TheSamba.com :: View topic - what year bus do you drive? take a quick vote

Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:10 pm

Amskeptic wrote: If I had to go get a bus today, assuming I get to keep my '73, I would get a '68. If it pulled a stud and dropped a valve on the way home, I would get a 78 with a sunroof.
Colin

If I had my choice based on my personal fun factor, I would pick up a late splitty standard. They have the "legendary" look and I get a Type 1 engine to play with. That would be my thrash around town bus.

My 73 would be my vacation vehicle (with occasional daily drives to keep him happy.)

Factoring in my family, I'd love to get a later bay with an automatic. Team Spatula has one for sale in NC for $1400 and I tried to talk the wife into it since it would be for her (lupus means no shifting). What she said isn't printable. ;)

Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:15 pm

I know... I've been contemplating the auto... but I just cant see "Complicating" things... :shock:

I gotta thank you guys for putting up with me... I feel like such a moron when it comes to asking some of the questions I have. :oops:

Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:48 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
If I had to go get a bus today, assuming I get to keep my '73, I would get a '68. If it pulled a stud and dropped a valve on the way home, I would get a 78 with a sunroof.
Colin
When you come to Indiana, there will be a panama brown/ dakota beige '78 sunroof bus eager to have you behind the driver's seat to show me the phenomenon of double-penetration...I mean double clutch... :P

Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:12 am

I just got my 71 last month. My first BUS and couldn't be happier. Most of the folks in the local VW club (Albuquerque) all have 71's too.

Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:29 am

Colin wrote "If I had to go get a bus today, assuming I get to keep my '73, I would get a '68. If it pulled a stud and dropped a valve on the way home, I would get a 78 with a sunroof. "
Man, you surprise me every time, I really had you pegged for a late bay guy. A 68' no less!

Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:00 am

Well, I did qualify it with "if I get to keep my '73. . ." :D
I have had some excellent times in a '68 dualcab waaaay overloaded with old Packard parts on the way to the Hershey Auto Show. I loved that old reliable bus which must have winced (if it could wince) every time the driver's door opened. Poor thing, driven across the country NONSTOP overloaded driven by maniacs who think the redline is merely a suggestion to think about shifting at some point. I got to drive it for three years in Los Angeles as the parts runner for my uncle's restoration shop, LA freeways with huge V16 cast iron engines roped down in the back and long swoopy fenders sticking out of it, and those hot drum brakes while traffic was accordioning. Who needs a bow-flex?
Colin

Mon Mar 21, 2005 10:44 am

A bus hauling Packard parts, that's about as road-warrior-antiquely-weird-post-apocolypse-double-anchronistic (sp?) as a feller can get!
Ya know, I'd never admit it, but I could use a bit more power climbing mountain grades....and drums alla round sometimes means I'm pushing my luck. All and all, a 69' can get more places than a passenger car.

Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:26 pm

man, my dad's a packard guy, '30 roadster. goes to hershey every year.

nice one.

Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:50 am

Fabmonkey- 71 passenger busses rule- I got one too. I like the wide five early busses but the 71 is the best compromise between looks and daily useability.
Duroc, with you on the late splits, drove a great 67 panel and a crewcab with 2.1 stroker on twin 45's which developed about 190bhp- apart from the stupidly low suspension that was nearly my ultimate bus, went like stink but a pig in traffic thanks to race clutch and fk89 racing cam! Went for well under what it was worth and the new owner gort conned out of the engine just after he bought it, having refused my offer of $1600 he swapped it for a stock 1600tp!
I love bay crewcabs, there was one down the road from me when I was a kid, guy cracked the case on it and it just sat in his garden. Its been there at least 10 years now and is almost totally rusated out now. I didn't have the knowledge to build an engine for it then, which was a bummer as he only wantred $500 for it and the drop sides were really clean.

Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:48 am

69 Westy here!! Bought it because I got a good deal on this Pearl White low mile rust free always in the desert Bus. I've always been a bug guy so I was really unaware of the differences in busses before I came to thesamba.

Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:04 pm

hambone wrote:
I'd never admit it, but I could use a bit more power climbing mountain grades.....

I know you didn't admit anything so like *typical* as like you "need" more what? like "power" to what, like blow off that rice rocket? NOT!
What you need is TIME. . . TIME! Time to smell the flowers and look at the pretty trees, your VW is TRYING to help you get zentered, man. That bus will crawl up the side of a wall if you give it time, man, dig it. You and that mountain, man, are supposed to spend the morning together 8)
Colin

Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:57 am

Yeah! I totally agree. At first arrival at the woods, I'm all twitchy, sped up from the city and the long haul. It takes a while for the internal smoke ta settle, and get centered in the miracles of Ma Nature's hands.
Lemme tell ya tho, there's this crazy road (US 97) that climbs outa the Columbia Gorge, heading South thru sagebrush and grass. The wild wind HOWLS, so much so that the area is called "the windsufing capital of the us" whatever that means...and there's a HELL of a grade, and it's very remote. I've actually had it down to 2nd, wind blowing me all over the road. I think "am I crazy bringing this thing out here???" Feels like you left the planet. But most times, it's just pppfffffffffft 3rd gear crossing mountain passes, "ooooh lookit!" etc. for a good 1/2 hour. Believe me, I'm in no hurry, I bike everywhere in town, travel by AC VW elsewhere. My wife drives a Vanagon, and sometimes I take it out in the boonies. You just get spoiled climbing a hill in 4th, zip-zip. Of course, you pay, as the gas milage is terrible. I'd much rather be white knuckled in the 69', you really feel like you accomplished something after a long journey. Sucker just keeps goin' too. Plus there's a whole nother tactility (?) to driving such a "primitive" vehicle, power streering, brakes, wind up dolphins BAH gimme cable brakes! Crank start!
I read once about this guy that drove a Model A Ford cross country, now that takes some gumption!

Wed Mar 23, 2005 2:40 pm

I've always thought it'd be a ball to try a tin lizzy... they've made it this long, albiet not as daily transportation...

Wed Mar 23, 2005 5:18 pm

I got a 71 Deluxe...wanting to trade for westy or hard lid camper.

Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:22 pm

I have a crew truck (bought 3 days ago) and I voted because they are so simular at less half of it is. OK maybe it should only count as half a vote.

Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:44 pm

Well, I put in for my 71 which I drive although Ive got a 68 right now too. I don't think everyone has voted on this yet that will, at current there are about 80 to 110 Type 1's to Type 4's but since there are also only 4yrs of the early years to the 8 yrs of the later bays.

Im gonna bet if we give this more time the years will be pretty even with a few years being the favorites like 71 and 78.

All in all its awesome there are nearly 200 bay people out their no matter the year.

Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:46 pm

I like the idea of this thread I found by accident. Vote up!

Mon Jan 10, 2011 11:54 pm

just voted...

Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:41 am

This thread is damn near six years old....

Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:56 am

I always thought there were more 72's in the world, of the 2 bus's I know of in town they are both 72.