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Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:20 pm

I have a 78 Landmark Conversion camper that has some interesting differences from the more standard westy setups.

I've seen a couple mentions of these conversions in the forum, mostly negative. Unfortunately, or fortunately maybe, some of the stranger aspects of the Landmark have been lost over the years by prior owners of my bus.

Does anyone have information about these buses, or better yet, pics of what they originally looked like?

Sun May 06, 2007 7:34 pm

Well... since that there were no responses to this posting it looks like I might be the only one interested in the Landmark Conversion.

Just in case there are some others, here are a few pics of mine:

The paint scheme is original to the Conversion as are the chrome bumpers

The swing out tire carrier on the back is also Landmark

The padded headliner and door panels, and the light over the front cab are original too.

I've heard they originally had some nasty shag carpeting and more of a conversion van style interior. Mine's mostly Westy now.

Here are a couple pics of another Landmark Conversion I found in the Gallery (from NeverHadaBeetle):

Sun May 06, 2007 7:37 pm

Pretty cool, nice to have something a little different...I've got a short top Riviera myself. I do have to say though, and this is just my opinion, but I Would shitcan that spare tire carrier immediately.......I just don't like the looks of it.

Sun May 06, 2007 7:39 pm

I love the paint scheme.

Sun May 06, 2007 7:59 pm

VDubTech wrote: Pretty cool, nice to have something a little different...I've got a short top Riviera myself. I do have to say though, and this is just my opinion, but I Would shitcan that spare tire carrier immediately.......I just don't like the looks of it.

Amen to that, if you wanted a POS American conversion van, go buy one.

Sun May 06, 2007 10:06 pm

stupidsongs2 wrote: VDubTech wrote: Pretty cool, nice to have something a little different...I've got a short top Riviera myself. I do have to say though, and this is just my opinion, but I Would shitcan that spare tire carrier immediately.......I just don't like the looks of it.

Amen to that, if you wanted a POS American conversion van, go buy one.

Yeah, when we first bought it I thought "I can live with the ugly paint job and strange conversion van styling until we can afford to turn it into a normal Westy."

It started growing on me. Now I appreciate the strange uniqueness. I think I'll keep it like this. At least I've never seen another one on the road just like it.

Sun May 06, 2007 10:18 pm

I really dig your paint job, and your spare tire carrier. that headliner is super-rad. definitely reflects the period. please keep it :wink:

Mon May 07, 2007 5:20 am

Actually, I kinda like that spare carrier. I know it shifts some weight to the back, but you get that with stock anyways.

Mon May 07, 2007 7:21 am

http://ventura.craigslist.org/car/299773842.html

Mon May 07, 2007 3:54 pm

I can see marks on mine where it used to have the ladder and the roof rack. I think those mag wheels are original too.

The padded headliner and those curtains make it look a little like a hearse. Creapy.

Mon May 07, 2007 8:43 pm

thats sweet. a cool piece from the era for sure.

Thu May 10, 2007 8:15 am

Hey Eric - great to hear from you and see that your enjoying the bus. I'm glad you're keeping the paint job as is...it's definitely a unique one in bus world.

I gotta say too...aside from the funky paint job and sealed holes on the roof & tailgate....that is one solid bus. I have a '68 now, and it's a far cry from the smoothness and freeway speed of yours. I miss that part of it :D

Brian

Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:33 am

I can't believe it!

This bus was converted by the same folks that converted our 78!!!!

The padded headliner gave it away, but the rear mounted spare tire totally confirmed it.

I can also see where the ladder used to be on the drivers side rear. We took ours off too. Is there a rack on the top of yours?

Our bus was shipped into LA originally.

I would love to know what your M-Code says.... have you ever checked it out?

Here's a thread I started looking for info on the bus.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131201&highlight=confusing

Here's a picture of part of the interior of ours, with the interior from a 74 in it right now:

There used to be dark wood paneling on the walls, but we took that out.

The best part about the conversion are the big pockets on the front doors, do yours still have that?

I would love to see more pictures of your interior, and hear all you know about the bus before it came to you, if you don't mind sharing.

I have not seen another bus with the similar features. I was really starting to think someone did it on their own at home.

This is so cool! There is another like it.

Great curtains by the way! The ones we had come to us with the bus snapped on to the sliding door and rear window. Not sure who did that....

Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:42 am

i have a 78 Landmark...made by National coach in Carson California..same asylum padding and with the chrome racks on top in back like Nevahadabeetles' , i love the ladder on the back, i dont have mine though...i also put in the camper interior from a 70 campmobile...i like the paint job mines brown and tan on white..but it'll have to change since its rusting out...what i know is that it came from a Dealer in Los Angelas, lived most its life in Colorado and now its in Boston....and yea the green 70's carpet sucks cus it was screwed down every 6 inches...joe

Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:43 am

oh and the curtain snaps are from the conversion company...mine has these also

Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:51 am

Sweet! We found one more.

78Kombi, post some pics if you get a chance. I've heard of the brown paint scheme but haven't actually seen one yet.

Mon Jul 16, 2007 11:28 am

We met Joe St. Croix, 78Kombi, I believe, at West River Westies, a Limbo camping event, in Townshend, VT this past weekend.

His bus was built in 3/78 just like ours, according to the sticker on the door jamb, and the VIN's are 1336 apart. Ours being a little younger.

Here are 3 pictures I took of his bus.....

I didn't get a look at his m-codes, but I would bet it is just like ours that came from Germany white and then had the brown graphics applied.

Amazing how you go for so long not seeing another one and then catch this thread and then in the same week run into another Landmark.

Pretty cool.

Out of curiosity, elstrom, have you checked out your m-codes?

Did yours come from Germany all pastel white? March production by any chance?

Has anyone heard of any from other years, other than 78's?

Also, our bus has the original owners manual and was bought from Bretz Volkswagen in Indio, CA, which is outside LA near Joshua Tree.

Just curious if anyone else has the warranty and manintenance book with dealer stamps....

Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:05 pm

jereandjess wrote:

I didn't get a look at his m-codes, but I would bet it is just like ours that came from Germany white and then had the brown graphics applied.

Out of curiosity, elstrom, have you checked out your m-codes?

Did yours come from Germany all pastel white? March production by any chance?

Has anyone heard of any from other years, other than 78's?

Also, our bus has the original owners manual and was bought from Bretz Volkswagen in Indio, CA, which is outside LA near Joshua Tree.

Just curious if anyone else has the warranty and manintenance book with dealer stamps....

Mine was made in April '78. The m-code is:

82 124 563
246 508 560
R1R177 D51 027 227 235
17 4 7427 UA 2316 61

Do you guys have the weird toggle switch on the dash for the overhead lights? I thought the PO put it in my bus, but I saw a picture of an original Landmark that seemed to have the same switch.

jereandjess-
Where were the National and Landmark labels you got pictures of on the bus? I don't have either of those. I have a different one on the driver's side back.
Here's a picture:

Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:21 am

Our plate reads:
82 108 030
246 508
R1R177 D51 027 227 235
11 5 7538 UA 2316 61

****** 1st line ******
82 108 030 = chassis number
8: model year 1978
2: this is an extra number that was used to distinguish 1970ties and 1960ties chassis numbers. The '2'
would turn into a '3' as soon as 1 million vehicles of this model had been produced. This never
happened with the Transporter production.

108030: the serial number.

****** 2nd line ******
246 = Mcode: Windshield fee from import-duty for USA (only with M89)
508 = Mcode: One sliding window in sliding door and one in the opposite side panel of the passenger
compartment

****** 3rd line ******
R1R177 = paint- and interiorcode
R1: paint color lower half - pastel white L90D ('pastelweiss')
R1: paint color upper half - pastel white L90D ('pastelweiss')
77: door panels and seats - material: leatherette
color: canyon brown ('canyonbraun')

D51 = Mcode: group of M-codes:
012 - Exhaust emission control installation and speedometer in miles instead of Kilometers
067 - 12 V 54 A battery instead of standard 12V 45 A battery
102 - Rear window heating
206 - Inner rearview mirror, anti dazzle
027 = Mcode: plate for emissions value and engine with catalyst for unleaded petrol
227 = Mcode: Detachable headrests for all seats in cabin
235 = Mcode: mountings for headrests for all seats in passenger compartment

****** 4th line ******
11 5 7538 UA 2316 61
11 5 = this code is a date. This date is most likely few days later than the actual production date.
Week 11, day 5 (=Friday), 1978 - 17th of March, 1978

7538 = code related to production planning
UA = destination code: USA, Los Angeles
2316 = 23: Kombi (delivery van with windows)
1: LHD, sliding door right
6: 5-seater (3-seater rear bench seat (M 177))

61 = 6: 2000cc engine with fuel injection
1: manual 4-speed gearbox

Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:24 am

The only difference between our m-codes is the 560 code which is for a sliding sunroof. Does your bus have that?

Other than that, the date of production is different also obviously, about 6 weeks later.

Interesting.....

Of those 2 stickers, the one that just says LANDMARK is on the drivers side, middle panel down low on Joe's bus. You can just barely make it out in the picture of the whole bus.

The other sticker with the info on it is on the back of the bus, as you are looking at the engine lid, to the left between the engine lid and the tail light assembly.