TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:31 am

napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles

Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:44 am

NASkeet wrote: napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles

Thank you NASkeet, I never heard of any padded dashboard in RHD T2 before and It would be very weird if vw only made one for such a very tiny market in Thailand that time.

Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:24 pm

I brought home a 69 tintop part bus this weekend. Came with this rare (?) fixed front windows. Sorry for the night pics :roll:

Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:27 pm

Yep pretty rare for US and you.

Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:59 pm

Yeah, quite common in Europe, but not North America, likely a camper some tourists from the Continent shipped over and left there after touring.

Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:38 pm

M-plate says delivered in Quebec (KQ) but no code for the vent … may be from an other bus…

Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:51 pm

Could have had the doors swapped, or just the vents. 20+ years ago you could find a Euro spec bus in most wrecking yards, that drive across Canada was on the bucket list of many Germans. When they were done the already partially rotten bus wasn't worth shipping home, most got sold locally before they boarded a plane for home and lots of them didn't survive the new owners very long. Maybe a PO of yours found a parts donor that arrived here in such a way.

Even a lowly panel van delivered anywhere in North America came standard with opening cab vent wings (and a pile of other things), it was part of the NA spec package. Does the VIN on the M plate match the number in the back?

Tue Nov 16, 2021 5:10 pm

busdaddy wrote: Does the VIN on the M plate match the number in the back?

Yep!

Fri Sep 01, 2023 11:23 am

chimneyfish wrote: MPH speedo with trip reset odometer (NOS).

Part number: 211 957 057 C

Unit date stamped 11.73 (November 1973).

The 'mid bay' grey face correct for model years 1973-1975 late bay window (i.e. Type 2 production dates 1st August 1972 through to 31st July 1975).

The same period KMH speedo with trip reset odometer.

Part number? (Ratwell lists 211 957 055 D as a possibility).

Unit date stamped 2.73 (February 1973).

Side by side (Note the different speedo needles):

My British specification, 1973 model-year, VW 1600 Type 2 Westfalia Continental motor-caravan (manufactured in circal late-August or early-September 1972) was factory-fitted with the earlier style speedometer and other instrumentation, having the inner chromium-plated trim ring.

Fri Sep 01, 2023 11:30 pm

NASkeet wrote: napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles
lhd and rhd dash padding is the same no difference

Fri Sep 01, 2023 11:31 pm

sebgi1 wrote: I brought home a 69 tintop part bus this weekend. Came with this rare (?) fixed front windows. Sorry for the night pics :roll:

All australian buses had fixed quarter windows so not rare at all

Fri Sep 01, 2023 11:31 pm

NASkeet wrote: napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles
lhd and rhd dash padding is the same no difference

Sat Sep 02, 2023 12:10 am

rebel1968 wrote: NASkeet wrote: napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles
lhd and rhd dash padding is the same no difference

No, not the same. The driver side for early bay , the padded and dashboard are both notched due to steering wheel housing.

Sat Sep 02, 2023 1:14 am

sebgi1 wrote: I brought home a 69 tintop part bus this weekend. Came with this rare (?) fixed front windows.
In the German price list for model '69 (and later) the fixed windows are standard for all models,
except the L(uxury) Bus model with opening cab vent wings for free as standard (for all other including standard Bus only an option M 507).
So nothing rare here in Europe - rather common and standard equipment.

Sat Sep 02, 2023 8:17 am

rsbadura wrote: sebgi1 wrote: I brought home a 69 tintop part bus this weekend. Came with this rare (?) fixed front windows.
In the German price list for model '69 (and later) the fixed windows are standard for all models,
except the L(uxury) Bus model with opening cab vent wings for free as standard (for all other including standard Bus only an option M 507).
So nothing rare here in Europe - rather common and standard equipment.
Only "rare" in North America where opening ones were standard equipment on all models.

Sat Sep 02, 2023 8:25 am

napat wrote: rebel1968 wrote: NASkeet wrote: napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles
lhd and rhd dash padding is the same no difference

No, not the same. The driver side for early bay , the padded and dashboard are both notched due to steering wheel housing.

And the dash top is quite different, with the grand handle and curved cut out for the gauge area.

Mon Sep 04, 2023 11:31 am

NASkeet wrote: My British specification, 1973 model-year, VW 1600 Type 2 Westfalia Continental motor-caravan (manufactured in circal late-August or early-September 1972) was factory-fitted with the earlier style speedometer and other instrumentation, having the inner chromium-plated trim ring.

My instrument cluster is marked: 802 & 7.72 (i.e. July 1972) | 21/250 | 214 957 023 ARL

Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:59 pm

cdennisg wrote: napat wrote: rebel1968 wrote: NASkeet wrote: napat wrote: is the RHD padded dashboard a hard to find one?

I live in Great Britain, where my family and I have had a 1968~79 VW Type 2 since January 1975, and I have never seen a RHD padded dashboard! :shock:

There is no RHD padded dashboard listed in the book of factory-fitted options and M-codes. There are also other factory-fitted options which were NOT available for RHD vehicles
lhd and rhd dash padding is the same no difference

No, not the same. The driver side for early bay , the padded and dashboard are both notched due to steering wheel housing.

And the dash top is quite different, with the grand handle and curved cut out for the gauge area.

not the same

LHD is 211 857 205B
RHD is 214 857 205 and 214 857 205 B

Tue Feb 20, 2024 4:20 am

sebgi1 wrote: I brought home a 69 tintop part bus this weekend. Came with this rare (?) fixed front windows. Sorry for the night pics :roll:

Wow... a non A/C bus

Tue Feb 20, 2024 11:36 am

rebel1968 wrote: sebgi1 wrote: I brought home a 69 tintop part bus this weekend. Came with this rare (?) fixed front windows. Sorry for the night pics :roll:

All australian buses had fixed quarter windows so not rare at all

British specification, 1968~79 VW Type 2s also had fixed (i.e. non-openable) cab-door quarter-light windows, and I suspect this was the norm in Europe too; unless one specified the openable variety as an extra-cost option, or possibly one had the ultra-luxury version of the Microbus.

Also note that British specification, 1968~79 VW Type 2s also lacked the electrically-heated rear window, padded dashboard, glove-box cover, laminated front windscreen and other luxuries such as vacuum brake-servo assistance on the 1971~79 VW 1600 Type 2 with front disc brakes; which typically require both feet on the brake pedal to perform an emergency stop! :shock: