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Sun Mar 23, 2003 9:56 am

After all the discussion about what kind of bases (chrome or plastic) are on different years of buses, I was looking through "The Original Bus" by Merideth and on Page 44 in the top paragragh the author states that "all buses had grab handles of 'tubular steel' until October 1963 when they went to rigged plastic...

Is this correct?

Sun Mar 23, 2003 11:07 am

Nope, 1962 had the thin extruded plastic grab handles too. 1961 was the last year for metal grab bar.

Sun Mar 23, 2003 12:54 pm

Didn't think so. I guess books are wrong sometimes...

Sun Mar 23, 2003 2:32 pm

No doubt about that fact. There was a article in VW Trends years ago about early Buses that was written by Lee Thomas Hedges. He is a well known guy in the Type 3 and type 34 Karmann Ghia world. Why they asked him to write a article on early Buses is beyond me... Anyway, after I read the article I went back and circled all the incorrect, inaccurate information and handed it a couple of Bus freak friends of mine. Needless to say we all had a huge laugh at the gross errors. Bottom line, in our commulative opinion, if you don't know, ask. Once you publish something as being a certain way, people are going to be led to believe it is true and accurate as the magazine determined you are some sort of authority. If it wasn't a topic he was that knowledgable and comfortable with, he should have passed and said "I don't know those cars as well as someone else, why don't you have "-------" write the article?"

Sun Mar 23, 2003 9:57 pm

While we are on the topic of exact answers on bus triv.....
Here is a question that several of us have been having trouble getting a definitive answer on. It started with a bumper for sale and page 25 of Merideth's Original bus book that shows a 1964 deluxe with a pointed front and slash back bumper. After digging through the archives of Samba and other forums we decided that the 1964 should have slash/slash like their older siblings. We also know that the 66 and 67 should have pointed/pointed.
What confuses us is the 1965. Other posts have suggested that they had a mix of the two styles in either configuration, all pointed or all slash.

What is the final and correct answer on this? Please, no more guesses and unsubstantiated opinions. I can find all the conjecture I need in the archives.

Doug

Sun Mar 23, 2003 10:14 pm

I have seen many 1965s with the slash front and pointed rear. I know that was a combination at least through a good portion of the year. A friend of mine pulled out a low mileage '65 Sundial, original paint, matching numbers original engine, and a very old set of bias plies on it. It was parked in the mid 70's. It too had the slash front and pointed rear. We thought it might be wrong till I asked around and paid attention to all the other '65s we'd see around. I'm by no means the authority but I've been into Split Buses for over 15 years and have owned 27 of em.