On my way out of town yesterday, I spotted a very familiar profile in the traffic up ahead, and was able to catch up within a few blocks. I then LOL’d when I saw the “It is floored!” decal in the rear window.
The engine sounded rough as he took off from the traffic light, but I was surprised that I had to “floor it” myself to keep up as he merged onto I-74! The Type II went through a progression of air-cooled engines over the years: 1971 was the last year for the “upright” 57hp 1584cc Type I engine. 1972-73 used the 66hp 1679cc Type IV engine with dual carbs. 1974 went to a 68hp 1795cc engine with dual carbs, switching to electronic fuel injection for 1975. The 1976-79 models used the 72hp 1970cc EFI engine.
Note that the Type IV engine is the same one to be found under the hood of the Porsche 914 and 912E. While it’s tempting to say this bus is “Porsche-powered,” in reality, it’s the other way ’round: the Porsche’s were “VW-powered.”
There are few external clues to pin down the model year of the later Type IIs (the body barely changed after a few minor tweaks in the early 1970s), but I’m going to call it a 1977 based on the presence of front seat headrests introduced that year. Adam Simpson in the comments corrected me and indicates this is either a 1975 or 1976 model – I’ll go with ’76. This van is truly a survivor, as, with Illinois plates, it’s smack dab in the middle of the Salt Belt. My originally-from-Colorado ’71 was horribly rotted in the same places (you could throw a baby through the rust holes toward the end), and my sliding side door had to be opened carefully lest it fall right off the rotted track.
My exit arrived only too quickly, as did the end of “bay window” Type II sales in North America in 1979, when it was succeeded by the boxy Vanagon. Amazingly, the Type II continued production in Brazil until 2013, albeit with an 80hp 1.4l water-cooled inline four engine.
As I peeled off the highway, the Type II’s driver grinned as I shot him a quick thumbs up.
Goodbye, Pal, indeed.
This old van is in nice shape, but I think its forebears had greater character.
Neat Volkswagen drawing; 65 years between the T6 on the left and the T1 on the right.
I had the opportunity to drive one of these early 2.0 Type IV buses in 1977, and it really was pretty lively for the times, and especially so for being a VW bus. For the first time ever, one didn’t feel really underpowered. With some good rowing of the gears, and not too many folks on board, these would scoot right along. Or at least it felt like it 🙂
With a twin carb suitcase engine Kombis can get along rather well and cruising at 110kmh is easy even loaded, the earlier upright engines were too gutless for the size of the vehicle only really being suitable for the smaller lighter more aerodynamic beetle sedan,not the big box van.
When I was in college (early seventies) a friend of a friend had a VW Kombi from the mid-sixties. I don’t know what size engine it had but it could have used some more cc’s; merging into traffic was an exercise in faith, you just hoped a gap would show up when you needed it. On the other hand it could run at full throttle for hours at a time with no ill effects. I never saw her do it but I remember Susannah talking about how her father would use a brick as a cruise control mechanism.
Back when I had my 74 Maverick and 74 Pinto wagon together (aug. – Dec. 86) my friend (?) put bumper stickers on ’em that said ” my other cars a piece of shit too”.
Used to see a lot of old VW’s with the not politically correct or at all respectful “Polish Mercedes” bumper sticker or license frame. You would not see this today.
Could be amusing to import a front engined VW Kombi with a watercooled engine once it reaches 25 years old.
The engine is still out back in the usual spot; just the radiator is out front, like in the T3 Vanagon, but not so well integrated.
I saw a new-to-me VW bumper sticker on a late model Jetta TDI yesterday. “Talk to me about Sins of Emission”
Audi distributed bumperstickers that read – TDI Clean Diesel. All that’s needed is quotation marks around “clean”.
I have on my VW Bus that says “The Fast Lane is Overrated” One thing about VW Bus drivers, we have a sense of humor about them. You kind of have to. We actually like driving these underpowered oversized beer cans with wheels.
Just an FYI, through 2006 you could still get a Kombi with a Type1 upright air-cooled engine in Brazil.
Oh and that Bus is a 1974-76. The decklid hinges changed in 1977 and that one has the earlier style. Actually that coupled with the black plastic hatch and engine lid handles would most likely make it a 1975 or 1976.
Thanks for the ID – article updated.
That’s cool they sold the Type I engine van that long.
How crazy is it to think that from 1938 until 2006 Volkswagen sold a vehicle, somewhere in the world with a Type 1 air cooled engine.
Back in 1971 I came close to buying a mid 60s VW Kombi (?), window-less van with no seats except the driver’s and front passenger’s. I was newly enlisted in the Navy and thought the van would be great as a rolling weekend “hideaway”.
When I got orders to Maryland, a few hours from my northern Pennsylvania family home, I figured my possible new truck wouldn’t be even adequate as transportation to and from mountainous Pa. Ironically, after a few months in Maryland I was transferred again to flat as a tabletop Florida.
My best friend’s dad drove one of these from about ’68 or so until about ’73, when it was hit while parked in front of their house by a drunk neighbor (She had three kids she all blamed on being drunk and “out of it”. I don’t understand how anyone would buy one of these, new or used after driving one. I went on two trips in it, one was about 100 miles each way, the other one through the mountains in PA and NY that was about 600 miles each way. There were 6 of us in it. My friend’s dad was a little guy, but his mom was over 6 feet tall, my friend and I were both about the same size as her, and the two younger kids had to be about 100 pounds each. With the luggage and the ancient “7-UP” cooler, the thing would only got about 30MPH on a slight uphill climb, and if it was steep, it had to be dropped into first gear which revved the crap out of the tiny motor. I kept expecting it to toss a rod, but it never did. My friend’s dad had a never ending string of oddball cars, mostly Triumph and MG’s, that of course had the bonus of the famously reliable Lucas electricals. I don’t know how many times we were waiting for his dad to pick us up and he would call and tell us his POS car had died and he would be there once the tow truck came and he was able to go home and get the cancer ridden Chevy Malibu wagon that was his “back up car”. The night my friend and I went to see “Torah Torah Torah!” at the theater across town. As soon as we got there, it started snowing and of course, his dad didn’t show up until nearly 2 hours after the movie was over. We had to leave the theater because it was closed for the night, and waited at the Big Boy across the street. Finally, he showed up, and we almost made it home, through the snow covered streets before the Lucas demons decided we should walk the last half mile home. I’m happy that that was the beginning of the end for that horrible little POS MG. It was soon gone, replaced by the VW van, which was replaced by another weird car, a Gremlin. It was as like a rock, it never broke down and only was retired due to the rust on it in 1982. My friend and both his brothers took their driving tests in it.
My recollection of these on the highway, especially the earlier ones from the late 60’s into early 1970’s models was to see them struggling along in the right lane on the interstate barely doing 50 mph on the level….and running alot slower than that on any sort of upgrade.
Truth!
I used to drive a ’79 panel bus as a parts truck. This one had a 3 speed automatic, and at least when not loaded with a lot of weight the 2.0 hydraulic lifter engine engine actually moved along quite well. Sounded good without the ticking sound of the earlier solid lifter engines. Of course with a 4 speed it would have been better, but I guess the dealership decided automatic was better then replacing a lot of clutches with a bunch of different drivers.
If you want slow, my brothers ’56 panel van with the ’53-’54 25 hp beetle engine, purchased from the recently closed Aadlen Bros. auto wrecking in Sun Valley, California for $75.00 around 1970 was the ultimate in underpowered. It actually moved along better then you would expect, the transmission had really low gearing. 60 on level ground was about top speed.
I remember seeing a few late ’70’s buses from Mexico with the upright 1600 engine. The engine compartment actually was cut out for the type 4 engine, but special large engine cooling sheetmetal plates were made to adapt the upright engine
to the larger engine compartment cutout. It was interesting the way it was done.
Driving any VW Typ II in a cross wind was much like flying a small air plane , you cribbed so much .
I’ve crossed America many times in the earlier versions , empty and loaded , I have fond memories of the 1954 Kombi they used in the first Vanagon commercial , it wasn’t restored , just rebuilt and a good solid runner if slowish on the open road .
-Nate
I commuted from Charlotte, NC to Knoxville, TN each weekend for about three months in the mid 1990s in my ’71 (COAL linked at the beginning of this post). This was on I-40 through the mountains, and while it wasn’t a barn-burner, it did okay (I was usually running unladen except for my well-stocked tool kit and luggage for each week at my new job). I never really experienced problems in crosswinds, but having now lived in the Middle West for 15 years, I realize I was not driving through “real” crosswinds. (c:
Yeah ;
Not far from me a guy stopped his ’68 Van to look out over Los Angeles during our annual October wind fest and it blew over and rolled on top of him killing him .
I can only imagine how strong the wind was that day .
Many of my Customers back when I had the VW Shop in the glory dayze , were rolled into the ditch or under Semis whilst crossing the Desert .
-Nate
I recall a few times driving the ’66 Bus through the desert when the Santa Ana winds were howling, and did have to drive with the steering wheel turned a quarter turn into the wind. You had be ready to catch it quick when you hit a calm spot to avoid changing lanes!
My ’94 Dodge Maxivan was just as directionally unstable in desert crosswinds. In theory, the front engine mass should have made it better, but the huge area of sheet metal behind the rear axle negated that.
I think you mean “crabbed.” The B-52’s centerline landing gear pivoted to allow this sort of landing in a crosswind.
The ’81 Escort had poor crosswind stability, I think because its fastback design put the center of pressure further forward than the Golf or Omnirizon.
Correct Neil ;
I’m always amused by the how slow they were comments .
Proper tuning made them O.K. and these easily went over 80MPH on the freeway .
-Nate
Old VWs seem to be fairly resistant to rust. Japanese tin of this vintage would be 100% vaporized by now in that area, and a lot of D3 products would likely be on their last legs.
My ex’s brother had a ’73 bay window similar to this. Considering he was an aspiring hippie with a bit of surfer going on, it was the most fitting ride for him. But what a total POS. It was moderately beat up, the shift linkage was shot beyond belief and every week some new breakdown curbed it….although very briefly, as the fix never seemed to exceed $40. We all had a blast in it though.
I had a 74 VW camper for a while. Compared to my dad’s 67, it could take the hills a little better.
My uncle had a 74 camper when I was growing up. He bought it as a factory pick up and spent that summer driving around Germany and Sweden (my aunt was German).
I have fun memories of driving through the White Mts of NH with him after a backpack trip a couple years later, plenty fast for the twisty mountain roads, with classical music blasting at Deep Purple levels.
Sweet looking Bulli. I’ve always liked this generation Volkswagen Vanagon (Bus, Transporter, Microbus, etc.)
A friend’s mom had a blue and white one of a vintage similar to the green one in the original post…lots of vinyl bench seats in back is the main thing I remember. Her husband had an orange Chevy Vega hatchback…it was the 70s, bright colors were the “thing”.
I don’t think these Type IIs would look right in anything but sherbet colors, green blue, orange, etc.
I’d like to have a yellow and white “Little Miss Sunshine ” VW van.
I have “Little Miss Sunshine” on DVD. Worth watching just for that van.
When my sister was in university back in the late ’80’s, her roommate’s boyfriend had a VW camper of this vintage – a ’72 with an automatic and Grateful Dead stickers on the back window. It was slow, but it always got you there and on a nice summer day you weren’t really in a hurry anyway. Good times.
My Gawdfather had the generation before this one. I borrowed it when I was car-less, for whatever reason.
I was constantly amused/appalled/irritated over how S L O W. It SOUNDED like I was making progress as I rowed the gears; but traffic would invariably leave me.
I do believe that a healthy teenager on his 10-speed bicycle and I could had challenged each other at stop light drag races and only the two of us would had known about it.
And don’t get me started about cross winds on Interstate 10……
First, that my folks knew of, car: 1960 VW Bus! Camper!
Windows, windows, windows!
This was in 1963 and I sure learned a lot. Zero to 60, just bring a lunch.
Thanks Ed
I have driven one of these and generally liked it, at least while keeping in mind what I was driving. My biggest objection is using your legs as the front crumple zone, well that and the total lack of power.
Yep, it looks like driving a VW bus would be akin to driving a commuter or tour bus in regard to the driver not having very much protection in front of him as the VW bus driver is sitting right above the front axle.
That Fargo van reviewed here a few days ago, as well as all first generation US vans, Corvair, Econoline, etc. all had the same lack of driver protection.
Comes with the package of the good ol’ forward control van. There’s only a piece of sheet metal in front of you.
I think that only the Japanese and the Koreans still offer forward control vans. Modern 21st century vans (regardless the size/segment) have the engine in front of the driver plus a good crumple zone, not being the driver.
Compare the renowned flat-face Toyota HiAce with their brand new ProAce van, which is the result of a PSA-Toyota joint venture.
I had a couple of classmates whose parents had VW buses with Type IV engines. They were always told that the buses were powered by Porsche engines, even when the reality was that some Porsches had VW engines. This may have been when I learned what lame means.
I’ve often read good things about the tuning potential of the Type IV. I think the baseline for comparison has to be the Type I. The Type IV can make plenty of power for that 914 or Beetle, but the companies that specialize in them still charge more than the M20 and M30 BMW builders did when I was into West German cars.
The increase of usable power from the twin carb 1700 over the earlier engines was significant. I drove a ’72, full of skiers, up US 395 to Mammoth Mountain, elevation 8000ft. I was actually passing a few vehicles on the Sherwin grade. The bonus of having a rear engine VW was that I was waved past the chain checkpoint by Caltrans without a 4×4.
I saw a sticker for one that said:
“Why are you still behind me? Go Around!”