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joenuke
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2015
Posts: 1
Location: Weedsport, NY
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 Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 7:50 am Post subject: What bus is this? |
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When I was about 10 my parents had a VW bus. I would like to know which one they owned. This is the only picture of it. Can anyone give me some info? Thanks so much!
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advCo
Samba Member
Joined: May 27, 2017
Posts: 373
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 7:57 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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That would be an early (68-71) tin top Westy judging from the taillights and jalousie window. I"m sure someone more knowledgeable than I can narrow the year down further.
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51115
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:25 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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Hmmm..., I guess that's as big as the picture can get?
I'll guess it's a 1970 Kombi with a replacement bumper installed (Euro deluxe trim), hard to see the hub caps but the color looks most like Elm green. The windows look like the 2 pane ones found in Sportsmobiles and some Rivieras, I don't think it's a Westfalia.
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CanStan
Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2005
Posts: 1037
Location: Calgary, AB
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:28 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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That's cool! I wish my parents had enough style to own a Bus when I was a kid.
The rear side reflector looks square and the mounting location of it makes the Bus a '70 or '71. And as advCo says, you can tell by the jalousie window on the sliding door and the sink / icebox cabinet inside that it's a tin top Westfalia. Or someone added the camper interior at least. But that picture was pretty early on in it's life so I would assume it came that way. Too bad you don't have any better pictures. Are you looking to get a similar Bus for nostalgia, or just curious about what it was? |
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CanStan
Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2005
Posts: 1037
Location: Calgary, AB
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:32 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| busdaddy wrote: |
Hmmm..., I guess that's as big as the picture can get?
I'll guess it's a 1970 Kombi with a replacement bumper installed (Euro deluxe trim), hard to see the hub caps but the color looks most like Elm green. The windows look like the 2 pane ones found in Sportsmobiles and some Rivieras, I don't think it's a Westfalia. |
You might be right about the window Busdaddy. It looked like a 3 pane, but maybe not. It's hard to tell without a clearer picture. But that cabinet inside the door looks Westy, unless Sportsmobiles had a similar one? |
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andrewtf
Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2011
Posts: 602
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:39 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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I copied the photo into word and blew it up.....
In doing so - I can't comment any further on the year, etc. But the roof rack thing is really interesting. You can't see it at all well in the small photo, but it looks sort of like a giant grey plastic milk crate - maybe 2' front to back and the width of the top.
It also looks like the cabinet behind the passenger seat is the sink. There is a lot of stuff piled there.
I honestly don't know if there is any significance, but it doesn't look like there are any head rests either.
Also - it really looks like the window is a 3 pane window. The top pane just has a really significant reflection and the lower two do not.
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dualbay
Samba Member
Joined: March 21, 2018
Posts: 108
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:07 pm Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| busdaddy wrote: |
Hmmm..., I guess that's as big as the picture can get?
I'll guess it's a 1970 Kombi with a replacement bumper installed (Euro deluxe trim), hard to see the hub caps but the color looks most like Elm green. The windows look like the 2 pane ones found in Sportsmobiles and some Rivieras, I don't think it's a Westfalia. |
Yeah, my first thought was a tin top Westfalia pre-72; I see 3 panes on the jealousy window I think - just the top pane looks more white? Maybe Im wrong though, not the best picture, cool bus. |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51115
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:25 pm Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| dualbay wrote: |
| busdaddy wrote: |
Hmmm..., I guess that's as big as the picture can get?
I'll guess it's a 1970 Kombi with a replacement bumper installed (Euro deluxe trim), hard to see the hub caps but the color looks most like Elm green. The windows look like the 2 pane ones found in Sportsmobiles and some Rivieras, I don't think it's a Westfalia. |
Yeah, my first thought was a tin top Westfalia pre-72; I see 3 panes on the jealousy window I think - just the top pane looks more white? Maybe Im wrong though, not the best picture, cool bus. |
Tough to confirm from the tiny pic, it could have 3 panes.
If it is Westfalia it's a Euro delivered one since they didn't come in that color in North America, it's also a better explanation for the trim on the bumper (didn't come with it, but more wrecking yards with them in stock than here after that embarrassing "incident" that dark night). But the marker lights are throwing me off, not many Euro delivered buses had those. I don't see any trademark curtains showing in the windows either, but that odd bump under the LH tail light might be a Euro shore power plug.
Joenuke, was your dad in the military in/near Germany?, or somewhere else where he may have encountered a fellow serviceman who may have brought that back with him and had it for sale?
I wonder what that bumper sticker says?
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bigbore
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2003
Posts: 3297
Location: Wasilla Alaska
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 11:46 pm Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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Iam seeing a 70 or 71 if I could see the hub caps that would tell witch one. I agree with BD the bumper trim tells me euro but the tail lights look all red.
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Xevin 
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Joined: January 08, 2014
Posts: 7622
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 12:16 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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It’s obviously a 68 with the push button door locks and low rear view mirror 
What years did early Bays have the exhaust tail pipe on the right side?
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airschooled
Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012
Posts: 12721
Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 12:33 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| Xevin wrote: |
It’s obviously a 68 with the push button door locks and low rear view mirror
What years did early Bays have the exhaust tail pipe on the right side? |
Only the years that required aftermarket replacement exhausts. 
Robbie
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Xevin
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Joined: January 08, 2014
Posts: 7622
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:14 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| asiab3 wrote: |
| Xevin wrote: |
It’s obviously a 68 with the push button door locks and low rear view mirror
What years did early Bays have the exhaust tail pipe on the right side? |
Only the years that required aftermarket replacement exhausts.
Robbie |
Understood. What was the typical life span of an OEM exhaust back in the late 60s/70s? OP what year was your picture taken?
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| 67rustavenger wrote: |
| GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
| Clatter wrote: |
| Damn that Xevin... |
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| I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
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| My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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airschooled
Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012
Posts: 12721
Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:32 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| Xevin wrote: |
| asiab3 wrote: |
| Xevin wrote: |
It’s obviously a 68 with the push button door locks and low rear view mirror
What years did early Bays have the exhaust tail pipe on the right side? |
Only the years that required aftermarket replacement exhausts.
Robbie |
Understood. What was the typical life span of an OEM exhaust back in the late 60s/70s? OP what year was your picture taken? |
I wish I could answer that accurately for the '70s demographic… But I recently helped out with a euro-spec 1600cc Type 1…
~74,000 miles on it, and it still had the original heat exchangers, long block (except heads) and muffler. The car was incredibly well-preserved, and the exhaust system needed nothing more than new gaskets to seal up the clicky-clacky tick-tock leaks at idle.
Robbie
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22633
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 3:39 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| Xevin wrote: |
| asiab3 wrote: |
| Xevin wrote: |
It’s obviously a 68 with the push button door locks and low rear view mirror
What years did early Bays have the exhaust tail pipe on the right side? |
Only the years that required aftermarket replacement exhausts.
Robbie |
Understood. What was the typical life span of an OEM exhaust back in the late 60s/70s? OP what year was your picture taken? |
In upstate NY, about 2 years for that exhaust
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TomWesty
Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2007
Posts: 3482
Location: Wyoming,USA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 7:08 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| asiab3 wrote: |
| Xevin wrote: |
It’s obviously a 68 with the push button door locks and low rear view mirror
What years did early Bays have the exhaust tail pipe on the right side? |
Only the years that required aftermarket replacement exhausts.
Robbie |
LOL. My vote is ‘70 tin top Westie. Although I’ve never seen one in that color as Busdaddy says.
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dualbay
Samba Member
Joined: March 21, 2018
Posts: 108
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 7:58 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| busdaddy wrote: |
| If it is Westfalia it's a Euro delivered one since they didn't come in that color in North America, it's also a better explanation for the trim on the bumper |
Yeah, its really interesting, the bumper looks right for those years, I'm wondering if that isn't just some parts store rubber trim someone threw on there to protect the bumper? I mean they did mod other parts of the bus like the milk crates on the roof, maybe even crashed it and re-painted that color.
Here's a kind of similar 70 on Samba; though you can tell this has been re-painted green, not original color.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2235782 |
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CanStan
Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2005
Posts: 1037
Location: Calgary, AB
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 8:18 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| Xevin wrote: |
| OP what year was your picture taken? |
It says "Circa 1974" in the photo gallery post. Which makes it seem strange that it would have so many modifications / changes so early on in it's life. Anything is possible I guess. Hopefully the OP will chime in with some more info. |
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Xevin
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2014
Posts: 7622
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 8:44 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| CanStan wrote: |
| Xevin wrote: |
| OP what year was your picture taken? |
It says "Circa 1974" in the photo gallery post. Which makes it seem strange that it would have so many modifications / changes so early on in it's life. Anything is possible I guess. Hopefully the OP will chime in with some more info. |
I was thinking the same thing.
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| 67rustavenger wrote: |
| GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! |
| Clatter wrote: |
| Damn that Xevin... |
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| I respect Xevin and he's a turd |
| SGKent wrote: |
| My God! Xevin and I 100% agree |
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dualbay
Samba Member
Joined: March 21, 2018
Posts: 108
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:26 am Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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Here are 1970 paint codes, similar greens were available, but as mentioned did Westfalia ever convert buses in that shade of green?
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51115
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: What bus is this? |
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| dualbay wrote: |
| did Westfalia ever convert buses in that shade of green? |
Not for the North American market, but the full palette was available in Europe, I've seen a Brilliant blue one with the small pop top for example.
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Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
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