Terminology, help a beginner!!!

:alien Ok, so look at me like I'm weird, I love my VW but I don't know all the terminology. Like Baja, what's that? Is there anywhere I can go and visit (web or book) that will set me straight???

Baja refers to a certain type of modified off road VW.

Named after the offroad race in Mexico

they usuall have cut off front and rear body sections and have extra height for clearance.

odapbr wrote:Is there anywhere I can go and visit (web or book) that will set me straight???

You're here.

Stick around and you'll learn heaps.

Also check out the "links" section of any VW site and you'll find more VW sites!

whats elce do ya need to know and tell us well all help ya

dom

On reading thru this site I have come across different terms and abbreviations and I was sort of looking for somewhere they are listed, like a dictionary but for VW's, without asking a question each time I find one!

hey hey and welcome to teh forum, you will learn much so as to initiate you i will give you this picture hehe look its a doggie:P

mmmmmmmmmmm... not sure how he will help. Maybe if it was a VW guide dog...

u know a vw terminology dictonary would be a good idea....it was slow for me when i started. If u bug the moderators enough i am sure someone could put one together

Good idea:thumb

Considering the number of people interested in things VW I'm supprised it hasn't been thought of and acted on yet.

ANYONE OUT THERE WITH SOME SPARE TIME AND EXPERTISE...?

HELLOOOOOOooooo....

But if you dont ask questions we wont get to know you 🙁

hey welcome to the forum, im still new here myself and still heaps i have no idea about but im slowly learning by just reading whats around, you will get the hang of it eventually.

Danielle:P

It is not just the terminology and abbreviations... it is also about the face to face. There are bits and pieces of "Barbarella" that worry me. Have a look at this...

http://www.aussieveedubbers.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=17879

Can you see how confusing it all is. It was OK for the previous owner, he obviously knew what he was doing by all the stuff he has done leaving me with a jigsaw piece convertable.

Its not unusual to have lots of salvaged bit to make up a 30 yr old car.

As far as I know just because te engine number says its a 1300 doesnt mean it hasn't been made into a 1600 (New pistons / cylindars ) - I dont think there is any way to tell - but I'm sure someone will correct me if there is a way

u know wat i neva got and i still dont


bump <------- wat is that????

dom

fatboy wrote:... doesnt mean it hasn't been made into a 1600... I dont think there is any way to tell - but I'm sure someone will correct me if there is a way

Remove engine - disassemble - measure - reassemble - reinstall.

But, hey, you probably knew that.

hth

"bump" means "I'm just posting this to move the topic back to the top of the list".

Now for the VW Library of Terminology - I think THIS is what you're after:
http://www.type2.com/library/

Goes a long way to what I'm looking for.

Thanks very much.

If you use the "Todays Posts" view (Link at top of page) it shows all the most recent posts.
Eventually they slide off the bottom so ppl will put a reply in that says BUMP to bump it back onto the Todays Posts view

:thumb

So does the name Baja come from the RACE in desert on the Baja Peninsula Califoria/Mexico or from the place/peninsular itself?

http://www.desertracing.com/news/2003/0214_score_sanfelipe.html

Is the Baja Peninsular the birth place of the Baja's? or did they get created somewhere else and got known by the name because of the race there?

Now I'm confused.....:jesus

and who left that barn door swinging....:o

Mmmm This Is A Badger!!! lol


But Still I Had Seen Buggies And Never Heard Of A "Baja" Until I Joined Up To Aussieveedubbers, Good On Ya For Asking


Andy

well done typ-fre!!
you've managed to confuse a 'super-moderator'

*zac points and laughs at jen*
HAHAHAHAHAHA

beetles were THE off road car to have and were named after the race that was in the desert on the baja peninsula (dont quote me on that)

Well some of us know I didn't get to Super Moderator through my accurate knowledge of VW terminology.........😀

Hmmm....maybe I should rephrase that.....I have been accused of padding from time to time....:o....it's getting worse...:jesus

Why did I even try to be serious??!!!:rudolf

hahaaha lol

umm......

bump 😀

Hey Bronze!!!!🙂

How's Dubbo and the hol's going?????

You'd know about Baja's:bounce

Now you've done it

here come 200 posts saying "What does groan mean"

😀

What does groan mean?

It's not like The Bronze to be so short on words!!!:jesus

I don't want to ask what the groan means....it might have to do with my silly post...if I delete it then his agony might appear meaningless🙁

WTF are you guy talking about,like OMG did you see that sano samba or that THING full of all that NOS up for grabs.but still saving me dosh up for a splitty though got me rag for the bug...LOL😀

man,I didn't know any of this stuff before I joined this forum.....now my wife keeps saying"what the hell are you talking about"
ROB
ps:welcome to the forum:thumb

When I asked the first question I had no idea it would create more questions. I'm not a big e-mailer but some of the terminology not related to VW is also worrying. Eg WTF (I got that one), OMG (I can guess), lol (lots of laughs?). Remember I started this topic to help beginners like me and it is not just related to things VW.

DYGMM - Do You Get My Meaning? (Am I now going too far?)

WSDYWUTGBTYT😀

(well sorry do you want us to go back to your topic😉)

dom

lol

OK, I read this somewhere a long time ago...

The Baja got its name from the region on the California/Mexico border where the off-road races are held. These races were/are extremely long and the course notes were of 'average' quality making for too many surprises for most racers. To improve the course notes, many of the racers used to arrive at the starting point days in advance (even weeks!) and would drive around the course (pre-run) and make their own course notes.

The terain that they were covering was/is extremely rough, so they couldn't use their road vehicles to do this trip, and using their race vehcile would expose it to possible damage - not a good thing before a race, so partly wrecked vehicles were used to pre-run the course. Many of the racers discovered that the VW Beetles had very good traction off road and because they were light, if they did get stuck they were easier to get moving again. The only problems with the VW's was the overhang at the front and rear was too great (it was very easy to hit these areas of the body on the ground) and the guards used to interfear with the sand tyres required to travel in these areas. Then some bright spark came up with the idea of removing the offending areas of bodywork to help with the clearance. This worked great, but wasn't all that safe (lots of sharp edges and no usable storage areas/exposed engine/no protection from flying stones from tyres etc.) so someone came up with the idea of shielding the engine with bullbar type bars around it and enclosing the front (probably with offcuts from the body work that they had removed originally). As some of these vehicles had to be driven on public roads either to get them to and from the race area, or as part of the race course, they still had to be legal, so over time people developed the fibreglass front sections to 'tidy-up' the front of the vehicle. The original steel guards used to be cut down so that they would clear the tyres and re-fitted.

Over time, they have been developed into the vehicles you see today. Many of the parts are fibreglass - good for a number of reasons - no requirement for the builder to have any panel beating experience (just bolt on the fibreglass panel and off you go) and rust resistance (good for use on the beach).

...So thats my understanding of the Baja story 😀

Now I should go out into the garage and get mine finished!! :o

R

That is what I mean. A comprehensive answer to a simple question, thanks R, don't spend too much time in the garage. Your input is very worth while and you seem to know your stuff.

Sorry if I sounded a bit tetchy before, on reading the post it sounded a bit stiff. What I meant was for other people to put up some questions on terminology, looking at the number of replies so far I feel the topic is worth exploring.

typ-fre wrote:whats elce do ya need to know and tell us well all help ya

dom

Espushellly wiv tha spellin an grammer...😀

odapbr Follow This Thread

http://www.aussieveedubbers.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=18001


Andy

Badger? = Baja?... I allways thought it was pronounced "Baha"

Good, very interesting, very helpful with a few good links.

Thanks for the thread Andy, will keep me busy for a while...

Paul

WSDYWUTGBTYT

very good type_fre:thumbI like it,do you mind if I pinch that one next time I hijack a post LOL😀
ROB

More jargon. A double cab is doppel kabine in German(y), but what do they call a Kombi?

ok, you may steal it


dom

Here is another one... What do people mean when they refer to a 1301 or 1971 and other figures? Its not the year they are referring to but power??? I'm guessing but where does it come from? How is it used?

Paul

G'day matey!

Now Volksys can def be confusing, the numbers and figures that ppl speak, do indeed take a bit of time to get use to. In regards to numbers, if it sounds like a year when Voklswagens were being produced ie. 1971 it usually refers to the year. Otherwise it refers to the engine cc size. ie 1916 --> Voksys weren't being produced then, so it must mean the engines capacity is just over 1.9Litres ... i think 😉

Here is one site that might help...

http://www.mvoc.com/vwism/default.htm

Another one for water cooled bus's (Vanagons) is http://www.vanagon.com/dictionary/

PS. The range of terminology is vast and covers a number of different 'genarations' of Volksys, as you might imagine with over 60years of production. You may want to tell us what sort of volksys you are into ... air-cooled V water-cooled ... Kombis V Beetles etc ... limit your search and request, so it will be easier to step into this VWilderness 😀

There are a few good books that you can find at any good book shop, the motoring book stores are better.. They usually go over every model and variant (baja, buggy) of the Volksys

Good Luck :thumb

Cheers Isaak

yeah

dom

Thanks Isaac, will have a squiz.

Paul

hehehehe

I learned a lot of stuff from Philcamper74 (whats happened to him)

And accessories i learned a lot from the Oil Drippers posts 😉

:beer

odapbr wrote:Here is another one... What do people mean when they refer to a 1301 or 1971 and other figures?

You prolly are talking about Supers

Overseas they were called
1302 = flat screened = Superbug = 1600S

1303 = curved screen = L Bug

There is also the common hot up model sizes
1776 = 69 crank X 90.5 pistons
1914 = 69 x 94
2007 =
etc etc

baja is pronounced "baha' as it is spanish ironically meaning low or bottom, when most baja's are high.🙂

*Baja Hat on*

Astro, Both Daves and Ratty are right on the Baja Question.

Like the Queensland coast there are a lot of creeks, gullies and dry river beds which punctuate the Baja (Pronounced Baha) coastline. There creeks are usually sandy and closer to the coast can be muddy. Regardless the vehicles were significantly modified as Ratty explained. The creeks typically had steep exits and enterances and therefore the Beetle was shortened. This combined with basic mechanicals, light weight, strong swing and king suspension and low gearing lent the humble beetle to Offroad.

Today few Baja's seem to get really used. The more and more I see are becoming trailer queens. There is a legend Red 61' baja which joins me at Stockton and I doubt I will ever see it bogged.

*Baja hat off* - *Net hat on*

LOL - as I have heard it means *Laugh out loud*

*Net hat off* - *Teacher / parent hat on*

*Groan* - I'm tired of being on holidays.

Hats off to Spook - Great to see you still posting mate.

*Fourm User Hat On*

Sad to see infighting and division in the forum. There is a big population here now. This saddens me but get more work on the Dog-O-War done.

A supporting terminology / glossary webpage would be cool but learning and asking is fun too.

For the record - I say Baja not Baha.
If another Baja Driver wants to keep up and correct me I'm happy for that to happen.

Is this a suitable length?

Bronze.

Hey Bronze

Have you been out and about in the Dog-a-War over the hol's?...

Wah, *Hat On* *Hat Off* is that Army talk?...*Official* *Unofficial* stuff?

Hope all is well up there in Dubbo🙂

p.s. There's a DVD on Mexico by 'Pilot Guides'....they have a second part on the DVD on the Baja Peninsular and it has a couple of Baja's in it.....also quite a few other VW's as well😎

Hi all,

I like the idea of a dictonary for VW terms, however in some cases terms mean different things to different people. Could be useful to clear up common 'misuses' of termanology (like New Old Stock (NOS) is exactly that; not good condition second hand parts).😠

Perhaps the best way to deal with this is to simply post a reply in the thread where there is something that you don't understand what they are discussing, asking for an explanation. Most VW people are more than happy to help educate a newcomer to the VW world.😀

Just remember, the only stupid question is the question that you didn't ask.:thumb

R

ratty 63 wrote:Just remember, the only stupid question is the question that you didn't ask.:thumb

That is NOT true!!!

I ask lots of stupid questions

Where is the radiator???
Why do 94's over heat???
Why are Supers superior to Standards???
Why is my car red when i am called Blue???

😀

He, he, he, he!! 😀😀😀😀😀

Actually I had wondered about the blue/red issue myself. In the words of a famous Queensland ex-politition - please explain!😉

I was already registered as Blue 🙁

Didnt want to loose my post count 😀

O I C

...ouch... actually, my first VW was a blue 74 L, exactly the same as the one in your pic, well, not quiet as bent!:P

R

And heres one i prepared earlier http://www.aircooledtech.com/aircooled_glossary/ :thumb

Im slightly confused with a few model types
Is there a split beetle and bus?
and lowlight is bus i think
Square is a kind of type 4? but oval is type 1? true?

Wow, this thread has been dredged out of the past!

Yes to split beetles and buses. Different years though.
Split buses up to 67.
Split beetles up to... 52?

Lowlight is an early bay window bus. 67-69 maybe

Oval is a type 1/beetle 53-58

Squares, notches and fastbacks are all models of type 3.

You're unlikely to see any type 4s, I think there are only a couple in Australia. Type 4 engines are used in later model bay window kombis though.

*Waits to be corrected* 😀

Hahaha yeh
Everyone always says "theres a topic for this"
and i guess there is...6 years ago!

So the split refers to the front windows on the bus and the rears on the beetle and squares are type 3, gotcha
I meant type 3 when i said 4 :P
Thanks

I am still here, thanks for asking ! :-)

A 'split' Beetle is just a colloquial term (ie. not a VW model name of any sort, just a nickname) for Beetles made prior to 1953. They are named after the split back window. They were never sold in Australia so any you see will have been privately imported since. Aussie sales began in early 1954, by which time the 'Oval' had replaced the 'Split' (yes, also named after the rear window). Strangely, when the rear window was made rectangular in 1958, no one called the new model the 'rectangle'. Funny how nicknames work.

A 'split' Kombi (or Bus, or Bulli, or Type 2, or Transporter, etc etc) on the other hand is named after the split front windows (windscreen), as you have guessed. This was only on the 'Mk1' Kombi (or 'T1' Transporter, to use VW's terminology), that was made from 1950 to 1967. The Mk2 (T2) Kombi is the so-called 'bay window', so named because of its panoramic, curved single piece windscreen. This is a 'wrong' nickname, because real bay windows on houses aren't shaped like that - they are made of three window panes, side angled and double-sashed. I think the term came from the UK in the early 1990s, from someone who didn't know any better. Anyway, there are two series of T2 Kombis - the 'low light', referring to the low-mounted front blinkers (1968-72) and the 'high light' with the blinkers above the headlights (1973-79). The next series of Kombi, the squarer T3 (1980-92), is sometimes called the 'Vanagon' as that was it's official name for the US market. The Brits call it the 'wedge' or the 'loaf' - both stupid names. The front-engined T4 (1993-2004) doesn't seem to have a nickname. Everyone just calls it the 'T4'. The current series you can buy now - the T5 - is called the T5 Transporter and doesn't have a nickname either - yet.

The Type 3 was made in three body variations - sedan ('Notchback' or 'Notch' for short, although VW also called it the 'Halfback for a short while), station wagon (Squareback) and coupe (Fastback). All only had two doors. The 'Type 3' name was an in-house name that VW used to describe the series (like Type 1 for Beetle and its derivatives, and Type 2 for Kombis), and was not used to sell the car - EXCEPT in Australia. Everywhere else in the world they were called the VW 1500 or VW 1600 Notchback, Squareback, etc. Australia was the only country that officially sold the vehicle as the 'Type 3' (eventually), although only later in its life. Our locally-made late Type 3s had 'Type 3' badges on the front guards.

The Type 4 was a bigger model than the Type 3, sold in two and four door sedan versions (the first ever four-door Vollkswagen), and two-door wagon format. They were sold as the 'VW 411' and later the 'VW 412' series. Apart from a few preview examples in 1969, none were sold in Australia so they are rare here. They don't have a nickname as such in the Englilsh-speaking world, but in Germany they are called the 'Nasenbaer', or 'Nose Bear', because of their front-heavy appearance. They were a comparitive failure and were replaced by the new Passat series in 1974. The Type 4's 1700 and 1800 engines were used in the Transporter, and a hotted-up 2000cc version was used in the Porsche 914. A low-spec 2000cc version was also used in the Transporter, right up to 1983.

Some more explanation about the Superbug names might be handy. In 1970 in Germany, VW sold the VW 1200 Beetle (a basic cheapo Beetle), the higher spec 'normal' VW 1300, and the top of the line VW 1500. In Australia we only got the 1500 Beetle - the others were too 'low spec'.

In 1971, VW Germany introduced a new Beetle with double-joint rear (from the semi-auto 1500), and with a new nose with Macpherson struts. In Germany it was fitted with the 'regular' 1300 engine. As it was to be built alongside the existing range, rather than replacing the VW1200, 1300 or 1500, VW needed another name. VW tried to use the '1301' name, but this was already registered to Peugeot, who had already trademarked model nos ending in '01' (the same reason why the Porsche 911 is not the Porsche 901). So, VW just used the next available, and the VW 1302 was born. A higher-spec model of the 1302 was also introduced, fitted with a 1600cc engine. This was called the '1302S'. However, for the US market, VW chose to market this as the 'Super Beetle'. In Australia, it was sold as the 'Superbug S', a sot of average of the German and American names.

In 1973 the 1302's front was redesigned again, with a new dash and a bigger, curvy windscreen. In Germany this was called the VW 1303 - the next new model in the series. Again it was available in 1300 or 1600 engines, with the 1600cc version called the 'VW 1303S'. In the US it was still called the 'Super Beetle'. In Australia it was sold as the 'Superbug L' (or 'L-Bug' by enthusiasts). The UK market saw both 1300 and 1600 versions of the Superbug (they were sold under the 1302/1303 name), but the US and Australia only ever got 1600cc versions. Ours were better than the US ones as ours had front disks - the US ones had drums. Ours were made in Melbourne, not Germany, like most VWs of the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Those wanting to test their mastery of the jargon might like to try the crossword at:
http://www.modulus.com.au/volks_x.html