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Sun Sep 21, 2003 8:43 pm

Does anyone know of a bay window club in the southern california area?
If not, does anyone think it would be feasable to start one?
I know there is alot involved in such an undertaking but if there is enough interest it could happen. Please let me know by posting a reply so everyone can get an idea as to the overall interest. Thanks.....

Sun Sep 21, 2003 10:29 pm

down to hang out with bay owners.

Sun Sep 21, 2003 11:21 pm

Check out LiMBO.

Late Model Bus Owners. Are they in SoCal?

Mon Sep 22, 2003 3:39 am

As a many-year LiMBO member who just finally just gave up, I have to say that the entire western half of the US does not even exist in the minds of LiMbO folks. I finally gave up after several years of Westcoast Baywindow loneliness.

I started a much neglected yahoo group, however it basically serves the needs of the Nor Cal folks. All are welcomed to join.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SanFranciscoBaywindows/

(And don't feed me that bull about OCTO and NEATO welcoming Baywindow owners. T'aint so.)

Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:15 am

When is the next camping trip?

Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:48 pm

I have kinda found the same thing to be true. I live ( deal with/ manage) in LA and there is nothing here. Since I've lived in this city I have found it very diffecult to connect with ANYBODY on anything more than a superficial level, so it would only make sense that VW owners would feel likewise. It would be cool to hang with other bus owners. I know the earlier bus guys are not to giving towards " us". No problem. I guess thats why there are clubs. Exclusivity.

I think it would be a great resourse to have some kind of a group if only to help when something breaks. I just finished my first rebuild on my '74 and it would've been TERRIFFIC to have somebody to assist me at certain points.

Lets try to do something!

Mon Sep 22, 2003 7:58 pm

Despite their name, Strictly Vintage 2s in San Diego (www.sv2s.com) welcomes anyone with or without a bus. Nice group of folks.

Mon Sep 22, 2003 8:05 pm

I'm interested and could scrounge up a couple more members without much trouble, had been thinkin along the same lines myself. Cliff

Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:08 pm

Take a look along the right side of this link:
http://vwswap.com/clubs.htm

A few are near you.

Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:33 pm

OB Bus wrote: Despite their name, Strictly Vintage 2s in San Diego (www.sv2s.com) welcomes anyone with or without a bus. Nice group of folks.

I'm a member of SV2s (albiet a new member). You can hang with us (i guess), I've even seen a bay at the meetings now and again....

Our chapter head guy is Greg Schumsky (gschumsky@cox.net). Drop him an email to get the skinny on bay busses in the club.

Very nice bunch of people, family oriented, eclectic but not wierd. They (we) put on a couple shows a year, camping trips and everyone likes to help out when someone has probs.

Not all "clubs" are strictly exclusive.

(Any other SV2s member who would like to correct me if I'm wrong, please do).

Cheers!

Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:52 pm

I was surprised to find that most of the vintage folk actually do have an appreciation of Bays. I just inherited the 71 Westy that was my dad's daily driver until he passed away 13 years ago. It had just been sitting and started about once a month in all that time, but then about a month ago I was told that it was mine if I wanted it. Took me all of about half a second to say yes! Needless to say, I was (am) quite proud of my new bus, and can't wait to finish getting it ready for the road and camping in it. I started browsing the net for parts availability, pictures, etc., and was a little put back when I started reading all the Fat Chic and Bread loaf talk. But like I said, I have since found that most of the vintage folks actually do have an appreciation of them. I do think a club would be cool, and a group of busses caravanning to an event/show would be great. Since I'm in the middle of nowhere in the Mojave desert, regular get togethers would be tough, but I'd still be interested.

Mon Sep 22, 2003 10:46 pm

Living in the Southeast, it humors me to hear people talking about splitty-owners who are super exclusive when it comes to Bays...I've seen a grand total of two running splitties in my home state of Alabama :( , and I imagine my two baywindows make up about half of the buses in my town :) Splitty owners who refuse to have anything to do with us bay owners would get pretty damn lonely...

I guess splitty owners feel that a certain prestige should be attached to their aging beauties, which is fine. But in 10 years, Vanagon owners will probably be saying the same thing about us (like they don't already!)

If you want to find a community that truly appreciates Bays, check out Britain! They really seem to go all out with them, judging from the pics I've seen of bus-ins, etc. in England.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 4:17 am

I'm certain that SV2 members are very nice people, but a Baywindow club they most certainly are not. They state it explicitly on their web site:

In a nutshell, we are a group of people obsessed with Volkswagen busses built before 1968.
http://www.sv2s.com/club/about.adp

Tue Sep 23, 2003 7:29 am

I haven't ever had any problems with either split window owners or owners of early beetles when it comes to my having a bay westfalia, even before they find out I have early cars too. Most just want to see the bus and the interior and comment how they would like one. I also don't get my panties in a wad when I hear the term fat chick bus as I think it's humorous. This is just a hobby (or sickness) and if I take it that seriously then it will no longer be fun and it would be time to move on. The VW air-cooled owners I have met are some of the best people around, no matter what type they own. Hell even trayle didn't give me a hard time when I told him my current project was a bay window, but he did smirk a bit.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 8:59 am

I have always found the different "camping" clubs to be the most welcoming. They usually do not have a lot of set "rules" "officers", etc., and are more about getting together to hang out, camp and enjoy each others company. I am a member of both a VW club as well as a VW camping club, and I have enjoyed the camping club much more. Doesn't matter if you have a bay, split, rusty or restored......just my $.02

Tue Sep 23, 2003 9:59 am

[quote="
I guess splitty owners feel that a certain prestige should be attached to their aging beauties, which is fine. But in 10 years, Vanagon owners will probably be saying the same thing about us (like they don't already!)

If you want to find a community that truly appreciates Bays, check out Britain! They really seem to go all out with them, judging from the pics I've seen of bus-ins, etc. in England.[/quote]

It will be a dark day if the above Vanagon prediction comes true. The differences between a vanagon and a split are obvious. Just because a car is old doesn't mean it should be elevated to classic staus. Would you ever call a Dodge Aries or Ford Monarch a classic? If so, you have issues! :D

I own both, a '65 and a '70;both Westfalias. I like the bay's ride better, but driving a split is a totally different experience.

Europeans do have a stronger appreciation for the later VW's than we do but maybe that's because early cars haven't survived as much as the "newr" models have?

Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:02 am

Lets all just agree on meeting up at a campgrounds somewhere and then talk about it there and that will be the "first" meeting. There is a nice campground down by Zuma beach or try and plan on busses in Big Sur! I am camping out up there in a couple weeks. Anyone else have some suggestions? Anthony

Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:29 am

I might be interested in doing that. Keep me posted.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 11:37 am

Not in So Cal but if up in the NW check out http://wetwesties.type2.com/
They are a rain or shine camping club and are a great bunch of people. As stated above there are no dues, officers etc. just a bunch of people that appreciate any type/year of VW camper (not just Westies) and just get together thoughout the year to camp and hang out.

Tue Sep 23, 2003 8:09 pm

I haven't seen any big bay clubs here in the sf bay area. I would be more than willing to get together with some other bay owners in CA and go on a camping trip.

I think we should all seriously talk about a camping trip sometime before winter hits. Some general central meeting ground, maybe Big Sur, or the SLO/Paso area?

Anyone up for it????? Lets get a headcount, and see if this will work!