Supply and demand. Danbury Brazilians won't help

ahhhh possibly!
anyway the blurb from wikipedia about the brazillian - they make 97 a day so even at the speed new ones rust i doubt we will run out.

The T2c, so-called because it got a slightly raised roof – by about 10 cm (3.9 in) – in the early 1990s, is built for the South American and Central American markets. It can be imported into other countries, such as the United Kingdom.[16]

Since 1995, the T2c has been built in Brazil with 1.6 L air-cooled engines for the Brazilian market, and with the water-cooled 1.8 L inline four-cylinder 67 kW (91 PS; 90 bhp) fuel-injected engine for the Mexican market, the latter easily identified by their large, black-coloured, front-mounted radiators.

Since production of the original Beetle was halted in late 2003 as a 2004 model, the T2 remained the only Volkswagen model with the traditional air-cooled, rear-mounted boxer engine until the Brazilian model shifted to a water-cooled engine on 23 December 2005. There was a 1.6 L 50 hp (37 kW; 51 PS) water-cooled diesel engined version of the T2, which was manufactured from 1981 to 1985 in Brazil. This version was very economical – values from 15 km/l to 18 km/l are reported[17] – but it suffered from low performance and a insufficiently capable cooling system, which led to short engine life.

The end of the Volkswagen air-cooled engine on a worldwide basis was marked by a Special Edition Kombi. An exclusive Silver paint job, and limited edition emblems were applied to only 200 units in late 2005, and were sold as 2006 models.
An aircooled and a watercooled VW Kombi (T2), made in Brazil. Model years 2005 and 2006.

More onerous emissions laws introduced by the Brazilian government for 2006 forced a shift to water-cooled engines. The new "Flex Fuel" water-cooled engine will run on petrol as well as alcohol, which costs about 50% less than ordinary fuel in Brazil. Borrowed from the Volkswagen Fox, the engine is a rear-mounted EA-111 1.4 L 8v Total Flex 1,390 cc (84.8 cu in), 58 kW (79 PS; 78 bhp) on petrol, and 60 kW (82 PS; 80 bhp) when run on ethanol, and 124 N·m (91 lbf·ft) torque. This version has been very successful, despite the minor changes made to the overall T2-bodied vehicle. It still includes the four-speed transmission, but with a new final drive ratio it can cruise at 120 km/h (75 mph) at 4,100 rpm. Top speed is 130 km/h (81 mph). 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) is achieved in 22.7 seconds (vs. 29.5 seconds for the last air-cooled version). Improvements were made with 6.6% better fuel economy, and nearly 2 decibel (dB) less noise (again vs. the air-cooled version).

The Volkswagen Type T2 is by far the longest model run in Brazil, having been introduced in September 1950 as the Volkswagen "Kombi", a name it has kept throughout production. The fierce competition from European front-wheel drive newer generation vans still cannot match the Kombi's unparalleled cost-benefit equation. Only produced in two versions, bus (nine-seater or 12-seater – a fourth row is added for metro transportation or school bus market) or panel van, it offers only one factory option: the rear window defog. As of June 2009[update], the T2 is built at the Volkswagen Group's São Bernardo do Campo plant at a rate of 97 per day.

 

Personally l think the import of the new Danbury buses and their sky high prices (£25-35k for what is effectively a rubbish camper compared to what that can buy based on a Fiat Ducatto) are the reasons why our simple cla$$ic bays have gone through the roof in value.

 

There will always be a market for Bays in this country they the old rusties like ours or the new Brazibays with Polo engines. Mr J public wont really know the difference its just a classic looking camper he has seen on the telly many times either driven by celeb chefs or on adverts. When i found out that brazi bays are roughly £7k in price over there i was seriously tempted. You get a new van that you can convert yourself. I am sure that Danbury are making a fortune from them and good luck to them but when you can but a brand new T5 for roughly the same cash- tis a no brainer!
The new Bays are fine as long as you remember they are a base van over there, really basic, no heaters, old style suspension and 1303 gearbox, whih speaks volumes how tough it must be? Buy one, have it resprayed inside and out, waxoyl all the insides and there should be no reason why it wont last? I think the price of Bays will continue to rise no matter what, like splits did, but there comes a time when people have more sense than money so Aussie, south african, german originals or brazis doesnt matter that price celing will one day be hit.

 

I think notionally you can rust proof them once they arrive, but there are more variables to it than that sadly.

The quality and source of the steel springs to mind (some recycled steel come with contaminants inbuilt and will rust anyway) as does the manufacturing process.

Then there is the manufacturing process, and the weight of the steel itself, the journey across oceans by ship etc.

I always remember a film from school where they had a promo vid for Jaguar showing shells in production - as said bare metal XJS Shells were stored outside and transported from the metal fab to the spray shop, across an open carpark.

 

it makes me laugh people state the Brazilian campers because of their substandard steel and the fact that they rust fast

but seem happy to weld the same panels onto their German built buses

 

I don't know what it is. I obviously have a love for the T2 Bay - the original German built ones from the 1970s. But I have a loathing for the new Brazilian Bays. Don't know why. Just do. Can't help that. Sorry. Thought of buying one 4 years ago when I first got back into the T2 scene. But just couldn't bring myself to do it. It somehow just didn't feel like a real VW bus to me, as if it was fake. I felt, if I bought it, I'd have to live with the feeling of owning something that wasn't the genuine article, fooling myself and fooling all the folk who'd give admiring glances to what they thought was the genuine article. Since then, my opinion of the Brazilian Bay has plumeted. Some say they suit folk who want a trouble free bus. Then again, it's quite easy to build / fully restore your own trouble free real 1970s bus - a better bus by comparsion, for 10 to 20k less than a new Danbury. And that's even if you pay someone to do it all for you. And you wouldn't be worried about the 20k or so in depreciation that you're going to lose over 4 or 5 years either.

 

I suppose your right about the panels but we use better protection painting techniques compared to what they use in Brazil. At the end of the day steel is steel and will rust unless treated.

 

How would you go about buying one of these from Brazil?

 

i'm guessing they have car showrooms like us here in the UK

 

did i read somewhere danbury are the only authorised importer or was i drinking.....

 

what about VW down under they sell the new ones

 

there you go then, i WAS drunk