LATE Bay or EARLY Bay - What Is It?

[greentoad]

Hi

I have found a few vehicles lately including a RHD Oval Beetle, RHD 66 Bettle, a RHD 61 Canterburt Pitt Split Camper, a RHD 62 Devon Split Camper, a 76 Devon Late Bay, a LHD Cross Over Westy Bay, a RHD 72 Cross Over Devon and lastly a............

This has me baffled. It is a RHD J (1971) Registration White Dormibile Bay Camper. It has the last tax disc on the front screen as 1999 and has a Late Bay front with high indicators. It also has no step, flared front arches and has a late front bumper. The front brakes are disc and caliper.

The back has the half moons and oval lights.

A have had a good look around the front and if it has had a front end it must of been done a long time ago, and the work is of a good standard. I suppose it could of had a major front end, but surely it would of been written off? It could also be a cut and shut, but that would of been years ago and would hardly of been worth it? I could not see any indicatotion of welds etc indicating replacement panels, and I have spent years in a body shop. I could not pull rubbers much, or investigate too much as it was the first meeting with the owner.

So, did Early Bays ever have Late Fronts and Early Backs?

I'm puzzled, J.

 

[Graham L]

Sounds like its had the front end replaced, at one time you could not get early bay front ends even from Volkswagen so owners/repairers where forced to use late bay parts to fix damaged vehicles.

Or dare I say when it was last restored the restorer put the wrong parts on it, hard as it may seem but there was a pre 72 bus advertised on here last year that had got the wrong front arches on it and it had only just been restored.

Have you got any pics you can post?

 

[ozziedog]

Not a Seth Efrecan by any chance is it or an Oz job, they sort of had there own agenda and parts were whatever they could get, or perhaps a Brazilian converted ?? But my money is on the repair with a late panel. Pressed front badge by any chance?

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,

 

[Bwuttonmoon]

Its not bright yellow by any chance is it?? :?:

 

[Toad]

Could be from somewhere like CYPRUS?

 

[Danbury Doug]

Are you able to pop us some pics up or post a link up?

Like Graham L says, it could have been restored/repaired as such. I've seen a few lovely restorations over the years, bar the fact that they've got the wrong parts for the year on them!

 

[greentoad]

Hi all

I went back and had another chat with the owner but he does not want any pictures taken.

He seems to know quite a bit about the vehicle and has owned it 12 years. He has been under it and knows early and late bays and knows the previous owner.

I thought it could be from another country but it has the Conversion stamp on the LHS of the dash (I think that it is Danbury not Dormobile), it also has dealer stickers on the screen.

It was also a mircobus prior to conversion as the side windows have not been cut in. They are VW stamped and the sliding door has a 1/4 opening window.

Like I said before, if it had new panels in the 70's 80's or 90's it was a good job carried out and also would of been a big job to do the step, wings and front panel. I also noted that the front head lights and indicators are HELLA.

I hope to be able to get some pictures and also get under it and check the welds / spot welds and paint, and also being able ro read the M Plate would help, i'm still puzzled.

J.

 

[Bwuttonmoon]

A couple of years ago I owned a 71 danbury which somebody had fitted a late front, I wondered if it was the same one. I'll put a pic up in a bit

 

[Bwuttonmoon]

I bought it blind as 'restored'...it was full of puddin with numerous faults, i only owned it a week!

 

[Guest]

front panel has been restored at some stage and they didnt change it to early as they should have. everything else is 71. If the step is wrong the lower arches might have had work on them too. Sounds like it might have been hit from the front?