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down on the street bonus edition
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type 2
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down on the street bonus edition
down on the street
One thing that's hard about this series is the glut of air-cooled Volkswagens on the island; I could easily do nothing but 60s Beetles and Transporters for a month straight and still not run out. These VWs are survivors and fully deserving of recognition, of course, but it wouldn't do to have them shove aside all the other cool machinery in this series. Rationing has been necessary, but it's been a while since our last Transporter (so far we've seen a '56, a '57, a '62, a '63, a '67, and a '70), so let's look at a very nice 48-year-old example today. And, what the heck- let's have a poll!
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1960 Volkswagen Transporter
One thing that's hard about this series is the glut of air-cooled Volkswagens on the island; I could easily do nothing but 60s Beetles and Transporters for a month straight and still not run out. These VWs are survivors and fully deserving of recognition, of course, but it wouldn't do to have them shove aside all the other cool machinery in this series. Rationing has been necessary, but it's been a while since our last Transporter (so far we've seen a '56, a '57, a '62, a '63, a '67, and a '70), so let's look at a very nice 48-year-old example today. And, what the heck- let's have a poll!More »
classic ad watch
Sell Your Soul To The Man, Drive A 1981 Vanagon
Say you were a Berkeley radical back in 1968- you know, high ideals, willing to lay down your life for The Cause, etc. Then, well, you got taken up on that high mountain and shown the fleshly kingdoms that lay before you, simply for the price of your soul. That's what happened with Jerry, an ex-radical who struck it rich in the house of Mammon. Jerry shed all the trappings of his old life, with the single exception of the Volkswagen bus... perhaps as a cynical reminder to himself of what might have been. Then, some camera-wielding freak from his past shows up when he's leaving work and blows it all to hell. Or something like that. In any case, it's hard to see how this ad could have moved any Transporters off the lots.
down on the street
OK, this VW Transporter isn't quite as low as this insane machine, nor is it quite as old. However, it makes up for those shortcomings by having such a great Survivor Patina, and by parking on one of the busiest streets in town. It's hard to tell how many donor vehicles contributed body parts for this bus, but it's got to be at least four. And, once again, I'm unable to provide an exact year for an older German vehicle; I'm pretty sure it's from the 1963-1967 period, but- as always- clarifications from VWology PhDs are welcomed.
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Another Low Volkswagen Transporter
OK, this VW Transporter isn't quite as low as this insane machine, nor is it quite as old. However, it makes up for those shortcomings by having such a great Survivor Patina, and by parking on one of the busiest streets in town. It's hard to tell how many donor vehicles contributed body parts for this bus, but it's got to be at least four. And, once again, I'm unable to provide an exact year for an older German vehicle; I'm pretty sure it's from the 1963-1967 period, but- as always- clarifications from VWology PhDs are welcomed.More »
classic ad watch
Lynch Mob After Your Hide? Volkswagen Transporter!
Forgive us for thinking that we'd maybe choose something with a bit more power and ground clearance than a VW T2 Transporter, were a howling, torch-wielding mob of European peasants battering down the doors of our castle. Say, a Unimog, for example. Still, for the mad scientist on a tight budget, the Transporter will get the job done!
crash test
Ach du Lieber Harry! T3 Transporter Crash Test
How good were T3-generation VW Transporters at preserving life and limb at high speed into a flat wall? Let's just say the last thing to go through the mind of whatever dummy was behind the wheel of this doppeltkabin was about a quarter-ton of gravel. But c'mon, it's wall-on-wall action; what'd you think would happen? [Thanks to Jeremy for the tip.]
classic ad watch
Einen VW-Transporter Muß Man Haben!
When it drives through your typical quaint German village, the early Transporter inhales crowds of pedestrians, construction equipment, stacks of boxes, whatever you got! Of course, with 36 horses clattering around in the back, it wasn't going to move all that stuff very quickly, but odds are you'd reach your destination.
engine
Workhorse Engine of the Day: Volkswagen Air-Cooled
We saw the Small-Block Chevrolet engine in the last WEOTD, which means it's time to take a look at what may be the only engine that can rival the Chevy in terms of longevity and units built: the air-cooled VW. In one form or another, it was manufactured for 70 years; while it had its weaknesses (feel free to list them in exhaustive detail, commenters, but don't leave out the strengths), it was a lightweight, simple powerplant that was cheap to build and easy to work on. And, just because we can, we're having a poll for your favorite! [Wikipedia] More »
down on the street
The Lowest Daily-Driven VW Transporter You Could Possibly Imagine
Now, most of the time when I tell people I see a Type 2 driving around town with maybe two inches of ground clearance (if that), they assume the old bus has some sort of airbag suspension and can be raised up to clear driveways, speed bumps, lines painted on the road, etc. Nein! The utter madman who drives this Transporter- and drive it he does; I see it on the move all the time- has it set up to be this low at all times! Yes, you've seen Type 2s even lower than this... at car shows. East Bay readers who have seen this machine leaving showers of sparks on routine road imperfections, back me up here. More »
down on the street
Volkswagen Transporteramino
OK, holders of PhDs in VWology, I'm going to need youse to jump in here and point out the features that indicate the exact year of this Type 2 truck, because I'm stumped. I'm pretty sure it's from the 1964-67 period, but that's as close as I'm willing to call it. What I can say is that this pickup (actually, flatbed with wooden side rails) parks on a busy street, drives every day, and is used to haul stuff around. Maybe you hear a lederhosen-clad oompah band instead of Hank Williams when you look at it, but this here VW is still a goldang real truck! More »
choose your eternity
Project Car Hell: Turbo Corvaired Bus or Cosworth + GT Vegas?
In our last Project Car Hell, the Mazda Rotary Pickup stomped the RX-4 Wagon by a huge three-to-one margin, no doubt because we're all suckers for unfixable little trucks with a huge ROTARY POWERED sign on the tailgate. But forget all about Rotary Hell, because now we've got a couple- actually a trio- of real gems for your eternal wrenching enjoyment... More »
wacky races auf deutsch
We can't tell who's really pulling at the end of this video, but it looks like the Transporter. But with the stylish hood scoop and generally hooptyesque, quite-possibly-meth-addled demeanor, the Euro-spec Ford Granada takes the style trophy for sure.
Granada vs. Microbus
We can't tell who's really pulling at the end of this video, but it looks like the Transporter. But with the stylish hood scoop and generally hooptyesque, quite-possibly-meth-addled demeanor, the Euro-spec Ford Granada takes the style trophy for sure.
down on the street
