I need a history lesson

[Earlybaybob]

will probably take you up on that soon, cheers - I am only about 20 - 30 mins away.

 

[Toad]

Just looks like a fairly normal 71 (model year). Its just had the front air vent filled over. 71s had the more flared rear arch/flat front arches/disk brakes on front/smaller wheel stud pattern (as this one has)

 

[Mr Brightside]

WHS ^^^^

Same as mine, '71 built, with the start of changes ready for crossover, discs, rear arches etc.


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[Kombi zombie]

WHS ^^^^^
My bus was built Oct 71, the changes are rear arches more flared, disc brakes up front and small stud wheel pattern.


Bob should have the early VW badge on the nose rather than the smaller late badge and the front vents have been filled in.

 

[lard]

In summary (and I'm very biased!) - you have the best year of van :lol: - a full early '71 with the later refinements - I drive around with a vunderbra covering the front of the van and no fresh air can be irritating, but do like the clean look blanking off the vents gives so it's down to personal taste and sacrifice of less cooling for the crisp look! Van looks nice and obviously has had a restoration at some point, any more details on what was done and plans for the new purchase?

 

[KevH]

I dont know about the breaks - only just bought it and not had the wheels off yet!?! I will look next week when I have time and post some pics again. In summary it sounds like a "1971 early bay microbus conversion with dormobile roof" (with vents blanked off - lol)

yep, if you're localish and you need a bit of a tour round it give me a shout im in rugeley

Not sure where you are in Staffs, but I am in Stoke. Happy to talk you through what you have got, if you are closer to me than to Rugeley.

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

Do you have one of these in passenger foot well...?



The easy way to tell if you have drum or disk brakes - do you stop when you hit the brakes or just mildly slow down...

The Dormobile is a great conversion - at a pinch 2 adults can sleep in roof - 2 children easily

The other red one you show should be '68 (or earlier) - you can see the extended rear view mirror stork which is one of the several unique things on the "68 (and I suppose earlier models)



Strange how no one except VW owners find things like this interesting !!

 

[lard]

Strange how no one except VW owners find things like this interesting !!

Isn't it bizarre? It's fine to for my friends to talk about TV shows, football e.t.c. but whenever I talk about the very interesting facts surrounding the gearbox specs between different year vans they all suddenly receive phone calls/have to go to the toilet?? I reckon it's too exciting for people to talk about :lol:

 

[Earlybaybob]

I will have to look for all the tell tale signs you have pointed out when I get him back next week. In the meantime I am planning all the stuff I need to do to him. What would you start with?

Exterior is pretty sound so I plan to do all the interior:
Leisure battery + mains hook up (other wiring?)
Building furniture from scratch
Flooring
All interior trim (probably go down the professional route)
Mend and refurb dormobile roof
Dash needs a good clean up
Engine bay clean up
New rear bumper

And all the rest - I will keep you posted with photos and updates.

 

[Nugsy]

70/71 on went to small 112 stud pattern (mine was built sep 70) but they aren't crossovers they are still earlys.

A crossover is a 72 on that has low front indicators, and big rear lights like a late, also have square rear side vents as opposed to the half moons that earlys have as the easiest things to spot

As for the front unless you use an original cut for the front you cant get an early front panel so have to use a late bay one. These come with high indicators and vents. You then have to use the old early low indicator cuts to retain the low indicators. Looks like this has had that done but when blanking off the high late bay indicators have carried on and filled the front cool air vents too

 

[poptop2]

Is a bus with 5x112 stud pattern not an early crossover??
Is it a late early???
:? :? :?
Confused me sel noo :lol: :lol:

Bob, I may be wrong but vans from 1967 to 1971 had a wide stud pattern of 5x 205 with drums all round, vans from 1971 to 1979 had a smaller stud pattern of 5x112 with discs up front n drums out back.

it's not what i'd call a "real" crossover - they have late rear vents and lights but early fronts, 71 would be a j reg or early k - the earliest k reg crossovers would be around july 72?

"Real crossover" Now then - how about a late crossover, Aug 72 - may 73, High lights and square bumpers.

 

[mattyd72]

Is a bus with 5x112 stud pattern not an early crossover??
Is it a late early???
:? :? :?
Confused me sel noo :lol: :lol:

Bob, I may be wrong but vans from 1967 to 1971 had a wide stud pattern of 5x 205 with drums all round, vans from 1971 to 1979 had a smaller stud pattern of 5x112 with discs up front n drums out back.

it's not what i'd call a "real" crossover - they have late rear vents and lights but early fronts, 71 would be a j reg or early k - the earliest k reg crossovers would be around july 72?

"Real crossover" Now then - how about a late crossover, Aug 72 - may 73, High lights and square bumpers.

That would be a "late" bay :lol:

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[poptop2]

it's not what i'd call a "real" crossover - they have late rear vents and lights but early fronts, 71 would be a j reg or early k - the earliest k reg crossovers would be around july 72?[/quote]

"Real crossover" Now then - how about a late crossover, Aug 72 - may 73, High lights and square bumpers.[/quote]
That would be a "late" bay :lol:

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2[/quote]

yep - but a late crossover too

 

[poptop2]

I could enlighten you!

 

[Fortunate Son]

Just before I bought my Dormy I looked at a "late crossover" Danbury, it was a very original van and had high indicators ie late bay front panel but had 1 year only crossover front arches and round bumpers. The owner, a very sound Welsh fella by the name of Idris Dibble (i swear it was his real name!!) had owned the van for 20 plus years and swore they were original panels. I guess there was a point in late 72 model year - June or July 72 when the factory ran out of early front panels - before they ran out of 72 front arches and went fully late.

 

[poptop2]

Just before I bought my Dormy I looked at a "late crossover" Danbury, it was a very original van and had high indicators ie late bay front panel but had 1 year only crossover front arches and round bumpers. The owner, a very sound Welsh fella by the name of Idris Dibble (i swear it was his real name!!) had owned the van for 20 plus years and swore they were original panels. I guess there was a point in late 72 model year - June or July 72 when the factory ran out of early front panels - before they ran out of 72 front arches and went fully late.

I very much doubt this tbh, early crossover sept 71 until july/aug 72 - factory shut down/aug hols and tool change- later crossover aug/sept 72 until may 73. from then on in only full on lates went out of the factory.

 

[poptop2]

Just before I bought my Dormy I looked at a "late crossover" Danbury, it was a very original van and had high indicators ie late bay front panel but had 1 year only crossover front arches and round bumpers. The owner, a very sound Welsh fella by the name of Idris Dibble (i swear it was his real name!!) had owned the van for 20 plus years and swore they were original panels. I guess there was a point in late 72 model year - June or July 72 when the factory ran out of early front panels - before they ran out of 72 front arches and went fully late.

I very much doubt this tbh, early crossover sept 71 until july/aug 72 - factory shut down/aug hols and tool change- later crossover aug/sept 72 until may 73. from then on in only full on lates went out of the factory.

It's a bit like calling an early xover a early, or more to the point a late crossover a late!

 

[Fortunate Son]

Oh ok, I stand corrected then

 

[essex bay]

Is a bus with 5x112 stud pattern not an early crossover??
Is it a late early???
:? :? :?
Confused me sel noo :lol: :lol:

Bob, I may be wrong but vans from 1967 to 1971 had a wide stud pattern of 5x 205 with drums all round, vans from 1971 to 1979 had a smaller stud pattern of 5x112 with discs up front n drums out back.

it's not what i'd call a "real" crossover - they have late rear vents and lights but early fronts, 71 would be a j reg or early k - the earliest k reg crossovers would be around july 72?