Radical change of direcion for tlb -

That pipe is looking pretty much at home there th

Without wishing to offend these are my thoughts --

This is my understanding of the type 2 b , most of my knowledge is gleamed from wiki , a small library of vw reading and knowledgable friends , before i stick my neck out and say dates are definite or set in stone i think i should say how i have always deciphered the start date of late bays .

In August 72 vw ceased producing what we now know as early bays , that date is definite ( alledgedly ) , the model was upgraded gradually from that date into what we now know or regard as the late bay or crossover to most of us , i won't go into technical changes there are far more knowledgeable
members both on here and earlybay than i .

During this change over period vw gradually changed the look and mechanicals of the bay , people now regard this short period August 72 - jan 73 as the crossover period and that indeed is what it was , however i have never heard or read vw refer to models made in that time as crossovers only later bays , correct me if i am wrong .

The questions must then be - is a crossover low light or highlight versions late or early , in my opinion vw regard them as the start of later bay production , so in my understanding they are lates even though people regard them as being in a class of their own , rightly so they are different , but i suspect they are lates really in vws own definition .

i gleamed this from wiki , i guess one of us could have posted it and once again it is'nt set in stone , as HF has said i think we aree ok to go with a forty year celebration even if its a crossover line up .




In late 1967, the second generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 (T2) was
introduced. It was built in Germany until 1979. In Mexico, the Volkswagen Combi
and Panel were produced from 1970 to 1994. Models before 1971 are often called
the T2a (or "prototype bay"), while models after 1972 are called the
T2b (or "Late Bay").
This second-generation Type 2 lost its distinctive split fr and was slightly larger and considerably
heavier than its predecessor. Its common nicknames are Breadloaf and
Bay-window or Loaf and Bay for short.
The T2b was introduced by way of gradual change over three years. The first
models featured rounded bumpers incorporating a step for use when the door was
open (replaced by indented bumpers without steps on later models), front doors
that opened to 90° from the body, no lip on the front guards, and crescent air
intakes in the D Pillar
later models after the Type 4 engine option was offered, have squared off
intakes). They also had unique engine hatches, and up until 1971 front
indicators set low on the nose rather than high on either side of the fresh air
grille giving rise to their nickname as "Low Lights". The 1971 Type 2 featured
a new, 1.6 L engine with dual intake ports on each cylinder head and was
DIN-rated at 37 kW (50 PS; 50 bhp). An important change came with the
introduction of front "Disc brake"
and new roadwheels with brake ventilation holes and flatter hubcaps.
1972's most prominent change was a bigger engine compartment to fit the larger
1.7 to 2.0 litre engines from the"Volkswagen Type 4" , and a redesigned rear end which eliminated the removable rear apron.
The air inlets were also enlarged to accommodate the increased cooling air needs
of the larger engines.</P>
<P>In 1971 the 1600cc <A title="Volkswagen air-cooled as used in the Beetle, was supplemented with the 1700cc

European vans kept the option of upright fan Type 1
was an option for the 1972 model year onward. This engine was >standard in models destined for the US and Canada. Only with the Type 4 engine
did an automatic option become available
for the first time in the 1973 model year. Both engines displaced 1.7 L,
DIN-rated at 49 kW (67 PS; 66 bhp) with the manual
transmission and 46 kW (63 PS; 62 bhp) with the automatic. The Type 4 engine
was enlarged to 1.8 L and 50 kW (68 PS; 67 bhp) DIN for the 1974 model year and
again to 2.0 L and 52 kW (71 PS; 70 bhp) DIN for the 1976 model year. The 1978
2.0 L now featured hydraulic valve lifters, eliminating the need to periodically
adjust the valve clearances as on earlier models. The 1975 and later U.S. model
years received Robert_Bosch_GmbH">Bosch</A> <A title="Jetronic" href="/wiki/Jetronic#L">L-Jetronic</A>
electronic fuel injection as standard equipment; 1978 was the first year for
electronic ignition, utilizing a hall effect sensor and digital controller,
eliminating maintenance-requiring contact-breaker points. As with all
Transporter engines, the focus in development was not on power, but on low-end
Torque" . The Type 4 engines were
considerably more robust and durable than the Type 1 engines, particularly in
The year 1971 also saw exterior revisions including relocated front turn
indicators, squared off and set higher in the valance, above the headlights –
1972 saw square-profiled bumpers, which became standard until the end of the T2
in 1979. Crash safety improved with this change due to a compressible structure
behind the front bumper. This meant that the T2b was capable of meeting US
safety standards for passenger cars of the time, though not required of vans.
The "VW" emblem on the front valance became slightly smaller.</P>
<P>Later model changes were primarily mechanical. By 1974, the T2 had gained its
final shape. Very late in the T2's design life, during the late 1970s, the first
prototypes of Type 2 vans with <A title="Four-wheel drive" href="/wiki/Four-wheel_drive">four-wheel
drive</A> (4WD) were built and tested.</P>

The commonly agreed cut off date seems to be August 72 from early to late but it is'nt mentioned on wiki .