I’m really glad to see this posted at the Cohort, by NickyD, because I’ve seen one or two of these extended VW buses myself back in the day. It was a solution to those VW bus loyalists that just had to have more interior space; like about twice as much, in this extended and raised one. Let’s face it; living out of a stock Transporter just doesn’t cut it after a while; they are cozy. But the solution is just a cutting torch and a welder away.
If you’re wondering how a poor little VW engine can push this rig down the road…don’t; it obviously doesn’t have one. The radiator up on the roof is the give-away.
What exactly is hiding back there in the engine compartment? Hard to say; I know Toyota R-series fours have been put to use for this purpose as well as other water-cooled inline fours, but I seem to remember the engine compartment door not closing on them. So maybe it’s a Subaru boxer. I suppose it could even be a VW Wasserboxer from a T3, but that somehow doesn’t seem quite right. SBC? Naw…
My first exposure to an extended VW bus was in an old magazine, like Popular Mechanix or such, that I was perusing at the downtown Baltimore library, having hooked school and ridden on an Old Look GM bus from Towson. It was from about 1959 or so, and it showed a very ambitious mega-bus built up from three old mid-50s buses, including an upper deck comprised of the upper half of one bus, including its windshield. And how was it propelled? By two complete back-to-back rear sections, meaning two rear axles and two complete 36 hp drive trains. The builder said it could run on either or both engines, but both were generally employed, given the weight and air resistance. What that article didn’t explain is how the driver shifted the two transmissions. Hmmm.
I wish I could find that article, but that could be quite an undertaking. In the meantime, this I’ll content myself with this one. There was a time in my life when I would dream about vans like this, but I” leave it to others to make these kinds of day dreams into reality.
Wow – the stretch limo done Eugene style? 🙂 Actually, if you are going to stretch a van, one of these rear engine VW units would have both the mechanical and body simplicity that a stretch is quite doable – as this one shows us.
Close! This was actually shot in Berkeley, CA.
I have seen this car around Berkeley many times.
Always parked somewhere – never in motion.
Can this thing move under it’s own power?
What the VW bus really needs is a conversion that fits in two motors so it can actually move at a decent speed.
Maybe the new power train also features an auto trans, as I can’t imagine what extended VW shifter rods would do to gear lever feel.
The body work involved in the conversion doesn’t actually look that bad. Terribly curious to learn what the motivation source is – that radiator setup is not very aesthetically pleasing, but I can appreciate the function over form approach.
Top speed must not be an important consideration either; that radiator doesn’t help the drag coefficient! And, to answer a question no one is asking: this rig won’t be breaking the absolute piston engined seaplane record still held by the Macchi M.C. 72 since 1934. That plane spread its cooling system over the wings and floats.
Gotta wonder about the ownership history of vehicles like this. Do they get passed from dreamer to dreamer for short time possession when their shortcomings are bared?
Still, if one of your goals is to elicit smiles ( a key element in old car/art car ownership), you could do worse.
Photo from largescaleplanes.com
I was curious and found this – a VW Double Double Cab.
Would this be a flat 8?
http://www.oldbug.com/sowdcc.htm
Flat 8, no. Stacked 4, perhaps?
Thanks for the link! Lots of great pics and backstory on this Frankenstein! 🙂
Reminds me of a tractor-pull machine I saw that had 4 VW engines mounted in-line, with giant intake runners leading to a single Holley carb on top of the lot!
Whatever the engine is back there, its water pump is having to work very hard.
Looks like the latest cover vehicle for “Redneck Motor Homes” magazine?
Interesting – I like it. I’m not thrilled with the radiator way up front and up high, however. There’s no protection for it, and it’s a lot of extra plumbing for the radiator hoses, not to mention a lot of work for the water pump. It would have been more practical to make a housing for it above the rear window with an electric fan to help with airflow.
The phrase “more practical” was clearly not in the vocabulary of the builder. Sort of like saying that a fire-breathing dragon would be more economical with simulated electronic fire-breath.
Interesting Kombi it gets newer as you progress along it the front panel is early bay window 68- 72/3 but the front axles is the next model, the rear end is the later pancake engines series, A Rover/Buick alloy V8 bolts into a VW quite easily very little extra weight for a big increase in hp and the VW transmission will cope.
Kennedy Engineered Products would let you put just about anything back there and the starter was considered in the kit as well. My favorite was a 1700cc Toyota. The radiator belongs at the rear, however, for several reasons, I suppose.
Sweet looking custom VW Bus. It’s a shame that Volkswagen never offered such a feature as an option. Anything that provides room to stand upright, let alone walk upright.
VW always offered a high-roof version of their buses, but I’m not sure they were available in the US. But there were several after-market fiberglass high-roof conversions available, and are/were quite common. You’ve never seen one?
Very common a friend had one camperised quite entertaining in strong cross winds I’m reliably informed, he later traded down to a regular version
According to a VW bus book I used to have , there were lengthened VW Transporter delivery vans sold in Holland. Not as long as this one
The Kemperink VW-specials ?
http://www.vwbusclub.nl/bolletje-bussen-2/
Yes, Kemperink , like this one !!
With the radiator on the roof I would guess that a cooling system failure could potentially put passengers in the burn unit if the windows were down. Got to admire the builders determination though.
Never seen any extended VW type 2 before, so this is all new to me. Do either or both of the doors slide?
Interesting that there appear to be 2 paint schemes – one on each side if the van
I’ve seen these converted to Buick 3800 power (from 88-94 Commodores), not sure if they keep the VW trans or what alternative would be used instead. The radiator is mounted on the front, a better idea than the roof even if it is more susceptible to damage (behind a protection bar).
I really have to wonder why someone would build one like Paul described, surely by that point starting with something closer too the mark would make life easier. Unless bragging rights was the goal.
Bet this is a real handler on the curves at anything more than 25 mph…..YIKES.
Driving any VW TYP II in a serious cross winds is……’exciting’ .
-Nate
Perhaps the engine would stay just as cool without the radiator but with just the plumbing only, as far as the coolant has to travel and not have to force it through the radiator it might flow better. At least when the van is moving down the road anyways.
That radiator on the roof could be part of the domestic supply rather than engine cooling, black and in the sun it could be a heating header tank.
2 Camper pop tops, and the radiator panel assembly like the water cooled Type 2 Brazil models have would have been the way to go. At least if you want to drive it on the freeway without being blown over on it’s side.
Would love to find that old ’59 3 Buses and 2 engine conversion article Paul read.
It would be more practical to be able to leave your living space behind while you run about town…
Now *that* is cool. Reminds me of those old streamline tractor-trailer rigs.
Reminds me of the “Volks Toter” that a dealership I worked at had. The split wind cab tow vehicle had a fifth wheel car trailer attached to it, and could carry 2 vehicles and was used to pick up and deliver cars from the dealership, often times to and from the service department.
It had a built 1835cc engine with external oil coolers. Engines were short lived in this setup. After a new ’74 Dasher was totaled by one of the salesmen, the engine was installed after a trip to Kennedy Engineering down the road to have the conversion parts machined. The radiator was installed in the back where it was pretty much out of view,
That was the last engine that had to be installed and was still running well when the dealership closed several years later.