# 1966 VW Bus



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

I've been looking at a 1966 VW Bus - completely restored, with lap seatbelts where I can install a carseat.

DH is freaking out about crash test ratings - because there aren't any - saying that the car is a death trap and will fold up if someone taps us on the bumper.

I've seen some crashes on YouTube, but it wasn't done by anyone I trust and the mph is oftentimes not posted on the video.

Any resources for me? Opinions? Tips?


----------



## caro113 (Aug 25, 2008)

You're in Lancaster, too? I seem to be finding more and more people in the area







You should join our play date on Friday









Anyhow, I would LOVE to have a VW bus. It would be so much fun! I would probably take it. As long as you have the kids strapped in, you should be okay. But that's me. I'd probably paint a giant flower on it


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Are they original lap belts, or new ones?

I wouldn't have a problem with a young kiddo in one, since they will be in a car seat; it's older booster-age kiddos that you would have a problem with. Since you're quite a ways from boostering, I wouldn't worry about it


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

They're new lap belts - all the interior was completely restored and new belts put in.

Why would you have an issue with boosters? Because of them only being lap belts? Don't they make harness seats that are compatible with lap belts for booster-size kids?


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Good, glad the lap belts are new.

Well, you can't use lap belts with boosters, and since those vans don't have headrests, it wouldn't be ideal to have a child in a lapbelt and with no whiplash protection. There are seats that accomodate older children (Nautilus, Frontier, Regent etc that will last most kids harnessed until 6-7+) but at some point even those seats are outgrown.


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

I know it's easy to install three-point seat belts into these buses - I've seen it done before. Would that assuage fears?

Also, can you find anything to complain about with the car itself? Something I CAN'T fix easily? I'm trying to cover my bases with DH here.


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Aug 24, 2005)

vw bugs and buses are really easy to work on, for the most part. parts are cheap and pretty much anyone with some mechanical competence can rebuild the engine. i've helped do it several times.

the only down side to the bus, as far as doing any engine work, is that sometimes it can be difficult to get to parts of the engine without pulling it out. but pulling it out is pretty straight-forward, and can usually be done by 2 people.

i'm so jealous!







i've always wanted a bus!

this is our 73 wunderbug with a rolls front end. it's been in dh's family since 73. sadly, we're thinking of selling it. we just don't need it, nor does anyone else in our family.

eta: we just washed it, so there was water trailing on the ground, not oil!

let us know if you buy it!


----------



## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

I'd be more concerned about the safety of the adults in the front than the kids in the back. If you have a securely installed carseat in the middle of the back seat I would think they would be fine. Now if YOU were in a head-on crash, yikes! Be aware of how easy it is to roll a bus. Take curves carefully and be very cautious in wind. It's crazy how much the wind can get a bus rocking. Keep the tools in the bus and know how to fix a gas leak. Have a spare gas filter (or 2) on hand--they tend to be a weak spot in the system and are super easy to replace. I've done it within a matter of minutes in parking lots a few times. Keep a fire extinguisher in the bus in the event of an engine fire and make sure it's the right kind for that type of fire. They don't happen that often, but more so than in modern cars. Buy this book and study it. You need to be completely at peace with the fact that you will drive s-l-o-w-l-y. You can't take it on the highway. It *might* get up to 55mph in the best of conditions. How long would you plan on driving it? an_aurora is right that eventually your kids will outgrow high-backed harnessed boosters. I suppose you could put in shoulder belts by then.

I drove a 1970 VW bus for a while and it was wonderful. I never drove little kids in it, though. I still have it, but it isn't roadworthy anymore.







I loved my Cassidy.







I could go on and on about driving a bus. If mine was still on the road, I would totally put my daughter in a proper carseat in it.

BTW, for everyone else, these old buses didn't have seatbelts in the back originally at all, so they have to be new. I think the front seats may have had lap belts originally, but there are plenty of aftermarket belts that can be put in.


----------



## 34me (Oct 2, 2006)

I dream about VW busses - seriously. I would get one in a heartbeat. I seem to remember (my g-parents had 2 in NE PA in the 70's) that they were quite tippy.


----------



## alfabetsoup (Jun 13, 2005)

What kind of fuel does it take and what's the mpg? I wouldn't want to have a gas guzzler as my primary car. Has the engine been rebuilt/replace as well as the interior?


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

The mpg is 19ish. My commute is 8 miles a day one way.

The engine has been completely rebuilt just before he posted to sell. He has about 50 miles on the newly rebuilt engine.


----------



## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

I watched one of these completely restored, and painted with a couple flowers etc, drive past about 3 days ago, and I just about died with envy. It was gorgeous. I'd retrofit with new belts and not worry beyond that.


----------



## dillonandmarasmom (May 30, 2005)

I'd go for it! But, I have a 71 VW Squareback...so I am partial


----------



## SleeplessMommy (Jul 16, 2005)

I have a friend whose VW bus (a camper conversion) burst into flames while he was driving it, and burnt to a crisp at the side of the road.







There were about 4 passengers, everyone got out OK. He bought another VW bus to replace it









My concerns would be gas mileage, abs brakes, and airbags. But that's just me.


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SleeplessMommy* 
I have a friend whose VW bus (a camper conversion) burst into flames while he was driving it, and burnt to a crisp at the side of the road.







There were about 4 passengers, everyone got out OK. He bought another VW bus to replace it









My concerns would be gas mileage, abs brakes, and airbags. But that's just me.

Yeah, the campers have problems because they have a gas stove in them. How that's safe, I'm not sure. This would be just a regular bus - not a Westfalia.

I didn't even think about an anti-lock system, thanks.

See above - I can't use airbags anyways and the kidlets will be in carseats for a LONG time - and restrainers after that. I am also ready to put in three-point safety belts for each seat and I fully intend to harness to as close to 80lbs as possible (though I didn't reach that until 8th grade







). Would that change your opinion at all?


----------



## MaterPrimaePuellae (Oct 30, 2007)

Great post, *ecoteat*! That book looks very cool.

OP, I posted my support on our weekly DDC chat, but I thought I'd add my .02 here as well-- as long as you and/or your DH 1. feel comfortable becoming familiar with the car and learning to address common "quirks" (because even with a rebuilt engine, I bet you would experience some quirky behavior!) and 2. drive very differently than you would drive a more modern vehicle, I think it's a great idea! I don't know that much about VW buses, but do you know if it possible to install 5 pt harness seats for the driver/front seat passenger? My husband is active in the Off-roading community, and I know this is often an option to improve safety.

Old vehicles are awesome, but they can be a pain upkeep-wise. Are you or your Dh mechanically inclined at all?


----------



## SleeplessMommy (Jul 16, 2005)

I don't think the stove was what started the fire. The husband is an engineer and super safety conscious. They may not have had a tank in there - they used the VW only to drive to tent camping







(VW is their third vehicle, driven summers only.)

If this is a primary commute vehicle, I am concerned about handling in snow, and also long term repair costs. Of course, I am not sentimental about cars. I just want something fuel efficient and safe that will never break down. My husband drives a 150 cc scooter to work - clearly he is not on board with the importance of safety for transportation.


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MaterPrimaePuellae* 
Great post, *ecoteat*! That book looks very cool.

OP, I posted my support on our weekly DDC chat, but I thought I'd add my .02 here as well-- as long as you and/or your DH 1. feel comfortable becoming familiar with the car and learning to address common "quirks" (because even with a rebuilt engine, I bet you would experience some quirky behavior!) and 2. drive very differently than you would drive a more modern vehicle, I think it's a great idea! I don't know that much about VW buses, but do you know if it possible to install 5 pt harness seats for the driver/front seat passenger? My husband is active in the Off-roading community, and I know this is often an option to improve safety.

Old vehicles are awesome, but they can be a pain upkeep-wise. Are you or your Dh mechanically inclined at all?

I'm willing to learn - I've done basic maintenance on my cars before, and have always enjoyed tinkering with that kind of stuff. DH is another story. Our other car (his baby) is a Prius and his favorite thing about it is that he's not really supposed to even touch under the hood because everything's so...... weird.







He's the guy to call the mechanic every time a light flashes on his dashboard.

Do you think 5-point harnesses are necessary in a vehicle that usually tops out at 65-70mph? I'm definitely going to install 3-point harnesses, but 5-point seems a bit of overkill to me - though it would be cool to trick the inside out like a racecar.


----------



## MaterPrimaePuellae (Oct 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *smeisnotapirate* 
I'm willing to learn - I've done basic maintenance on my cars before, and have always enjoyed tinkering with that kind of stuff. DH is another story. Our other car (his baby) is a Prius and his favorite thing about it is that he's not really supposed to even touch under the hood because everything's so...... weird.







He's the guy to call the mechanic every time a light flashes on his dashboard.

Do you think 5-point harnesses are necessary in a vehicle that usually tops out at 65-70mph? I'm definitely going to install 3-point harnesses, but 5-point seems a bit of overkill to me - though it would be cool to trick the inside out like a racecar.









Well, I only ask about the 5 pt harness because I was under the impression that then the belt comes with the seat and they are made to be "bolt-in"-- but if there are three point seat-belts to match the existing seats, then I would think that would be fine, too. I would think that speed would not be as much of issue as possibilty for rolling. Most of the trucks I see 5 pt harnesses in probably top out at 55, but 1.the 5 pt offers the safest/easiest install and 2. 5 pt, in my understanding, is better in a roll.

IMO, new cars are MUCH harder to work on than old cars! I drove a Datsun 240z for a while, and my Dh and I would always remove a part of the ignition (Dh would be so disappointed that I can't remember now what it was called. It was under the hood) when we left it parked (as a theft-deterrent), then reinstall when we returned







It was that simple of a car.

It is very empowering to work on your own car! Dh and I replaced the rings on the pistons of my old FJ60 and did a partial engine rebuild together. It was fun and rewarding (well-- and very messy). I felt like I understood the car much better after that!


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Yes, lap/shoulder belts would be an improvement (although it doesn't really help much for some time since it's easy to install seats with just lap belts). The concern of no whiplash protection still exsits, but if kids are in 5-point harnesses as long as possible and then in high-back boosters, you have many years before you have to worry about it.


----------



## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

ABSOLUTELY NOT.


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Yeah, but that was at 60 mph into a concrete wall, and it says it was loaded with 1.5 tons in the back. I really don't think any vehicle would perform well under those conditions...


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

And it's also not a VW Bus. It's a Chinese military truck, with the same flat front.


----------



## dillonandmarasmom (May 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *smeisnotapirate* 
I'm willing to learn - I've done basic maintenance on my cars before, and have always enjoyed tinkering with that kind of stuff. DH is another story. Our other car (his baby) is a Prius and his favorite thing about it is that he's not really supposed to even touch under the hood because everything's so...... weird.







He's the guy to call the mechanic every time a light flashes on his dashboard.

Do you think 5-point harnesses are necessary in a vehicle that usually tops out at 65-70mph? I'm definitely going to install 3-point harnesses, but 5-point seems a bit of overkill to me - though it would be cool to trick the inside out like a racecar.









Maybe the thing to be prepared for with an older car like a VW is the little fixes that can require taking the engine apart. In our Squareback, a case saver pulled out, so DH has to take the engine apart, tap out the old threads, replace them, then add a new case saver. It's very, very inexpensive...but a huge PITA!

However, if the engine is a rebuild, hopefully those old, possibly corroded or muddled parts have been replaced.


----------



## love2all (Dec 13, 2003)

A bit off topic- so I am sorry
BUT BUT BUT can s
we see some pics of the vws?
I miss my camper


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

Here she is (click the smilie):


----------



## ScarletBegonias (Aug 24, 2005)

gorgeous!


----------



## Snowflower (Dec 19, 2007)

I'm with your husband. sorry. had a dear friend die in an accident that shouldn't have been that bad...at all. the metal just gave way and.... I think vw's are too scary. nostalgic, but scary.


----------



## Parker'smommy (Sep 12, 2002)

We have a 1958 Single Cab. My dh installed shoulder restraints in it for my ds- 7 to use his booster seat. You can't use a booster with just a lap belt.

BUT...I have to say, it took me a LONG time before I would let him take our kids in the SC. If there was a collision anywhere in the front....bad news. There is NOThING there. My dh doesn't take it on the fwy with the kids...just surface streets so the speed is down. But anything could happen. That's the case with anything. But yah, a VW is a tin can on wheels...not the safest thing to transport your kids in.


----------



## Parker'smommy (Sep 12, 2002)

Oh...saw your pic post from The Samba. My dh is on there. Ask the guys on there...they know their stuff and will be honest about stuff.

And are you in Lancaster, Ca? I saw someone say PA, but the plates on the bus are California. I lived in Lancaster for over 16 years!


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

I'm in PA, the car is in CA.


----------



## baby duck (Jun 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 





ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I've seen that exact clip posted under different automobile names, including one that claims it is a car/truck built in China. The auto in that clip is *not* a 'VW bus. While I'm not sure I would be comfortable strapping my kids into one (my dad drove a '76 when we were kids), the other clips I watched with Volkswagen crash tests did not show the van collapsing to that extent.


----------



## baby duck (Jun 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *smeisnotapirate* 
Here she is (click the smilie): 

Pretty.







But she's missing the back bumper?


----------



## MaterPrimaePuellae (Oct 30, 2007)

Okay, having read the other concerns about the very short front end, I can see how that might be concerning. If you want something unique, how about one of these? (my husband's favorite, so I'm biased)

http://www.cruizers.com/classifieds.cfm?adID=1651










They call them "iron pigs," and I think they are hilarious. We can't wait to have one someday.


----------



## smeisnotapirate (Aug 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *baby duck* 
Pretty.







But she's missing the back bumper?

He stated in his write-up that he took it off to show that there are no hidden dents. The bumper would be put back on after you go to see it.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MaterPrimaePuellae* 
Okay, having read the other concerns about the very short front end, I can see how that might be concerning. If you want something unique, how about one of these? (my husband's favorite, so I'm biased)

http://www.cruizers.com/classifieds.cfm?adID=1651










They call them "iron pigs," and I think they are hilarious. We can't wait to have one someday.











That's a WEIRD car. I think it only seats 5, though, am I right? I need at least 6 seats.

So DH admitted that what he hates about the Bus is that it's an old car, and he wants a car with power windows and air conditioning.







That's what made him say no without doing any research and making up reasons to hate it.

Sooooooooooo we're off to find a more modern car now.

Thanks for reassuring me and coming up with great ideas. If you'd like to mosey on over to TAO, I've got a thread going there.


----------

