Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 10:55:09 -0700
Reply-To: Ward Smith <wsmith@SAN.RR.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ward Smith <wsmith@SAN.RR.COM>
Subject: Bus for sale....(which year is best)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hey Bill,
I noticed you were looking for a bus project. I have a nice 1969 Pop Top for
sale right now here in San Diego. You were asking which years were best (and
the Vanagon list people get pretty snotty about there years), but I have
owned buses from '57->'85 so I can give you a pretty unbiased point of view.
The split window buses ('55->'67) are the best looking, in my opinion, but
suffer from the obvious age problems. Sure you can find a rust free one, but
you will pay through the nose for it, and when you are all done with your
restoration you will have a marginal performing camper. They are usually
underpowered, finicky, scary things to drive. However, their coolness and
resale value make them worthwhile if you are interested in those aspects.
The "bay" window buses ('68->'79) are usually the best values you can find.
They are not yet in high demand, and there are plenty of rust free ones out
there. The camping interior is almost identical to the older split window
versions (Westfalia models), but with more room up front, taller pop top,
etc. The biggest difference between these two groups is the ride. The bay
windows got IRS and ball joint front ends which make the ride ten times
smoother. Also with the elimination of the reduction boxes from the earlier
split window versions, the max speed jumped to a respectable number. The bay
windows, however are broken up into a few other sub-groups which are
basically engine changes. These are probably in my opinion the biggest
mistakes new bus owners make. The '68->'71 buses used an upright air-cooled
motor. Easy to work on, cheap to replace, and pretty trouble free if you
take care of it. The '71->'79 got upgraded to a "pancake motor" with fuel
injection starting in '72. These motors are a PITA. They are pretty cheap to
buy parts for and replace, but they are so hard to work on most people just
take them to a mechanic and pay out the a$$ to have them fixed. Not a good
motor in my opinion.
Starting in 1980, the whole body changed again. The Vanagon started with an
aircooled motor (similar to the pancake) but got watercooling in mid 1983.
The design and camping interior in these buses are by far the best VW ever
produced. The motors, however, are usually troublesome and very very very
expensive to replace. I can buy an entire longblock for a bay window
(upright air cooled) for the price of one head for a watercooled vanagon.
Also the camper versions are extremely pricey right from the start. I am
fixing an 83.5 Westy to sell, and it will probably sell for 2-3 times what I
have my '69 listed for.
Well, hope this helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions, or
are interested in the '69. I have it on thesamba.com if you want to see
pictures which is probably your best bet for somewhere to start looking for
exactly what you want.
GL,
Ward
Oh, forgot to tell you which was the best year...sorry.
1967 if you want a split window bus. (first year for factory 12 Volt and
dual circuit master cylinder)
1971 for the baywindow. (Front disk brakes and dual port motor)
...any year vanagon (they are all pretty much the same once you decide
air/water cooled)
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