SOT - To Bus or Not To Bus, Should I Go VW? Options

[seanery]

After watching the super-cool VW Bus in Bullrun the last few months, then being nudged on by a member posting a link to some busses for sale - I'm seriously considering a bus. To keep the budget/cool factor evened out I'm thinking a 13 window walk through. I like the bigger Porsche Cups or Twists, a 2.0+ type IV, disk brakes, nice but simple interior, maybe a 901.

Here's the rub...I think I'd want it to be my main driver. Now, I'm not home too much. The last 2 1/2 years have been 300+ days on the road per year - and the next 18 months I'll be in Europe & Asia. So, it's not like I'm gonna be putting 15k miles per year on it. Plus, I have the 951 still. The Durango may be sold (as of last night).

But, it would need some sort of rustproofing - or, could it be powdercoated then cleared so it looked like nice shiny paint, but with a hard, durable finish? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

I've seen a couple of A/C systems for the early busses, but they aren't very elegant, seat heaters are probably a must - what about real heat? Are the heat exchangers enough? For some reason Gas Heaters scare me, is that a justified fear?

Anyway, here are a couple of color choices I'm playing with.

Tell me what you think...I know this is a bit unconventional - but I am unconventional (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sww914]

Go for it!
To powdercoat a car it must fit in the oven. Not many places have a VW van sized oven.

[Wilhelm]

au contraire mon frere! You can cure powdercoat outside the oven with portable heat sources, but it take some skill to do a nice job.

Columbia Coatings Infrared

or

Eastwoodcom Infrared


By the way, my vote is for the orange one 3 over and 3 down!

[Katmanken]

Ever drive one?

If the engine is stock, it's about 30-40 hp working very hard to push a living room through the air.

Can we say Sloooooowwwww!

Not to mention the theft potential.

[jmill]

I had a 63 Kombi. I put in a pumped up 1914, removed the reduction boxes, lowered it front and rear and put in a set of Safari's. It went very fast and looked great. I see in your pics that they're all lowered. I have to say that the ride is lousy when lowered. You sit right over the front tire. It's a kidney buster. If you get one don't drop it that far if you plan to drive it longer distances.

That said, I'd love to pick up a double cab. I love them things.

As far as heat the heater boxes work. It does take a bit to warm up. You can't jump in and go in the winter. You will want to install an inline fan for the front defog. The hot air doesn't have any force behind it and it takes forever for the windows to clear.

[Cupomeat]

Everyone should drive a bus for a while.

It gives you a perspective that few modern car drivers have, in that you learn to conserve energy (or at least be aware of what it takes).
Every downgrade, even a 1% is somewhere to store up energy from and every hill, no matter if you never noticed it there before while driving, is a place to slow you down.

I suppose you get the same effect while riding a bike.

Go for it, get a 80+hp motor in it and enjoy. They aren't depreciating in value anymore.

[hcdmueller]

Go for it. I have a bay window double cab that I daily drive and I love it. Not quite in the same league as what you are contemplating but still a bus. Eventually I will get time to really fix it up. If you have the time or the money to strip the body down and rustproof it correctly you won't have any issues with it in your lifetime. Any orange color combo looks great on the split buses. From what I understand Jake Raby has some good engine kits for the early buses because they are so much lighter that the later ones. If you get a type 4 in it the heater boxes are okay for heat. I have a gas heater I am going to put in my doublecab. I need instant heat for the winters in Germany. That is something the heater boxes just won't provide. You can get newer gas heaters that are very safe and put out massive amounts of heat.

I am trying my hardest not to buy a split window myself. My wife doesn't want any more cars. Maybe if I am sneaky...

[type2man]

I've got a 67 westy with a type 4, a 60 singlecab and a 67 beetle also with a type 4. I drive them all the time but cant cruise as fast as I do in my 914. Drive a type 2 for a while and see if you feel comfortable in one. Yes, you can make it fast but there's a limit to making a breadbox fast. Personally I love em and I dont care about cruising in the right lane at 60 mph. Here are some shots of Charles Slaters bus. Basically a type2 with full custom suspension, and Boxster running gear. It's automatic too and has A/C. Here's some (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif) for ya:

[McMark]

I see in your pics that they're all lowered. I have to say that the ride is lousy when lowered. You sit right over the front tire. It's a kidney buster. If you get one don't drop it that far if you plan to drive it longer distances.

Unless you use 'drop spindles'. Maintaining suspension travel is the key, and a drop with stock spindles is definitely harsh. But 'drop spindles' are available and will maintain a stock ride quality.

[jmill]

I see in your pics that they're all lowered. I have to say that the ride is lousy when lowered. You sit right over the front tire. It's a kidney buster. If you get one don't drop it that far if you plan to drive it longer distances.

Unless you use 'drop spindles'. Maintaining suspension travel is the key, and a drop with stock spindles is definitely harsh. But 'drop spindles' are available and will maintain a stock ride quality.

I'm sure your right. I kept my stock spindles and got a Bus Boys select-a-drop. Looking back the drop spindles are a better way to go. I also had to throw on a beefy sway bar so I didn't rub going around every corner. If you get the drop spindles and don't get too crazy I bet it would ride a whole lot better than mine did.

[Dr Evil]

What, no mention of a corvair power plant? Look for the thread titled "Doc's trany waggin"

[seanery]

no corvair!

I've got a 2.2T motor in the garage, though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[seanery]

Sweet Ride Doc!

I like the look of the Corvair motor and the flat fan, it looks like it will cool efficiently and it's a tidy package. (funny after I just said "no corvair!" in the previous post) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[aircooledtechguy]

I have a '66 E-Z Camper that is 2.0L type-4 powered with a freeway flier trans and stock redux boxes. It cruises down the hwy nicely at 70+ around 4K RPMs. I'm planning to dump the stock trans and rear suspension in favor of a 1970 bus IRS and a late 70s 6 rib trans (or possibly a 901). If you build it with some power they are very capable of nice comfortable speeds on the open road. I've had mine up to about 95mph with ease but I'll be honest; with stock brakes I don't like to. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Driving an old bus is a completely different experience that must be experienced to appreciate. You're not driving a car, you're driving an icon. Everyone waves, flashes peace signs and gives thumbs-ups as you go down the road no matter how it looks. . . You meet the nicest folks in an old bus. . . I love mine.

[DBCooper]

They're collectable. You'll really love it. For about six months.

[zonedoubt]

Is the ear protection hanging on the steering wheel necessary when the engine is inside the cabin? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

[Cap'n Krusty]

I drove the Thunder Bus ('73 Bay Window) for 21 years, 10 of 'em with a 2.4 E and a chillcast 901 tranny with 914 gearing. Other than the fact that the 901 ate a few diffs because we habitually abused it, it was one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. If I were to do it over, I'd use a later 901 with a bigger diff and diff bearings. It had 911 seats, a center seat and a bed platform in the back, largish speakers under the platform, smaller ones in an old A/C pod on the ceiling, nice tunes, it was too fast for safety, comfortable, got a little better fuel mileage than the T4 power it once had, had dynamite heat, and was relatively quiet at cruising speeds. My sole complaint? After you passed everyone on a twisty 2 lane road, you had to pull over and let 'em all by so you could do it again!

At a little under 6 ft tall, I found a splittie difficult to drive at age 30, and it didn't get better as I got older. The seating position is less than ideal, the noise level is high, the suspension is primitive, and they're SLOW. You're hunched over the steering wheel, no matter how you move around, and that's exhausting.

The Cap'n

[type2man]

Is the ear protection hanging on the steering wheel necessary when the engine is inside the cabin? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

That's for the rear entertainment. It's for the kids to watch movies while mom is taking them to school(I'm dead serious). The engine had a lid and when it was running it made less noise than an aircooled engine. I think they ran it at the track in daytona or homestead and got it up to 125 mph (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[type11969]

The bay I have now is way more comfortable than the split I had a while back. Definitely more quiet, but the westy interior helps. The vanagon seat help a lot too.

Not sure how big safety is on your priority list, but the front impact protection in the later bays is better (which may not be saying much) and the power brakes are a nice upgrade over a split.

[Katmanken]

I really like my Vanagon.

Not as cool looking but it has 50/50 weight distribution and handles remarkably well....

Particularly if you get away from the 14 inch wheels and go to 15 or 16 inchers.

Tons of heat, great AC pours down from the ceiling, quiet, and comfortable on long drive. Has a weekender package in the rear that turns the rear seat into a full size bed.

Built like a tank to elimiate the front Seats O'Death problem. Saw a few photos from a VW test where it killed a Volvo station wagon in a 60km front end collision.

Did I mention the (expensive) Synchro 4 wheel drive version that would be great for rallying?