Testing the waters with my 1967 Bus

Can't you interest one of them in carrying on new adventures with it? Not necessarily conceiving more children, but continuing its history of going to new places. The van is like a family member -- you can't disown it. You can't put a price on a vehicle with that kind of legacy.

In that pic, does the engine make coffee for you, too?

-- Randall

I disconnect the ground strap and drop it into the cup because battery has run down a couple of times. There must be a short someplace that drains the battery over time. I disconnect the strap at the body because it's easy to get to.

I wonered if someone would ask about that, but I thought... Nah! they'll be more interested in telling me if they think I should fix it or sell it. I even thought I'd get an offer or at least some advice about how to price it. The '67 is sorta rare, being the first year of

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Not even close. VW offered 12.. and 24V(!) ...as an option as early as 1957 (and disc brakes in '65). The fact VOA only imported half a dozen of the more than 130 vehicle-types offered by VW -- and only a few of the MANY options -- causes Americans to think they've run into a rare bird when they see sliding doors on a splittie or an upright

-Bob Hoover

PS -- the 24v vehicles were often called the 'NATO' option. T2's so fitted were used as a mobile control tower, complete with a plexiglas bubble-top and array of UHF & VHF radios.

Thanks for the information.

Europe is a different place. I came to know the bus as "The vehicle that rebuilt Europe." Of course, there were many configurations such as tankers, fire engines, police wagons, ambulances, and such. So it doesn't surprise me to learn of different voltages.

The only experience I have is the '66 bus and bug were 6 volts and the '67's were 12 volts. I never saw or heard about anything else. John Muir never mentioned anything else in his "How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" book, which is the only repair manual I ever used (still do). I think if you lined up 1000 California buses up through '67, they'd all be 6 volts except for the 12-volt '67's.

I wish mine had disk brakes. I could probably find someone to put 'em on, don't you think? And a dual master cylinder? But the van needs a lot of other stuff first. I'm still on the fence about fixing up or selling. I have to take into account the fact that a lot of friends have never seen me drive anything else.

You can take the disc brakes (front) from a later model baywindow bus. You need the spindles too. They should fit your front axle without modification. Ride height may be affected, I personally like them lowered... you can get lowered bay window spindles from at least two places;

(Airkewld sells WagensWest spindles).

They are stock units, cut in half and an extension piece welded in between. Currently none are available but if you can find cores to send to Wagens West, they might be able to make you a pair. They are currently trying to finance and tool up for one-piece forged unit production. A bunch of people are holding their breath, waiting... expect to see something maybe at the end of this summer.

Jan

What about the wheels?

Will I need to use different wheels?

Uh oh. Financing. "Financing." Tough to get these days, it's being said.

I buy "Hot VW's" every month. I'm not much on hopped up vans, even though my '67 bus has a Super Beetle engine in it, but I enjoy the gear some people come up with, and I look through the ads first thing. I think that lowered vans look funny, but of course it's MHO and YMMV.

I'll be going back to a stock configuration at some point. Which raises another question. The original engine is long gone (cracked). I wonder if it's possible to have an aftermarket case stamped with the original number? There's no question about matching numbers because it wasn't a requirement. My title only has body number, no engine number. But it would be nice to have the original number on the engine so it matches the data in the letter from the factory...

I'm no expert but it looks like a worthy restoration project to me. If it was mine, I know where I would be spending all my weekends :-)

Yes, or adapters.

I like moderately lowered split buses. plus it should also mean that the ride is more firm and responsive. It's a matter of taste. I usually get more power from the engine so I also want stopping power and handling improvements.

the VW factory did just this, with their exchange rebuilt engine program. They machined the case number area blank and stamped a new (old) number on it. Plus a recycling mark. I have also seen riveter aluminum numberplates covering the old number.

Unfortunately, I'm a full-time RV'er, which means no garage. If I'd had a garage all these years, then the van would be in a lot better shape. It didn't do it any good to park it up in the mountains for 4 years. The RV park I'm in won't allow more than washing a vehicle and checking the oil. I need to drive it down tom the recycling center (where oil is recycled) to change oil. If they see me doing the valves, they run down to tell me to cease and desist. They just don't want any car repairs here. So I'm not going to do much restoration anytime soon. If I lived in a park where they allowed people to work on their cars, I wouldn't want to live there. Catch 22.

If I can't find a buyer in the next year or two, I'll probably start looking for someone who specializes in bus restorations to go through it and fix it up, do the body work, stop the rusting. Stem to stern, and a nice paint job. New 1600 stock engine with the bigger oil cooler and fan housing. At that point I'll give up my idea of getting a new car, maybe instead buying a nice old Bug and spending the rest on the Bus restoration.

Dreams, dreams, dreams. It's amazing how the dreams drop away when one gets older. At some point my plans are to stop driving altogether, so I haven't reckoned how this will fit into my VW plans.

Where do you (and the bus) live now? It's a long shot, but maybe there's a fellow VW nut near you who would be willing and equipped to help you out somehow.

The bus is in much, MUCH better condition than what many people have when they start a restoration. Mine was way worse and still not a particularly difficult project.

If you have to farm the labor out, then it gets expensive.

Jan

That's too bad, I guess it becomes more of a burden for you than anything. Too me (again no expert) it looks to be in pretty good shape, compared to some of the ones I've seen on The Samba for sale. The must be a local VW club that could help you out, they don't like to see those things die.

And Scourge the cat...

I'd always thought that California would be the place to take the bus to be restored. It needs all new rubber, window trim, front windows de-leaked, dents straightened, and a paint job. Then the new engine. I'd like to have the gearbox and reduction units zero-timed. It needs a steering box, but don't know about the front end since it's never given me any trouble. The tires are 20 years old. Riken truck radials, can't get them anymore. The tire hanging on the front came with the vehicle, so it's over 40 years old.

Oh, and I want to put a safari rack on top and maybe figure out something to do with the big hole that once was covered by a pop top. One nice thing about the snap on cover is taking it off on sunny days like a biiiiig sunroof.

I reckon there are people who specialize in bus restorations, or semi-restorations. I wouldn't mind driving it down to California to leave it for as long as it takes. I'm not as worried about the absolute cost as much as whatever it is represents value added back to the bus, and that things are done that will stop any hidden deterioration.

Thanks for your supportive words.

I hate to think of it as a burden. Maybe it is because I see this precious object lose a little more ground every year. When I look at it and think of what it did and still could do, I feel disgusted with myself. I think it's such a perfect design and so aesthetically pleasing to look at. I know from driving it that people wish they were riding with me and not in some freakin' HonYotaBaru.

And it needs a companion. I know, how about the Matador on Page 76 of the April Hot VW's? What a truly beautiful vehicle. A 1951 front-wheel drive VW powered truck. Okay, unreasonable dream.

But I'm gearing up to talk myself into something. Thanks for your supportive words.

First of all, these vehicles are getting old and far between, which means fewer are working on them. This again makes for less knowledge and people willing to work on them. The few there is, are not always competent, many of them scam artists. Anyways, it being an old car is not going to get you off cheap. On the contrary a full up restoration, or even partial repairs are going to cost you more than the resale value.

This is not to rain on your parade, just relating to real life.

J.

Noted and logged.

Thanks.

You could ofcause buy a couple of manuals and learn the needed skills to do it yourself, then hire a workspace, join a club with facilities etc.

J.

Thanks.

I've heard of people doing this, but not in this hemisphere. Makes sense, tho. Bunch of guys getting together to rent a warehouse, sharing skills and tools, having a few beers and helping each other out with their projects. But these days there aren't very many bugs and buses around, so the pool of likely candidates is small, and the chances of finding even one other owner with like interests is very small. Insurance would be a problem, and so would collecting the rent from several people.

But it's a great idea. Makes sense. I don't know why I didn't think of it.

I think it's more likely to play out well with a group of pilots making kit airplanes or sailplanes, mainly because they already have an organization (EAA) that is working to foster skills and flight. I'm not aware of any VW club in my area, and I don't think I'd want to commute anywhere (for the first time ever, I put over $50 worth of gas in a Toyota -- A Toyota, geeze!).

Go here to see if there are any other VW heads near you.

Jan

Check with the local adult education group. Some areas offer auto mechanics and body work classes in their adult education curricula. For a small registration fee you can attend the clasess, use their tools and garage space (usually at the high school), and work on your own car as your class project.