Somebody stop me

[ALAN GEDDES]

Being an old VW freak a friend of mine just offered me a 73 Westfalia camper and I may take it. All camping stuff works and interior is rough, body is solid and engine OK. It has to be about the ugliest thing I have ever seen. Three or four coats of brushed on house paint of variouse colors and conditions. Guess I'll have to build a super light tear (# 6) to pull behind it. Or I could use it for the basis of the VW Trike/Tear that I've been wanting to build.

[beverlyt]

Sorry Alan, I can't talk you out of it.

I think it sounds great!

Bev

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Alan,
Take it... Wouldn't want you to run otta projects.

[Miriam C.]

I guess if you feel so badly about it I could take it off your hands. Think of all the
EZ ups you could take with you.

[sledge]

I LOVE the old VW's ............ I been trying to trade a guy out of a 74 Bug, for a GS750 Suzuki I have..... I like the old stuff,

[ALAN GEDDES]

You guys are no help. How about pulling the body and building an oversize Tear to replace it ?

[Miriam C.]

You guys are no help. How about pulling the body and building an oversize Tear to replace it ?

Nah! way too heavy. Best get rid of it.

[angib]

How about making a teardrop to go on top?

To make standing headroom, fix each end of a sheet of aluminium to a sliding track and then fold up the two teardrop-shaped sides from underneath.

There was a British motorcaravan that used exactly this method, except they had it running across the body, whereas it would look best running along.

Andrew

[BrwBier]

What about restoring the van and building a super lightweight teardrop to haul your stuff.
Brwbier

[tonyj]

At least when it breaks down on the side of the road (they all eventually do!), you'll have the option of two places to sleep!

[halfdome, Danny]

Those VW buses suck valves through pistons real easy. Mine did (1969) it twice and I practically gave it to the mechanic the second time. I my opinion your friend is smart to give it away. Danny

[ALAN GEDDES]

But it's so darn ugly it's cute.

[Sierrajack]

Sorry but the VW vans are the slowest piece of equipment to ever travel on the American highway! Adolph got back at us with this one!!! I absolutely hated getting behind one of those slugs going up any kind of grade and wished I had .50 caliber machine guns mounted on my hood.
Wow, now that I finally got that off my chest.

[AlaskaJack]

I had two VW's over the years. A '59 bug when I was going to college in San Diego. The engine blew up and that was the end of that.

I later (having not learned...) bought a squareback (can't remember what year... but think mid '60's) to drive back to Alaska after a lengthy visit with my parents in SoCal. That engine totally exploded at milepost 13 on the AlCan hiway.... filling the whole car with smoke that came through the heater and defroster outlets!! (luckily I was going fairly slow and managed to stay on the road and avoid the ditch!)

Having had my share of mechanical problems with vehicles over the years I've never had engines just totally explode like that.... well, except for a couple of airplane engines..... which share similarities with the air cooled VW engines! .... but those are other stories!

While I've always liked the concept of a VW..... I personally wouldn't want another!

As for those old VW busses.... Sierrajack gets my vote!

[Steve_Cox]

Alan,

VW trike/teardrop concept is one I'd like to see you build. I loved all my old VeeDubs. As far as the slanderous comments, I can't agree. Dr Porsche created a fine example of engineering with his horizontally opposed 4 banger. 'Course you could never convince an "American Ironhead" of that.