Microbus Deluxe Chrome Window Trim

26 posts · joined Feb 2009 · 16 Jun 2009, 9:12 pm

#718908

Looking at the USA literature for this model around the late '60s and early '70s the deluxe had chrome trim inserts in all its windows, not just the front side windows that we see in Australia.

Does anyone have any information on whether they were ever supplied like this in Australia? Also I am looking to buy a set or two, if still available. has anyone supplier information?

Thank you.

Best regards

Garry

Garry Miller
T +61 (0)3 9876 1000
M +61 (0)409 999 616
Location: Park Orchards, VIC 3114, Australia
Owner of George the Low Light

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 20 Jun 2009, 9:47 pm

#719708

Hi Gary,
Do you have a close up picture? There were various trims used over the years.
So do you have a '77 microbus?
These used the standard plastic insert with aluminium foil inside. It should be available from VW shops as it's common to beeltes and type three's.
👍

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 21 Jun 2009, 5:11 pm

#719811

Hi, Kombis sold in Australia, up to 1977, were assembled in Melbourne. They did not have the US-style deluxe window trim; they just used the normal black rubber. Likewise, they also never had the flipper windows on the front doors.

However for the 1977 year, VW Australia ceased local assembly (as the factory was by then owned by Nissan) and all VWs were then fully imported. Fully imported Deluxe Microbuses DID have the deluxe window trim, as Andy has said. The German microbuses are also recogniseable by their more deluxe interior trim, flipper windows, chrome bumpers and lack of vertical steel panels to the rear of the front seats.

However you can easily retrofit the US-style rubbers and trim, as the window openings are all the same size. I think West Coast Metric supply all the parts you need, so try any of the large VW supply shops (Micks, Vintage, Classic, etc). There are plenty of on-line VW parts shops too - the best is probably the Bus Depot - http://www.busdepot.com/

firewalker Casual Dubber

26 posts · joined Feb 2009 · 24 Jun 2009, 10:04 am

#720460

Thank you for your advice. Yes, I do have a '77 Microbus Deluxe however my enquiry is about my early Bays - 1970 and 1972.

I have emailed the Bus Depot with my enquiry so who knows, they may be able to help. It is interesting to learn that the Deluxe over here had less chrome than the Deluxe, at the same time, in the USA. The vehicle looked really posh in the states and it is a shame that it was dumped down a little for this market.

Best regards

Garry

Garry Miller
T +61 (0)3 9876 1000
M +61 (0)409 999 616
Location: Park Orchards, VIC 3114, Australia
Owner of George the Low Light

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 24 Jun 2009, 11:15 pm

#720616

Don't they have the same plastic beading as you would have on the '77? I think kombi's and beetles had gone away from the aluminium beeding by then (it remianed in type 3's I think).

The US had higher spec bay kombi's than the rest of the world in many respects, especially options.
Look up the US spec "champagne edition" kombi's. Can't say I was a fan of the colour scheme's, the spec's were just wonderful.
Despite the lower specs we got, we did get the type 4 motor installed without all the polution gear. All the polution gear is a real pain as they get older and harder to find bits for. You should read what's involved to keep one registered in California where they get annual emission testing!!
The Eurpoeans got more type 1 powered kombi's than type 4. So I guess it wasn;t all bad here.

Phil,
I can't say I've seen any other kombi's without the panels behind the seats besides the '77 imported Deluxe. Were there others?

Bookwus Seriously Crusin Dubber

120 posts · joined Aug 2007 · 25 Jun 2009, 1:28 am

#720626

Hiya phil,

Phil74Camper wrote:However you can easily retrofit the US-style rubbers and trim, as the window openings are all the same size. I think West Coast Metric supply all the parts you need, so try any of the large VW supply shops (Micks, Vintage, Classic, etc). There are plenty of on-line VW parts shops too - the best is probably the Bus Depot - http://www.busdepot.com/

It may interest you to know that the perception of these vendors seems to be changing somewhat up here in the USA. We've been hearing a lot of very mixed reports about the Bus Depot recently. Crummy products and lousy shipping practices seem to be the center of the complaints. In Ron's (Salmon) defense, it needs to be noted that the general quality of parts seems to have dropped and that he does offer several levels of shipping. Still, the preponderance of these negative comments is disturbing.

West Coast Metric is a shop that built its reputation on the rubber products it delivered. They were known as high quality items. However, some of us up here in the States have had less than pleasant experiences with some of WCM's products. I found out (through Ron Salmon no less) that while WCM has rubber parts manufatured to their specification, they also import rubber parts. And this is where you need to be very, very careful. For example, their Bus door seals are imported from the Brazilian aftermarket and are extremely shoddy pieces.

It's a general given up here that if you want quality (and you will pay for it!) you go to either Wolfsburg West or OEVeeDub for rubber related parts (or anything else for that matter). Still, you need to be a selective shopper because some of the items offered by these two companies are available elsewhere for less cash.

This post is not intended to bash any vendor (with the exception of BFY, whose service has just gone into the toilet. Stay away from these guys if you order anything from the States) but just to say, "Caveat Emptor".

Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck

Have an AutoStick? Check out www.auto-stick.com

Phil74Camper Head in the Clouds

2,703 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 Jun 2009, 7:23 am

#720640

I have never had any problems with the Bus Depot, having ordered from them a number of times over the years. I last ordered from about 18 months ago and they were fine. Maybe, as the number of remaining air-cooled VWs falls every year, parts suppliers are finding their sales (and profits) dropping. They would naturally look to start cutting corners. It's already happing in a lot of areas. Some low-turnover parts no longer available, and other parts are shoddier than they once were. Try finding good quality Kombi front blinker, or rear tail-light, lenses now. This applies to all VW parts shops, not just Bus Depot, WCM, BFY or anyone specific.

I mentioned the '77 Microbus' because it was fully imported from Germany, so it was the first we saw that was similar to US-spec Kombis. The earlier Kombis - the so-called 'early Bays' - were made in Australia, so of course there are differences with US-sold examples of the same time. We got the more basic trim (and no really deluxe Microbus), but at the same time, as Andy says, our engines were probably better than the US versions. The last Aussie-made '76 Kombis got fuel injection to meet ADR27A pollution rules, but the imported '77s went back to twin carbs.

Yes it seems as though most of the late '70s UK Kombis are 1600s too. The cost of the bigger Type 4 engine must have been prohibitive over there (it was available as an extra-cost option).

Andy I am not even sure whether VW Australia imported Kombis other than Microbuses after 1977. The last shipment was received in 1979. We'd have to see a '78-79 panel van to know if they had no front seat firewalls either. I do know that Sopru stopped converting new VW Campervans in 1979 - perhaps the more basic Kombi was no longer available?