VW BUS
CUSTOM HANDBOOK BUYING REPAIRING CUSTOMIZATION CAMPER MICROBUS KOMBI SPLITTIE
BAY WEDGE HIGH-TOP PICK-UP CREWCAB
SOFTBOUND BOOK in ENGLISH by
LAURENCE MEREDITH (127-pages)
THE TRANSPORTER STORY
THE SECOND GENERATION, 1967 79
WEDGE MODELS, 1979 83
BUYING A TRANSPORTER
RESTORATION
REBUILDING YOUR BUS
GETTING RID OF RUST
PREPARATION AND PAINTING
PERSONALIZATION
STOP THAT THIEF!
PERFORMANCE MODIFICATIONS
SUSPENSION LOWERING
THE CALIFORNIA LOOK AND OTHER
CUSTOMIZATIONS
CAMPER CONVERSIONS
DIFFERENT BODY STYLES AND MAJOR
PRODUCTION CHANGES
BODY GRAPHICS
DRESS-UP KITS
ENGINE TUNING AND CHASSIS
MODIFICATIONS
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Additional Information from
Internet Encyclopedia
The Volkswagen Transporter,
based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its sixth generation, refers
to a series of vans produced over 60 years and marketed worldwide.
The T series is now considered
an official Volkswagen Group automotive platform. and generations are
sequentially named T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6. Pre-dating the T platform
designations, the first three generations were named Type 2, indicating their
relative position to the Type 1, or Beetle. As part of the T platform, the
first three generations are retroactively named T1, T2 and T3.
The Transporter is the
best-selling van in history with over 12 million units sold worldwide, and it
comprises a gamut of variants including vans, minivans, minibuses, pick-ups,
campervans.
The first generation of the
Volkswagen Type 2 with the split windshield, informally called the Microbus,
Splitscreen, or Splittie among modern fans, was produced from 8 March 1950
through the end of the 1967 model year. From 1950 to 1956, the T1 (not called
that at the time) was built in Wolfsburg; from 1956, it was built at the
completely new Transporter factory in Hanover. Like the Beetle, the first
Transporters used the 1100 Volkswagen air-cooled engine, an 1,131 cc (69.0 cu
in), DIN-rated 18 kW (24 PS; 24 bhp), air-cooled flat-four-cylinder 'boxer'
engine mounted in the rear. This was upgraded to the 1200 � an 1,192 cc (72.7
cu in) 22 kW (30 PS; 30 bhp) in 1953. A higher compression ratio became
standard in 1955; while an unusual early version of the 30 kW (41 PS; 40 bhp)
engine debuted exclusively on the Type 2 in 1959. Any 1959 models that retain
that early engine today are true survivors. Since the engine was totally
discontinued at the outset, no parts were ever made available.
The early versions of the T1
until 1955 were often called the "Barndoor" (retrospectively called
T1a since the 1990s), owing to the enormous rear engine cover, while the later
versions with a slightly modified body (the roofline above the windshield is
extended), smaller engine bay, and 15" roadwheels instead of the original
16" ones are nowadays called the T1b (again, only called this since the
1990s, based on VW's retrospective T1,2,3,4 etc. naming system.). From the 1964
model year, when the rear door was made wider (same as on the bay-window or
T2), the vehicle could be referred to as the T1c. 1964 also saw the
introduction of an optional sliding door for the passenger/cargo area instead
of the outwardly hinged doors typical of cargo vans.
In 1962, a heavy-duty
Transporter was introduced as a factory option. It featured a cargo capacity of
1,000 kg (2,205 lb) instead of the previous 750 kg (1,653 lb), smaller but
wider 14" roadwheels, and a 1.5 Le, 31 kW (42 PS; 42 bhp) DIN engine. This
was so successful that only a year later, the 750 kg, 1.2 L Transporter was
discontinued. The 1963 model year introduced the 1500 engine � 1,493 cc (91.1
cu in) as standard equipment to the US market at 38 kW (52 PS; 51 bhp) DIN with
an 83 mm (3.27 in) bore, 69 mm (2.72 in) stroke, and 7.8:1 compression ratio.
When the Beetle received the 1.5 L engine for the 1967 model year, its power
was increased to 40 kW (54 PS; 54 bhp) DIN.
German production stopped after
the 1967 model year; however, the T1 still was made in Brazil until 1975, when
it was modified with a 1968�79 T2-style front end, and big 1972-vintage
taillights into the so-called "T1.5" and produced until 1996. The
Brazilian T1s were not identical to the last German models (the T1.5 was
locally produced in Brazil using the 1950s and 1960s-era stamping dies to cut
down on retooling, alongside the Beetle/Fusca, where the pre-1965 body style
was retained), though they sported some characteristic features of the T1a,
such as the cargo doors and five-stud 205 mm (8.1 in) Pitch Circle Diameter
rims. Wheel tracks varied between German and Brazilian production and with
14-inch, 15-inch and 16-inch wheel variants but commonly front track varied
from 1290 mm to 1310 mm and rear track from 1370 mm to 1390 mm.
Among American enthusiasts, it
is common to refer to the different models by the number of their windows. The
basic Kombi or Bus is the 11-window (a.k.a. three-window bus because of three
side windows) with a split windshield, two front cabin door windows, six rear
side windows, and one rear window. The DeLuxe model featured eight rear side
windows and two rear corner windows, making it the 15-window (not available in
Europe). Meanwhile, the sunroof DeLuxe with its additional eight small skylight
windows is, accordingly, the 23-window. From the 1964 model year, with its
wider rear door, the rear corner windows were discontinued, making the latter
two the 13-window and 21-window respectively. The 23- and later 21-window
variants each carry the nickname "Samba" or in Australia, officially
"Alpine".
In late 1967, the second
generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 (T2) was introduced. It was built in
Germany until 1979. In Mexico, the Volkswagen Kombi and Panel were produced
from 1970 to 1994. Models before 1971 are often called the T2a (or "Early
Bay"), while models after 1972 are called the T2b (or "Late
Bay").
This second-generation Type 2
lost its distinctive split front windshield, and was slightly larger and
considerably heavier than its predecessor. Its common nicknames are Breadloaf
and Bay-window, or Loaf and Bay for short. At 1.6 L and 35 kW (48 PS; 47 bhp)
DIN, the engine was also slightly larger. The battery and electrical system was
upgraded to 12 volts, making it incompatible with electric accessories from the
previous generation. The new model also did away with the swing axle rear
suspension and transfer boxes previously used to raise ride height. Instead,
half-shaft axles fitted with constant velocity joints raised ride height
without the wild changes in camber of the Beetle-based swing axle suspension.
The updated Bus transaxle is usually sought after by off-road racers using
air-cooled Volkswagen components.
The T2b was introduced by way of
gradual change over three years. The first models featured rounded bumpers
incorporating a step for use when the door was open (replaced by indented
bumpers without steps on later models), front doors that opened to 90 from the
body, no lip on the front guards, unique engine hatches, and crescent air
intakes in the D-pillars (later models after the Type 4 engine option was
offered, have squared off intakes). The 1971 Type 2 featured a new, 1.6 L
engine with dual intake ports on each cylinder head and was DIN-rated at 37 kW
(50 PS; 50 bhp). An important change came with the introduction of front disc
brakes and new roadwheels with brake ventilation holes and flatter hubcaps. Up
until 1972, front indicators are set low on the nose rather than high on either
side of the fresh air grille giving rise to their being nicknamed "Low
Lights". 1972's most prominent change was a bigger engine compartment to
fit the larger 1.7- to 2.0-litre engines from the Volkswagen Type 4, and a
redesigned rear end which eliminated the removable rear apron and introduced
the larger late tail lights. The air inlets were also enlarged to accommodate
the increased cooling air needs of the larger engines.
In 1971 the 1600cc Type 1 engine
as used in the Beetle, was supplemented with the 1700cc Type 4 engine as it was
originally designed for the Type 4 (411 and 412) models. European vans kept the
option of upright fan Type 1 1600 engine but the 1700 Type 4 became standard
for US spec models.
In the Type 2, the Type 4
engine, or pancake engine, was an option for the 1972 model year onward. This
engine was standard in models destined for the US and Canada. Only with the
Type 4 engine did an automatic transmission become available for the first time
in the 1973 model year. Both engines displaced 1.7 L, DIN-rated at 49 kW (67
PS; 66 bhp) with the manual transmission and 46 kW (63 PS; 62 bhp) with the
automatic. The Type 4 engine was enlarged to 1.8 L and 50 kW (68 PS; 67 bhp)
DIN for the 1974 model year and again to 2.0 L and 52 kW (71 PS; 70 bhp) DIN
for the 1976 model year. The two-litre option appeared in South African
manufactured models during 1976, originally only in a comparably well-equipped
"Executive" model. The 1978 2.0 L now featured hydraulic valve
lifters, eliminating the need to periodically adjust the valve clearances as on
earlier models. The 1975 and later U.S. model years received Bosch L-Jetronic
electronic fuel injection as standard equipment; 1978 was the first year for
electronic ignition, utilizing a hall effect sensor and digital controller,
eliminating maintenance-requiring contact-breaker points. As with all
Transporter engines, the focus in development was not on power, but on low-end
torque. The Type 4 engines were considerably more robust and durable than the
Type 1 engines, particularly in Transporter service.
In 1972, for the 1973 model
year, exterior revisions included relocated front turn indicators, squared off
and set higher in the valance, above the headlights. Also, square-profiled
bumpers, which became standard until the end of the T2 in 1979, were introduced
in 1973. Crash safety improved with this change because of a compressible
structure behind the front bumper. This meant that the T2b was capable of
meeting US safety standards for passenger cars of the time, though not required
of vans. The "VW" emblem on the front valance became slightly
smaller.
Later model changes were
primarily mechanical. By 1974, the T2 had gained its final shape. Very late in
the T2's design life, during the late 1970s, the first prototypes of Type 2
vans with four-wheel drive (4WD) were built and tested.
The T2c, with a roof raised by
about 10 cm (3.9 in) was built starting in the early 1990s for the Mexican,
South American and Central American markets. Since 1991, the T2c has been built
in M�xico with the water-cooled 1.8 L inline four-cylinder 53 kW (72 PS; 71
bhp) carbureted engine�easily identified by the large, black front-mounted
radiator�and since 1995 with the 1.6 L air-cooled engines for the Brazilian
market.
Once production of the original
Beetle ended in late 2003, the T2 was the only Volkswagen model with an
air-cooled, rear-mounted boxer engine, but then the Brazilian model shifted to
a water-cooled engine on 23 December 2005. There was a 1.6 L 50 hp (37 kW; 51
PS) water-cooled diesel engine available from 1981 to 1985, which gave fuel
economy of 15 km/l to 18 km but gave slow performance and its insufficient
cooling system led to short engine life.
The end of the Volkswagen
air-cooled engine on a worldwide basis was marked by a Special Edition Kombi.
An exclusive Silver paint job, and limited-edition emblems were applied to only
200 units in late 2005, and were sold as 2006 models.
Stricter emissions regulations
introduced by the Brazilian government for 2006 forced a shift to a
flexible-fuel water-cooled engine able to run on petrol or alcohol. Borrowed
from the Volkswagen Gol, the engine is a rear-mounted EA-111 1.4 L 8v Total Flex
1,390 cc (84.8 cu in), 58 kW (79 PS; 78 bhp) on petrol, and 60 kW (82 PS; 80
bhp) when run on ethanol, and 124 N⋅m (91 lbf⋅ft) torque. This version was
very successful, despite the minor changes made to the overall T2-bodied
vehicle. It still included the four-speed transmission, but a new final-drive
ratio enabled cruising at 120 km/h (75 mph) at 4,100 rpm. Top speed was 130
km/h (81 mph). 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) acceleration took 22.7 seconds (vs.
29.5 seconds for the last air-cooled version). Other improvements included 6.6%
better fuel economy, and nearly 2 dB less engine noise.
The Volkswagen Type 2 is by far
the longest model run in Brazil, having been introduced in September 1950 as
the Volkswagen "Kombi", a name it has kept throughout production.
Only produced in two versions, bus (nine-seater or 12-seater a fourth row is
added for metro transportation or school bus market) or panel van, it offers
only one factory option, a rear window defogger. As of June 2009, the T2 was
being built at the Volkswagen Group's S�o Bernardo do Campo plant at a rate
of 97 per day.
The production of the Brazilian
Volkswagen Kombi ended in 2013 with a production run of 600 Last Edition
vehicles. A short film entitled "Os �ltimos Desejos da Kombi"
(English: The Kombi's Last Wishes) was made by Volkswagen Brazil to commemorate
the end of production.
The Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), also
known as T25 in the UK or Vanagon in the United States, the T3 platform was
introduced in 1979, and was one of the last new Volkswagen platforms to use an
air-cooled engine. The Volkswagen air-cooled engine was phased out for a
water-cooled boxer engine (still rear-mounted) in 1983. Compared to its
predecessor the T2, the T3 was larger and heavier, with square corners
replacing the rounded edges of the older models. The T3 is sometimes called
"the wedge" by enthusiasts to differentiate it from earlier Kombis.