hi

i`ve been looking for a late sixties kombi without much luck so far.
can people tell me what differences there is between these models ?
eg... interior , exterior , engine size , pop tops and so forth ?
i just like the shape of these with the indicaters lower at the front .

hope someone can help me out ?

cheers

coolaride

Not too sure on the camper differences but that would depend more on which manufacturer did the conversion, so keep an eye out for the better conversions rather than a particular year.

As for the Kombi it's self, not too much changed during those years. The most noticable would be disk brakes ~'71 I think. The early discs and calipers were different and had a short production run so are getting harder to get parts for though. Pretty sure those years all had 1600 type 1 motors.

I agree those models look better than the later Kombi's, but I went for a later one with a type 4 motor for the extra power and stronger motor (more expensive to re-build though).

Andy

Some other info
http://www.type2.com/library/identifi/vin.htm 
http://www.bugsandbuggies.com/QuickRef.asp 
In Oz I think most '72 bus's still had 1600 (type 1) motors though. T4 motors were more the norm in '74 with the 1800.

thanks andy

thats great !

anyone else got any thoughts ?

cheers

coolaride .

there is still a 68 camper for sale in albury 1300 motorpale blue duco peco star wide five wheels not to bad ,have been trying to track down her phone number
david:o:o

hi

thanks david

keep me posted !

cheers .

The 68-70 Kombis used the 1600 single port engine and 30PICT/2 carby - almost identical to the 1500 H series engine used in the bugs for those years, but with the larger P&Cs.

These should have a B prefix to the engine number.

The 71 bus engine had the first of the 1600 dual port engines with the larger 34PICT/3 carby. AD prefix for most Aussie engines if I remember right.

The 72 and up buses normally came with the 1700/1800/2000 type4 (pancake) engine, but you'll find some 1600 models still around - for example, all the Aussie Telecom vans still used the 1600dp engine - these are recognisable by their lack of any windows in the sides and always had a brown interior - no matter what the outer paint colour.

Up to and including 1970 the rear bumper and rear valance was removable so the engine could be rolled straight backwards out of the vehicle - a neat feature in my opinion. From 71 onwards the engine had to be dropped out underneath (bug style removal).

I think the 71+ (or was it 72+?) models have the squared off rear air inlets - makes it easy to tell a "late" model from an "early" model at a glance.

Hey Aussiebug, I thought it was '73 Kombi's had the squarer air intakes?
The '72 bus I had originally had a 1600dp in it and the rear valance was removable. Most '72's Ive seen had 1600's also.
'72's still have the low indicators on the front but the larger rear tail lights (same as '73-'79)
Cheers,
Andy

72 is probably the best way to go from what I know.

They still have the low indicators at the front but have the bigger engine bay and type 4 engine. They also have the disc brakes and later model tail lights at the rear.

i agree with 72 twin, but as far as interiors go, if you like a standard style go for it, but if you want one that suits you BUILD IT YOURSELF!

Not too many differences between Euro Kombi changes and Australian models. After 1968 VW Australia went back to assembling German kits, which included Beetles, Type 3s and Kombis with only a small amount of locally sourced components.

A general guide is that we usually got VW's model year changes a few months later. For example, VW's new model year began in September, after the summer holiday break - new 1971 models were made from September 1970.

In Australia, those changes weren't likely to hit the market until the following January, February or March. But other than that, yes you can generally follow the overseas changes schedule.

hi
thanks for the help people.

now i just gotta find one.

its been 2 and a half months already

cheers

Andy or anyone

Any ideas on who made the better conversions and who to stay away from? Is it possible to tell the difference easily.

If building your own camper should you go a full pop top roof or are there problems with these, flexing of body maybe? I'm looking at baja ing one

Thanks for any help

[Edited on 1-5-2003 by Bugged Again]

The 'official' VW Campmobiles sold in Australia were made by Sopru, an Adelaide-based company that had workshops in all capital cities in the 1970s. Westfalia campers were not sold in Australia.

There were plenty of other camper converters - Trakka Van, Dormobile, Swagman, Gypsy and Wanderer are a few I can think of at the moment.

As to which one is better - no definite answer. They all had different design details. Some roofs went straight up, some opened to one side. Some put the fridge behind the driver, some behind the passenger. Some had chipboard cupboards, some were fibreglass.

Your main problem, looking for a nice '68-'71, is that it will be so old that the original gear will be pretty much stuffed. It's hard enough to find a nice mid-late 1970s camper, of which there are many more around to choose from.

Anyway you can always rebuild the insides - We remade all of my cupboards, and they're MUCH better now than when my Kombi was new. Keep looking for a nice, straight 68-71 Kombi if that's what you want, and worry about the rest later!

On the other question, Aussie camper converters (including Sopru) simply cut a big hole in the roof of a Type 23 VW Kombi (window van with seats), and fitted their fibreglass roof on top. No strengthening was fitted. So yes, they WILL suffer body flex in off-road conditions.

German Westfalia campers were fitted with a VW M-option (I don't have the number with me) that added some extra steel reinforcing to the roof cutout, in order to give it some extra strength. Unfortunately, they weren't sold here so an example will be difficult to find. But they are out there - some tourists bring overseas Campers in from time to time.

If you want to get serious with going off-road in a Kombi Camper, I suggest you buy a copy of Simon Glen's fabulous book on Travelling In the Sahara. He spends a couple of chapters on what you should do to your Kombi to make it live in extreme conditions.

Cheers for that, tracked down the book, Sahara Handbook $55 must be a good book for that price.

Is the rest of it interesting reading?

$55 ??!! Simon was down at the VW Nationals last year and was selling copies for $5 ! I got one and he autographed it for me too! Contact him through Klub VW Toowoomba, I'm sure he can get a copy cheaper than that.

But yes it's a fabulous read. You think Australia is a vast, barren emptiness - pah, nothing compared with the Sahara. Simon has some great stories in there.

just a comment on Trakka, it didnt start business untill after the dates you are looking at, but it DID have reinforcement in the roof of a form, steel square tubing inside stationary part of poptop along sides which is rivetted to roof. also had marine ply inside.

Minor cosmetic differences
1968 uses a different internal mirror (screw on, old stock from splits?) to 1969 - 71 (push on/pull & twist off).
1968 no hazard switch on dash, 1969 - 71 has.

Coolride, Could you please edit your avatar to be 100X100 pixels. current size makes reading post a real bugger. Thanks :thumb
Steven