Aircooled VW South Africa

I've spent a while now looking at a variety of overseas forums and how they tackle rebuild projects and one thing that's come to mind is the difference in approach to what a project is.

Overall, anything goes in the US/UK. For example, this would often be sold here as scrap, whereas elsewhere it's seen as a damn good project.

Now I understand the parts situation plays a massive role in deciding what gets done, but it makes me wonder how many perfectly fixable bugs/bus's are scrapped in this country by people who aren't up for the challenge?

Are we lazier here? or just have too many to choose from, so can be selective?

You know the answer already, we do not have the availability of parts here, to tackle large and intense projects such as the 1 pictured, it can be done, but dammmn would it cost you a huuuge chunck, maybe even a kidney. Do a quick inventory on whats needed to resto that bus, and add up the costs.... I think getting the windows alone could dent the house payments for a year or more.

The parts argument isn't really valid anymore. I've placed another order with WBW for various bits I need and all are being delivered here, as did the 8 packages i've had from them.
So many places are willing to ship to SA. In addition, I still believe that the vast majority of bits can be obtained in country, if a collaborative approach is taken

We could always do bulk orders, it saves on shipping costs. If there was a common bit of sheet metal required, that everyone seems to be asking for, i'm sure some shop out there would be able to fabricate them locally, especially with a bulk order.

This thread isn't meant to be a can of worms opener, quite the opposite really.

And leave a rusty van like that in the road and the scrap metal chaps will carry it away.

You sound like you have s red passport.

The colours of my passports shouldn't mean anything :p

Take you, Eben, you are in the UK and surrounded by parts. Knowing there is an easy market to buy stuff there, at a decent rate and ship it back here, surely that presents a nice business opportunity for you?

Granted it's a bit of work, but at the same time you have a classic supply and demand situation.

People here are moaning about the lack of spares
People there are laughing with the availability of spares

All it takes is a middle-man to arrange the movement of said spares, and you have a happy medium.

Actually screw it, if there is enough demand, i'll bloody export spares from the UK to here!!!

Daniel, thats not a bad idea at all! if you have the capital to bring in some parts Go for it! I for one know that guys are always looking for rubbers, trims, infamous windscreens, steering wheels and bumpers. Bring it in and hey presto, you're in business as a supplier.

Rui (Calooker) has helped me out with all the rubber bits and most other things. The key things that aren't to be found here seem to be:

- Sheet metal
- Glass, lots and lots of glass
- Interior bits like seats etc
- New tech (disk brakes, lowering kits etc)

IF there really is a market, next time I'm back in shitville (london), i'll seriously make some calls and look at the logistics.

What we can do to make this better is possibly club in to buy "wreck" cars and vans. One mans wreck is another mans part haven. If we have a collective whip-round, we can keep the parts supply in the country and not with the exporters.
I'm going to put money where my mouth is. I want to buy the following:

Doors/DD doors/metal for a 75 fleetline van
Interior panels + bench seat

Those kind of restores are the exception I think... if it happens they make a TV program about it:

Hang on a minute mate, you are in the UK and I bet you have a capitalised on that market.

Another problem is that a lot of the local VW enthusiasts are cheapskates and don't want to spend a lot.......

infamous windscreens

NOTCH

YvaneS wrote:

infamous windscreens

NOTCH

Perfect case in point - We HAVE the facilities locally to have a run of these made, just need someone to step up and take the initiative...

The Mercedes guys clubbed together and had a run of W108 windscreens made - After making the mould etc, it cost them around R1800-00 per 'screen....

I've purchased one of those W108's for mine, it's better than the 12k they want at Merc.

The next "exporters, blah blah blah f*king whining like a little bitch" thread I see, I'll point them to this thread.