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Jung Restoration
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2004
Posts: 595
Location: Maine
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 Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:43 pm Post subject: The body style change from Split's to Bay's. Why? |
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Why did VW change the body style of the bus from the split style we all know and love to the bay window style in 1968?
The beetles "look" never really changed through-out it's history(except for the new beetle), but the VW bus had 4 generations.
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Wanted : January '57 Palm Green Sand Green Bus Parts - Middle and Rear Seat Frames - flat back. I have original seat covers but would consider covered frames.
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Jung Restoration - Jung is my last name and restoration is what I do for work. I restore antique windows and doors here in the Northeast. Check out my site www.antiquewindowrestoration.com |
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Old Skool Daddy
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2007
Posts: 50
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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The hippies turned into yuppies? 
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64 Standard
Sell my bus? Would Han Solo sell the Millenium Falcon? |
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Levonbenelli
Samba Member
Joined: September 28, 2004
Posts: 1171
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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yeah, no changes here
car models change. NEXT!!
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Wanted: flipseat parts: rear jump seat, folding chair, cups |
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62daily
Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004
Posts: 188
Location: Sultan, WA (Seattle)
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Old Skool Daddy wrote: |
| The hippies turned into yuppies? |
i'll buy that
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What the what? |
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VWAdam
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002
Posts: 3351
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:57 pm Post subject: Re: The body style change from Split's to Bay's. Why? |
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| Jung Restoration wrote: |
Why did VW change the body style of the bus from the split style we all know and love to the bay window style in 1968?
The beetles "look" never really changed through-out it's history(except for the new beetle), but the VW bus had 4 generations. |
Um, the Beetles look most certainly did change! The early (66-dn) headlights and overrider bumper cars have a very different look than, say a late model Super Beetle.
If cars never changed, we'd all still be in Model Ts. Bays are more friendly "people carriers" (softer ride, quieter, more room) and less truck like, as a split is.
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All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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volksaddict
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2003
Posts: 1760
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| yuppies weren't invented until the 80's |
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langsmer
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2004
Posts: 1127
Location: CO/NM border
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| The big head of VW changed, and along with him changed all the cars. |
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caseyjones
Samba Member
Joined: September 05, 2007
Posts: 100
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| safety. |
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Old Skool Daddy
Samba Member
Joined: December 11, 2007
Posts: 50
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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| volksaddict wrote: |
| yuppies weren't invented until the 80's |
Yes, they evolved. 
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64 Standard
Sell my bus? Would Han Solo sell the Millenium Falcon? |
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mattnfaith
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 34
Location: Sugar Land
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree with the "safety" statement. The National Highway Safety Administration started in 1964 with most safety requirements being mandated for the 1968 model year. It's not just VW, there are a lot of vehicles out there that under went changes in the name of safety around this time. |
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Jung Restoration
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2004
Posts: 595
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Beetles did change, but for the most part the body shape stayed the same. Buses totally changed body shape and size.
Just looking for some interesting facts from that time in history.
Didn't mean to upset the Beetle crowd. 
It does make sense for safety reasons that the change was made.
_________________
Wanted : January '57 Palm Green Sand Green Bus Parts - Middle and Rear Seat Frames - flat back. I have original seat covers but would consider covered frames.
-------------------------------------------------------
Jung Restoration - Jung is my last name and restoration is what I do for work. I restore antique windows and doors here in the Northeast. Check out my site www.antiquewindowrestoration.com |
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VWAdam
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002
Posts: 3351
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Jung Restoration wrote: |
Beetles did change, but for the most part the body shape stayed the same. Buses totally changed body shape and size.
Just looking for some interesting facts from that time in history.
Didn't mean to upset the Beetle crowd.
It does make sense for safety reasons that the change was made. |
I don't know how much that really changed, it was still essentially a rear engined forward control box on wheels, as was a Vanagon when you really get down to it.
_________________
All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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Jung Restoration
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2004
Posts: 595
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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I guess I'm just focused on the body shape of buses, rather than the mechanics.
_________________
Wanted : January '57 Palm Green Sand Green Bus Parts - Middle and Rear Seat Frames - flat back. I have original seat covers but would consider covered frames.
-------------------------------------------------------
Jung Restoration - Jung is my last name and restoration is what I do for work. I restore antique windows and doors here in the Northeast. Check out my site www.antiquewindowrestoration.com |
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towd
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2005
Posts: 2458
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| well I can see you were not around in 68,, The bug did make a major change in 68 .. |
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Jung Restoration
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2004
Posts: 595
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
well I can see you were not around in 68,, The bug did make a major change in 68 ..
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yeah, it got uglier. Just like the buses did.
_________________
Wanted : January '57 Palm Green Sand Green Bus Parts - Middle and Rear Seat Frames - flat back. I have original seat covers but would consider covered frames.
-------------------------------------------------------
Jung Restoration - Jung is my last name and restoration is what I do for work. I restore antique windows and doors here in the Northeast. Check out my site www.antiquewindowrestoration.com |
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towd
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2005
Posts: 2458
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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AND...leave never forget our Ol Buddy ralph ... of Ralphs raiders... aka .. ralph nader ..
He won his battle on the corvair,, at the same time he was after VW....
I mean to say WFT is has a gas tank in the front .... or .... was it in the rear.....?????
Ralphie wants the tank in the middle..oops that was a Pinto...
Hmmm wonder what kinda car nader drives... A Yugo or a wego |
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VWAdam
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002
Posts: 3351
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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| towd wrote: |
AND...leave never forget our Ol Buddy ralph ... of Ralphs raiders... aka .. ralph nader ..
He won his battle on the corvair,, at the same time he was after VW....
I mean to say WFT is has a gas tank in the front .... or .... was it in the rear.....?????
Ralphie wants the tank in the middle..oops that was a Pinto...
Hmmm wonder what kinda car nader drives... A Yugo or a wego |
The true irony about Nader is that he has never owned a car in his entire life. He's never even possessed a driver's license. I doubt the redesigning of the bus in '68 impressed him any. In his 1971 book about VWs he says that the Microbus is so dangerous that it should be "taken off of the roads entirely and each owner reimbursed for the current value of their vehicle."
_________________
All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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campingbox 
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10261
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Jung Restoration wrote: |
Beetles did change, but for the most part the body shape stayed the same. Buses totally changed body shape and size.
Just looking for some interesting facts from that time in history . |
There have been a bunch of times when someone has come up to me when I was with my '55 Westfalia, saying
"I had one JUST LIKE IT... but it was red. It was a '71. What year is yours? It was just like yours."
Hmm... maybe the obvious difference between a split and a bay really isn't so obvious. |
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62daily
Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2004
Posts: 188
Location: Sultan, WA (Seattle)
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| Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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| caseyjones wrote: |
| safety. |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukq-UUQAcZs&NR=1
oh? well if the split bus was lets say, i dunno, a 0? out of 10 on safety (not starting a debate, just for illustration) then the later buses are a safety level of, oh - let's say...0! based on this video. i'm not sure the design with safety in mind improved significantly over the years. 
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Kombi
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2002
Posts: 562
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:48 am Post subject: |
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| 62daily wrote: |
| caseyjones wrote: |
| safety. |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukq-UUQAcZs&NR=1
oh? well if the split bus was lets say, i dunno, a 0? out of 10 on safety (not starting a debate, just for illustration) then the later buses are a safety level of, oh - let's say...0! based on this video. i'm not sure the design with safety in mind improved significantly over the years. |
That vid is BS/edited if the entire passenger compartment was destroyed even once in a safety test crash it would never ever have been on the road, and there would have been extreme lawsuits to vw over every vanagon on the road.
a Baywindow bus has more crumple zone and room for passengers in the event of an impact shoulder restraints that retract> safer (marginally)
Vanagons are stronger yet, and overall safer.
The split window design was looking rather dated by '67, if VW tried selling it for 5-6 more years it just wouldn't have sold in th NA market. Change was needed. It's only because we look back at the retro design or some for nostalgia that we appreciate the split window bus.
For all practicality the Bay window is a better bus, and the Vanagon the next evolution.
My 2 cents
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you just can't live as long without air!
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