My 55' Bus

[Chris]

I love it!

[Dutch_Diver]

Very smart engine!!!!! More pics please.

[Chris]

Duncan's new 1835 fitted in his Bus

[1972]

wow that looks great

[Ron&Gill]

a bolt on kit from Type2 Detectives to make it all fit. Front has CSP disc brake kit with later Bay master cylinder.

Tell me more about the bolt on kit to make a long gearbox fit into a short position?? Gill's bus is 1 month younger than yours (Jan 56) and I would really like to know what bolt on kit Paul Medhurst supplied you with!! I am having all kinds of kak with RGBs and am considering a straight axle conversion.

Which particular CPS disc kit did you buy and was that also a straight bolt on. Can you show me pics of how you fitted the bay-master cylinder? I am assuming you now have vacuum assist?

[VDud Bulli]

will get you some pics.
csp disc brake is staight bolt on but you need a later bay master cylinder to eqaulize the pressure which they can supply or just get one here. no vacume assisit! Its the wide 205 kit for a split bus, it should be on their website.
As for the gearbox its not a straight axel conversion its an IRS conversion using A-arms from a type3 or a 1303 Beetle as well as the IRS cv-jointed gearbox and the rear drums. This gearbox is basically the same as a straight axel gearbox. A few minor things are required to make it work. You have to change the hocky-stick to a different one so your gears can shift and a mounting bracket which can be bought or made! the rest just bolts in. There is no choping or welding except to weld or bolt on the new bump stops.
A friend did a straght axel conversion but this drops the bus considerably and apparently yiou have to keep it low otherwise you bearings get too hot. Other than that it worked well and was easier and cheaper than the IRS conversion.
you can call me if you like.
083 299 8 299
cheers
Duncan

[Ron&Gill]

Yes, I know the straight axle conversion drops the bus a lot. That's one of the reasons I have not gone that way yet, I have several of the parts needed for that sitting unused in my garage, the extended axle tubes and the springplates, all from Paul. I am currently re-engineering a 1:1 ratio RGB, the first revision of which was very successful performance wise, but one gear lasted only around 3000km, which was not good. So I am in the process of re-building it in such a way that all the gears are removeable and thus can be seperately hardened from the shaft, which itself needs to retain some flexibility. I intend to continue with this project but the problem remains that small gearbox. I am mortified at the thought of it breaking and not being able to source a new one. All of these things are being worked on between bugger and me at the moment. I also have a new front suspension for the bus as the one that's in there now is a bay window suspension plus discs. It raises the front up too high rendering a rather unattractive stance which I want to correct. At the same time I want to put a vacuum servo in, also available from Paul. I can make that front suspension adjustable in the same way as one does with a Beetle, in case I do decide to go straight axle. I would appreciate a piture of that mount, I assume it is the front mount, to install the later longer box into ye olde bus.

My end goal is a bus with which I can tow Razor on a trailer to and from car shows. Not that Razor is a trailer queen, not at all, but so that Gill and I can take both the bus and Razor on show or even Rumours as well. For that I figure I need a stronger gearbox and vacuum assisted disc brakes. The engine is a 1770cc, with twin 36mm DelOrtos into which I intend to put an Engle 110. I have had very good experiences with the Engle 110.

[dubster]

Hey vdub bulli awesome bus...can you give full specs on your motor?deck height,cr,ect.?and parts you got in it?do you know what power it makes?if a may ask,a ball park figure to build the motor?hope to see a motor like that in the back of the buggy oneday...

[VDud Bulli]

I think about 10k for the motor. Its pritty standard except for the piston set (1835cc). I've got a high volume oil pump with a filter, dual 34mm ICT Webers, bosch 009 dizzy, bosch blue coil and a performance EMPI exhaust and its red but i dont think that helps.

[Ron&Gill]

Duncan, any luck with pictures of your gear box installation. I am in the process of gathering information on the various tranny mods that folks do. I am fast approaching a point where decisions are required, and I would like them to be infomed decisions...

[VDud Bulli]

Bus is in PE at the moment and I'm in Cape St Francis. As soon as the Bus is back I'll take the pics.

[VDud Bulli]

Got these in the mean time.Not from my bus but it's the same except for the main gearbox mount is different on my 55 this one looks like a 60's bus.

[Ron&Gill]

Thanks, looking forward to the other ones. Appreciate...

[VDud Bulli]

Got a complete tranny and RGB's as a complete unit for sale if you intrested. came out my 55 bus.

[Ron&Gill]

Sure I'm interested. How much?