Bus sites

[murph2309]

Soooo. If one maybe was developing a hankering for another project that might involve all the family eventually....say a 72 bay with pop-top and cooker and things, where would you recommend going online to get into 'the scene'? Is there a bus DDK out there?

Thinking long-ish term here, so want to start getting my eye in.

Any recommendations from the bus fraternity would be much appreciated. I'd also be keen to get any recommendations for what's considered the 'best' year, conversion company, great mods to do etc. I'm wanting something that drives well, doesn't feel like it's going to fall over in corners, has a bit of poke in the back, will sleep and cater for four inside. And is original as possible.

Also any views on who deals in / restores great ones?

Thx

R

[Bootsy]

Where to start!

Have a look on VZi, Volkshub, Just Campers, The Samba

Speak to people like vwretrosteve

Buy some of the multitude of mags published

If I was picking a Bay window I'd have to go early but of course you pays your money!

[hot66]

...I'm wanting something that drives well, doesn't feel like it's going to fall over in corners, has a bit of poke in the back, will sleep and cater for four inside. And is original as possible.



R

tbh, go for a later T4 etc if you're wanting this .. it will be a lot more practical , more fun to use as a family etc . My old '62 splitty was fun at times, but the reality was it was little more than a steel tent ... also , you don't even want to think about crash protection at the front,

If you want an old classic, from memory '72 was the worst year for bay windows , sometihng to do with the quality of teh steel

[Sam]

70/71 is what you need.

Disc brakes and small lights / low indicators. Earlier and you get drums, later and you get bigger, uglier lights.

Sadly, as hot66 says if you want it as

original as possible.

you won't get

something that drives well, doesn't feel like it's going to fall over in corners, has a bit of poke in the back, will sleep and cater for four inside

A Mazda Bongo is what you need.

[Adam]

I always use the samba or VZi.

Theres a company called Busjunkie, he imports and sells.

[murph2309]

70/71 is what you need.

Disc brakes and small lights / low indicators. Earlier and you get drums, later and you get bigger, uglier lights.

Sadly, as hot66 says if you want it as

original as possible.

you won't get

something that drives well, doesn't feel like it's going to fall over in corners, has a bit of poke in the back, will sleep and cater for four inside

A Mazda Bongo is what you need.

Yep - you're absolutely right. And point taken :-/ I should know better.

This one looked quite cool - liking the sleeps 4 and 'relative' originality http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/ ... 72/1484939#

What do we think on the price, seems a bit pokey to me...@ £16k? I think that one of the worst things about looking at a whole new type of vehicle is that I have absolutely no idea what's what. (hence having to get my eye in) Which I guess will take some time.

Kind of reminds me of when I first joined DDK, all of a sudden there were all these nuances and details I'd never thought of...

Thanks for the advice and leads chaps - another world opens. Not that I'll be leaving this one. It's my online 'home'. With all my mates

[DIRKBROWNFINGER]

I guess it depends if you are actually going to away and sleep in it or just drive it to the beach, pose and make tea on the weekends like they do in Hove-Actually by Sea?! West falia are a good conversion but command a premium. If you want something really practical rather than cute then go later. A Mercedes 814/815 horsebox makes a the best camper van imo! A guy local to me has one with a kingsize timber bed log burner and two chesterfield sofas, 9 foot ceiling height - oh and a pine dresser, and a butler sink! Cost him about 2k all in. Sold my 70 westy in 2000 for £1800 and they go for 18k now.

[sjm]

In terms of the companies to be speaking with, you have to speak with Paul at Type2Detectives. He is a family friend (mention my name) of many many years, and coincidentally I have just bought a Type 3 Squareback from him which he will be doing the re-furn/ lowering/ interior etc for. His web site www.type2detectives.com is well worth a look. I'm hoping to get a bus in the next couple of years and will be going straight to Paul.

Also, Karmann Konnection in Southend seem to have a steady supply. I bought my 356 from them 6 years ago and it is still going well....

[Tosh]

VW Brazil recently annonced that they will stop making the type 2 at the end of the year. They are doing a special run-out version of 600 vans but that's it

Get your name down for one. Copper bottomed investment I reckon

[decapman]

If you want classic then a 71 bay as Sam says
72 are good too still lowlight at the front but the start of the suitcase engine

They drive like poo and are noisy and cramped
T4 a way better option for practicality

Look at Earlybay.com for 71 72 info

[murph2309]

Thanks for the tips; some useful food for thought here.

We basically want it for family weekends away and 'memories' for the kids (how soppy is that) - and we're quite hardcore with camping, (4 days at festivals; no worries. 2 nights in Yorkshire field with pi**ing down rain and leaky hired camper; all ok. Although the kids were a bit wet )

So I'm not rose-tinted about these buses. I do like the look of the T2, and want somwhere where I can cook, drink, sleep, laugh. That kind of thing.

So thanks for the tips, particularly the personal recommendations (Thx SJM, will keep Paul in mind)

Enjoying getting around ebay and stuff....happy days.

R

[markm]

To digress slightly, we have a modern T5 California, our kids 11 & 9 love it. We try to make sure we go to sites that have stuff for them to do, caisters in norfolk which i understand our glorious founder knows well and they have a fab time. We also take the bikes and the first we do is get the bikes off the back and send the kids off to suss out the site.

I would imagine in a older van you will have a fab time. A chap local to me has a early bay and he goes to croyde in devon a lot with it, takes him 6+ hours to get there, thats the downside with older vans.

[Bootsy]

Splits and Bays do lack space. Worth bearing in mind

[Sam]

takes him 6+ hours to get there, thats the downside with older vans.

I get horrible leg pain from the standard bench type seat in my Westy after 2 hours.

All of our holidays are therefore within a 100 mile radius of home.

[markm]

takes him 6+ hours to get there, thats the downside with older vans.

I get horrible leg pain from the standard bench type seat in my Westy after 2 hours.

All of our holidays are therefore within a 100 mile radius of home.

We've had ours chipped, its good for high speed motorway trips. In actual fact o got done for speeding coming back from norfolk in it, the slowest vehicle in our fleet, sods law.