66 Volkswagen microbus

[smsrini]

Carbug,

Waiting for an update and pics of the restore..

[carbug]

sorry folks i have been late in responding
well i am the the third owner on this van, i was told it originally belonged to the health dept in hyd,imported new probably came in as foreign aid... it is a sweden supply vehicle from its specification plate

it is an factory spec ambulance... it still has the original trim,though it was covered by rexene seat covers ,it has the original trim beneath it.

engine and transmission seems good from visual inspection,will know for sure only after its running, it will need a through servicing to get over its 10year plus period of non use.

well its a 1500cc petrol and as far as i know all aircooled vw's were petrol engined.

any ways i was always curious if the metador is an indigenious vehicle or based on any other europian marque... it does have a lot of detailing similar to those on a micro bus...,i know for sure that its engine is based on a very early mercedes commercial engine.

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

Hi car bug, congrats on a lovely purchase. Any info on how many km's the bus has done till date. What is the condition of the engine and transmission setup?. Are you planning to overhaul the engine ? What tires fit to the vw? Looking at the VW reminds me of our own matador which used to be a common site a few years ago. The engines of these were so rugged. i guess it too is going to become a collectors item some day .

Back to your VW, could you post the history of the vw as in how it landed in india and how it ended up becoming an ambulance. Is it a petrol or a diesel engine,? what are the specs?

[carbug]

well my original idea was to get it mechanically running first ,but my mechanic hasnt been able to give me his time and space

so i have started to work on the body,over two week ends i have managed to strip its seating,flooring and the rusted rear door,been able to expose all the rusted areas..., this being my first i have been potographing all the areas before dismantling them.. should help me put things back in place...

now i need to find a reliable body work mechanic

been looking out for the window seals on the net... there are alot of sites but unable to decide which ones are good, hoping some one could recomend a good online source for rubber seals

Originally Posted by smsrini

Carbug,

Waiting for an update and pics of the restore..

[carbug]

can some help me identify this component on the microbus
the pipe enters the passenger area just above the rear wheel well

it has some kind of operating lever and vent... could it be a heater??

[kanwargaurav]

i think the best place to get spares for your micro bus if either thailand or singapore i have some addresses you can contact me if you need anything ill give you a guy who can deliver the stuff at your door step.
cheers.
kanwar

[chaxy]

Hey Buddy !! amazing looking vw. when do we get to see?

[fx45]

nice one there. really a good find.

[NIP]

something i stumbled across on the net. thought you classic VW microbus buffs might be interested!

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by NIP

something i stumbled across on the net. thought you classic VW microbus buffs might be interested!

Nice cross section pic that man.

Those safari doors are so damn impossible to find.

[vw splitscreen]

Originally Posted by carbug

i dont know if they are called "barn doors" but it has two doors on the side as available on the civilian versions, only the rear door opens down as against opening up

Hello there,just to let you know,the term Barndoor is only refered to 1950 to early 55 type 2 buses and is the extra large rear engine lid and nothing to do with the side twin loading doors,which we call cargo doors.

[anjan_c2007]

carbug excellent project with you. Wish you all luck in the restoration work. It has the trappings of an ambulance body and interiors.

[vw splitscreen]

FAO Carbug,you may be very interested in this website,as the Baron has a 56 ambulance which he fully restored,with many pics of interior and exterior.he will also answer any questions you may have about your own splitscreen. www.BaronVonKronken.com* ~* Vintage Volkswagens & Splitscreen Buses
once on the website click on the history section and you will come to his ambulance.
Here are a few pics of his bus to encourage you on your restoration.good luck its a lovley bus.

[carbug]

yup
i did get to read about this on the net, and if i am not wrong the barn doors had "bullet" indicators on the front.

Originally Posted by vw splitscreen

Hello there,just to let you know,the term Barndoor is only refered to 1950 to early 55 type 2 buses and is the extra large rear engine lid and nothing to do with the side twin loading doors,which we call cargo doors.

[vw splitscreen]

Originally Posted by carbug

yup
i did get to read about this on the net, and if i am not wrong the barn doors had "bullet" indicators on the front.

No Barndoors did not have bullet indicators,they would of had semiphores
and no visable indicators on the front panel,i belive the bullets started early 55 after the barndoors finished.Mine is a 59 and has bullits ,they finished in 62/63 then changed to the fried egg indicators on the front like yours. There are some exceptions depending on which part of the world your bus was exported too,in the USA,the bullets finished earlier.
this is a 51 barndoor

['88tessa]

very nice carbug. looks like shes missing quite a bit of chrome though. especially the vw symbol up front. how in the world did it turn blue?