Hello all, maybe about to become a very late bay owner.

Hello and welcome.
If the worse comes to the worse, you could always sell it and get a proper one!

 

Well I've not bought it just yet! I'm viewing extensively today, then will make a decision, so we'll all know by 5pm if I'm an idiot or not!

 

Just saw your post on the Brazilian Bay forum - apologies for the cautious responses, but the Limited Edition Micro Bus has no camper interior or elevating roof.......just bench seats ? A new elevating roof and camping interior will be at least another £10k on top of your purchase price. Also consider that you will decrease the intrinsic value of a Limited Edition van by removing the Limited Edition interior and converting it - not a problem if you are doing it to enjoy, but most owners think they'll get their money back plus some profit, which is why you see some Brazzers advertised in the high £20k/low £30k range - probably the reason why most of those advertised on the Brazilian Bay forum are still there years later........!

Good luck with the viewing, let us know it goes.

 

I'm not going to put a lifting roof on it, just a nice interior which I'll most likely self fit so more £4k to £6k rather than £10k hopefully, we only need a 2 birth. Not too worried about total originality, but everything I do will be reversible anyway. Its already lost collectability status as its had a sunroof fitted and done some mileage, hence the more reasonable price. The done no mileage original ones are still going for well in excess of 30k, so I'm happy enough, as long as its in top notch condition. If its tatty, l'll not be buying it anyway.

 

Look familiar @Flakey ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115705273024?hash=item1af0925ac0:g:8DAAAOSwLVpjB-MA&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA0HsAtV0UIL/jJK5htwSAdCGR/0eNCr+SWJ82YHSB53cZjzrfFQjkgOjp+10FwJ0ty4Yg5vTQP0/qfy39sTBjOpBdPS4ibhIu0uOXCzP9Q0QwptogNkkeXLR+5YeLxR/pDP/7MHYvP75fMd6sMQa/HvheOvQ6+R/+H/Ea7S41yz6kn+9n7eHx2i0a+G+QHjPrwEobHdo7EBGjX6S+ckGJejkBXbA79c346Zwbz4Q4ODUMgWRjdHRnyOTNNLVEUw5tslwvVtqI/uzZDTWna5/wVsE=|tkp:Bk9SR8D8j-j3YQ

"This T2 is one of the best quality condition ones around and is a great opportunity to own a piece of VW history".

 

Looks cool though...

 

That’s the one , absolute turd to drive as well!

 

And... project terminated before it began. Shame, but the bus was not quite what I wanted at the price being asked, will keep looking.

 

We’ll there’s plenty of all types for sale so stick to your requirements

 

Not adverse to any era if it fits what I want

 

in all honesty id leave the late brazilian stuff alone .....but of course its your call

 

My logic was the newer, lower mileage vehicle, the better. I owned a brand new Mexican beetle back in 1985, it was every bit as good as the last German cars, and could just be enjoyed without the constant need for restorative work and rust issues like you had when running the older cars.

So I was sort of thinking a very late Brazilian bus would be similar, seems the consensus is they're a little lower quality.

Still may be an option with a Brazilian bus. The one I looked at was actually very nice, but just a little too expensive after allowing for the few relatively expensive remedial things I would need to do to it to get it perfect.

The other thing making me cautious is the amount of hatred of Brazilian buses I'm seeing on some of the other VW forums though. Not constructive comments or good hearted banter as on here, but really nasty stuff! Makes me feel that if I turned up at some VW shows with one, I'd get heckled and spat at lol!!

 

You wouldn't but there's every chance you'd feel ignored because frankly Brazilian buses are ugly. The roof, the front, the swage on the doors. Cheap and nasty looking tin cans. Even the engine is boring. There, I said it. I wouldn't say it to your face, that would be rude, I'd pass you a beer and fake interest, but that's along the lines of what I'd be thinking and it is based on experience.
There's certainly a temptation to assume they are owned by people with no real interest in old vehicles that believe they should be warmly welcomed into a classic "scene" with a new car which to me seems absurd. Again. that's based on experience.

 

It's not really valid to compare a Brazilian bus to modern retro styled cars such as the new beetle or fiat 500. The Brazilian bus, whether personally liked or not, is exactly the same primitively built classic vehicle as the original bus, just with the addition of a minor set of updates. The others you mentioned are entirely different, modern cars, with nothing more than a styling nod to thier older name sakes.

 

Also remember, there are split screen bus owners out there thinking your bay is uninteresting tat as well and not a proper classic!

As you say, your bus, your rules, but I do wish people would be less judgemental/cliquey in general in the VW scene.

 

I reckon a Brazilian with a Subaru engine would be a winner.

 

In my opinion what makes a scene is a bunch of like minded people who share the same enjoyment of a particular thing - in this case classic vw buses. There will always be peripheral to these core shared opinions and sit on the fringes of what the collective enjoy. I personally like the air cooled element and the keeping something 40 yrs plus on the road - others like conversions such as scooby engines etc. Each to their own but you can’t really judge anyone as it is what it is. A classic by dvla definition is 40 years old so perhaps that defines it who knows