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WV-1970-VW said:
Hey folks! Glad to be here... sporting a 1970 campmobile in WV!

Sounds great, my fave year by a long stroke, guess what year mine is??? :lol:
Welcome welcome and welcome :mrgreen: Now do us a big mahoosive favour and bang up a picture of this fantastic veeee hickle :mrgreen:

Ozziedog ,,,,,,,or two,,, or three :mrgreen:
 
Hi, I'm a newbie to this site and have a couple of questions and would appreciate any answers from members.
1. My 1968 early bay says it's a Tourette on a door tab, how can I check this is correct?
2. It's now MOT exempt but has been sitting in my garage for over two years whilst welding it's floor and replacing steps etc. To register as exempt, do I need to get a current MOT or can I register without one?
Thanks in advance. Tony
 
Hi glad to have found the site. Picked up my first bay ‘72 westy campmobile. Love her to bits.
Looking at changing the front seats for something more comfy as the wife has a back problem - can anyone shed any light on what’s best and easy to fit for someone with poor DIY skills. I’ve seen comments on Saab, Porsche seats etc but what’s the best way forward?

All help greatly received.
 
Hi glad to have found the site. Picked up my first bay ‘72 westy campmobile. Love her to bits.
Looking at changing the front seats for something more comfy as the wife has a back problem - can anyone shed any light on what’s best and easy to fit for someone with poor DIY skills. I’ve seen comments on Saab, Porsche seats etc but what’s the best way forward?

All help greatly received.
 
Hi,

Finally registered to read the forums. I’ve been lurking on a few other forums related to Air Cooled VW’s but now a AC owner just yet.

I nearly bought a VW Beetle for a first car a couple of Decades ago, but my old man warned me off, in fairness it wasn’t even a bag of bolts, but a rust bucket. Never did get round to getting a AC Beetle, but always loved AC VWs as a youngster.

Anyway the time has come, where I am now looking seriously at getting a camper. I have been considering it for a couple of years, and in that time I have been priced out of a Split Screen. Next has come the Early Bay, which I have really developed a likeness of. (Am I right in thinking that the easy way to differentiate between early and late is the shape of the rear engine cooling vents?

For a newbie it is a minefield determining the different types and identifying the model and what interior it should have. So, I will search through existing posts and learn as much as I can!

In the meantime I have had a quick search for a buying guide, and only came across a satire tongue in cheek post. Is there a good buying guide thread?

And I’d like to thank those who have posted their projects so far and their trials and tribulations they have had along with accompanying photos. They are excellent, and truly valuable.
 
Hi there to all our newer members, let’s have some pictures then to gawp at. Anyone considering buying a bay must want their bumps feeling :lol: or their wallet lightening. Buying guide is very simple, get the very best you can afford and they’re not going down in price anytime soon. Anything that needs a resto, have a guess what you think it’ll cost then double it and put a nought on the end. Resto work eats money like you will not believe. Take an expert with you especially if there has been any major works done because all you can see is the new paint and don’t trust photos at all. With the different models, it’s basically 67 they started making Bays, wide five wheel studs and drum brakes and crescent vents, small tail lights and lower indicators on the front with a wrap around bumper and steps. 71 ish disc brakes, late 71 larger rear lights and squarer vents and fuel flap disappears then after 72 you are into LateBay territory. Once they started making the Bays, the changes came thick and fast sometimes almost monthly, but those above are the major visual ones. Then you have interiors and there are boat loads of them from various Westfalia interiors to various Devon or Dormobile or Danbury etc etc. Then you have panel van conversions privately done and Devon did them too etc etc . Then you got specials and ex ambulances or fire engines or cranes and flat beds and Kemperinks etc, crew cabs, pick ups and the list goes on :mrgreen:

Ozziedog,,,,,,, and very few are as stock as they left the factory :mrgreen:
 
V5SportNB said:
Hi,

Finally registered to read the forums. I’ve been lurking on a few other forums related to Air Cooled VW’s but now a AC owner just yet.

I nearly bought a VW Beetle for a first car a couple of Decades ago, but my old man warned me off, in fairness it wasn’t even a bag of bolts, but a rust bucket. Never did get round to getting a AC Beetle, but always loved AC VWs as a youngster.

Anyway the time has come, where I am now looking seriously at getting a camper. I have been considering it for a couple of years, and in that time I have been priced out of a Split Screen. Next has come the Early Bay, which I have really developed a likeness of. (Am I right in thinking that the easy way to differentiate between early and late is the shape of the rear engine cooling vents?

For a newbie it is a minefield determining the different types and identifying the model and what interior it should have. So, I will search through existing posts and learn as much as I can!

In the meantime I have had a quick search for a buying guide, and only came across a satire tongue in cheek post. Is there a good buying guide thread?

And I’d like to thank those who have posted their projects so far and their trials and tribulations they have had along with accompanying photos. They are excellent, and truly valuable.

welcome to the site, theres also a crossover model 72 with features inbetween the late and early models. The definitive feature would be the flat front arches which only the early models have pre 72, crossovers have a one year only arch that is lipped and latebays have the front arch lip.
 
Johnny said:
welcome to the site, theres also a crossover model 72 with features inbetween the late and early models. The definitive feature would be the flat front arches which only the early models have pre 72, crossovers have a one year only arch that is lipped and latebays have the front arch lip.


Thanks for that. Just currently reading the following thread

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12966

which is a crossover, although I wasn’t 100% sure what that meant! Thanks ....
 
Hi all, had the bay about 1.1/2 months, it’s a 71 Microbus, also have a 2016 T6 (daily runner) and a 73 tintop Beetle.

Fairly new to the VW scene, done a few shows, Dubfreeze, Volksworld and Camper Jam in the T6 tho as I am refurbing the Beetle and the Bay. We have named the Bay, Hugo as it’s close to the ref no. The idea is to fit a 4” narrowed beam, drop spindles (which arrived today) and rear adj spring plates. Yet to decide whether to paint but looking at coffee n cream colours. Savannah Beige on the bottom and dark brown on the top. Not sure on the interior at the mo but stripped it out to see what state it’s in and only a few small rust holes so will get them done.

It’s sitting at Manflowers having a Pertonix dizzy fitted, check out the fuel tank as it’s stalling on lack of fuel, carb refurb and oil change.

Torn between a CE beam or French Slammer, liking the Fellows Speedshop brake conversion but can’t decide on wheels, had a good look thru the forum and its made the decision more difficult due to some lovely wheels on show....aaargh

Cheers Jim


















 
Hi Jim, big welcome to you bud. You might be gonna get yourself in trouble by the sound of it. I’m guessing you might end up being a wheel junky and have multiple sets of wheels and reverting back to stock steelies every now and then. There’s so many wheels to choose from and just one bus to put them on. We got some very serious addicts on here, haven’t we Mr Wiggy :p and Justin, and me :lol: and most :roll:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, only limit is your garage size :mrgreen:
 
Thought I should stop by and say hi as I've been lurking for a while. Finally taken the plunge and got my first aircooled, a '69 Dormobile. Had plenty of time to bond with it as the first drive was 400 miles of smiles from Scotland back to Suffolk :)

No plans to make any major changes. Just need to fit a night heater and currently leaning towards an externally mounted Propex.

It's not my first dub. My daily driver is a T4 called Dirty Bertie. Go to quite a few veedub shows throughout the year and try to get out and about at weekends as much as possible. Just have to decide which one to take now :D



 
Hi there Shaun, at last you’ve come to your senses and got an Earlybay, well done that man! That looks like the colour I’ve been leaning towards for quite a while so I love it :mrgreen: But At The moment I’m still all white but just about to start a bit of another resto on mine perhaps this winter, screen out and glue a new bit in here and nail another chunk on there and away we go again. My best bit of advise with these old beasties is to check your oil daily and moreso on a long run until you get to grips with how frugal or thirsty for oil your little Bay is. Check when cold, then you don’t even have to wipe the stick and never go over the top line, and about three quarters of the way to the top if you is on a run and checking when warm. These old guys had a service interval back in the day of three to five thousand miles and that was when they was new, so most of us stick to oil change and service about three thousand miles some of us much less. Most of the old books recommend straight 30 but that was way before multi flavour oils were invented, most now use a mineral based 15/40 or similar, I use the Halfords one and get a couple of gallons when they have their promo on.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,, and welcome welcome and welcome ;) :mrgreen: ;)
 
Thanks ozziedog. I've already started to plan ahead, and ordered a new sump plate with drain plug the other day. I just need to find a new hidey place for the bay stuff as the wife rumbled my T4 stash the other week.

The one thing that I've noticed with the yellow is that it can be bright one minute and then really mellow the next. Never thought we'd get a yellow one, but we really love the colour. I'm also hoping it will be easier to find with the beer googles on, especially at the likes of Camper Jam.
 
Well I guess it's more hello again...5 years after my 1970 Westy headed over to Norway for a new life with his new buyer, Torsten, I have a bus back in my life again! Unsuprisingly it's a 1970 Westy...! Lots of plans for it, trying to do a mixture of stuff myself and using the professionals (already been on to Graham at Midland Earlybay!)

I can see ozziedog is still about (hello Ozzie!) looking forward to tapping into all the members knowledge again as I constantly balls up even the simplest of tasks...

Red one is the old one, Beige one (although not for long!) new one.






 
Hey Chris, glad you’ve come to your senses at last. Welcome back and what do you have planned for this little bus ??? Not sure if I’m stuck here or perhaps just rusted to the spot.

Ozziedog,,,,,,, how can you tell the difference at my age ? :mrgreen:
 
Hi Guys. After driving earlybay's for ten years its about time for me to join this forum. I own two '71 A's and a '59 Beetle ragtop. I am from Holland and work as a mechanic engeneer at VW importer in leusden Holland. Hope to learn some tech tips for slamming the SC.

Greetz Arjen.
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Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G950F met Tapatalk

 
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