I always wanted a VW bus. But, I have one question: How safe are they in a front end wreck? I haven't seen much info on that. OTOH, if you don't want to get hurt, you probably don't want to get out of bed.
Jim

-22 degrees this morning, the coldest one yet. Supposed to warm up next week, I hope.

I got the rear apron and bumper back on. Looks almost normal again.



I drove the it out and turned it around to work on the front end. I have the tow brackets to mount now. Almost a toad...

Jim, I don't think these things are anywhere as safe as the cars today with shoulder belts, airbags, etc. Back in the day they got a bad reputation against the 4500+ lb cars...but safe enough for occasional use for me I guess.

I looked at some videos of VW vans and concluded that in the 80s, they were as safe as anything else available, but got a bad rap. they were a little heavy though.

It is amazing what people are paying for VW buses these days. I had a 68, in pretty good shape and I had to give it away in 88, I bought a Wolfsburg edition poptop, I do not remember the year, but I sold it in 95 for about $2500, the two together would probably get close to 80k today.

I read this entire post again. Nice project finally coming to a great finish. Just the beginning of new travels with your Barth Monarch, VW setup. Cool combination RIG you will have together. What is the total weight of the VW?

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I think you should retro fit the old Barth seats to the VW.

The price

Disregard the price it was supposed to be looks nice

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin:
I red this entire post again. Nice project finally coming to a great finish. Just the beginning of new travels with your Barth Monarch, VW setup. Cool combination RIG you will have together. What is the total weight of the VW?

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I think you should retro fit the old Barth seats to the VW.

I am looking forward to dragging the VW around for a while!

Once I get the rolling systems tuned up I can work some more on the interior and exterior remakes. Got both VW front seats rebuilt and recovered so far. The published weight is about 2800 lbs. With back seats and heat exchangers gone it should be a bit less.

I will start making measurements for the tow bar today. It will be great to get this thing finally on the road.

My new captain's chairs should be here soon for the Monarch. It will be nice to retire the old ones, they are pretty worn.

It is supposed to warm above freezing next few days, first time in a month.

Have Barth (and VW), will travel

That is lot nicer and looks more efficient exhaust system than the stock set up...cool!!

Q: Would you have changed your name if only available was a Grumman?

Steve, looks like you are dedicated to taking the toad to warm climes or are the heat deflectors still in the flow? My first bus had no fuel gauge, a handle to pull to open the reserve and a handle to twist the flaps open or closed for such heat as might be permitted.
Jim, to answer your question, when crush is inevitable you put your feet on the windshield and get ready to kiss your xmxm goodbye.
Great job Steve. Back in the day a friend in Battle Creek told me he had two engines in the garage and his two boys regularly came home from college with a limping bug and swapped one of the engines before returning Sunday night. The following weekend was a rebuild weekend.

Given the nature of "heating" system, I decided it was not worth fooling with it. When I drove the VW bugs in winter, all I got was a little heat on my left foot and I had to scrape the inside of the windshield to keep it clear!

As you said, this will hopefully be a warm weather toad. I replaced the exhaust heat exchangers with plain J pipes. The fan housing has no heat ducts to divert engine cooling air. If I ever need heat I will install something to run on propane. The old ones had gasoline heaters but I would not run those. Great when they worked but cranky.

This engine had been running really hot. Both heads were cracked, all four holes. The valve rocker arms were almost siezed to the shaft with coked oil residues. Cleaning them was like cleaning a barbeque grill... I made changes to improve cooling function air flow and relocated the oil cooler outside the fan housing.

Heat wave today, calling for 40 degrees. First time since Dec 4. Hope to get the tow bar brackets done this week.

Well SteveVW when we do the Minnesnowta GTG I will bring my Toad Miata and we can race!! I think this is my 249th post so soon I might become an Offical Barth Junkie!!!!

Duane, probably not a fair race even with the improvements.
Anyone remember the Fiat 850 Spider? Coming home from night school in 1968 I came to a light with an 850 next to me. I figured my '64 bus which had a rebuilt newer motor in it but still had the reduction gears could at least be competitive for the first 10 or 15 feet but as it turned we were even until reaching the 30 mph speed limit.

What memories, Senior year of high school. Big drag race set up between my buddy Ray and I at the 2 lane country road dragstrip. The word got out and 100 or so students showed up to watch the big race after school was out.

Ray with his 1964 1200cc VW Karmann Ghia and me with a 1966 1500cc VW Transporter (bus). The arm dropped for the start and that old bus jumps out in the lead. 40 or 50 ft. latter that Ghia came around me and I saw nothing but tail lights.

I don't think either one of us broke the speed limit. But what fun it was.