Volkswagen!

[BabyJune]

I really want to get another bus again. I miss mine so much. The next one I get I'm going to properly build though. I messed up big time on the bus engine's rebuild and then I sold it. It also had way to much rust. Maybe in another year or so I'll get another bus.

A vehicle from Florida with rust? We look for "Florida cars" because they aren't exposed to snowy winter weather.

I painted a bright orange and white 1973 Bus many years ago. They're great!

[babyvr6]

We have a beetle that we've turbo-ed and made into a rally car for ice and dirt tracks.

Right now the bumper is torn off cause of a rouge snow drift we drifted into at an ice race the other weekend. Poor little beetle

I'm still waiting for a pic of this.

[tenderheart]

I don't have a VW right now but I've had a lot of good times in VW buses. I do have a window from the back of a 69 VW bus I had. It's covered in stickers that I've collected over the past 11 years. It's just the center piece of my coffee table right now.

[KayKay]

I'm a huge fan of the VR6 engine and I'd love to get a bus again and plop one into the rear. I measured the block and it'd fit pretty neatly into the engine bay of a bay window bus but the main problem I had with it was that the bus trannies probably couldn't take the power unless I upgraded them substantially. I'd like to see if there is a Porsche tranny that could take the power and would swap right in place of the bus tranny. If so then I'd probably undertake the swap some day and slap a really early spooling turbo onto it for some real get up and go. maybe do some bus wheelies. Main reason for the huge VR6 fandom is that they are cheap (used engines and parts), they are really overly built motors (compare main bearing caps to other V6's and V8's for that matter), can take 500whp before needing internal upgrades (another note on it's stoutness), and they are a very compact engine (about 1" longer than a VW water cooler four cylinder and are as wide as a 16v).

If that was swapped into a bus I think I'd never drive anything again. The low torque is awesome for a bus and it's increased rev range would make air cooled gearing great for road trips but I'd have to see about the whole tranny selection. Some day I'll make my bus. No way in hell I'll make my dream bus though. That'd be a split window bus and I could never afford to buy one that was in any kind of good shape and I don't have the skills (yet) to do all the body work to restore one.

Right now I'm doing a VR6 swap into an Audi A4 Quattro.

[freswith]

I'm a huge fan of the VR6 engine and I'd love to get a bus again and plop one into the rear. I measured the block and it'd fit pretty neatly into the engine bay of a bay window bus but the main problem I had with it was that the bus trannies probably couldn't take the power unless I upgraded them substantially.

I think it would go very well - until you came to a corner at twice the normal speed. VW buses are not exactly built for chicanes!

[babyvr6]

I think it would go very well - until you came to a corner at twice the normal speed. VW buses are not exactly built for chicanes!

I beg to differ!!

[freswith]

I suspect that has had bit more done to it than just an engine upgrade! Look at the way the suspension rides - that's a "funny car", something really fast with a VW bus body put on top.

Not a job for amateurs.

[babyvr6]

I suspect that has had bit more done to it than just an engine upgrade! Look at the way the suspension rides - that's a "funny car", something really fast with a VW bus body put on top.

Not a job for amateurs.

It's a Porsche 993 911 gt2 turbo drivetrain. And I think he is using the front suspension from the porsche as well.

[KayKay]

I've seen that bus before and yeah, it's basically a modified 911 or something with a bus shell on top. I wouldn't be racing the bus though. I used to have a 71 and the HP in a stock air cooled engine is some what lacking to say the least. A VR6 in stock form is just fine and I'd swap over to the MK3 VR6 braking components too. The bus weighs the same amount as a MK3 so the braking components from the MK3 would be perfect. The only thing I don't have in my garage to upgrade would be suspension components but those are fairly cheap for buses and I'd be dropping it on the ground any wyas.

[babyvr6]

Just to play devils advocate for a bit, but my biggest concern with putting a vr in a bus would be the cooling system. VRs are already pretty warm engines. Also that bus has a torsion bar suspension, yes? So how would you get the hubs and breaks to mount up? I'm sure there are better solutions for the breaking system than putting the vr stuff in there. I mean that vehicle has four wheel drums, and I'm sure there is a bolt on aftermarket disk set up that would have all the fab and design work done for you.

[KayKay]

Just to play devils advocate for a bit, but my biggest concern with putting a vr in a bus would be the cooling system. VRs are already pretty warm engines. Also that bus has a torsion bar suspension, yes? So how would you get the hubs and breaks to mount up? I'm sure there are better solutions for the breaking system than putting the vr stuff in there. I mean that vehicle has four wheel drums, and I'm sure there is a bolt on aftermarket disk set up that would have all the fab and design work done for you.

Cooling system, you stick two smaller radiators in the air intake ducts in the rear or else you can mount 1-2 radiators under the bus with slim line fans. There's tons of space under there.

For the hubs and breaks. The fronts are discs already since all bus's '71 and up came with discs. Re-drill the fronts, slide them on, and make a quick adapter plate for the fronts to bolt the caliper on. Pretty easy. The rear, I'd have to some research on but the spindles in the back would be swapped out for disc spindles of course from a Porsche or something and then I would make adapters for the rear calipers.

Sure there are aftermarket kits to do bigger all discs brakes but they all cost an arm and a leg. Once you are able to fabricate things it's so much easier and cheaper, assuming you already have the parts. I have two sets of front calipers and rotors and one set of rear calipers and rotors for a MK3 so the items are already here. A brake kit would probably cost somewhere in the range of 1k+. For me to adapt it'd only cost a few hundred.

[babyvr6]

I'll be rebuilding my first diesel next weekend. I'm sooooooo excited to do something new. I really look forward to timing the injection pump. No one I know can do this, so I hope to learn a skill that can help others.

[KayKay]

It's a pain in the arse. That's all I gotta say. I hate timing my TDI. Granted my TDI was abused by the previous owner. I had to re-key the crank pulley so it's off slightly which puts the timing gear off a tad. Just make sure you have Vag-com is it's a Mk3 or Mk4 otherwise you won't be able to get it where it's supposed to be. You NEED vag-com, there's no other way to do it. There's a little graph you open that tells you where you are timing wise.

[Darkfinn]

The oddities that are VW have always interested me... but I hear far too many complaints about how much time the average VW spends in the shop to ever consider buying one. I guess I'll stick with my Chevrolets.

[babyvr6]

It's a pain in the arse. That's all I gotta say. I hate timing my TDI. Granted my TDI was abused by the previous owner. I had to re-key the crank pulley so it's off slightly which puts the timing gear off a tad. Just make sure you have Vag-com is it's a Mk3 or Mk4 otherwise you won't be able to get it where it's supposed to be. You NEED vag-com, there's no other way to do it. There's a little graph you open that tells you where you are timing wise.

Luckily it's a Mk2, so no need for vagcom for this one. Just the old fashioned dial gauge. I have no delusions about the ease of doing it, but if I can learn something to benefit my friends, I'm all for learning it.

I thought TDi's were electrical, not mechanical for the timing? I've always wanted to get a TDi and swap a giles TD pump on it. That way I could have a mechanical timing TDi to swap into a MK2 or MK1.

[Hasen]

Anyone else plat classic beetles? I'm rebuilding a 65. Putting in floor pans and rebuilding the the rust eateb front end. It's my backyard car project. Also putting a 69 body on with the 63 hood/EgCov

[drynot]

I too am a 'Vee Dub' fan. I love the looks of the new GTI. Something about those hot hatchbacks.....

A couple of folks here have mentioned that the reliability of the newer models leaves something to be desired but I don't think they are any worse than most other cars out there. There will be lemons in every brand. For instance, we own a 2005 Dodge Neon and it has been stone cold reliable. No issues at all, yet there are plenty of stories out there about how unreliable these cars are....

I guess time will tell but I've owned it since new and not a single problem in 5 years.

[KayKay]

The MK3 all have mechanical adjustment for the timing. There's four bolts that the injection pump to the bracket and if you loosen them it allows the pump to be turned advanced or retarded a certain amount. The MK4's might be electrical but I think they are the same way. It also depends if you are referring to the Pump Duse TDI's. I think those are all electrical since the main timing of those is done through the cam.

As for older air cooled VWs. I used to have a '71 Bus that I took on the BABE Rally. I am looking for another bus right now. I LOVE THE BUSES! I'd kill for a split window but they are really expensive and I'm poor. I'm mainly looking at a 76-79 bus because they came with the 6-rib tranny. I want to do a VR6 swap into it and drop it to the ground on something like 18's or 20's. Totally rat rod it out with some shiney rims.

[babyvr6]

Are they drive by wire? I remember them having a lot more electrical crap as compared to the old IDI diesels. I recently found a B4 passat TDi up here for $1000. I really wish I had the extra cash and the time to part out another car, because I really want that engine.

[KayKay]

Yeah, all TDI's are drive by wire.

[Diapers4Me]

I've been looking at getting a Tourag TDI...great mileage and good towing capacity. Hate the name....and I'd actually prefer if it wasn't a VW...had a Golf in the past, and parts were WAY expensive and took way too long to get!

[babyvr6]

Yeah, all TDI's are drive by wire.

Yeah, that would need to be removed. I want mine to be as simple and efficient as heavenly possible. I've already rewired the glow plug cricut to remove the buss bar. And I'm using a starter relay to remove the load off the $120 glow plug relay.

[KayKay]

It'd look cleaner with the drive by wire though.

[babyvr6]

It'd look cleaner with the drive by wire though.

Cleaner? Possibly.

Simpler/easier? Nay.

I have come to the conclusion that my vac pump has taken a dump and is now pressurizing the block. Time for a rebuild.

[babyvr6]

I'm bumping this thread from the dead to say I just picked up a running and very clean mk2 turbodiesel jetta! Woooot!