I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile. Any words of wisdon? Advice?
I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile.>>> Any words of wisdon? Advice? Keep the oil changed and watch exhaust valve setting on #3
Don’t forget the cool looking Chevy Nomad. Now that’s my kinda of surfmobile. It may suck gas, but at least you’ll be able to cruise up those inclines.>>> I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile.>>> Any words of wisdon? Advice?
Don’t forget the cool looking Chevy Nomad. Now that’s my kinda of > surfmobile. It may suck gas, but at least you’ll be able to cruise up > those inclines. Keep extra fan belts with you. Later, Stephen Berube
Grab hold of the big pulley on the motor (lower one) and push/pull on it. If it moves more than just a little, it hac to much end play and will need work sooner than later. Also grab the top of a front wheel and push/pull on it. If it goes klunk,klunk, it needs ball joints and will steer bad and shimmy down the road. Keep the timing and valves set fight and always have a spare belt, dist cap and rotor, condenser and a few plug wires, maybe a spare… You know what? The first thing you should buy before you go looking at old kombis is a copy of John mures(spelling?) book, How to keep your Volkswagen alive, a step by step manual for the complete idiot. I hope this helps, Scott
I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile.>>> Any words of wisdon? Advice? Have a freind whose had two. He looks back with regret on each. My advice? Chrysler minivan; cheap, good gas milage, smoother, safer, quieter, more comfortable ride, more power, easier to find a mechanic, more versatile(seats easily removed) tons of room, doesn’t attract attention, doubles as respectable family car; can’t beat american ingenuity.
Any experience with a mobile shaping shop ? That would solve the neighborhood problem !!! A wide sunroof for those UV resin and your favorite spot by the window for inspiration and washing out all this balsa dust !!! I think Dale Salomonson had a mobile surfmat factory a long time ago… Pierre
I know a German company that has a “repairbus”. He a sailboard-, kiteboard AND surfboardbuilder, here’s his site (look under repairs): http://www.tomahawk-customs.de/
I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile.>>> Any words of wisdon? Advice? I got a camper van a few years ago. It was rough looking but ran well. Tough to get used to shifting that bugger after 20 years of automatic transmissions or more modern (Japanese) manuals. The real killer for me was the fact that in Southern California the traffic is either stop and go slow or really fast. The van just wasn’t made for modern urban America. Trying to run the gears through intersections while getting cut off by stuffed shirts in BMWs and blasted by 20-something moms with one hand holding the cellphone and the other on the wheel of a Suburban…everybody having their foot firmly stomped down on the gas pedal, all ignoring their turn signals…never knowing if the van’s turn indicators even worked heh heh… Think about it before you buy. If you are “still current” on driving a vw , or if you live in a less urbanized place, you’ll be allright.
Any experience with a mobile shaping shop ? That would solve the > neighborhood problem !!! A wide sunroof for those UV resin and your > favorite spot by the window for inspiration and washing out all this balsa > dust !!!>>> I think Dale Salomonson had a mobile surfmat factory a long time ago…>>> Pierre Pierre, You
re remembering that photo from The Surfers Journal article, “Inflatable Dreams”… Over the years, Ive owned a number of VW vans and for the most part, I loved each one! I used them for all kinds of mobile/outdoor surfcraft projects, and they did help resolve the problems that sometimes occur when traveling, and no suitable workspace was available... They were relatively easy/inexpensive to maintain, worked very well in our temperate climate and hauled a lot of equipment! Yeah, the heaters were never adequate when the outside temps dropped below 50 degrees, and a front end collision would have been disastrous... Even in Oregon, you dont see very many on the road anymore. Since the late 1980s, Ive had my own commercially legitimate shops, but I still wish I had one of my old VW vans… Dale
I had a '59 Microbus in the 70’s. Easy to work on which is a good thing considering the number of valve jobs I had to do. The 60’s era VW’s had a 36 or 40 h.p. engine. That was ok when highway speed limits were 55 mph, but way underpowered for cruising at 70. I remember all too well the way the van handled in a crosswind, or when passed by a 18 wheeler. It was a major ordeal to keep it straight. And, in a front end collision, you’ll loose. It was a fun vehicle which I owned because it was cheap and economical to run. But it was kinda like playing Russian roulette when driving.
My Dad used to import VWs in the 60’s-he said about the vans"in an accident you’ll be the first to get there and the last to leave".We live in Santa Cruz-there are so many around town that you’d think they come here to die.May I suggest the older toyota vans?-22r engines,very reliable easy to find parts and mechanics.Good on gas and not as smokey as the VW.Right now it seems like the farmworkers are snapping up the toyotas to take to Mexico-always a good omen of reliablity.Good luck and you can always ride a bike.
i have an 81 vanagon i love it its a daily driver 210K miles + runs great drive to beach drive in mountains drive it anywhere bought it in tucson and drove back to long island it is a great van no complaints not the fastest vehicle on highway but it stays at speed limit i hope to keep it running and looking good as long as possible if i were you, i’d look into the 80-83 years they were still air cooled i recommend it
I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile.>>> Any words of wisdon? Advice? Learn to work on it yourself.Good VW mech. are getting hard to find. If you love VW’s nothing else will do,if you don’t, don’t bother. Good luck.
i have an 81 vanagon i love it its a daily driver 210K miles + runs great > drive to beach drive in mountains drive it anywhere bought it in tucson > and drove back to long island it is a great van no complaints not the > fastest vehicle on highway but it stays at speed limit i hope to keep it > running and looking good as long as possible if i were you, i’d look into > the 80-83 years they were still air cooled i recommend it Yeah, after I got rid of the old camper I looked into Vanagons. Everybody who has 'em seems to love 'em. The one thing was the water-cooled engines will always blow head gaskets. Always. Even the guys who had them and had gone through that, often more than once, still loved them though.
I’m thinking of getting an old ('60’s era) VW bus for use as surfmobile.>>> Any words of wisdon? Advice? go with a 70-71, 77-78, or 80-83.STAY away from the water cooled ones-something about certain mounting bolts placed on the interior instaed of exterior, thereby exposing them to the flow of cooling water, which caused them to rust quickly creating a failure of some sort and rendering your vehicle dead.
I’m with Dog. My first van was a 66 Ford Econoline - “Gus the Bus”. I drove it from Vermont to San Diego to Cordova, Alaska and then all the way back to New York. It finally died just before the George Washington Bridge, about 75 miles before I was gonna make a grand entrance back home. I looked cool as hell – it attracted both girls (in fact I’m still with the chick who fell in love with me and my van) and cops (“No officer I have NOT been smoking POT!!”) but if I had a dollar for every time I skinned my knuckles working on that thing I could buy a nice wetsuit. Anyway, my latest vehicle is a '86 toyota van. Compared to the Ford & the many VW’s I’ve been in this thing is a veritable “SPACE SHIP”. It’s fast, really fast, turns on a dime, handles like a dream, good on gas, lot’s of people work on them, tons of space in the back, the heat works great and it has a timing chain as opposed to a belt. It’s also low key. I’ve seen camper & 4wd versions. One in near great condition can be fetched for under 5k. What the hell – its a toyota. Best of luck, Mike
Anyway, my latest vehicle is a '86 toyota van. Compared to the Ford & > the many VW’s I’ve been in this thing is a veritable “SPACE > SHIP”. It’s fast, really fast, turns on a dime, handles like a dream, > good on gas, lot’s of people work on them, tons of space in the back, the > heat works great and it has a timing chain as opposed to a belt. It’s also > low key. I’ve seen camper & 4wd versions. One in near great condition > can be fetched for under 5k. What the hell – its a toyota.>>> Best of luck, Mike …Amen!!!..I drive a silver '88 4WD Toyota Cargo Van (no windows)…I’ve set up the cargo area with shelving and drawers a-plenty…It gets me on the sand just fine (we can legally drive on the beaches up here)…better yet, it’ll get me to the snow no problem on those 24" of new overnight days…I’ve got 245,000 miles on the odometer, the body is clean, and I have no intention on replacing it…If you do the commonsense things like change the oil, don’t drive stupid in 4wd, these things will last a long, long time…BTW, my wife drives an '88 toyota passenger van… Paul
Looking for a split window eh? I drove a 21 window deluxe for 10 years, 100k miles. Great vehicle, simple and sound mechanics, lots of room, they go slow so you see more. Be prepared to baby it a little. Go get a screwdriver and 10mm and 13mm wrench. They run for a long time with just tune ups, valves adjusted and oil changed (and adjust the brakes). Parts are cheap and available in general. Great ground clearance for off road and they climb pretty well. Have to buy things like latches, speedos, switches etc used. Slow on the freeway, but get a “freeway flyer” transaxle with taller gears and they do better. Mine would go all day at 62, drove it 900 miles straight one day and night. My wife refused to road trip in it once my daughter was born. Safety issues are real, but the heaters work okay if the heat exchangers are good and it’s not too cold. Bring Uggs and gloves in the winter. Make sure the steering box isn’t too sloppy, those are hard to find, but adjustable if not too worn. Also get the later ('71 on) “doghouse” fan shroud and the mechanical advance distributor. Lots of internet support if you look for it. Anyway, travels are richer in a bus, enjoy.
Saw a 4 wheeler @ Rincon today. Never would have noticed it if I had not read this. Nice unit! In Response To: Re: VW Bus (Swaylock)>>> Anyway, my latest vehicle is a '86 toyota van. Compared to the Ford &>>> the many VW’s I’ve been in this thing is a veritable “SPACE>>> SHIP”. It’s fast, really fast, turns on a dime, handles like a dream,>>> good on gas, lot’s of people work on them, tons of space in the back, the>>> heat works great and it has a timing chain as opposed to a belt. It’s also>>> low key. I’ve seen camper & 4wd versions. One in near great condition>>> can be fetched for under 5k. What the hell – its a toyota.>>> Best of luck, Mike …Amen!!!..I drive a silver '88 4WD Toyota Cargo Van (no windows)…I’ve set up the cargo area with shelving and drawers a-plenty…It gets me on the sand just fine (we can legally drive on the beaches up here)…better yet, it’ll get me to the snow no problem on those 24" of new overnight days…I’ve got 245,000 miles on the odometer, the body is clean, and I have no intention on replacing it…If you do the commonsense things like change the oil, don’t drive stupid in 4wd, these things will last a long, long time…BTW, my wife drives an '88 toyota passenger van… Paul