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LOL Steve, I don't think he is strictly speaking bug tawkin here. Maybe he means a splittie with a weather van gennie on the roof to run that AC unit on 220 acv ha ha ha.
maybe it's line up a bunch of 6 volt batterys and make the starter rugged enough to call it a hybrid WAUGH!
The first brand new vehicle I ever bought was a 1978 VW Bus in Dec 1977. I had the DPD ceiling mounted a/c. The a/c was WORTHLESS! The Porsche 914 engine also found in the VW 411 and 412 had adequate power. I kept the Bus only 9 months. Road noise was my major complaint. It only got 20 mpg. The driving position was terrible on long trips. The angle the gas pedal went down gave me cramps in my foot. The upholstery was pretty and durable.
I traded it in for a new 1978 Champagne Edition Rabbit which swore me off Volkswagens forever.
My favorite VW I ever owned was a 1972 VW Squareback. THAT was an excellent car!
HUH!!!!!.....What the heck are you talking about? Your knowledge is not about VW busses...thats for sure. Read a book about the VW T2 Busses/Vans before spouting garbage.
The engines HP cannot tolerate A/C as VW found that out early.
Power steering...fantasy land...same with all the power things listed...shoot...read a VW book PLEASE.
As for the Bus/Vans things are limited for all the early models while the Rabbit 4Cyl installed from the assembly plant in Puebla Mexico was a winner power wise...then again not for export to the US in the mid 1980's. I saw them on a VIP tour of the factory.
Vanagon from Germany had it's share of problems over the yrs.
Work on a few VANS like I did over the yrs and your tune will change.
Split windows and early crash box trannys were an experience.
No, I meant that if one really, really wanted, said person could just have a generator and an electric A/C hooked up (no relation to the engine). Also I was just saying all the power things were unnecessary, but (meant to say) not included in them (just for the record, there were stock automatics). Lucky... VIP factory tour. And try not to heat up the discussion. You could've said I worded it wrong instead of, "Read a book before spouting garbage."
Here again your talking FANTASY land. Anything is possible if a person has a bottomless pocketbook. Many VW shops that specialize in custom work or performance engines etc will ask how much the person is willing to pay. That question weeds out most people that may have a FANTASY in mind. Talk to a person that has a Ford with a Chevy short/long block installed and how much work it entailed...same with the tranny and rear end.
Had many times people ask me about a HP engine for their VW. When I asked how much he was willing to spend or how much his wife was allowing him...he said $1000...my answer was "nice talking with you". Makes NO difference who a person talks to in the trade...performance parts are NOT cheap...wholesale let alone retail.
A/C on the roof with a Honda Generator...no sweat but will look stupid...get my drift?
Reality has a strange way of showing itself. Sit down and read a few VW books on the different yrs and what they had off the assembly line. Think about tooling and possible modification from another make of auto and then look into your bank account. If you cannot afford it then neither can many others.
Am going to say that no insult was intended in my earlier reply...just a reality check.
So Steve it might cost a few bucks to 'just drop' a 351 Cleveland with a Panterra trans axel and route a little plumbing to a rad, louvered in a old type 1 huh? And in white paint on the bonnet, write 'Sleeper"
I'll tell you what, if you pull off that stunt oem brakes won't cut it.
You now Mac it's been quite a few yrs since I was at the Pomona drags. That day there was a 67 VW bug with a small block chev installed in the front end. Looking at it you saw a VW bug and when you turned your head away the sound you heard was that of a Chevy engine.
They must have done a lot of work to shoe horn that engine inside...think about the tranny.
In 1969-70 (can't recall the exact yr) I bought a 60 bug, removed the body, shortened the chassis 14 in and installed a Glass body, strong engine, lots of chrome and my wife just loved that toy for legal street driving. It can be done with guts ( I was just learning then), a little money and many late night hrs.
Original concept on VW as you know was the economical factor. They later did try the Autostick tranny in 68 while new did function well but I found later that even the Calif VW Dlrs did not want to work on them instead referred people to a independent place in LA Calif.
I could go on and on about the good and sour things of the VW but this thread is about the VW BUS. Early 36HP of the 1950's to the 57HP (1600) of the 1971 is about as far as the original concept and desire stands today. The 72 1.7 and then the 1.8 were stronger and a lot more heavy of an engine along with the dual carbs. Speaks volumes.
Will say this tho...the Calif smog requirements killed the overall performance of those Vans/Busses. Still the younger generation are only enthrilled with them being NEAT and COOL.
I could go on and on about the good and sour things of the VW but this thread is about the VW BUS. Early 36HP of the 1950's to the 57HP (1600) of the 1971 is about as far as the original concept and desire stands today. The 72 1.7 and then the 1.8 were stronger and a lot more heavy of an engine along with the dual carbs. Speaks volumes.
Will say this tho...the Calif smog requirements killed the overall performance of those Vans/Busses. Still the younger generation are only enthrilled with them being NEAT and COOL.
Steve
Calif smog requirements did hurt performance, but those Vans/Buses were way underpowered to begin with.
The ones from the '50s and up to the mid-'60s, which didn't have emissions equipment, took at least 25-30 seconds to reach 60 mph (or even 50 with the earlier ones), 1/4 mile 23-26 seconds and a top speed of 60-70 mph, which went down quickly with any kind of a hill.
Fleet the bug wasn't too under powered with that 351 Cleveland in it.
Finding out the oem brakes didn't work too good was a surprise though.
Steve one day I found myself with a buudy, his green bug and a jeep grill. By the end of tjhe day the jeep grill was mounted back in the ft bonnet, to shorten the bug, the rear fender lights were mounted up by the rear widow, another hand brake was installed tween the seat each one working the respective rear wheel, and on the doors were Felix the Cat in a white circle.
We took it muddin on old stage coach roads the next day. Where the rear seat had been we placed a cheap oritental carpet and tools, mostly chains and come-a-longs.
The day after that with a gold fish bowl wiped on the windshield to see, as we mudded the hel out of that bug, I went to see the sun rise at the beach. The sun comes up on the east coast beaches.
About that time Mt St Helens blew up, and for days in the shop customers tawked about that Mt St Helens car, which wasn't, because it was that green bug. LOL
And yeah the EPA killed all the fun.... While the EPA was killing the fun every other place on Earth still ran carbs non catted cars and they still do.
Fleet the bug wasn't too under powered with that 351 Cleveland in it.
But they didn't come that way from the factory.
If I had a 351 engine laying around, I would put it in a car with some styling, like a '66 or '69 Mustang.
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