TheSamba.com :: View topic - Brazilian Kombi going away / Last Bus made in Brazil

Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:00 pm

there is an lt 4x4 yellow in out neck of the woods. I've seen it a few times. Its pretty crunchy looking.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 1:47 pm

Curious what the 2012 Brazalian Bays have for an engine. Looks like a radiator cover up front. Is it water cooled??

Tue Oct 30, 2012 3:14 pm

VAVWFAN wrote: Curious what the 2012 Brazalian Bays have for an engine. Looks like a radiator cover up front. Is it water cooled?? 1,4 liter 4syl watercooled 80hp flexifuel engine.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 5:12 pm

Buss Marius wrote: VAVWFAN wrote: Curious what the 2012 Brazalian Bays have for an engine. Looks like a radiator cover up front. Is it water cooled?? 1,4 liter 4syl watercooled 80hp flexifuel engine.

yes, it's just a regular I4 watercooled engine, used in other VWs

the engine replaced the aircooled boxer in 2006, first because of new noise regulations at the time, and because in 2007 it would also not conform with emission regulations, now the the Kombi is being retired because of safety regulations basically (for 2014)...

anyway,
the Kombi is still selling decently, it's by far the cheapest car of it's kind here..

Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:43 pm

HMBR wrote: Buss Marius wrote: VAVWFAN wrote: Curious what the 2012 Brazalian Bays have for an engine. Looks like a radiator cover up front. Is it water cooled?? 1,4 liter 4syl watercooled 80hp flexifuel engine.

yes, it's just a regular I4 watercooled engine, used in other VWs

the engine replaced the aircooled boxer in 2006, first because of new noise regulations at the time, and because in 2007 it would also not conform with emission regulations, now the the Kombi is being retired because of safety regulations basically (for 2014)...

anyway,
the Kombi is still selling decently, it's by far the cheapest car of it's kind here..

I think that there was quite a bit of overlap between the aircooled and the watercooled engines. I seem to remember watercooled Brazilian Bays were being sold in Mexico in the early 90's along with air cooled Mexican Combis.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:31 pm

Wildthings wrote:

I think that there was quite a bit of overlap between the aircooled and the watercooled engines. I seem to remember watercooled Brazilian Bays were being sold in Mexico in the early 90's along with air cooled Mexican Combis.

for the Brazilian market, it was aircooled only until 2006, apart from the Diesel version during the 80's...

perhaps the 1.8l version was made in Brazil before that, but only for exportation.

Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:34 pm

HMBR wrote: Wildthings wrote:

I think that there was quite a bit of overlap between the aircooled and the watercooled engines. I seem to remember watercooled Brazilian Bays were being sold in Mexico in the early 90's along with air cooled Mexican Combis.

for the Brazilian market, it was aircooled only until 2006, apart from the Diesel version during the 80's...

perhaps the 1.8l version was made in Brazil before that, but only for exportation.

Interesting that they would make the watercooled version for sales abroad and not sell it at home. Never have understood VW marketing. :cry:

Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:05 pm

So what is the possiblity of buying one of these new Brazilian Kombi and shipping it back to the U.S.

Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:09 pm

blackjackatx wrote: So what is the possiblity of buying one of these new Brazilian Kombi and shipping it back to the U.S.

No real problem, you just will not be able to license and drive if for 25 years, but it will be a cool first vehicle for your grandkids.

Wed Nov 07, 2012 9:25 am

Wildthings wrote: blackjackatx wrote: So what is the possiblity of buying one of these new Brazilian Kombi and shipping it back to the U.S.

No real problem, you just will not be able to license and drive if for 25 years, but it will be a cool first vehicle for your grandkids.
Hmmmmm... :-k
Someone further up in this thread mentioned snagging one and just putting it into dry storage - WHY NOT?!? Are these Mexi-wagens really that cheaply made nowadays that they're not worth preserving?

Anyone know in US dollars what it would take to buy and import a brand new one?

-Klauss

Wed Nov 07, 2012 9:47 am

hello,

The only thing that truly surprises me is that VW can't or won't want to put in air bags and antilock brakes. True the design is outdated but it is its simplicity of design that makes it better than anything else that they have designed after 1992. Plus if they used everything from their vast parts bin the cost would be very small versus designing new.
The cost of construction is still way down compared to their t5, the carbon footprint is tiny since the design is 63 years old. I can understand why a company would want to discontinue it but if it has good sales worldwide then putting something like anti lock in and air bags shouldn't be that difficult if it can make them money in the long term. This vehicle is probably the last of their vehicles that has the original ethos that VW started with. Now, obviously, this just my opinion on this matter and people can disagree but these vehicles have a following that I don't see many of their newer vehicles obtaining. Especially where the quality of parts these days seems to be lacking in my opinion.
I dunno, I guess I'm lamenting on something that stirs my emotions as I would love to see these come into the country but it will never happen. The Bay is/was one of the few vehicles that can be worked on by human hands with common tools, many modern cars just don't have that and that is sad in many respects.

Dennis

Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:15 pm

Sadly VW S America really don't care anymore. Forget any promises to keep parts available for 10 years. VW Mexico is to cease all air-cooled parts production at the end of this year - what they don't tell you is that since production of the bug ceased they were deleting parts on a regular basis. The same will happen to bus parts.
VW Germany under the Classic Parts Organisation are trying to ensure that all parts for their air-cooled stable are once again available. As VWM and VWB are significant part suppliers to them this may pose a problem.
Porsche was comissioned to work on side impact protection for the bug, and the cost was apparently minimal, but VWM were too busy doing what Germany did in the early '70's - overpricing the car to kill it. I heard the Mexican bug had the highest % profit of any car VW produced, primarily down to zero depreciation cost on tooling etc. I imagine the bus is similar, as it has not had an annual 'facelift' like all the other boxes on the market. A bigger engine, 5 speed trans and ABS would have made it a different vehicle, but I have found the braking in my '71 more than adequate. ABS is for people with poor driving skills who aren't paying attention in the first place.

Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:47 am

alikatcraig wrote: ABS is for people with poor driving skills who aren't paying attention in the first place.

You obviously don't live where it snows. ABS is the greatest improvement on cars since... gas engines.

Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:02 am

Sorry, no snow down here. Wet roads are as bad as it gets.

Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:13 am

alikatcraig wrote: Sorry, no snow down here. Wet roads are as bad as it gets.

Doesn't matter how good a driver you are when some asshat pulls off a side street right in front of you. ABS comes in real handy and it allows you to emergency brake and steer at the same time.

Sat Nov 17, 2012 11:07 am

Ron, any chance of getting a batch of windshields before they quit building the Bus? I'm needing one eventually, and what I've heard about the windshields available in the US has me thinking about a trip south of the border next summer...

Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:48 pm

VW really misses the boat. They are restoring buses in Germany but there is no advertised if at all, mechanism for getting it done. It would not be a major undertaking for them to reverse ship vehicles back to Germany from any VW dealer for restoration. They could price the level of restoration and give close estimates before shipping back. Any dealer could send their body shop manager out with a camera and a magnet to take pictures and estimate the work that needed to be done. You pay a fee for that report. Internet it to the shop in Germany who gives an estimate. Customer pays upfront into an escrow account. Attorneys could work out the paperwork.

VW S America could easily guess what it would take cost wise to sell a bay here. Put an ad out that a limited number may be imported, who is interested? If enough are interested then move forward with it. We bought and restored a 1977 bay because new ones aren't available here. We would have bought a new one if they were. We are in the market next year for a new car. Right now we are thinking Subaru Outback. But if a new VW bay was available.......

Sat Feb 09, 2013 1:33 pm

Just return from vacation in Brazil,my dream was going to VW dealer and check out the KOMBIS that was one hell of a sight,air cooled,water cooled,they where there,will be sadly missed,that dealer was selling about 10 a dayjavascript:emoticon(':cry:')

Sat Feb 09, 2013 3:11 pm

SGKent wrote:

I don't know. I have a bed in the back of my bay or a seat in just a few minutes. I can roll over and look out the window if I want. This doesn't look as appealing although perhaps for large loads it would be more room.

Sportsmobile is still alive and kicking and they do camper conversions for the sprinter among other vehicles. You can get a longer version with a shower and toilet if you want, 4x4 etc.

http://www.sportsmobile.com/2_rb-150sm-pt.html

Sat Feb 09, 2013 5:13 pm

Wildthings wrote: blackjackatx wrote: So what is the possiblity of buying one of these new Brazilian Kombi and shipping it back to the U.S.

No real problem, you just will not be able to license and drive if for 25 years, but it will be a cool first vehicle for your grandkids.

Or you could get a letter of conformity from VWoA. The DOT will allow importation of vehicles that are of "substantial similarity" to US spec vehicles if the manufacturer provides a letter of conformity (IE the Brazilian bay has the same or better crash worthiness as a 1978 model)