Pre '53 Split Window Beetle 53-57 Oval Window Beetle 57-67 Big Window Beetle Cars for saleTodayLast 7 days Pre '53 Split Window Bug/Beetle/Käfer 53-57 Oval Window Bug/Beetle/Käfer 57-67 Big Window Bug/Beetle/Käfer Parts for saleTodayLast 7 days 1966 - VW Beetle 1300 - with new 1600 engine, heated seats, pop-outs 1955 - Oval very original 1965 - Volkswagen Beetle 1200 (1965) 1956 - Patina oval 1967 - VW Bulli imported from Brazil 1974 1967 - VW Bulli imported from Brazil 1960 - Early RHD Karmann Ghia in Fantastic condition 1960 - 1960 EZ Camper Patina perfection 1966 - vw type 825 replica 1955 - '55 Oval. Heart tail / ribbed door model 1959 - VW bug Limousine 1959 with semaphores 1963 - karmann ghia 1953 - 1952-1955 Zwitter Early Oval Sekurit Quarter 1954 - RHD early pedals 1955 - NOS 1955-60 Split Bus Headlamp Switch 1953 - NOS Hella Headlamp Bulb Holders 1946-1960 Bu
1953 - 1953-1954 Oval Beetle and Barndoor Bus Semap 1947 - 1942-1948 KdF Split Beetle Bakelite Semaphor 1954 - rhd dash cut /parts 1967 - 1200cc engine 1955 - RHD Oval Beetle Glovebox Liner 1960 - Walkthrough bulkhead panels and spare wheel 1960 - 1960 and earlier walkthrough middle seat (Ma 1954 - NOS Karmann Cabriolet Beetle Interior Dome L Like us on facebook atThis page attempts to answer a plethora of questions that I always get from people who want to know more about split-window busses. I got tired of typing the same answers over and over, so I created this (requently sked uestions). You should check here before emailing questions. What busses does this FAQ cover? This faq covers VW busses built between 1949 and 1967, otherwise known as "split window" busses. I am limiting this faq to these years because that is the where my experience and interests lay. Can I install a Corvair motor in a bus? You *can* install a corvair motor in a bus, but its a lot more hassle than its worth.
Sure it makes more power, but at what cost? The corvair motor is bigger, so you have to modify the engine compartment. It also turns the opposite way from the VW motor, so you have to modify the tranny by flipping the ring gear. In the end you've buggered up a perfectly good bus for what? For a motor that has more problems and is harder to find parts for. And what are you really going to do with all the extra power? When it comes down to it, you're still pushing a brick through the air, and you have to stop it somehow, which leads to brake modifications... For those of you who didn't know, a Corvair motor is a flat six cylinder motor, similar to the Porsche911 motor, and actually even more similar to the motor used in the Porsche 906 race car. Can you help me find a bus?Its an awful lot of work and very low pay (like $0) to help someone find a bus. When I first started this page, I used to try to help people find buses, but after the first few, I realized its just too much work.
It would take a lot to persuade me otherwise. What is a crank start? There was an option available up until 1959 for a crank start. On bugs this was available until 1950 (I think) This consisted of a special rear apron and rear engine tin with holes in the back, a special crank nut, and a hand crank. The hole in the engine tin was covered by a small flap that swung up out of the way when in use. The nut has a special ramped slot, which accepts the hand crank, and then pushes it away when the engine starts. To crank-start a bus (or bug): What year bus should I buy? It really doesn't matter. Get one that appeals to you. are cool, but parts can be more expensive and harder to find. isn't a "best year" bus or a year to stay away from. slightly better creature comforts and details like gas guages, 2 speed wipers, windshield washers, etc. but are not necessarily "better." Do you know where I can find a busNot to be a prick, but I can't possibly know where all of
the busses for sale are. The very nature of this sort of information is transitory at best, and is highly dependent on where in the world you are. I can suggest that you dig up every newspaper in your area, and try to get the newspapers from the larger metropolitan areas aroundAs a rule, the bigger the city, the better your chances of finding a bus. The best thing to do is to attend a couple VW events, so you can see other busses and get a feel for what you are getting yourself into. Your best bet is to sign up on the Vintagebus mailing list and wait for a bus to comer to you What should I look for in a bus? This is a big one, and depends on several factors: how much cash do you have toHow much work do you want to put into it? What is your level ofIn most cases, you are probably better off buying a nicer bus, rather than trying to restore a total beater. For a first bus, I recommend getting the straightest, driest (rust-free) bus that you can.
have a rather steep learning curve ahead of you, and a good solid bus will help reduce the slope. What are reduction boxes? Reduction boxes came on all busses through 1967. The effectively lower the gear ratio of the final drive, giving you more oomph at the cost of lower top speed and higher engine RPM's. You can eliminate them by converting theHowever, when you buy the kit to convert to IRS, they want your reduction boxes as cores. Some day, you, or the next owner, is going to want to put the reduction boxes back in. And where are they goingThe place that took your cores, and is stockpiling Can rust on a bus be repaired?But its not an easy task. A lot bus busses get rust in the battery tray, the floors and the rockers. Busses used in very salty areas also get bad frame rust. In rainy areas, rust under the windshieldThe proper way to fix any kind of serious rust is to cut the area out and section in either new pieces or pieces cut
from a donor bus. Anything more than light surface rust will probably needIf there are any holes, then sectioning is your onlySure, you can fiberglass the holes over, etc, but how long willI have fiberglassed very small holes in floors, where it won't be seen, with good results, but I don't recommend it for body panels, and definitely not for structural components. What is my bus worth? In a nutshell: whatever you can get someone to pay for it. range so greatly by model and condition and location, that its impossible to set any kind of baseline. For instance, a '67 kombi may only be worth $500 in rust-free California, where they are as common as fruitflies. same bus could be worth $2500 in Minnesota, where nobody has every seen aOther factors in value: body condition, mechanical conditon,For example, a rusty '60 ambulance will fetch a much higher price than a '60 kombi. As an arbitrary rule, the "pecking order" seems to be 21/23 window deluxe, 15/13 window deluxe, standard,