72 Bay with oval rear lights

[jamesabell1978]

Hello all, after many years owning a beetle I have finally got the Bay I have always wanted although I am looking for advice on the peculiarities of this bus.

So it was manufactured in May 1972 according to v5 and is about right for the vin number. It was a Devon conversion though the interior is sadly gone and has low front indicators, oval rear lights, flared rear wheel arches and curved air intakes.

I would expect that a 72 has long rear lights and square ducts, I did read somewhere that a few early 72s retained the rear lights but can’t remember the reference and wondered if anyone has come across this combination before?

 

[67westy]

Hi,

Have you put your Mplate details into one of the online decoders? It will give you the production date of the van. It's possible that your van was produced earlier than 1972 but wasn't registered straight away. Post up some pics as well, they go down well round here

 

[jamesabell1978]

Hi, unfortunately the m-plate is not there, only have the VIN which states it is a 72, bit of a shame the plate has gone. Will post some pics.

 

[jamesabell1978]

 

[67westy]

Nice looking bus definitely doesn't look like a 72 though. Where abouts did you get the chassis number from? Were they on the dash as well as in the engine bay on a 71?

 

[jamesabell1978]

Thank you , just got the vin from the engine bay, can't see a plate on the dash. Its a peculiar one, its a 71 in all but reg and vin

 

[67westy]

Possibly a very early 72 then and they were using up old stock? I'm sure someone with a better idea will be able to give a more definite answer

 

[jamesabell1978]

thanks 67westy

 

[dubscum]

i've heard of buses being built in a then sitting in a factory for a while before being registered, upto a year sometimes

 

[monkeyvanwestybike]

My van was built Jan72 and is a Crossover you say yours was built in may 71 :?
Yours looks like a 71
I think the third digit on chassis number denotes year but i could be wrong

 

[monkeyvanwestybike]

sorry you said may72

 

[lhu128l]

a few things don`t add up :idea:

 

[Madvdub]

That bus will have been built in 71 and reged in 72 as said before if you apply for the birth certificate all will be revealed or someone has restored your bus using 71 parts my mate just doing a 74 panel but to look at it it looks early bay as early panels grafted in anything is possible with imagination lol

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Juppster11]

Here's my birth cert don't know where the year built is actually represented on the VIN??
May help

 

[monkeyvanwestybike]

http://www.justkampers.com/vehicles/index/info/id/3/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[jamesabell1978]

thanks juppster11 I have to get myself one of those. my vin is 2222110441 which according to thesamba info is jan - mar 72.

 

[mattyd72]

thanks juppster11 I have to get myself one of those. my vin is 2222110441 which according to thesamba info is jan - mar 72.

No way is that right...

Pic of the engine bay would really help identify year.

Sent from my VS TOUCHTAB 10.1DC using Tapatalk 2

 

[jamesabell1978]

Here is the engine bay

 

[mattyd72]

Certainly not a 72 mate.



Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dave.P]

think you read your v5 wrong mate, it will say first registered in may72, not manufactured
its clearly a very early 72 built bus with all 71 features but with small 5 stud wheels registered in early 72 from where im sitting ?