Aircooled VW South Africa

Hi Guys &gals,

All I can say is: WATCH THIS SPACE!

Does it perhaps have something to do with an orange bus

Nope couln't get the fleetline Paul. This will be my efforts on a late bay which, incidentelly, will be painted orange and black. Sorting out the mechanicals at the moment. Will post lots of pics as I go along. Will be converting it into a camper. That is why the kids named it Pappa se pompwagen. Figures

This is what will eventually become Pappa se pompwagen

Nice - good luck with your "pompenwagon"

I am also busy with a 74 Bay bus, converting it into a camper also, but not like the fancy ones with all sorts of cupboards and stove and stuff, just a bed and a place for my caravan fridge, with a nice big side awning. Still looking for a nice roofrack, but I might just as well build one myself.

So this is the engine for the pompwagen!

BEFORE
AND AFTER

At last I got my mind straight and all my ducks in a row. Started to really work on the bus. Sold the type 4 engine and decided to go the waterpumper route. Ye ye I know it is totally wrong, but as I am staying on the wrong end of the world, this was the logical decision. Spares are not easily available in my neck of the woods. I will be fitting a Golf 1800 engine on a 1600 gearbox. Swopped my son's Ford escourt for this engine. Serves him right for swopping my 2L gearbox for a beetle. At the moment I am converting the bus into a semi- panelvan.(Closing the rear sidewindows.) I got the paint yesterday. Pastel orange. ( Same as the BMW on the new SnS mag). Will try to post updates with pics regularly.

Putting a water cooled motor in there just upsets me totally

So when your overheating problems start - remember the worry free aircooled crowd!

Nope. Don't figure on.having overheating problems. Will not be putting my radiator up front. Have a theory on getting enough air on the radiator to keep it cool. But let's see what happens.

Started working on the body today. Removing, repairing dents on the sliding door. Even the seatcover pitched in and sanded down body filler. This will be one sweet bus when it is finished. I got a set of angel eye crystal headlights for the bus as well. They should work wonders with the correct headlight globes. What globes would you guys suggest?

Okay Guys this is how my radiator set up will work. Sparewheel well removed and sealed of. The radiator( Golf 1 1800 rad ) will be placed on the lefthand side of the engine bay with radiator fans from Jetta 3 on the inside. On the batterybox side it will be opened above the wheel arch. This will enable airflow over the tank to the other side.then it will be closed up inside the engine compartment. The battery just needs to be relocated to the inside of the bus. If I still don't have enough airflow to the radiator I will add a jetta 3 aircon pump and incorporating it with a booster fan blowing cold air on the radiator. What do you guys think? Will this work?

Has anybody fitted golf crystal headlights into a late bay. Seems to fit perfectly.

Seems a lot of modding to get your radiator inside story to work... but its your bus, and you seem to be very able with these things.

I have regular Golf MK1 front lights in my late bay, and they do fit, but its a mission of note to adjust them to shine correcly, as the adjusters are different from how they fit into the holes.

RICKY-R69 wrote: I got a set of angel eye crystal headlights for the bus as well. They should work wonders with the correct headlight globes. What globes would you guys suggest?

Good idea but the cops will can you for it.
As far as I know, the lights sit 90deg on a bus in relation to how they sit on a bug or golf.
These lights are focused, so in a golf they shine low and wide, keeping the beam out of other cars mirrors (well, thats what mine does anyway).
Turn it 90deg and you have an up and down beam that will blind traffic all night long.

RICKY-R69 wrote: If I still don't have enough airflow to the radiator I will add a jetta 3 aircon pump and incorporating it with a booster fan blowing cold air on the radiator. What do you guys think? Will this work?

Good in theory, but in practice I am not sure.

Think of how the aircon works.
You take engine power to turn a compressor. This makes the gas hot and adds load to your engine, making it hotter.
Then the gas gets pumped into a condenser where it gives off heat (energy - supplied by your engine).
Then it expands and cools.
which then goes to an evaporator and cools the air which is going to be blown onto you radiator (by a fan I suppose, energy for which is supplied by your engine).
Plus there are pumping losses.

I might work, but I doubt it.
think of how long it takes the aircon to cool the inside of your car on a hot day. And how much power your car looses when you turn the aircon on... Cooling an engine -- not so sure.