41+ Years with a VW Kombi: There's Never Been a Dull Moment!

[NASkeet]

Reading various VWT2OC member's accounts, of their introduction to 1968~79 VW Type 2 ownership and their subsequent experiences, reminded me that my family's 41+ year association, with our orange & white, 1973 VW '1600' Type 2, Westfalia Continental motorcaravan, hasn't always been plain sailing; sometimes literally. Overall, our experiences with the automotive and allied trades, in South East & South West Essex, have been far from happy ones, although even this cloud has occasionally shown a silver lining.

This, together with our desire to significantly improve the basic vehicle and motorcaravan conversion, has led me to become, a reasonably self-sufficient, DIY, amateur mechanic and automotive engineer, through reading books, manuals & parts catalogues, personal experience, plus corresponding & talking with other enthusiasts. I have also talked with what seems to be, part of the small minority of local mechanics and MOT inspectors, who are both competent and conscientious, from whom I have also been pleased to learn over the years. Some have kindly lent me their specialist tools on occasions, which I am told, is a rare privilege. Even after 41+ years, I am still learning about the vehicle and topics pertaining to its specification, maintenance, repair, refurbishment, upgrading and modification.

First registered on 20th November 1972 (the Cramer gas cooker installation, at the Westfalia Werke in Wiedenbrück, West Germany, was certified on 14th September 1972) and hence now exempt from road tax, we first encountered our 1973 VW Type 2 Kombi, in August 1974, on a campsite adjacent to the Corinth Canal, in Southern Greece, whilst on a touring & camping package holiday with Penn World Trek. Being curious by nature, I had made a detour on the way back from one of my errands, stopping to look at the van and to chat for a while; prompting my father to come searching for me, who also entered the conversation!

August 1974 - The Corinth Canal in southern Greece, adjacent to the campsite

Having long been fond of overseas travel, my father (who sadly died from motor neurone disease, in early-September 2011, at the age of 82¼) had for some time, been contemplating the purchase of a VW motorcaravan (partly because of the global, VW spares & service network); particularly the Westfalia Continental, which at that time was considered by many, to be the ultimate conversion.

Previously, he and my mother had bought a white 1964 VW 1200 Beetle (with 6V electrics), as our first new car, when he commenced his traineeship in 1964, as a general medical practitioner, in Dundee, Scotland (not to be confused with Dundee, South Africa, or anywhere else for that matter!); having graduated jointly from the Universities of St. Andrews and Dundee, in 1962, as a 33 year old mature student.

Me in my first pair of long-trousers, at the age of 12¼, in April 1968, alongside my father’s white 1964 VW 1200 Type 1 Beetle, in our home driveway, on Canvey Island, Essex

The van belonged to an Australian hospital-doctor, named Harry Nash, who had owned it from new. By coincidence, Harry was then working temporarily in Manchester, England (where the vehicle was registered), but was scheduled to return to Australia, the following New Year, with his wife and young baby, necessitating sale of the vehicle, before leaving Great Britain. Thus, in January 1975, the 'VW', alias the 'Van' or 'Westfalia' (registration No. ANU 905L), which has never otherwise been named, entered our lives, with approximately 29,000 miles on the odometer, for the princely sum of £1,450.

During the early 1970s, motorcaravans were classed as dual-purpose vehicles, which were exempt from purchase tax (the precursor to VAT) and in those days petrol was relatively cheap. Consequently, the price of a new VW motorcaravan, was similar to that of the VW 1600 Variant & Fastback (i.e. VW Type 3) and running costs were not significantly higher. By 1973, all that was to change dramatically, as a result of the OPEC oil embargo (after which crude oil prices and hence that of petrol, rose substantially) and the introduction of VAT liability, which coincided with our entry into the EEC (i.e. European Economic Community), now known as the EU (i.e. European Union).

Together, these factors conspired to substantially increase the cost of motorcaravan ownership, crippling the British motorcaravan conversion industry, from which it took many years to recover. It is for these reasons, that the K, L & M suffix registration letters (covering the registration period 1st August 1971 to 31st July 1974), are dominant amongst British registered, 1968~79 VW Type 2 motorcaravans. This sudden change of fortune, also partially explains, why those early model vans in good condition, are valued at more than their original purchase price, when new.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

At one stage, I had thought to name our van, "Modestine", after the recalcitrant ass, in Robert Louis Stevenson's book, "Travels with a Donkey", which invariably required both the goad and carrot, but apart from its various technical foibles, our van has never been unwilling. More recently, I toyed with the name of "Hippocrates", the van having been discovered in Greece and owned exclusively by medical practitioners, until I inherited it in 2011; but whoever heard of a German VW, named after a Greek philosopher! Perhaps a Germanic sounding name like Heinz, might be more appropriate. Noting that "Heinz 57" is used in some quarters, as the vernacular for a mongrel and given that our VW has been modified and upgraded, using components from at least 15 other car models, originating from seven different countries; the name Heinz has much to commend it.

Forum Index > Bay Window Bus > 1973 VW 1600 Westfalia - Modifications, Upgrades & Accessories

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=644050

This name also has at least two VW associations, not least of which is Heinz Nordhoff, the managing director of Volkswagen, who sanctioned initial production of the Split-Screen VW Type 2 in 1949 and who died suddenly in early 1968, shortly before retirement; the first model year of the 1968~79 VW Type 2. There is also the scientist, Heinz Wolf (who was a regular judge on the children's television series, Young Scientists of the Year), whose surname constitutes half of Wolfsburg, the original factory site, where VW Type 2s were first built. A name like Heinzwei (ein zwei, being interpreted as, 'a two' or 'a Type 2'), has a certain ring to it!

Despite being less than 2½ years old, the van was not in pristine condition, having acquired a couple of minor bodywork dents (with paintwork still intact), plus the ubiquitous dented rear bumper. At the time, Harry Nash had given us a 1 litre tin of "brilliant orange", Bergerex acrylic synthetic enamel, which he described as touch-up paint. It showed no obvious signs of having been opened, so I gave it no further thought until later. At the next fine weekend, when the vehicle was properly washed all over, it became apparent, owing to the obvious colour mismatch, that the nearside cab door and the offside rear wheel arch, had been resprayed for some reason, although even now, I am not sure why.

I also later noticed, that the headlamps were mounted upside-down, indicating that the right-hand and left-hand units, had been swopped over. This may have been done, in the mistaken belief, that it would result in the Continental dipped-lighting pattern, but I can't be sure! The service record showed that a major service had recently been undertaken, so it was thought unnecessary to immediately incur this expense.

At that time, my father had a 1972 Fiat 124 Special T Automatic (in which I had gained experience as a learner driver), which he used in the practice and for general family outings. Five months after buying the VW Type 2, he also purchased a six month old, ex-demonstration, 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300; intended as a more luxurious car for family outings and as a second car for my mother (then a learner driver) and myself (then recently qualified).

Board index > The Triumph Dolomite Club > Dolomite-related [Start here!] > 40+ Years With A 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 “HL”

http://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=29933

Board index > The Triumph Dolomite Club > Restoration Projects > GOO 796 N Restoration

http://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=29932

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Toledo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Dolomite

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_1300

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_1500

The Fiat gave way to a succession of four further cars (two Hondas, a Ford and a SEAT) and I retain the Triumph to this day; albeit somewhat modified, using mostly parts from Triumph Dolomite 1500/1850 HLs & Sprints, which are close cousins to the Toledo; so I now have what might be described as a Triumph Toledo 1300 HL+.

Apart from the 2¼ year period of Harry Nash's ownership, plus the two winter seasons (1987/88 & 1990/91), when my Triumph was off the road, the VW has always been layed-up, under cover (usually supported on axle stands; either under our own carport or in my grandmother's garage), for the colder months of the year, so it hasn't had an arduous life; being used mainly for summer holidays in Britain and Europe, plus occasional weekend trips; covering just 63,186 miles since new. Some years, we chose not to have a motorcaravanning holiday, so the van sometimes remained layed-up for about 1½ years, at a stretch.

After a thorough spring clean (despite this, the odour of Harry Nash's stale tobacco smoke, lingered for many months), some maintenance and repair work, plus a few weekend familiarisation trips with the van, we started planning our first independent, Continental touring holiday, to Luxemburg, via the Netherlands (where we were to rendezvous with our Dutch friends from Apeldoorn) and Belgium. Being nearly 41 years ago, I remember very little about that first trip, apart from a visit to the city of Luxemburg, plus Trier, on the River Mosel, in Germany, close to Luxemburg.

My parents, our then recently acquired 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan and the yellow VW 1300 Type 1 Beetle belonging to our Dutch friends, Arthur & Hennie Borghoff, outside their home in Aleldoorn

My father and Dutch friend Arthur Borghoff, beside our 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 campervan

Note also the Ford Cortina Mk.2 saloon car, parked beside it

Trier is the best remaining example in Europe, of a Roman walled-town; or so I learned from an Open University television broadcast, many years later. During our holiday in Luxemburg, we stayed at a campsite in Ettelbrück, from which we went out on daily excursions. By coincidence, the 1975 World championship, 500cc motorcross, was being held in Ettelbrück, so we went to see that one afternoon, as a change from our usual sightseeing. In common with most sports, spectating is a poor substitute for participation and watching the same motorcycles and riders, repeatedly pass around a muddy circuit, became tedious after a while!
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

During our past overseas travels, we had always carried a portable, ITT KB, multi-band transistor radio, with short wave, which was useful for BBC World Service and other English language broadcasts; including those from the USSR and Australia. As part of our preparations, for our Luxemburg holiday, we had arranged to have the van fitted with a radio and a tape cassette player, on 26th August 1975, at Molson Distributors Ltd., the local car audio specialists in Hadleigh, Essex.

At that time, a combined radio-cassette player with short wave, did not appear to be readily available, so my father elected to have a Javelin 9044 mono radio, with VHF, short, medium & long wave, plus a PYE 2262 stereo cassette player, as separate units; requiring two separate sets of speakers. Upon inspection, it was immediately apparent that the radio installation, had distorted the dashboard and I was to learn more than 20 years later, that the hole for the antenna, had simply been chain-drilled, but not filed smooth and many of the electrical connections, were merely bare ended wires, twisted together and covered with insulation tape. Overall, it was a poor testimony to British workmanship!

Forum Index > Bay Window Bus > Let's try this again... Stereo Technology Level Survey

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1493517

Japanese made, Javelin 9044, single-speaker, mono radio

The radio had VHF (88~108 MHz), Short Wave (5•95~6•2 MHz), Medium Wave (540~1600 kHz) and Long Wave (150~280 kHz). It also featured a 6-pin DIN socket for a tape player or recorder connection, the option of 4 ohm or 8 ohm speaker impedance and push-button pre-settable radio stations.

To add to the irritation of Molson's poor workmanship, I also discovered a bulge, the size of a tennis ball, in the sidewall of the nearside front tyre, when I went to collect our van, after installation of the audio equipment; requiring me to substitute the spare wheel before departure. As luck would have it, this incident coincided with my first solo outing as a newly qualified driver, having passed my test at the age of 18, the previous summer. Being obliged to manoeuvre a relatively unfamiliar vehicle, out of an overcrowded car park, into rush hour traffic, with the two front tyre pressures, differing by 10 PSI, did little to boost my confidence, but to my relief, I got home without a hitch.

Needless to say, there had been no obvious sidewall bulge, when I had checked the tyre pressures for my father, the previous evening! The spare tyre wasn't in marvellous condition either, so both were replaced with a pair of budget, India (aka Dunlop) cross-ply commercial van tyres, to match the remaining three cross-plies, of which age deterioration, just a few years later, in 1978, was the reason for the first, of our total of two MOT failures.

At that juncture, we took the opportunity to upgrade our tyre specification to 185 SR14 Heavy Duty (interpreted by the tyre factors, to mean Reinforced) radial-ply tyres, as specified in the 1973 VW Type 2, official owner's-handbook. In those days, 185 SR14C radial-ply, commercial van tyres, were then only specified for the fire truck! The India cross-ply tyres, which were still relatively new and unworn, were sold second-hand. The Michelin XZX radial-ply tyres, certainly improved the handling characteristics, but I recall that ride comfort was inferior, when driving on cobblestones, which at that time were a common feature of Belgian towns.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

Although the 1972~73 VW Type 2 Westfalia Continental, with front-hinged elevating roof, is described as a five berth motorcaravan, this would be rather cramped, in my opinion. The main, full-width, rock & roll double bed, will comfortably accommodate two adults, but the 'double bed' in the elevating roof, is of light-weight construction, having a maximum total payload of 81 kg (i.e. 180 pounds), with about 25 mm (i.e. 1 inch) thick upholstery, on a plywood base-board, plus being quite short and narrow, so would only be suitable for two young children or one adult of modest stature. As a 19 year old, being 54 kg (i.e. 8½ stone or 119 pounds) in weight and about 1•79m (i.e. 5 feet 10½ inches) tall, the elevating roof bed, was satisfactory for me alone, provided I didn't stretch out completely.

Excerpt from the British specification, 1973 VW Type 2 Westfalia Continental, campervan handbook, showing the upholstered, plywood-based, elevating-roof bed (in raised & lowered positions)

Board index » For Sale & Wanted section » Early Bay Parts for Sale & Wanted » Westfalia / Westy Continental Roof Double Bed 68 to 72

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=28066

Westfalia Continental Roof Double Bed

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1060790

Bay Window Bus > Continental upper bed

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=275900

Bay Window Bus > I saw a 71 Westfalia Helsinki with a Continental bed today

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=284100

Bay Window Bus > '72 Westy: Converting from Cot to Full Bed?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237224

Bay Window Bus > Will 74' westy upper bed fit in 73' westy replacing cot?

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=240739

As a consequence of a recurring discussion topic on The Samba forum, I have discovered that this elevating-roof bed, appears to be unique to the British specification, 1972~73 VW Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan. with front-hinged elevating roof. Instead, most if not all, non-British specification (certainly those in Canada, Denmark, France & USA), 1968~73 VW Type 2 Westfalia campervans, of various conversions, which feature an identical front-hinged elevating roof, are fitted with some form of single-berth, folding canvas cot.

I have never slept in a folding cot of this type, but if it is anything like the cab bunk, akin to an old-style casualty stretcher, with canvas and two longitudinal poles, then I imagine it would be most uncomfortable; having 'slept' in a similar stretcher bunk, in a Commer "Highwayman", coachbuilt motorcaravan, borrowed by my father, back in the late-1960s or early-1970s. As a consequence of impacting against the hard metal poles, during the night, the experience resulted in bruised knees, if not elbows as well, if I recall correctly!

If my supposition is correct, then I can appreciate why many owners of non-British specification, pre-1974 VW Type 2, Westfalia campervans, with front-hinged elevating roofs, would wish to replace the single-berth folding cot, with a two-berth, upholstered plywood, elevating-roof bed, as factory-fitted to our 1973 VW Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan. Hence, I have posted detailed information with illustrations, on The Samba forum, which should enable members to fabricate a similar bed.

With hindsight, I would have preferred the longer 1974~79, Westfalia rear-hinged elevating roof, with the thicker upholstered, full-length roof bed, which I suspect is also slightly wider and has a larger payload. Being a longer elevating roof, the matching, front-mounted, moulded roof rack is much smaller than that on the 1968~73 Westfalias, providing noticeably less luggage capacity. However, even when two suitcases, annexe tent, picnic chairs and 5 litre spare fuel can, were stowed on our large, rear mounted roof rack, there was still spare unused space, so the smaller, front mounted roof rack, would probably have been no disadvantage.

The later model years, of the 1974~79, rear-hinged elevating roof, also has a flock lining of some sort, which might help to inhibit condensation. Following dewy nights, I was frequently plagued by condensation forming on the smooth interior surface of our earlier type roof; which in the morning, needed to be dried using an absorbent towel, wrung out several times. It is debatable, whether or not it would be practical, to upgrade our vehicle with the later, rear-hinged elevating roof and matching front-mounted roof rack.

As we discovered from long experience, it is seldom possible, to find a level pitch on which to camp. Under these circumstances, it is preferable to park the vehicle, so that as far as possible, it is level from side-to-side (i.e. virtually zero roll angle) and that one's head is uphill from one's feet. In the case of the 1968~73 Westfalia, with front-hinged elevating roof, having one's head uphill, is only possible for everyone, if those occupying the main rock & roll double bed, sleep with their heads towards the main rear hatch.

This is likely to involve contact between one's back, head or shoulders, with the spare wheel, in the narrowest portion of the double bed, but also risks striking one's head on the bottom of the rear cupboard, when sitting up suddenly. For these reasons, my parents chose to sleep with their feet towards the main rear hatch, which made it more important to find a reasonably level camping pitch! Sleeping this way round, introduces the possible hazard of having one's head trodden on, when occupants of the elevating-roof bed, climb down to visit the toilet, during the night. This never happened in practice, but not everyone is as careful as I.

The 1974~79 Westfalia, with rear-hinged elevating roof, enables everyone to have their heads uphill, with their feet towards the main rear hatch. It also has the advantage, that owing to the relative position and orientation of the main and elevating-roof beds, there is no risk of the main-bed occupants, being trampled under foot. However, it may be less easy for the elevating-roof bed occupants, to climb down without having the edge of the main rock & roll bed, upon which to stand. This being the case, one could probably stand on the original-equipment, free-standing stool (fastened to the furniture by a strap) in the narrow aisle between the sink and wardrobe units, immediately behind the cab. In the USA & Canadian specification 1974~79 Westfalia, both the furniture layout and access to the elevating-roof bed are very different.

Harry Nash had used the cab-bunk as a night-time storage hammock, but neither of our respective families have ever used it for sleeping, so I cannot comment on its suitability, even for a young child, but as I mentioned earlier, my earlier experience of a stretcher bunk, in the Commer Highwayman, was most uncomfortable. In 1989, we fitted alternative cab seats (ex Volvo 240GL), having non-removable head restraints, so it later became impossible to fit the cab-bunk anyway! Consequently, it and the matching mounting brackets, were eventually sold. If and when I get around to it, I may replace the cab-bunk, with some sort of hammock style cargo net, which would help to reduce clutter in the van, during an overnight touring stop, when an annexe tent is not being used.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

Although the rock & roll bench-seat cum bed, converted into a comfortable, full-width, double bed, comprising only three cushions, it was not so well suited as a bench-seat for travelling long distances; the backrest being too upright and too far, from the front edge of the seat squab, for comfort. This was overcome by using a custom made, supplementary, wedge-shaped, cloth covered, foam cushion (of similar form, to the loose, back-rest cushion, for the small side-facing bench-seat), tapering from 4 inches thick at the bottom, to ¼ inch at the top of the seat back.

When used at night, this supplementary cushion, acted as a gently sloping bolster, inhibiting the pillows from sliding onto the floor; the rock & roll bed, having no headboard. A similar sloping cushion was also made for the elevating-roof bunk. The Westfalia Continental, upholstered stool, which resided in the aisle, between the furniture units, was too low for dining at the swivel-table and unsuitable for use whilst travelling, so it was merely stored at home and later sold to another fellow owner, who sought to restore his vehicle to the original factory specification.

Anticipating that for our 1975 European and subsequent tours, sleeping accommodation for four adults would be required, we bought a free-standing, motorcaravan-annexe frame tent, in a sale, at a local camping suppliers, in Shoeburyness, Essex. The tent frame had telescopic upright poles, which made it easier to erect and dismantle the tent, especially during windy weather; a facility which was to prove invaluable, during our 1976 summer holiday in Western Scotland. We already had waffle air-mattresses and Black's Norseland, down-filled sleeping bags, which had originally been bought for our 1971, Icelandic touring & camping, package, summer holiday, with Mini Trek.

In a later sale, at Camping & General, on Canvey Island, Essex, we bought a two-berth, inner bedroom-tent, having flyscreens, a zippered entrance and a sewn-in groundsheet, which would isolate bedding from running ground water during heavy rain, be more snug (i.e. less draughty) and provide greater privacy, plus keeping the mosquitoes and midges at bay. In parts of Northern Scandinavia, each camper acquires their own personal midge squadron (which follow one everywhere and some even perform kamikaze dives into one's tea or soup!); particularly in Myvatn, Iceland, as we found from personal experience.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BDvatn

http://icelandmag.visir.is/article/are-there-midges-iceland

http://icelandmag.visir.is/sites/default/files/sty...k=p481dRvV

http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/iceland-best-time-to-visit.html

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g315...egion.html

During our 1975 shake-down trips, the sink unit's water hand-pump failed, owing to a broken, internal nylon connecting rod, of which we were unable to obtain a spare. We also discovered that most of the flexible nylon cupboard stays had broken and that the standard cutlery drawer was too deep & narrow, to be conveniently used for its intended purpose. In those days, VW motorcaravans were sold through the franchised VW dealer network (rather than motorcaravan dealers), who didn't cater for motorcaravan-conversion spares.

Fortunately, I was able to make a replacement connecting rod for the pump, out of duralumin (a tough, corrosion resistant, aluminium alloy) and fabricated a full-width, supplementary cutlery drawer, out of plywood (see Technical Information Sheet No. 78, VW Type 2 Owners' Club, 1998), in the workshops, at sixth form college, after my GCE 'A' Level exams, before we departed on our holiday. The nylon stays were replaced with hinged metal ones, which have lasted to this day. Thereafter, our initiation into Continental touring went smoothly; the van behaving impeccably the whole time.

Retro-fitted a home-made, full-width, supplementary plywood cutlery (i.e. cooking & eating utensils) drawer, to my British specification, 1973 VW Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan

The supplementary drawer was made using ¼ inch plywood for the front, back & sides, plus 1/8 inch plywood for the base and five two-thirds depth, internal dividers. The drawer runners, were made from off-cuts of rosewood.

Other illustrated items, include the momentary, push-button switch for the retro-fitted, Denton Greenwood "Evenflow" electric water pump, a Swedish-made, splash-proof, 12VDC accessory cigar-lighter socket, fuse holder for both electrical systems and a pair of hinged stays, for the fold-down flap.

My final act of vehicle preparation, was to fit two 1 kg Firemaster Commando, dry powder fire extinguishers, positioned close to the driver's cab door and the sliding door; following the fire officers' maxim, of locating them along the path of escape. Fourteen years later, in 1989, I attended a training course at work (a recognised fire-test laboratory, amongst other things), about different types of fire and fire extinguisher.

This led me to substitute a 1½ kg Swordsman, trigger operated, BCF fire extinguisher (a type extensively employed, by the Defence Fire Service, which I later discovered in 1990, at the Royal Military College of Science), for the dry powder type, near the cab door. I also later fitted an Addis Safety, 75 mm square section, tubular fire-blanket dispenser (containing a 3 feet x 3 feet, glass fibre fire blanket, complying with BS476 Parts 4 & 7), to the roof lining, just above the sliding door, which would be immediately to hand, when using the two-burner, cooking stove.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

Being unable to hire an appropriate touring spares kit, from the AA, in 1975, for air-cooled VWs, we took the precaution of buying the recommended VW parts, through Ecta Motors in Rochford, Essex, who were the local franchised VW agents at that time. Having a toughened windscreen (which shatter into small crystalline fragments when broken) rather than a laminated one, we also purchased an emergency windscreen, which the AA was able to supply.

It was lucky that none of our spares were needed, because years later, I unsealed the box containing the ignition coil and found it to be of the wrong type; bearing little resemblance to the original fitment. In those days, we naïvely believed that franchised main dealerships, knew their business, but that and subsequent experiences, have made me increasingly wary. I now inspect all such purchases, in minute detail and as far as practical, check to ensure that they work properly!

Bay Window Bus > Unusual 1968~79 VW Type 2 and/or VW 181/182 ignition coil

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=195212

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/Microfiche/t209410.gif

During our maiden Continental expedition, we came to appreciate the value of the large standard roofrack, but found the need for a proper roofrack cover. Before the next major trip, I made a waterproof, stretch-cover (see updated VWT2OC Technical Information Sheet No. 78), using a surplus, butyl rubber, garden pond liner; buying the eyelets, bungee cord, cleats and turn-button fasteners, from Camping & General, on Canvey Island. Initially, I used a length of washing line to tie down the load, but later obtained a one inch, nylon webbing, ratchet-action, luggage strap, which was more secure, plus being quicker and easier to use. Ideally, I would like to supplement the roof-rack's twelve existing luggage-strap bridges, with additional eight, to better secure the luggage, but I have yet to obtain any.

The roof rack was used for large, bulky items, such as the annexe tent & poles, two soft suitcases for our spare clothes, folding stools and picnic chairs (those made by Andrews McClaren - who also make baby-buggies - were found to be the lightest and most easily stowed), plus a few other small articles, which later included a five litre (i.e. 1•09 gallons), 'Explosafe' petrol can. For our purposes, the roof rack was larger than we needed, necessitating the storage of other smaller items (which might otherwise have been more conveniently stored within the van) on the roof rack, to stabilise the main luggage). The smaller, front-mounted roof rack of the 1975~79 Westfalia, would probably have been sufficient for our needs.

Paddy Hopkirk, 'Explosafe' petrol cans (steel can, filled with porous, foamed aluminium, which is reputed to inhibit explosions!) of both 5 and 10 litre capacities were (and might still be) available, but the larger size was too tall, to conveniently fit on our roof rack. It was also possible to obtain a matching anchor tray, to secure either of the petrol cans, which could be bolted to the floor of a car boot or other appropriate location. These days, in some countries such as Germany, one is prohibited from carrying a spare can, filled with petrol, which seems pointless, if the can is of an approved pattern and properly stowed.

Forum Index > Accessories/Memorabilia/Toys > "Explosafe" Safety Fuel Cans

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=652305

During our holiday, the large annexe tent, provided useful extra space, especially at night; enabling us to remove much of the usual clutter from the van. It also served, to reserve our pitch for us, when we went out for the day. The need to align the van with the tent, when parking and to walk through the tent, to enter or leave the van, was rather irksome, so on all future occasions, the annexe was simply used as a frame tent. A better design of annexe, would have been one, which could be erected some distance away from the van, but connected to the van when desired, by an extendable awning, with removable sides.

We also found that getting ready for bed or reading by torchlight, was unsatisfactory, so we later bought a 12V, 8W ABS plastic, fluorescent light unit, which clipped to the inner tent-frame. Both this and a longer 13W version, are still available from Camping & General, on Canvey Island. Connection to the van's battery, was made via a bulkhead type, BNC connector (readily available from computer & electronics hobby shops), with splashproof cover, mounted through the side of the engine compartment, rather than leaving the engine compartment hatch open and using the standard crocodile clips, on the battery terminals.

That trip also highlighted the vulnerability of rear-seat passengers, so we purchased a pair of Kangol, lap & diagonal, static seat belts, which I fitted before our next trip. The VW Type 2, Kombi version (Type 23 - 517, upon which the Westfalia Continental is based), already had the necessary seat-belt mountings in place, so fitting rear seat belts, was very straight forward. Unfortunately, we found that the upper mounting, below the rear, side window, was too low, causing the diagonal belt to slip off the shoulder.

Consequently, we remounted the seat belts, purely as lap belts, which have proved to be satisfactory. However, having recently seen some photographs of Andreas Frahm's, modified and restored, 1972 VW '1600' Type 2 Microbus (see Neil Birkitt, "Moose on the Loose", VW Motoring, January 1998, pages 51~54), showing his supplementary, raised upper seat belt mountings, for the rearmost seats, it may be practical to revert to lap & diagonal rear-seat belts, at sometime.

I have since inspected a 1976 VW Type 2 Microbus, recently imported second-hand from Northern Sweden, which was fitted with inertia-reel, rear-seat belts, having raised upper mountings of this type. These appear to be identical, to those illustrated on page (or frame) 82-20, of the official, 1968~79 VW Type 2, Replacement Parts Catalogue (or Microfiche). It is possible that they might also be featured on the VW Replacement Parts CD-ROM, the first edition of which was released in late 2000.

Bay Window Bus > 1968~79 VW Type 2, seatbelts, head restraints & airbags

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=262433
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

Sometime after our 1975 Luxemburg holiday, the van was dispatched to Ecta Motors, near Southend Airport, Essex, for its next main service. That was the last time our VW was ever to be serviced by a UK main dealer! When some days later, I inspected the underside of the engine, to investigate the source of oil drips, I discovered that, of the six M6, 10mm AF dome-nuts, which retain the oil-strainer-plate, three were missing. Over the next few months, we were also to be confounded by the rear brake linings, sticking to the drums, after use in wet weather and making an audible clonk, as we pulled away, after it had stood a while.

One day, following a spell of particularly wet weather, the rear brakes siezed solid and the VW refused to budge. By this time, my father had learned of an independent VW mechanic, by the name of Cowdrey, in Hockley, Essex, who came to our home and was able to free the brakes, by hard revving of the engine and brutal treatment of the clutch. Several attempts were required, even to free one rear brake and several more to free the second. Having freed one brake, Mr. Cowdrey's subsequent attempts to free the remaining seized brake, caused the van to slew to one side and I feared it would scrape against the adjacent house wall.

He later said that had he been unable to free the brakes in this way, he may have had to cut off the brake drums, using an oxy-acetylene torch! With hindsight, I suspect that judicious heating with the torch, combined with use of the mallet, would probably have been adequate, but the drums might have required replacement, owing to loss of temper hardness.

It transpired, that Ecta Motors, demonstrating another aspect of their incompetence, had omitted to replace the rubber bungs, in the back plates, after checking and/or adjusting the rear brakes. With the bungs missing, water spray had entered the brakes and caused the brake dust (which had not been removed during the service!) to set like cement. In the years that followed, I was to learn of other major complaints, levelled at Ecta Motors, regarding incompetence and poor customer service. Ecta Motors ultimately went out of business and the franchise was taken over by Maryan & Brading, from whom I have since bought spares, from time-to-time.

Noting that our van rear-lamp lenses made provision for integral reversing lamps, it was thought sensible to incorporate the necessary circuitry, which Mr. Cowdrey did during the next scheduled service, at my father's request; requiring only the fitment of bulb holders, a gearbox activated switch, plus the necessary in-line fuse holder and wiring. Sadly, Mr. Cowdrey, ceased trading, not long after this and I took over the VW's servicing and general maintenance.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

During Easter 1976, whilst on a package holiday in The Gambia, West Africa, I had my first introduction to working on VW air-cooled engines. On a lazy afternoon, when my parents were resting, I went off to explore the grounds of the Atlantic Hotel (of traditional British colonial style; referred to in an early travel guide to The Gambia, dating from the era, when the principal town of Banjul, had been known as Bathurst), where we were staying, wherein I encountered the German chef, working on the engine of a VW Beetle, he had somehow acquired.

Not having any axle stands, he had supported the car body, on two overturned, empty, 45 gallon oil drums, enabling him to remove the engine. Stopping to chat for a while, I ended up assisting him, in cleaning the exterior of the engine with paraffin, by means of an old paint brush; a lesson which was to prove useful in 1983, when I removed our very oily VW Type 2 engine. Although they were built in both Nigeria and South Africa, I can only recall seeing that one air-cooled VW, during my stay in The Gambia. Most vehicles, were either Peugeot cars and pickups (built in West Africa), Landrover and Toyota Landcruiser, plus the increasingly popular, small Japanese trucks.

By the summer of 1976, we had driven the van just over 2,000 miles, which was sufficient to realise, just how under-powered it was. I also concluded that the standard tungsten-filament, glass envelope, 45/40W headlamp bulbs were wholly inadequate; both on dipped and main beams. The reflectors were still lustrous, so I took the opportunity to upgrade the headlamps, by substituting H4 60/55W quartz halogen bulbs, with P45t mounting flanges (these are compatible with the standard, non-H4 type headlamp units, originally fitted with 410 type bulbs), which produce a whiter, more intense light.

These were then only available from wholesalers, but are now commonly found in most car accessory shops (including the yet more powerful H4 100/80W bulbs, to which I later upgraded in 1988, together with uprated wiring). The improved illumination conferred by these H4 60/55W bulbs, had to be experienced to be believed! Considering how cheap H4 bulbs are these days (less in 2009, than I paid in 1976), I am surprised at how many VW Type 2s, are still fitted with those pitiful, standard 45/40W bulbs.

At about the same time, I made the acquaintance of Richard Ashdown, a physics technician, at Chelsea College, London University, Physics & Electronics Annexe, in Fulham, who introduced me to the delights of Safer Motoring magazine (later renamed VW Motoring, which ceased publication several years ago), the Minnow Fish carburettor and accessory, vinyl covered, plywood parcel shelves, which fitted beneath the dashboard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_College_of_Science_and_Technology

http://www.kingscollections.org/exhibitions/archives/studentdays/chelsea-college/history

http://www.kingscollections.org/exhibitions/archiv...-1972-1985

During my end of first year, post-examination, two-week physics summer school, I had seen his green & white, 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 Westfalia Continental, in the departmental car park, to which I had attached a note, introducing myself! First year physics courses were conducted at the main site in Chelsea, so if I had chosen not to take the optional summer school, I would never have met Richard (he left Chelsea College before the start of my second year) and the history of our van might have been very different.

With limited storage space in the cab, for our maps, guidebooks, music cassette tapes and other paraphernalia, the parcel shelves, which seemed like a useful accessory, were duly purchased and fitted. We also purchased from a car accessory shop, a pair of moulded plastic door pockets, which were screwed to the forward, lower portion, of the cab doors. I have since discovered that door pockets, salvaged from BLMC Austin Metros, are even more capacious and are available in a tan colour, closely matching the standard VW Type 2 door trim panel. Although the parcel shelves gave useful service, for many years, they were not ideal; being of limited depth and suspended less than 80 mm beneath the dashboard, immediately above the sheet-steel ventilation ducts.

Rather than purchase a Minnow Fish carburettor by mail order and attempt to fit and tune it ourselves, we decided to make the pilgrimage to Lochgilphead, during our forthcoming August 1976 holiday in Scotland (home for the first nine years of my childhood), where we would have one fitted and tuned on the rolling road dynamometer, by the celebrated Robert Henderson; much vaunted guru of air-cooled VW tuning, during the 1970s and originator of the Minnow Fish. My father later described Robert Henderson's road test of our van; expressing his amazement at how well it handled (the advantage of fully independent suspension and associated low unsprung weight!), when skillfully driven at high speed, around the twisting lanes of Western Scotland.

http://www.autoinsider.co.uk/local/garage-services/ai_24800.php

http://www.hotfrog.co.uk/business/argyll/lochgilphead/minnow-fish-carburettors

http://www.historicvws.co.uk/technical/minnow_fish_carb/minnow_fish.htm

http://www.fireballroberts.com/fish_story.htm

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Minnow+Fish+ca...;FORM=IGRE

In the ensuing years, this installation was to prove both a blessing and a curse; an opinion which has been echoed by others who have had personal experience of the Minnow Fish and/or Reece Fish carburettors. These included the late Arthur Barraclough, whose 1970 VW "1600" Type 2, 'Rosie' (VW Type 2 Owners' Club, 1995 'Van of the Year'), was once equipped with the former, plus Ivan McCutcheon (editor of Volksworld magazine) and Tony Royston (proprietor of Microgiant, in Rawreth, Essex). When relatively new and unworn, the carburettor gave lively performance (by the standards of an early-1970s vintage, 1584cc flat-four engine, with a restrictive inlet manifold and a mere 7•5:1 compression ratio!) and a consistently indicated fuel consumption of 25 ± ½ MPG, between fuel tank fill-ups, almost irrespective of the type of motoring undertaken; including motorways, country lanes and mountain passes.

Forum Index > Bay Window Bus > Arthur Barraclough's, much vaunted, modified, 1970 VW Type 2

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=196043
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

The Westfalia Continental has seating for only two people in the cab, so when only three people are travelling in the vehicle, one is isolated in the back, on their own, out of earshot. Given that we are a family of three, who typically only had a fourth travelling companion, when touring on holiday, we sought some way of having a removable, supplementary seat in the cab aisle. Imagine our surprise, when early on during our membership of the Motorcaravanners' Club, we came across such a seat, in the club magazine, being advertised for sale, second-hand, by a member in the Birmingham area. The seat, which had two removable cushions, comprised a storage box with removable lid, made from ½ inch plywood with decorative melamine laminate, plus a tubular steel back rest which slid into brackets attached to the box.

The seat cum storage-box assembly, was designed to be held in place, by means of two spring-loaded bolts, which would engage in holes drilled in the curved portion of the bulkheads, behind the existing cab seats. Rigging up a spare lap seat-belt, we tried out the seat for a while, before committing ourselves, to drill any holes. Unfortunately, the seat proved to be rather uncomfortable, mainly owing to the space between the existing seats, being too narrow.

Hence, we gave up the idea of having three seated in the cab, but the storage box which was a convenient place to keep our toilet bags, hand towels and wet-weather clothing, was retained and the other seat components were consigned to the attic. The complete seat cum storage-box assembly was eventually sold, sometime during the early-to-mid 1990s.

Sometime after our 1976 trip to Scotland, it was decided that for touring in Western Europe, a single spare wheel would suffice and that more sleeping space could be obtained, by storing it on a front-panel mounted, spare wheel carrier, instead of the spare-wheel well, in the rear passenger cabin, above the engine compartment. Having made that decision, a supplementary bed-cushion was made, to fill the space vacated by the spare wheel.

A lockable front spare-wheel carrier was purchased from Richard Holdsworth Conversions, in Woodley, near Reading, Berkshire and fitted using M6 stainless steel screws, together with home-made, 1¼ inch wide, stainless steel reinforcing straps and captive nuts, behind the front panel. This was more fiddly to fit, than simply using the cavity fixings provided, but it conferred greater strength, plus minimising the likelyhood of panel distortion or corrosion. The modest change in weight balance, from rear to front, also slightly improved the van's straight-line stability in cross-winds.

In late-1976, I learned of a Britax-Wingard door mirror, called Zanetti, with universal stem fitting, having two convex mirror lenses, in a single housing, set at a pre-determined relative angle, designed to give normal rearward vision and also cover the rear-quarter blindspot. Having tall furniture, immediately behind the driver's seat and louvred side windows with netting-mesh, fly screens, it was impossible to check the blindspot, simply by looking over one's shoulder. Besides this, my father was virtually blind in his right eye, so he was unable to check over his right shoulder, anyway!

The Zanetti mirror was not widely sold and the nearest stockist, more than 25 miles from our home, had only a single specimen. Thus, it was decided to fit our solitary Zanetti mirror, to the nearside door, which subsequently proved to be invaluable; both in Britain and on our Continental touring holidays. Originally the Zanetti mirror was fitted to a custom made stem, inserted into the original screw-in door fitting, but this proved to be unsatisfactory, probably owing to poor machining tolerances, of the taper, at the bottom of the stem. Ultimately, the Zanetti mirror was grafted onto the original VW door mirror, which has served us very well. I only wish we had managed to obtain two Zanetti mirrors!

Sometime earlier, we had also learned of the Vangard™, rear view lens, which is a ridged, flexible, PVC Fresnel lens, which when fitted to the rear-window glass, confers a larger field of view, to aid reversing. When sitting in the driving seat, I found that with the aid of the Fresnel lens, I could see the feet of a pedestrian, standing not less than 2•8 metres (i.e. about 9 feet) behind the vehicle. It was discovered, that the lens also gave a partial view of the rear-quarter blind spots, on both sides; complementing the Zanetti twin-lens door mirror.

Twelve years later, in Redhill, Surrey (where I worked for two years), I saw a British Q-registered (used to denote a vehicle, whose year of initial registration is unknown), left-hand drive, 1974~79 VW Type 2 (believed to have been imported second-hand, from The Netherlands or West Germany, by Bilbo's Trading Company, in South Godstone, Surrey), equipped with another pattern of twin-lens door mirror, complete with matching stem and screw fitting, for direct attachment to the cab door, which was a more attractive installation than our grafted VW & Britax-Wingard Zanetti hybrid mirror.

Forum Index > Bay Window Bus > Minimising Blindspots: The Available Options!?!

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=292964
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

By the late-1970s, it was apparent that some aspects of the VW Type 2 bodywork and fittings, were subject to premature deterioration, which in some cases, was owing to poor design and/or poor finish. The front panel and ventilation grille, were rusting in places, owing to stone chipping, which was to be expected. However, we were surprised to discover that patches of bodywork behind the grille, were also rusting; including the steel ventilation flaps, which exhibited pronounced rust pitting in places.

Also quite badly affected, were the lower and middle, sliding door runners, plus the associated offside and nearside trim covers, beneath the rear, side windows, together with their support brackets and U-channels. In fact, the U-channels and the bodywork behind them, were so badly rusted, that the former were removed completely and the trim covers later refitted, using Rawlnut, rubber cavity-fixings.

In order to refurbish some of the adjacent bodywork, it was also necessary to remove the rearmost side windows; requiring several blunt-bladed screwdrivers, which were used to lever the rubber window-seals over the window aperture flange. Later refitting of the windows was child's play; completed in just a few minutes and requiring the help of only one assistant and a length of thin, nylon cord, about one half metre longer than the window's perimeter.

The rear, offside, quarter-light window frame, was quite badly rusted, so whilst it and the adjacent fixed window were removed, we took the opportunity to replace them with a larger, single, fixed window. We had never found opening quarter lights to be particularly useful with regard to ventilation and besides which, this one was adjacent to the offside louvred window, whose degree of opening could be finely adjusted, for our ventilation needs.

The front cab, fixed, quarter-light window frames, were also showing signs of rusting, but the task of removing them for refurbishment, seemed too involved at that time, so the exposed portions were simply treated in-situ, with Kurust, which provided reasonable protection. All of the quarter-light window frames, were merely pressed sheet steel, with a thin coat of satin-black paint; neither of which were likely to confer long-term durability.

Other areas requiring attention, were the edges of the front and rear wheel arches, the edges of all the doors & main rear hatch, both bumpers, front scuttle and the front belly pan (shields the steering box, control cables and brake master cylinder). None of these areas were badly rusted, but they would have deteriorated, if left untreated. In general, rust was removed using a selection of rotary wire brushes and emery cloth, followed by treatment with Kurust. After feathering any surrounding paintwork, the bare metal was repainted with several coats, using a combination of red-oxide (i.e. zinc chromate) primer, aluminium undercoat and either one or other of brushable, air-drying, Valentines synthetic acrylic top-coat and genuine VW aerosol touch-up spray paint.

Additionally, the door runners were coated with Hammerite, in an attempt to provide some abrasion resistance. Sadly, the Hammerite, being rather brittle and prone to chipping, proved to be unsuitable for this application, so we resorted to lightly greasing the bare steel. On the whole, our refurbishment proved to be quite durable, providing good protection for many years. Only the exposed front panel, required repeated retreatment.

http://www.hammerite.co.uk/index.jsp

http://www.hammerite.co.uk/products/index.jsp

The bodywork was not the only thing to suffer corrosion. By this time, the exhaust heat exchangers and silencer box, had corroded quite badly and we were beginning to notice the smell of oily fumes in the cab. These were soon replaced with genuine VW spares (pattern parts did not seem to be widely available in those days) taking the added precaution, to coat the internal surface of the heat exchanger, sheet-steel shroud, with high-temperature aluminium paint (see Technical Information Sheet No. 42, VW Type 2 Owners' Club, February 1998).

The external surface was treated to a few coats of Hammerite, but when this later suffered badly from stone chipping, I reverted to using ordinary high-temperature aluminium paint, which I had also used on the exhaust silencer. The heat exchangers lasted very well and were still in remarkably good condition, when we sold them second-hand, after first selling the original 1600 engine in 1993, in favour of a substitute VW Type 4 style engine; the reasons for which are discussed later.

Sometime after refurbishing the bodywork and replacing the exhaust system, we fitted some 235 mm wide, genuine VW, textile-reinforced-rubber, rear-mudflaps (supplied by our local, franchised VW agent), bearing the Wolfsburg crest; recalling the large volume of spray, produced by van wheels, during wet weather and the degree of stone chipping suffered by our exhaust heat exchangers. The mudflaps could not be fitted directly onto the rear mudguards, but surprisingly, no mounting brackets were supplied, so I had to fabricate some myself, from my stock of recently acquired duralumin offcuts.

Genuine VW mudflaps of the same pattern as mine, with the Wolfsberg crest

A few months later, after loading the van and setting off, for one of our European touring holidays, we were perplexed by the sound of a strange rubbing cum scraping noise, as we reversed out of our driveway. This proved to be the mudflaps dragging on the ground, despite having fitted them so that their top edge butted against the bottom of the mudguard. We delayed our departure to rectify the problem, which necessitated removal of the mudflaps from the vehicle.

To avoid ruining the appearance of the mudflap, a strip was trimmed from the top, using a hacksaw, to give a total length of 315 mm, so that the bottom of the mudflaps hung about 25 mm above the road surface, when the van was laden, with camping gear, other luggage and four adults aboard. Having refitted the shortened mudflaps, we departed on our holiday. Since then I have acquired a pair of unmodified mudflaps, of identical appearance, having the same width, but 290 mm in length. Whether our original mudflaps were correctly supplied (i.e. intended for a VW LT rather than a VW Type 2), is open to question!

A Swedish red squirrel on a campsite in 1982, undertaking a roadworthiness inspection of our Michelin XZX 185 SR14 Reinforced rear tyre and genuine VW Type 2 rear mudflaps

Note the home-made duralumin mud-flap attachment bracket, plus the bulkhead type BNC connector, used to make a low-current, 12V power-supply connection to the annexe-tent's 8W fluorescent light.

Volkswagen didn't list any front mudflaps in the accessories leaflet, for the 1968~79 VW Type 2, so I made my own, using the remnants of an old conveyor belt (which I had managed to scrounge from Cranfield) and fabricated some more duralumin mounting brackets. The conveyor belt was 350 mm wide, so my front mudflaps occupy almost the full width of the front wheel arches. Being subject to a potentially very corrosive environment, both the front and rear mudflaps, were secured using M6 stainless steel screws, nuts and 'penny' washers.

At some time in the future, I might replace both the front and rear mudflaps, with spiky surfaced rainflaps (akin to a heavy duty version, of a common brand of spiky plastic doormat), I salvaged from an articulated lorry trailer, found at a local breaker's yard. These will be trimmed, in order to shield the full width of the wheel arches; ideally being about 450 mm and 300 mm wide, for the front and rear respectively.

Many years ago, the Transport Research Laboratory assessed this type of rainflap, to be significantly more effective than conventional, untextured rainflaps, at reducing the quantity of road-water spray produced. The wheel arch edges of modern trucks, are also fitted with a form of brush strip (similar in appearance to some domestic draught excluder), to further inhibit the production of road-water spray, but whether our VW will ever be fitted with these, remains to be seen.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

During the late-1970s, we began to experience sporadic occurrences of the dreaded 'dead starter syndrome' (see VW Type 2 Owners' Club, Technical Information Sheet No. 13), once or twice per year; usually at the most inconvenient of times. Inexplicably, the VW always restarted sometime later, showing no indication that there had ever been a problem. Whilst travelling to Dover to catch the Channel ferry, we stopped at a petrol station to refuel, but the van refused to restart. Having pushed it off the forecourt, it restarted without difficulty about a quarter of an hour later.

On a different trip, the same thing occurred, when we tried to start the engine, prior to disembarkation from the Channel ferry; resulting in our being temporarily pushed out of the way until most of the other vehicles were off-loaded. Fortunately, we were eventually able to start the engine, so didn't need to be towed off! During another holiday, we stalled when pulling away from traffic lights in France and again were plagued with a dead starter. The van was pushed into a nearby carpark and we waited until the starter chose to co-operate, which it did, about half an hour later.

There were other episodes of 'dead starter syndrome', but I now forget the details. By this time, the van's unpredictable behaviour was becoming rather irritating, to say the least, so something had to be done. On the occasions that the starter failed to work, I had noticed a dimming of the warning lights, suggesting that the fault was probably with the starter motor or solenoid, which we removed, dismantled, cleaned and lubricated; ensuring that all the electrical connections, were bright, shiny metal.

This seemed to cure the problem, but as the saying goes, "once bitten, twice shy", so when the opportunity arose in 1988, we had the VW equipped with a starting handle, as added insurance. Having regularly used a starting handle during my early childhood, when helping my father with his 1949 Morris 8 Series E, I was well acquainted with this useful accessory. Starting the VW by means of the starting handle, was usually quite easy, but it would not start immediately this way, when the engine was hot, having just stopped.

Many years later, I learned that a starting handle facility, was a factory fitted option, on the military specification, 1968~79 VW 1600 Type 2 (see Paul Knight, "Buying a Type 2", Volksworld magazine, June 2002, pages 100~103, for illustration of 1970 model). Whether this option was available, on military specification, 1972~79 VW 17/18/2000 Type 2s, I don't know, but I have implemented a similar conversion, on our 1911 cm³ displacement, VW Type 4 style engine, which has yet to be transplanted.

Also during the late-1970s, whilst on holiday in Belgium, the whole vehicle began to judder violently, in a manner which was reminiscent, of the ignition cut-out type rotor arm, shorting the HT ignition pulses to earth. Normally, this would only occur when the engine reached 4,500 RPM (corresponding to about 50 MPH in 3rd gear), but this was happening at less than 2,000 RPM, which was rather disconcerting. I stopped and inspected the rotor arm, part of which was damaged, leading to the centrifugal cut-out device, operating earlier than it should. Fortunately, we always carried a spare, but had we not, it would have been relatively easy to disable the cut-out device and take special care not to over-rev the engine.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

By the late-1970s, I had become quite accustomed to tinkering with the van and at some stage decided to fit some electrical accessories, the first of which were some USA specification, rear, red side-marker lights and front, amber side-marker reflectors (ordered from our local VW agent), as an additional night-time safety feature; invaluable when emerging from road junctions or our driveway. Had I been aware that the side-marker light & reflector lenses, were of the same specification (except for colour), I would also have fitted bulb holder units at the front; a future upgrade I intend to make, if and when I get around to it!

As the van was used, during only mild or warm weather, our Minnow Fish carburettor had yet to exhibit any icing problems. However, as a precaution, I decided to fit the matching, 90W electric de-icing element, activated via a relay in the engine compartment, using a dashboard switch with integral warning light. This was a heated rear window switch, salvaged from a VW Type 4 (i.e. VW 411 & 412). I disliked the non-matching switch knobs, so I replaced the remaining VW Type 2 knobs (shaped like a dimpled, truncated cone), with those of the VW Type 1, 3 & 4 pattern (shaped like a stepped, truncated cone), which were then more readily available in breakers' yards. Ironically, the lock-knob of my recently acquired, second-hand VW Type 2 glove-box cover, is also of the VW Type 1, 3 & 4 pattern, so everything matches quite nicely!

By this time, we had become well acquainted, with the inadequacy of the heater-demister system; particularly with regard to the lack of heating, in the rear passenger cabin. For reasons which now elude me, I had believed then, that the sheet metal ducts which supplied air to the swivelling, circular outlets, at either end of the dashboard, were part of heater-demister system. Consequently, I further believed, that the rear cabin heating could be improved, by fitting a black-plastic, nearside door-mounted duct, associated connectors and outlet, as seen on the earlier 1968~72 VW Type 2s. Having later discovered that they were actually part of the cold-air ventilation system, the reason for this modification providing no improvement in the heating, became self evident!

As a simple way of improving thermal comfort for the driver and front passenger, appropriately shaped, ¼ inch thick layers, of surplus carpet underlay, were placed beneath both the rubber mat in the cab and that in the aisle, between the cab seats. This seemed to have some effect; there being a subjective impression that one's feet didn't get quite so cold as before. Road noise also seemed to be slightly muted.

At a later date, the underlay was supplemented by ¾ inch thick, high-density, closed cell, synthetic foam-rubber sheet; formerly thermal conductivity test samples from my work, during 1988~89. This was glued to the underlay, using Dunlop Thixofix contact adhesive, which is easier to spread than other brands I've used. In addition to further insulating the floor, I later learned from some published research, that use of resilient foam material, in car footwells, gives the added benefit of reducing injury to the feet and lower-legs, resulting from the rapid deformation of the floor, during a collision.

In 1979, being still dissatisfied with the inadequacy of the heater-demister system, I investigated the feasibility of fitting a centrifugal, electric heater-booster fan (see Technical Information Sheet No. 5, VW Type 2 Owners' Club, 1998), in parallel with the main engine cooling fan, as found in the 1972~79 VW 17/18/2000 Type 2. These electric fans were not readily available second-hand in the UK, but I had the good fortune to obtain one from a breaker's yard, in the Republic of South Africa, whilst on a motorcaravanning holiday, in April 1980.

This was eventually incorporated into the 1600 Type 2 heating system, sometime later, using homemade Y-junctions, made from glass fibre reinforced plastic; having been unable to obtain any USA specification adapters, which I wrongly believed to exist, owing to the anomalous inclusion of the 1972 VW 1700 Type 2 wiring diagram (featuring the heater-booster fan and associated circuitry), in the 1968~72 VW 1600 Type 2, Haynes workshop manual. Although the electric fan improved the warm-air flow, at low engine revs, it will be necessary to incorporate one or more in-line, axial-flow booster fans, downstream of the others, in order to gain any significant, overall improvement.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[Stuartzickefoose]

Damn you can type fast.

Okay now going back to read it
_________________
Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[Ludwig van]

It was interesting to read your detailed account, Nigel. It brought back memories of our first Westy, a brilliant orange '73, bought in 1986 from a retired aircraft mechanic in Surrey, BC. He was quite the tinkerer, and made several changes that were similar to yours. He put a tarp over the luggage carrier, anchored with a stainless steel strip on the front edge, and installed mudflaps that curved around into the wheel wells, also fastened with strips of stainless. He fastened a snack tray to the ashtray, so that it was a while before I noticed the automatic shift pattern on yhe ashtray door (the transmission was a manual). At first I thought he'd used an ashtray from a wreck, but later I noticed the shadow of a 'VW automatic' script on the deck lid. I ran into the previous owner later, and he told me he'd swapped the automatic out due to poor performance. Another interesting detail was the use of fasteners with heads that looked like 3-bladed Phillips screws. Apparently, they're used in aircraft. We kept that camper for 4 years before reluctantly selling it to finance some needed house repairs.

For the past 20 years, we've been driving our second Westy, a Sage green '78 P22 (no stove or fridge). It's treated us well and given us many great memories. I've owned over 25 vehicles, and this is the favourite by far.
_________________
'78 Sage Green California Westy 'Ludwig Van'
Our iPad e-book "Camping With Ludwig Van"
http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/356253-camping-with-ludwig-van

[NASkeet]

[NASkeet]

On our way to Switzerland, in August 1980, I got lost in the French town of Dijon, where I was unable to find the through-route to Geneva. Having tried almost every exit from one particular, large roundabout (to which I somehow kept returning, through a maze of one-way systems!), I was becoming rather frustrated. In desperation, I tried the only remaining exit and spied a uniformed policeman, at a distance, standing outside the police station, whom I hoped might be the source of my salvation.

During my approach, I hastily composed my query and stopped to ask him the way; uttering in my somewhat rusty school-boy French:- « Bonjour Monsieur l'Agent ». « Je suis perdue! ». « Voulez vous m'aider s'il vous plait? ». « Je cherche la route vers Genève ». This roughly translates as:- "Good day constable". "I am lost!". "Would you help me please?". "I seek the route to Geneva". When I later recounted these events, to my French student-colleagues at Cranfield, they conceded that my French was grammatically correct, but laughed because no Frenchman would have been so formal; using the commonly accepted idiom instead.

At that time, my French intonation and pronunciation, were quite reasonable (although my grammar and knowledge of idiom, probably left a lot to be desired); having undertaken a two year, post GCE 'O' level course in conversational French, during my sixth form science studies, so there was a good chance that I would be understood. However, not having regularly spoken French for several years, I then found it difficult to think in other than English, so I dreaded having to comprehend the anticipated rapid-fire reply, to my information request, which typified the native French speakers, I had previously encountered.

On this occasion, I was pleasantly surprised, when the policeman merely exclaimed, « Un moment! » and disappeared into the police station, for what seemed like ages. When he finally returned, he presented me with a photocopy of the town plan, upon which he had marked my required route, using a highlighter pen. After pointing out the various features, he stopped all the traffic, enabling me to perform a three-point turn; after which I thanked him profusely (saying, « Merci mille fois ») and proceeded on our journey.

Returning to France from Switzerland, I decided to stop at the border post, just outside the village of La Cure, in order to get my passport stamped, as a souvenier of my holiday; there having been no opportunity at the busy, major border crossing, on our way into Switzerland. The Swiss customs officer didn't bat an eyelid and acceded to my request, without question. However, when I sought the same favour from the French Sureté officer, I was subjected to an interrogation about my motives, for making such a strange request. After showing him my passport and explaining this eccentric British hobby, he finally relented, but barred my way when I attempted to follow him into the office; not wishing to lose sight of my passport.

Several years later, I found myself lost for words, at a French hypermarket's filling station, which in common with British supermarkets, was usually the cheapest place to buy petrol. Part way through filling the tank, at the self-service petrol pump, the power supply was cut off for a few moments. When power was restored, all the digital displays had reset to zero, so took no account of approximately 15 to 20 litres of petrol, I had already put in the tank, before resuming my fill-up. Regretably, even using sign language, to supplement my then meagre recall of French, I was unable to explain to the cashier, what had happened, so this turned out to be the cheapest petrol, we had ever purchased!

Navigation in France, has at times been less than straight forward, owing to the way in which road signs are oriented and positioned. For reasons better known to themselves, the French have a curious way of signposting at crossroads, a destination which lies straight ahead. This comprises two signs, on the opposite side of the junction, pointing across the road at each other. If either sign is obscured, by traffic or some other obstruction, then the single sign which remains visible, seems to indicate, that one should turn either left or right, dependent upon which way the visible sign is pointing. This has happened to me on a few occasions and I have yet to devise a foolproof way of overcoming the problem.

http://www.giteinbrittany.com/driving.html

http://www.drive-france.com/faqs/french-road-signs/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Road-Signs-Jeff-Ste...B00UXHX6V0

Although I had earlier driven abroad, in Southern Africa, our 1980 holiday in Europe, was my first experience of driving on the right, which on the whole, didn't cause any major problems, but I had to be careful, when turning left at junctions and giving way on the right (i.e. Cedez a droit), to traffic joining from minor roads and entering the roundabouts, which took a bit of getting used to. Fortunately, in later years, the French progressively adopted the British system, of giving way at major roads (designated by an orange rhombus shaped sign, with a black border) and to traffic on the roundabouts, which results in fewer accidents.

As I personally discovered once, one of the hazards of driving on the right, is remembering not to revert to driving on the left, when either turning at a junction or following a break (especially if emerging from a campsite in the morning or if parked on the left of the carriageway), when there is no traffic about, to act as a reminder. On one occasion, several weeks after returning to Great Britain, I caught myself driving on the right, of an empty road, after turning left at an unfamiliar junction, so one also needs to be wary after returning from the Continent!

Driving on some of the mountain roads was a bit disconcerting at first, owing to adverse road camber, whereby the road sloped downhill, towards the outside of the bends, which exacerbated the van's body roll and reduced the cornering power of the tyres. On a course, run by the Essex Police Driving School, I had recently been introduced to a technique, for straightening out open bends, utilising both sides of the road (where appropriate!), which proved to be particularly useful, under these circumstances, but I suspect the Continental drivers following some distance behind me, thought I was just another crazy British driver!
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

For our summer holiday in 1981, we arranged to rendezvous with our Dutch friends, the Borghoff family, at Aix les Bains, in Southern France. When we arrived, their campsite and all those within the environs of the town, were full to capacity with French holidaymakers; there being virtually no gaps between adjacent units. Hence, we were obliged to find a small campsite, some way out.

The following morning, when we went to visit our friends, the once crowded campsite, was almost deserted; the French having departed en masse that morning. I am pleased to say, this was my one and only experience of the legendary, summer migration, when most of the French population seem to take their annual holiday during the same fortnight, clogging the road systems as a result.

My father and friend Hank, sunbathing close to our 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 campervan

Being a keen cyclist, Arthur Borghoff had brought his racing bicycle, on which he wanted to try out the hill to Le Colombier; part of the Tour de France route, not far from Aix les Bains. Whilst Arthur attempted to climb the hill on his bicycle, I followed slowly behind, driving his Volvo 244; alternating between a slow crawl in 1st gear and a full stop. Let it suffice to say that Arthur didn't make it all the way, but he gave it a good try! This was my first experience of left-hand drive, which was to stand me in good stead, when I drove a 23 feet long x 8 feet wide x 11 feet high Motorhome (a Ford Honey, sporting an enormous honey bee logo on the rear panel), later hired by my father, in September 1981, for a holiday in Southern California, USA.

Me on Arthur’s bicycle at Le Colombier

Not having ridden a racing bicycle since my youth, when I occasionally rode those belonging to my local British friends, I tried out Arthur's on a reasonably quiet, level main road. Artur is several inches shorter than me, so his bicycle was not of optimum frame size, but despite this, I managed to attain quite a respectable speed, which probably exceeded 40 MPH; in fact almost as fast as a 1968~79 VW 1600 Type 2! I had previously obtained 30 MPH (as indicated by the accessory speedometer), on my Rayleigh Shopper bicycle, with 20 inch wheels.

On our way home from Aix les Bains, late one afternoon, we encountered thick fog, in which visibility, was typically 50 to 150 metres. There was nowhere safe to pull off the road, so I just continued driving, with dipped headlights (not having special foglights), at no more than 30 MPH, for several more hours, until I came across a huge expanse of gravel, by the side of the road. By then, it was late evening and almost dark, so we took refuge on a level patch, well away from the busy road, had some dinner and bedded down for the night.

At no time during the fog, had we seen any campsites signposted and none were listed for this locale, in our European campsites directory. By the following morning, the fog had completely cleared, so after breakfast, we resumed our journey. During our passage through the fog, a large number of oncoming French cars, flashed their yellow headlamps at me. Whether they were merely indicating their disgust, at our foreign, white H4 headlamps, or were actually dazzled by them, I don't know.

It was not practical to use Lucas, clip-on, 7 inch, circular, yellow, plastic beam converters, in conjunction with 1968~73 VW Type 2 headlamps, owing to the rim being a close fit to the lens, so I had simply blanked off, the asymmetric dipped-beam refraction section, of the glass lenses, using black electrical insulating tape, which was the recommended alternative, for Continental touring. It is now possible to obtain self-adhesive beam converters (either colourless or yellow) which fit over the refraction section, but ideally, one would substitute a set of Continental dipping headlamps, when touring overseas.

I had found when passing through regions of thick fog, that even the dipped headlights, were causing reflected glare (inhibiting visibility) and the normal tail lights, of cars I was following, became virtually invisible, just a short distance in front. In light of my experience with the fog, I suggested to my father, that we fit front and rear accessory foglamps, but he has never been keen on the idea, so it was not until recently, that any were fitted. Apart from mountain mist, when we drove over the Arlberg Pass (as a picturesque alternative, to the very long, toll road-tunnel), in the Austrian Alps, during summer 1985, on our way to Hungary, we have never since encountered fog, whilst driving the van.

Bay Window Bus > fog light mounting

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=229474

In contrast, I frequently encountered extremely foggy conditions, in Bedfordshire, circa February and November, when driving my Triumph Toledo, during my postgraduate engineering studies at Cranfield, from October 1980 to May 1984. I thus fitted below the front bumper, a matched pair, of 7 inch, Lucas 20-20, homofocal, rally fog lamps (with standard H3 55W quartz halogen bulbs), which were to prove indispensible, over the next few years.

Introduced in 1980, they received rave reviews from the motoring press (see David Windsor & Maurice Rowe, "A British Lamp to Beat the World", Motor, week ending 8th November 1980), comparing them with well known, rival products from Bosch, Hella, Cibie and Wipac. I found that my Lucas 20-20 fog lamps, gave kerb to kerb, lateral illumination, from 5 metres in front of the car and projected a flat horizontal beam (with sharp vertical cut-off), over a distance of at least 100 metres; even in quite thick fog, with virtually no reflected glare.

The advantages of good quality fog lamps (used in conjunction with the side lights, but with the headlamps switched off), are particularly noticeable at night, of which I had a graphic demonstration, on my way home to Canvey Island, via the A507, out of Stotfold towards Baldock, one Friday evening, as I approached the large roundabout, forming the junction between the A507 and A1. A car, using dipped headlamps, some distance in front of me, struck the offside kerb of the roundabout, which together with the roundabout's nearside kerb, I could clearly see at that moment, with the aid of my fog lamps.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

At one stage, during the early-1980s, the pancake air-filter element, atop our Minnow Fish carburettor, was subject to severe fouling, owing to oil mist and oil/water emulsion (commonly referred to as mayonnaise!), from the crankcase breather system. I renewed the air-filter element and disconnected the breather tube, allowing it to vent directly into the engine compartment; which had previously been recommended to me by Robert Henderson, when he fitted our Minnow Fish carburettor, back in 1976.

It was not long before the engine compartment was a dirty, oily mess, which took me ages to clean. Not realising the importance of the crankcase breather at that time, I unwisely blocked it off, in a bid to prevent the oil fouling! We next used the van for a weekend outing with our Dutch friends, during which we lost 2 of the 2½ litres of oil from the sump (some of it, deposited on the windscreen of our friends' car), until we were alerted by a flickering oil-pressure warning light, after a distance of about 80 miles. Identifying the blocked breather as the probable cause, I uncorked it and topped up the oil, from the 2 litre can, we always carried when touring.

Having a blocked breather (which can occur without human intervention!), led to crankcase pressurisation, possibly exacerbated by piston ring blow-by and/or worn valve guides, resulting in oil being forced out the dipstick hole and past seals and gaskets; which necessitated a further cleaning job. I later rigged up an oil-breather baffle chamber, from a VW 1100 Golf Mk 1, which reduced oil-fouling of the air filter. Only proper reconditioning of the engine, at a later date, would cure the problem.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

In early 1982, when the second of the VW's lead-acid batteries, had reached the end of its useful service life, I decided it would be pointless to buy an expensive, VW style, replacement battery, whose extra cost was mainly associated with the battery-condition sensor connection, for the computer diagnosis system (now obsolete). Instead of fitting a standard 45Ah battery, in the usual position, on the right hand side of the engine compartment, a larger 60Ah battery, was fitted on the left hand side (easier access on this side, than past the 1600 engine's oil-bath air filter and air pre-heater hose), secured by a custom made battery clamping system and plywood baseboard, which was bolted in place.

Connection to the starter motor solenoid and dynamo voltage regulator, was made using a longer battery cable, salvaged from a VW 411 or 412 Variant. As well as being more than 30% cheaper, this battery provided additional reserve capacity, to run the interior fluorescent light and also proved its worth, later that year, during a spate of charging system faults, whilst on holiday in Sweden.

Sometime during the early 1980s, I learned from an article in the Motorcaravanners' Club magazine, of a cheap, analytical chemical reagent, called EDTA (otherwise known as, ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid or its di-sodium salt - C10H14O8N2Na2•H2O), which could be used to prolong the effective service life, of lead-acid car batteries, by inhibiting sulphation; a process to which motorcaravan batteries are particularly prone, when left unused for extended periods or substantially discharged, but not immediately recharged.

In late 1984, I obtained some through the laboratory, at which I worked and treated each of the cells, of all our existing and subsequent car batteries (including that of our VW Type 2!), with a heaped teaspoonful, of EDTA powder, as recommended by the author. Since then, the service life of our car batteries, have typically been 7 to 8 years, but the first battery of my father's Ford Sierra XR4x4, lasted nearly 13 years.
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net

[NASkeet]

During our June 1982, summer holiday in Sweden, the VW suffered three different system failures, within a period of a few days. Travelling south from Södertälje (where we had been visiting my Swedish university-friend, Kjell; a contempory of mine, at Cranfield, during 1980/81), the ignition warning light suddenly illuminated, so having a pre-1980, 1600 engine, I immediately pulled over onto the verge and inspected the V-belt, which proved to be neither broken nor slipping. Having satisfied ourselves that the engine was in no danger of overheating, we resumed driving until we found a roadside café, from which my father telephoned the Bärgnings Kåren (i.e. the Swedish AA), who diverted one of their patrol cum recovery vehicles to attend us.

The patrolman confirmed my diagnosis that there was a charging system fault. To avoid incurring a towing fee, he kindly suggested that we follow behind him to Västervik, where there was a VW agent whom we could visit the following morning; indicating that we should flash our headlights, if we could no longer continue under our own power and required a tow. After camping that night, on the edge of Västervik's public park, we took our van to the VW agents, early in the morning (at about 7.00 AM, if I recall correctly!), where they obligingly gave us priority treatment, in view of us being on holiday.

The prognosis was that we needed a new dynamo, but that they had none spare in the stores and would have to initiate a special order, which would take three days to deliver! Fortunately, I had noticed a complete 13/1600 twin-port engine, with all ancillaries fitted, exhibited in one of their display windows and enquired whether they would be willing to remove the dynamo from that and substitute the newly ordered dynamo when it arrived. This they consented to do and so we were back on the road, heading south, by 4.00 PM that afternoon; happier but poorer.

Also seen in another display window, was a mains electric, oil sump immersion heater (probably made by Fonas or Calix), to replace the standard oil-strainer plate, of the 1600 engine; an accessory which would have been invaluable for winter use, which I regret not having purchased at the time. It is questionable whether they are still available new, but it might be possible to obtain them second-hand, in Scandinavian breaker's yards; in exchange for one's standard oil-strainer plate! In the near future, I intend to obtain such a sump heater for my VW Type 4 replacement engine, from one of my local VW acquaintances, who periodically imports second-hand, 1968~79 VW Type 2s, complete fuel injected 18/2000 engines and other second-hand spares, from Northern Sweden.

Having determined what remedial action needed to be taken, at the VW workshop in Västervik, we decided to go off and explore the town, which lies on the Baltic coast. Here we found a museum of fishermans' cottages, which featured very low doorways and ceilings. If I recall correctly, this town was where we also came across the only Swedish church, to have three separate altars.

Two hours after our departure from Västervik, less than 200 metres from a petrol station, the engine suddenly died. The engine turned over easily, but would not fire. Seeing that the fuel gauge needle was close to 'reserve', I suspected that we might have run out of petrol, as had happened on at least one previous occasion, so we pushed it into the petrol station and filled up the tank. After filling up, our renewed attempts to restart the engine, were equally fruitless, but this time I noticed the smell of petrol.

Suspecting that the Minnow Fish carburettor might be flooding (something that was mentioned in the troubleshooting sheet, supplied with the carburettor), I removed the fuel-level check-plug from the float chamber, which confirmed my suspicions. After removing the float chamber, I discovered that the brass float had partially filled with petrol, which I could hear sloshing around inside. This necessitated another telephone call to the Bärgnings Kåren, for which the petrol station, kindly didn't charge us.

A Chevrolet tow truck (featured as part of my ink-jet printed, full-colour, 1968~79 VW Type 2, 30th anniversary, iron-on, T-shirt transfer!) was despatched, to tow us "four miles" (note that in Sweden, the word "mile", is used as a reference to 10 km!) further south, to Kalmar, in Southern Sweden, where at about 7.00 PM in the evening, in a small back-street workshop, our brass float was drained and then repaired using solder. Had our float been moulded from plastic, we probably would not have been so fortunate. As a souvenir of our tow, we scrounged a self-adhesive badge of the Bärgnings Kåren, which is now attached to the elevating roof, along with various others.

The combined towing & repair charges were quite expensive, so we didn't have sufficient AIT vouchers (provided as part of our AA 5-star Continental travel insurance), to cover the cost, so the difference was paid in cash. Several weeks after we returned to Britain, we received a letter from the AA, saying that the Bärgnings Kåren, was still owed the sum of money, corresponding to what we had payed in cash; suggesting either dishonesty on the part of the patrolman or some confusion about the paperwork. Either we are now black-listed by the Bärgnings Kåren, or the AA managed to resolve the issue, but we never heard any more about it.

Preparation at the petrol filling station, for our expensive, 40 km tow to Kalmar.

Note also, the North American specification, front side-marker reflectors & rear side-marker lights, plus the home-made, black butyl-rubber, stretchy roof-rack cover.

After sightseeing the following day, in Kalmar, including the beautiful interior decoration and wood panelling of the ancient castle, we headed north west towards Vetlanda, where we were scheduled to visit some German friends, resident in Sweden, whom we had met whilst on holiday (also involved a 1973~78 VW Type 2, but that's another story!), in Mombasa, Kenya, in December 1978. Unfortunately, this was to be the day of our third system failure, when the voltage regulator burned out.

The first hint of this problem, was when the vehicle began to judder violently, under circumstances which seemed similar, to those we had experienced, with a faulty cut-out type rotor arm, whilst on holiday in Belgium, a few years earlier. At the time, we were climbing a moderately steep hill, which wasn't the best place to stop, but we had virtually lost all power, so the van would not have reached the summit anyway. Having checked the rotor arm and found it to be okay, I attempted to restart the engine, but discovered that the battery was virtually flat.

Having a burnt out voltage regulator (which I didn't know at the time), the battery wasn't being charged, so the ignition system and the dipped headlamps (daytime use is compulsory in Sweden; subject to a hefty fine for non-compliance, unless one has special daytime running lights), were running on the battery's reserve capacity, ultimately leading to a drop in supply voltage. Not possessing a starting handle facility in those days (later fitted, owing to sporadic episodes, of the dreaded, 'dead starter syndrome'), I was obliged to undertake a rolling start, downhill, in reverse gear; a procedure I would not generally recommend. By driving with the headlamps switched off, there was sufficient battery voltage available, to run the ignition system, enabling us to reach our friends' home, in Vetlanda, several miles away.

They then gave us a tow start the following morning and guided us to the local VW agent, where the problem was diagnosed as being, a burnt out voltage regulator and duly replaced it; commenting that it was normal practice to replace a voltage regulator, if ever the dynamo was replaced, but that the VW agent in Västervik, was probably trying to save us the expense! Had we been driving in a country where daytime headlamp use was not required, we might have been stranded and unable to restart! Yet another point to ponder, is the fact that since the dynamo was replaced, the ignition warning light had not illuminated at any stage, whilst the engine was running, to inform us that the battery was not being charged, despite having a functional bulb. This has since prompted me to fit a voltmeter and an ammeter!

'How To' & 'Handy Hints' > Retro-fitting supplementary gauges

http://forums.kombiclub.com/showthread.php?t=19396
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

http://www.vwt2oc.net