The VW bus started out in 1947 and has been in production to present day in one form or another. Since the late 1970′s, the VW bus has not been available in the USA, but has seen a lot of use in other markets.

Often called a microbus, the terms microbus, bus and van basically refer to the same vehicle.

The VW bus has a much beefier bottom (or ‘pan’) than a bug and relies on the body for stiffness.

The older model (pre 1967) had a 6 volt system. Most modern automobiles in the US have a 12 volt system. The higher voltage has many advantages, the biggest advantage is 12Volts give the electrical system more muscle.

The standout is the starter.

For conversions from 6 to 12 volt, retaining the 6 volt starter and running it at 12 volts allows for much more robust starting.

To say the 6 volt systems were underpowered is being kind. On a 6 volt VW bus, running the headlights, the windshield wipers, the heater blower (on some models) and the radio at the same time is a challenge. That is only a problem if you are driving in the cold rain.

There are many vibrant and active VW clubs around. At a typical get together (GTG), you will see everything from restored example vans and customized vans, proudly displayed by their owners, to vendors of all sorts, selling everything you can think of.

On the internet, you can ask just about any VW bus question you have and expect an answer. Usually, the answer comes fairly quickly.

Any part you can find on a bus is available in a market place that is vibrant and thriving. Everything from body panels to engine parts. Also available are chance encounters with less widely available items. These jewels are usually less common factory options such as roof luggage racks.

You can even find parts (or entire sections) that were cut out of other vans, junkyard style.

Here’s a very cool video I found on YouTube.

VW BUS – VAN

The phrase brings to mind all sorts of associations with hippies from the 1960s. The VW bus refers to so much more.

The VW bus has been adapted for many uses through the years. It has been a pick up truck, a transportation bus, a camper, an ambulance, an electric vehicle, a hearse, a firetruck and a delivery van to name a few incarnations.

Recently, there was a very popular feature length cartoon that had talking cars and the feature had a VW bus painted in a ‘psychedelic‘ way and voice of counter culture icon of the 1960s, George Carlin.

The VW bus was also made famous by it’s depiction as a small metal die-cast car that had been greatly customized. This small rendition featured surf boards hanging out the back and looked like a ‘surf-mobile’. This is notable because it came to be one of the most sought after items in VW-dom.

The VW bus has an unusual feature. The driver sits directly over the steering wheels. Most other vehicles place the driver behind the steering wheels. This makes for the need of interesting driving skills in tight spots but drivers have figured it out for decades.

For VW fans, it is a ‘Type 2‘, pancake engine, lower gearing, higher displacement engine, and gearing transfer cases to increase the ground clearance. The VW bug had a ‘stand up’ motor, the air cooled motor’s cooling fan was up above the motor.

Another cool video I found:

Of course this is a Porsche engine.

A ‘pancake’ engine has it’s cooling fan attached to the crankshaft, greatly lowering the engine’s profile. On VW’s with a pancake motor, there is storage fully available above the motor. This is not true on the VW bug. On the bug, storage is available next to the motor, not above.

The transfer cases are final gearing cases on the rear wheel assembly’s that can be thought of as stacked, adding height to the whole assembly, allowing the motor to be further from the ground. The upshot is that they increase the ground clearance.

In all air cooled VWs (bug, beetle, hatchback, van), the motor is very similar and in the rear of the car. I once removed the engine from a beetle and placed in a VW van.

The very first buses were called bulli or workhorses.  And appeared in 1949.  And from the humble beginnings to even the Brazil days, the vw bus still captures the imagination and the feeling of getting away in style!

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