Aircooled VW South Africa

Hi Guys.
I have a dream of owning a Baywindow Kombi.
I have a family that love the freedom of the outdoors. My wife especially has such fond memories of her camping trips to the coast as a kid in her dad's Baby blue and white Baywindow Crewcab. The Crewcab was lovingly cared for by my father-in-law's good friend a Mr. Ferdie Radel, and was eventually sold to one Andreas Radel a few years ago who has lovingly restored it, and flatly refuses to sell it
Anyways I'm not looking for a concourse vehicle or one that the purists will oogle over. I have sadly realised that quality of vehicle will be way over my budget. What i am looking for is something solid and original and unbutchered as possible, with a VW aircooled/watercooled motor in. My OCD does not allow for any other Marque of engine to grace the engine compartment
I just want to have a practical reliable bus that i can make some awesome memories with with my 2 daughters and recreate some of my wife's childhood memories.
What year models would be the best to look for. Which engines should i try avoid? What should i look to be paying for such a bus? I know that this may seem to be a "how long is a piece of string" type of question BUT what i am hoping to achieve is get some advice and a bit of a discussion going that will help guide me with my future purchase.
Thanks,
Nick.

Hi Nick - I am fortunate to own four Baywindow kombi's ranging from a '71 Lowlight, to two '72 Crossover Westfalia's and up to a '78 Autovilla. Owning these 40-odd year old kombi's will always be a labour of love. Finding one in a decent enough condition to warrant the love and money you'll need to restore and maintain one is not that easy anymore unless you have deep pockets.

I'd say try to find a 69 - 71 Lowlight if you can, as these will become increasingly collectable over time. Look for a solid body with as little rust as possible (they generally all have rust in the sub-R30 000 price range...) Try to avoid vehicles with rusted out roofs as even after repair they may still leak - a rusty floor is a better option Wherever possible repair rust by cutting out the rust and welding in plates - the repair will last longer. Most kombi's will require the repair/replacement of their ball joints, tie rod ends, draglink and steering box. They usually have a 1600 Beetle engine installed, or a 2000 Twin carb on the later buses. If you have R 9000 - R 20 000 to spare have the motor done over professionally to ensure it's reliability.

Some kombi's have already had a water-cooled conversion done with a variety of usually unsightly radiator installations stuck on the front. Try and find a neat conversion with at least a partially hidden radiator. I avoid the 1900/2100 Wasserboxer motors as I've had unhappy experiences with them, so go with a 1800 or 2L Golf motor if you want to stick with VW. Conversions from scratch can set you back around R 15 000 - R 30 000 depending on who does it....

Of course you can also buy somebody else's restored kombi, but then the price tends to rocket to R 50 000 - R 100 000 or more,,,,

I think you should start with a clear budget, as that will affect what you can afford and what we can advise.

And whatever you do, don't let anyone talk you out of this dream. My two daughters grew up in my 1963 Dormobile, travelling all over the country. Those experiences have played a huge part in who they are today and both of them have, unsolicited, told me that our bus road/camping trips together have been the high points of their lives so far.

Whatever your budget, don't buy the first bus you see and fall for. Take your time. Buy the very best bus you can afford. It will always be cheaper to pay more for a good bus than to restore a bad one.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Thank you so much for both your replys. It has given me food for thought and some direction in my search.
Fig in terms of budget i would say between 20k - 40k at a push 50k depending on what work is still required to make it a reliable
fairly decent looking weekend/holiday family vehicle. My wife would occasionally have to use it to pick up kids from school if i am
unable to.
Don't worry FIg i wont be talked out of it. I have owned many early 80's VW golfs which i have restored to original and some modified a bit
but with turning 40 this year i'm getting a bit too old for that scene.
Anyways I figure life is too short to not try and live your dreams and make memories with the ones you love.

Hi Nick. Not exactly what you've requested, but I have a '75 autovilla I'm looking to sell. PM me if you're interested.

Thanks PM sent.

I think an autovilla is the perfect bus for you GT

The only thing that worries me is the ability to use is as a quick run around if needed. I somehow don't think its as versatile as a normal bus.

I am one of those who share the same passion. Once you get behind the driver seat with the family with you there's no turning back. This doesn't mean that it's not going to cost you repairing and maintaining the 40 odd year old lady along the way.
Here's my '72 Westy Journey and although I bought her for a fair price I invested 5 times as much to get her in the current condition. Look at the before pic's and what I found after. This should give you an Idea of the weak spots on these busses.

http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... 23&t=12966

The flipside is my 1970 bus which I picked up for R3000 at a scrap metal yard:

http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... =1&t=20820

Thanks Didi - Link does not seem to be working but I'll search for your build thread.

An original bus is by far the best option. Restorations, rebuilds, conversions etc are going to give you trouble. Even if the parts have been replaced with new items, you having to deal with rubbish Chinese quality, poor mechanical workmanship etc. There will be now hidden surprises (mechanical and body), if you find a beautiful original bus. Reliability will be best.

There are very nice busses to be found for under 20k. Just stay away from dreamers on Gumtree classifieds etc etc, its stupidly ridiculous prices. You need to use other methods. Be patient and the right bus will come along. If you going to try find something in 1 or 2 months, its going to be a lemon or something you've paid too much for.

I'm not trying to be negative here, but just be aware, when the continuous breakdowns, mechanical bills, heavy fuel consumption and slow speed become the norm, its not always a dream vehicle to most anymore.

Best of luck with the find.

Thanks for the advice sean. Appreciated. Original is always best for me but the accompanying prices can be scary, but the right bus will come along.

Okay everyone. The time has come and the cash is readily available. Been seriously looking and am ready to buy. Any leads out there on a decent bay for me? All help appreciated.

There is a cool one down on south coast. It's an ex inland vehicle for sale guy wants 60 for it. Send me your cell number I will send u pics and his detail

Alas! the search continues. Don't know if I'm being overly ambitious or just a bit too picky. There must be one out there for me in the 50K bracket... Surely!!!