she went over 50mph and was happy to do so!

Had to sell her a couple of years back and still miss having a bay in my life.

She was first registered in the UK 1st August 1972 a cross over bay with a dormobile conversion done straight after leaving the factory and came with fleas!

Here it is just before I had to sell her :cry:

Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:39 am

Quote: the voices in my head told me to buy my bay, based on the pictures that were posted in the ad on the samba.
the voices were not wrong, i got a good bus, and the voices have not told me to buy any busses since then.
:P

I like this response. I've been stalking vw buses for years and I'm just drawn to bay windows for some reason ... must be the voices!!

Fri Nov 20, 2009 6:47 pm

ok..this is kindof long but...
ok ...I have an '82 aircooled vanagon, nice vehicle...but it doesn't have much character...I have always wanted a bay ( not a splittie) a bay.
so...I was up north of my home ( by about two hours) helping a friend take down some trees that were threatening his cottage and on the way home, about 5 mins from his place I saw a westy bus sitting in a farmer's field....now neither my friend or I could remember seeing it on the way in...and I really NOTICE vws.
of course we had to take a look at it, the farmer told us he had towed it out of his barn just the day before as he needed the room for a 16 foot fishing boat he had just been given, said he might consider selling it, but not for less than " a hunnert fifty"
that of course sold me, even if the bus was a total rust bucket I could pull it apart for bits and make the money back, it had a 1600 DP upright in her and only 75,000 on the clock so I figured I could pull the drivetrain and build a buggy...I told him I would take it but there was no way I could drag it out of the muddy field she was sitting in, and the farmer's tractor had developed a bad knock from a faulty injector.
I told him I would be back next weekend with a sawzall and I would take her down into pieces ( I assumed the body was pretty bad as I couldn't see much metal on the lowers) the farmer was appalled ...said he would rather make a mobile haywagon out of her than have her torn up
so he says ....well lets start her up and see if we can drive her out, I said " ummm yeah ...and the last time it ran would be???"
he told me she ran well before she was parked 20 years ago for rust issues....and that he would just go and grab the battery of the trolling motor in his new fishin boat, he grabbed it and dissapeared while I was attempting to get the wingnut terminals to work in the back of the bus...he reappered with a section of garden hose over his shoulder a jerry can in one hand, the keys in another and a pretty sour look on his face...admitted he may have gotten a mouthful whilst getting gas out of the riding lawn mower,,,we emptied the jerry can and both hopped in the bus, him in the drivers side and me in the passenger side ...he told me to watch my feet...I looked down and saw the ground! I sniffed the air and commented that someone had had a lot of fun in here ( major pot smell) the farmer said " oh yeah...that's me " it wa sthen that i noticed he head several twisty top smokes lined up neatly in his shirt front pocket...I started to wonder what it might be that he "farmed"
anyway
he turned the key and the dashlights did come on, I had checked for oil when I was doing the battery so I new it had some...the engine turned over....nuttin...he furiously pumped the gas stabbing away at it as if a horde of roaches had invaded the bus, maybe they had, there was not much in the way of front floors to keep them out.
he turned the key again...and this time just kept cranking and pumping, the engine caught on one cylinder and then two ...thre and four chimed in and it leveled out.....well the farmer was just beaming.....he threw it in gear and proceeded to churn mud like a professional bogger
we drove it out, drove it around his property and parked it in a dry spot near the house, I gave him money and told him I would be back in a couple of weeks to tow it home, he said he would take it part way if I would give him gas money...after a little convincing he told me for thirty dollars mor ehe would drive it all the way back to my house ...no current plates no insurance....
I gave him my address and told him to hold off on that!
well the following weekend he shows up in my driveway with the bus and his nephew who is going to drive him home ...WOW ...I did notice he ad nothing in his front pocket ...I think he consumed them on the way

and that is how I got my '72 ...since then I have put a couple of FRDs on it , new rockers( the reason I thought the body was so bad was because it was up to its hubcaps in the mud), new floors, a dogleg and a rear wheel housing...it is a westy with a pretty clean interior and a decent tent....

Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:12 pm

I wanted a tent, my wife was not crazy about sleeping on the ground, so I reasoned that the bus was the perfect solution! Splitties are virtually nonexistent around here, bays too for that matter but we found one, broke down on the way home from buying it... But here we are 15 yrs later!