Looking to get a late bay

Brazilian - yeah at the risk of offending a few on here who have those, I have to say I really don’t get it.

Classic looks but it’s modern right? Er, no. Everything that could have benefitted from some form of modernisation is exactly the same (or worse) than a late german built bay. Brakes:same. Crash protection:same. Heating:they don’t have any from the factory. Rust protection:again, nothing (Brazil is hot, so no salt on the roads like uk). Engine: yes it’s a water cooled polo motor but still only 70 bhp and you’ve lost that lovely air cooled character. Steering:the same only Brazilian steering boxes are made of cheese so wear out after 5k miles (mine did anyway) so actually worse.

You’d still need to pay road tax on a Brazilian presumably? I think all late bays are FOC now even the very last ones?

For me German all the way. Yes I’m biased

 

HI.
I live in the Italian Alps with my 1976 1600bus.
I keep the valves checked and general engine in good order.
Bus runs fine. Yes it's slow uphill but it gets there. Other drivers just overtake... I don't care.

No probs with the bus... None of them like hills.
Downhill is fine too. It's how you drive that's important.

 

Stone Him!!!

Welcome to the madhouse.

 

A 2L will keep up with modern traffic and providing you spot them early, hills aren't too much of a problem.
Sidmouth to Sheffield, mostly motorway at 55 - 65 returned 25+ mpg.

 

I drove a more or less stock 1600 over the weekend for the first time and it quite happily got up to 60 before I let off on the throttle. The bus also had servo brakes, and while the stopping was the same as mine, the effort was a lot less.

Yes they are slow, but you use all of the rev range of the engine to make progress, and engine brake rather than use the brakes down hill, so you sit at 25mph in second going down rather than go faster..

With my 1641 with a little more oomph it will happily climb a 1 in 5 hill at 20mph+ and climb all the hills on the M4 at at least 50mph. On the flat it will go at 65 to 70 happily. Without servo brakes, just stock disc and drums, I have out-braked a Vauxhall Astra, they hit us gently at the end of the braking... , and seriously out-braked a split screen camper and two aircooled Beetles, who ended up one each side of the splitty on the A3 at the end of the queue for Esher. There was a 100m gap between us and the other cars... And I have hopped the back end once at 35mph when somebody slammed on the brakes in front of us.

 

Hooligan

 

1600 twin port engine is the best in my opinion, much easier to work on

I'd stay away from Mexican buses, the whole point of having a t2 is the look... Tax and MOT exemption!!! Plus cheap insurance.

If your good at DIY and fixing things buy one. If not make sure you have deep pockets to pay someone who knows them

If not get a t5 t6 and be done with it... They are not without their problems let me assure you especially on a high miler and diesels are bad

You don't buy a singer sewing machine then complain it's not electric!

 

Can I offer an opinion? I have a 73 bay in the garage still on its side being restored, T5 facelifted camper recently sold after 7 years to purchase a Brazilian bay of the same age as the T5.

Not all T5s are grey, our 57 plate was black/grey leather with high gloss grey units and black veltrim walls and grey ceilings........ok maybe mostly grey.......but, it was exceptional, was sat on coilovers and 20 inch rims and was comfortable,fast enough (1.9 PD) remapped to 111bhp and 189 torques and looked stunning. We had 7 great years with it in which time we took it from 88k to 128 and saw most of the issues but kept on top of it so never had huge bills. Dual mass flywheel & clutch was £800 but had been done by 80k. Driveshaft stripped it's splines at 112k, new belt Inc idlers and waterpump at 118 then maf and intercooler at 125k plus general servicing when required. It cost me £20k over 7 years Inc the conversion which was recorded by Vosa and all the nice fancy bits and sold for £15k

Just got this 57 plate Danbury Brazilian bay, as my project is still too far off, and it was a culture shock after the T5 but do I regret our purchase? Not one bit! Sure it's only a 78bhp 3 cylinder VW Fox liquid cooled lump but it goes well, stops well, it'll sit at 55-60 comfortably enough if you wish, steering is a little vague but factor in a litesteer conversion in your finances at around £1500 fitted so it at least drives like a normal car as the steering is HEAVY, and be prepared to have to maintain a few bits like the gear shift linkages but the parts are all available from Heritage and for OG German bits not Brazilian stuff. People still smile when you pass them, kids wave and point, and used residuals are superb. Mine has some minor rust around the usual T2 places, edge of rear arches, a little in the driver side lower B pillar inner arch, some surface rust on the lowest extremes of a few panels where they curve into the floor but ANY T2 will have that at some point in its life but the consumables are 13 years old not 40 and due to their prices when new most will have been cared for and will have been owned by 40 or 50 something's as the young UN's can't afford them so dodgy filler repairs and ropey mechanicals should be such a worry.

What's a shiny 70's bay hiding? Unless you are clued up or have one of the guys on here to assist I can say with some confidence you will be buying someone else's problems or spending nigh on Brazilian bay money for a minter.

 

Best Buy of advice I can offer is ask opinions BEFORE YOU BUY one you think you want . lots of folks buy and then ask only to be very disappointed

dealers are very expensive, it doesn’t mean the vans are good

cheap vans aren’t all bad

my 2ltr quite happily did 75-85 when needed, I kept around 70

if fuel consumption is a consideration don’t buy one , although T5,T6 etc aren’t particularly good on fuel

Whats your location
what’s your budget

2 birth Tintops are cheaper than 4 birth pop tops

if you buy right at the right price selling won’t be a problem which means you can buy one, run it for a while, if you don’t like it sell it and buy something different, I do it all the time