Reproduction Jalousie Windows: BusDepot,BulliDriver/EzCamper,etc

[metahacker]

So, I'm aware of (only) two operations making reproduction jalousie windows for Bay window...

Can anyone comment on how these two compare?

I've heard the BusDepot ones are European... but I don't really have any official info on them. Someone else told me that they are Chinese....
http://www.busdepot.com/231845711

Then there are these from BulliDriver Steel Works aka EZCamper ...
they are made in Thailand and are anodized (so one might assume they will not oxidize/corrode). They look very nice.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw//classifieds/detail.php?id=1958371

I believe the BusDepot are $750 and the BulliDriver Steelworks are $600...

[Keith]

That’s insane! I can see $600 or $750 for a pair, it not each!

I can’t really see two different companies making jalousie windows for our buses. I’m willing to bet they are from the same company.
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[metahacker]

according to BulliDriver they are not the same ..

i could stomach $300-400 a lot easier, but.... $600 is understandable considering how complex these are, how nice the materials are and how limited the sales are going to be... $750 feels a little outrageous...

the justkampers sliders are almost $250 - they are super simple and use all plastic parts/ no window screens.

anyways...... sure wish i could see one of each in person

[VintageExcellence]

Thanks for the links, I am researching jalousie windows now. Anyone purchase any of these aftermarket parts yet? I am in the market and find the $1400 price stomachable vs tearing apart and attempting to restore old parts. But then I am one of the Porsche guys “ruining your market” lol so the price is cheap compared to specialty Porsche parts.

I don’t want to buy reproduction windows that rattle down the road or do not seal well, or break in a short time. I would love to hear comments from people that have bought a pair of these windows and installed them.

I am also in Thailand right now doing consulting work on Porsches so I can ask my Thai friends if they know who the manufacturer is. That’s me next step.

Realize that labor and specialty costs money. Volume brings down the price and most bus owners will not want to buy these so the volume is nil. I find 95% of VW reproduction parts are total garbage made to suit a budget not a particular use. So many parts fool you into thinking it is a part but in reality they go into the trash and can’t be used - boy this type of manufacturing angers me. I am a believer that if a seal was made for $10 that fit perfectly and someone came along and made a $6 seal that didn’t fit at all then EVERYONE in the VW crowd would buy the cheaper seal. That how I see it so I am buying NOS German as much as possible (sell me your NOS westy parts please). Sorry to poo poo the VW parts but that is reality.

[bigdaveb]

I've actually purchased the ones from Chad (BulliDiver) for my restoration. They fit very well. I'm not sure about the ones from Bus Depot, but I know that his are anodized aluminum. This was a big deal to me since polished aluminum is fairly high maintenance. There was some damage to my batch and he took care of it. After trying to restore my originals, I think these are definitely worth it. As they say ,"Buy once, cry once".

With regard to rattling, I have had no issue with these widows. Since I've only recently installed my engine and am still tuning, I have not made any long trips with them as of yet. But I can say that these units have a snug feel to them when you adjust them - tight, but not too tight.

I don't think that I have photos in my gallery of these windows yet, but I can get some close up photos when I get back to the shop on Monday.

Hope this helps.

[VintageExcellence]

[bigdaveb]

[Globespotter]

Those look real nice!
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1977 Westfalia - October 2015 - Current
1971 Super Beetle - May 2012 - Current
1979 Westfalia - 1986-1991
1971 Super Beetle - 1977-1980

1971 SB Survivor Story: https://globespotter.com/
Road Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=511800&highlight=
My 77 Westy Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647114&highlight=

http://vw-mplate.com/mcode.php?lang=EN&id=30990
https://vw-type2-id.xyz/mplate/72067382

[yellowCOwesty]

Do they rattle?
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'78 Westy
Currently yellow and white "Sunny"
A few other air cooled VW and Porsches over the years

[KentABQ]

[bigdaveb]

yellowCOwesty,

I took a bit of a longer drive yesterday (on horrible SoCal roads) for tuning and wanted to report back. I indeed did notice some rattling from the window assembly. After checking specific areas on the jalousie, I found that the rattling is actually from the screen and not from the jalousie itself. The windows are very tight when closed - two of them would not budge when I tried to wiggle them, and the third one barely moved. So the windows themselves are likely not the issue. The screen does have some movement when you tap the corners, indicating that the width of the screens frame relative to the groove in the window frame has some play. I think this may be unavoidable since one would want the ability to remove the screens for cleaning and in case of damage.

One fairly simple solution would be to install a properly sized foam strip either on the screen frame or in the side(s) of the groove in the window frame. It needs to likely be and adhesive strip of smaller dimension and closed-cell so as not to absorb moisture. Something like this:

https://www.mcmaster.com/93375k619

I'll probably address this later on since my punchlist is still rather extensive. The setup for my engine is fairly radical and I need to get it dialed in before I get too far into the details of the interior. But I will try to update this post with photos and descriptions of my install.

Hope this helps.

[yellowCOwesty]

Thanks!
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'78 Westy
Currently yellow and white "Sunny"
A few other air cooled VW and Porsches over the years

[metahacker]

a little update here - i purchased one from Wolfsburg West ...

I suspect them to be the same as the ones sold in the UK by the likes of Alan Schofield / JustKampers (honestly, i'm leaning towards saying that they ALL might come from the same place... i don't have much to support that assumption but i can say that mine looks just like the pics above)

it's been really great. i've done >20k miles with it (kinda lost track)

it doesn't rattle at all, open or closed.

also the mesh of the screen is very small and tight which is nice because it doesn't make any noise if you drive with it open - unlike the riviera screen used over the OE VW slider window on my sliding door.
i know, tsk tsk tsk, someone may point out that the manual mentions that you shouldn't drive with them open. it's just too nice driving with them open to heed that warning, sorry

it took a couple tries to get it to not leak around the gasket (it was more an issue of who supplied the gasket.. i tried using a black one i got from the UK for appearance reasons..it was a little thinner and had challenges when i parked on a hill during rain... but it seems fine with the grey one)

it's been a great upgrade ... the quality of the part is very high and it seems like it might be clear anodized....the finish still looks great after being outside for a year.

incidentally, i am running a passenger side one on the driver's side and can open/close it easily while driving.