How can I tell the exact specs or year of my bus? I'm looking to fit a new steering wheel and the co.im looking to supply it states that the boss I need could be one or another as my bus is a crossover year? My bus is registered by the DVLA as 1974 but I have paperwork from California as 1973. How do I tell exactly what year or period I should be buying? I don't want to chance it as it will then cost postage and hassle to send the boss back if it's wrong. Cheers
What's the 3rd number of the Vin? That will tell you the year. Measure across the splines for the steering wheel; it's either 17mm or 22mm if memory serves me right.
Do you have any ID plates behind the seats? If not sometimes on later buses up under the dash on the left hand side You can visit this website and fill out the info from your m-plate and you find out all sorts including manufacture date. http://www.vw-mplate.com/mcode.php
I don't think that the exact year will help you - as there are 2 possible sizes on crossovers - mine is similar year to yours ('73) and I put a new steering wheel on last year with the same worries. - but did as @Baysearcher says. - just measure the hub diameter and/ or count the splines - the supplier will then tell you which boss you need
As Baysearcher says above you need to look at your chassis number. The steering wheel changed at chassis number 214 2164 059 which was circa April '74. The VW model years ran from August 1st to the end of July each year - a source of much confusion.
If it is a 73 it will have lots of 1 year only features.Do you have pictures of the front. fuel cap and dash interior?
Can't quite see the fuel cap but it's below the panel level ie sunken in? Only got partial photo of the dash but hopefully you get the idea.
Thanks vwed, my chassis number is later than this so that's helped with the answer. Where did you find the info of the steering wheel changed at that chassis number out of interest? Cheers
The front panel has two sticking out lips either side of the defo panel. The steering wheel has slimmer spokes about 1 inch as apposed to spokes nearly 2 inch on the later and larger splines
